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Redondo Beach via Gardena Line

Pacific Electric streetcar line (1911–1940)

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Redondo via Gardena
Overview
Owner	Southern Pacific Railroad
Locale	Los Angeles, and the South Bay
Termini	Downtown Los Angeles Redondo Beach, California
Stations	40
Service
Type	Interurban
System	Pacific Electric
Operator(s)	Pacific Electric
Rolling stock	PE 1000 Class (last used)
Ridership	319,602 (1938)
History
Opened	November 12, 1911 (1911-11-12)
Closed	January 15, 1940 (1940-01-15)
Technical
Line length	22.26 mi (35.82 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 600 V DC
Route map Legend Pacific Electric Building to Northern Division  J   R   S   J   S  to Sierra Vista–Watts & South Pasadena Local Amoco Air Line Vernon Avenue  V  Slauson Junction Whittier / Fullerton Fleming Florencita Park Florence Nadeau Graham Latin Watts multiple lines Centralia South Park Avenue Main Street South Los Angeles (Forest)  7  Delta  F  Athens Hawthorne–El Nido / Hawthorne–El Segundo Delphi 143rd Street Strawberry Park Gardena Hermosillo San Pedro via Gardena Broadacres Moneta Bridgedale La Fresa Perry Hickman Selby Hawthorne–El Nido El Nido Monterey Park Maddex Coyote Avenue Redondo via Playa del Rey Redondo Beach Clifton This diagram: view talk edit

Redondo via Gardena was a line of the Pacific Electric Railway. One of two routes to Redondo Beach, this one was faster than the Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line as a result of its routing along the quadruple-tracked Watts main line.

History[edit]

The southern half of this line was built by the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company (not to be confused with similarly named Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Railway Company) as part of the narrow gauge Los Angeles and Redondo railroad between Los Angeles and Redondo Beach. When the Pacific Electric Railway acquired the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway, the northern half (north of Broadway and Hawthorne in the city of Hawthorne) went to the Los Angeles Railway and Pacific Electric converted the southern portion to standard gauge to be used as part of the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line.^[1][2][3] Full standard-gauge service to Redondo Beach began on November 12, 1911 with cars making the run to Clifton the following October.^[4][3][5] Inbound cars initially terminated at the front of the Pacific Electric Building,^[3] but the inbound terminal was changed to the rear in 1914 and then to the elevated concourse in 1916.^[5] On October 26, 1933, the line was split in the center segment, with half of all trips routed through Delta to increase service in that area following the abandonment of the Redondo Beach via Hawthorne Line.^[5]

The line between Delta and Strawberry Park was abandoned after February 26, 1939, effectively resuming the former frequency along the remaining line between Athens and Gardena.^[5] Passenger service ended on January 15, 1940.^[5] No replacement bus service was deemed necessary.^[6] By 1981, the remainder of the line had become the Southern Pacific Torrance Branch, with the segment between Gramercy Place and Clifton almost entirely removed.^[7] As of 2022^[update] Union Pacific (successor to the Pacific Electric system) operates a small section in Gardena as a freight spur.^[8]

Route[edit]

The line started at the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles and shared the Long Beach Line to Watts and the Hawthorne–El Segundo Line to the South Los Angeles Station. This line was originally double-tracked mostly within a private right of way on its entire length from Watts to Clifton (South of Redondo Beach).^[7]

Starting from the South Los Angeles Station (Broadway at 117th Street), the double track line ran south on private way east of and parallel to Figueroa Street. At 149th Street the private way turned southwesterly and ran parallel to and south of that street to Vermont Avenue and Compton Boulevard (Strawberry Park Station).^[7]

From Strawberry Park station, double track line turned south (left) and went on private way centered in Vermont Avenue south of Gardena Boulevard, the track curved to the west (right) parallel to and south of 166th Street. At Hermosillo Station (Normandie Avenue) the San Pedro via Gardena Line branched south on private way along the west side of Normandie Avenue.^[7]

The Redondo Beach via Gardena Line continued west as a single track on private way parallel to 166th Street until reaching the Bridgedale Station (Crenshaw Boulevard) where it turned Southwest (left) and became double track.Crossing Prairie the line changed to single track and turned west (right) parallel to and north of 182nd street and continued within private way.^[7]

At El Nido Station (Kingsdale Avenue) the line joined the El Segundo–El Nido–Redondo segment from the north, turned southwest and became double track once again. The line crossed Prospect Avenue at Del Almo street, went westerly along what is now Del Almo Street, then turned southwesterly and leaving private way went along the center of Diamond street to Catalina Avenue where the single track Catalina cut-off went south (left) along Catalina Avenue to Pearl Street where it rejoined the Redondo Line.^[7]

The Redondo Line went one block further down Diamond street to Pacific Avenue where it joined the Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line at the Redondo Beach Station (Diamond & Pacific) across from what is now Fisherman's Wharf.^[7]

On the remainder of the line, the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line followed the route of the Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line to its terminus at Clifton.^[7]

The length of the line was 9.88 miles (15.90 km) from 6th and Main to South Los Angeles Station and 12.38 miles (19.92 km) from South Los Angeles Station to the Southern Terminus (Clifton) for a total length of 22.26 miles (35.82 km).^[7]

List of major stations[edit]

See also[edit]

• Streetcar suburb
• Streetcars in North America
• List of California railroads
• History of rail transportation in California

References[edit]

^ "Broad gauge line for Redondo cars". Los Angeles Evening Express. November 11, 1911. p. 3. Retrieved December 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "1981 Inventory of Pacific Electric Routes" (PDF). Caltrans. February 1982. pp. 100, 148. Retrieved June 3, 2020.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

• Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California

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