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"Red Cars"
The Pacific Electric Collection |
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Featured Cars (click for more info): |
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| PE 00157 | This "Tower Car" was built by PE in its own shops in 1915. It was used to maintain the overhead trolley wire. | ![]() |
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| PE 179 | These all-steel cars came to the PE in 1913 and were nick-named "Submarines" by PE crews. | ![]() |
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| PE 331 | As the local streetcar systems struggled in the late 1910's and 20's to keep marginal car lines operating they turned to one-man Birney Safety Cars to minimize operating expenses. PE acquired 69 of these cars. | ![]() |
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| PE 314 | Fondly known as Blimps due to their large size, this class of cars first came to the PE during WWII to transport shipyard workers. The Blimps closed out service on the last line, Long Beach, in 1961. | ![]() |
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| PE 498 | Another of PE's famous 'Blimps', this car is a combination passenger/baggage car. It is currently nearing the end of a complete interior and exterior restoration. | ![]() |
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| PE 530 | The Fives were the first new cars ordered by the PE, and operated in service until 1936. Car 538 was the basis for replica cars 500-501 at the Port of LA. Car 530 is a new addition to the Museum's collection, arriving in August 2007. | ![]() |
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| PE 717 | Known as "Hollywood Cars" due to their initial assignment to Hollywood Blvd., these 1920's steel cars were the PE's largest class of equipment, numbering 160 units at the peak. | ![]() |
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| PE 1000 | Car 1000 was a luxurious “Officer’s Car”, reserved for the exclusive use of company officials and their guests for travel on the Pacific Electric. | ![]() |
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| PE 1001 | PE 1001 is one of the last wooden interurbans ordered by the Pacific Electric. Built by the Jewett Car Company, car 1001 served from 1911 to the mid 50's, first as a passenger car, then later as a work car. | ![]() |
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| PE 1046 | PE 1046 is a wooden trailer car that came to the PE second-hand during World War I from the SP-controlled Visalia Electric. | ![]() |
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| PE 1299 | PE 1299 was the premier business car for the Pacific Electric, and was also used in extra-fare parlor car service. | ![]() |
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| PE 1406 | PE 1406 was originally built for SP's interurban operations in Portland OR. It came to the PE in 1929 and was used as a railway post office (RPO) car and later as a service car. | ![]() |
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| PE 1624 | PE 1624 is an electric locomotive that was part of PE's extensive freight operation. | |||||
| Named in honor of longtime member Walter Abbenseth, this building was originally completed in 1974. | ||||||
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A Short History of the Pacific Electric
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| Links:
OERM PE Weekend- You Tube video Bill Everett's "O" Scale Trolley Layout- You Tube video Tom Wetzel's Pacific Electric page Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California Pacific Electric Color Painting Guide Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line 'The Red Cars of Los Angeles' from USC Pacific Electric page on Dave's Electric Railways photo site |
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The complete OERM Pacific Electric roster - click on car number for photos and additional information - |
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| Interurban Cars: | ||||||
| No. | Type | Builder | Built | Retired | Notes | |
| 314 | "Blimp" MU Coach | St. Louis | 1930 | 1959 | operational | |
| 418 | "Blimp" MU Coach | Pullman | 1913 | 1961 | operational | |
| 498 | "Blimp" MU Baggage / Coach | Pullman | 1913 | 1959 | operational | |
| 993 | "950" MU Coach | St. Louis | 1907 | 1950 | body, on trucks | |
| 1000 | Officer's Car | Jewett | 1913 | 1947 | body, on trucks | |
| 1001 | "Ten" MU Coach | Jewett | 1913 | 1954 | operational | |
| 1045 | Trailer Coach | American | 1908 | 1934 | body only, non-accessioned | |
| 1046 | Trailer Coach | American | 1908 | 1934 | body, on trucks | |
| 1299 | Officer's Car | Pullman | 1912 | 1958 | complete car | |
| 1406 | "Portland" RPO-Baggage | Brill | 1913 | 1959 | body, on trucks | |
| City & Suburban Cars: | ||||||
| 152 | Double-Truck Birney | St. Louis | 1925 | 1941 | body, on trucks | |
| 179 | "Submarine" | Pullman | 1912 | 1934 | body, on trucks | |
| 331 | Birney | Brill | 1918 | 1941 | operational | |
| 332 | Birney | Brill | 1918 | 1941 | operational | |
| 511* | "Baby Five" MU Coach | St. Louis | 1901 | 1934 | body, poor condition *Deaccessioned 8/07 | |
| 524 | "Baby Five" MU Coach | St. Louis | 1901 | 1934 | body | |
| 530 | "Medium Five" MU Coach | St. Louis | 1909 | 1937 | body | |
| 538 | "Medium Five" MU Coach | St. Louis | 1909 | 1937 | complete car, non-op | |
| 637 | "Hollywood Car" MU | St. Louis | 1922 | 1959 | complete car, non-op. ex PE 5112 | |
| 655 | "Hollywood Car" MU | St. Louis | 1924 | 1954 |
complete car, non-op ex PE 5094 |
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| 716 | "Hollywood Car" MU | Brill | 1925 | 1959 |
complete car, non-op ex PE 5166 |
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| 717 | "Hollywood Car" MU | Brill | 1922 | 1959 |
operational ex PE 5167 |
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| 5123 | "Hollywood Car" MU | St. Louis | 1922 | 1959 |
complete car, non-op ex PE 626 |
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| Work Cars: | ||||||
| 00150 | Trolley Wire Greaser | LAP | 1898 | 1957 | complete car, poor condition, non-op | |
| 00157 | Tower Car | PE | 1915 | 1957 | operational | |
| Locomotives: | ||||||
| 1624 | Steeplecab | PE | 1925 | 1958 | operational | |
| Freight Cars: | ||||||
| 1905 | Flat-Top Caboose | LA&R | 1896 | wood | complete car | |
| 1962 | Flat-Top Caboose | PE | 1939 | wood | complete car | |
| 1970 | Caboose | LS&MS | c1915 | wood | complete car | |
| 1971 | Caboose | LS&MS | c1915 | wood | complete car | |
| 1973 | Caboose | LV | 1926 | wood | complete car | |
| 1985 | Caboose | RF&P | 1905 | wood | complete car | |
| 2704 | Box Car | SSC | 1924 | composite | complete car | |
| 2721 | Box Car | SSC | 1924 | composite | complete car | |
| 2729 | Box Car | SSC | 1924 | composite | complete car | |
| 2731 | Box Car | SSC | 1924 | composite | complete car | |
| 2737 | Box Car | SSC | 1924 | composite | complete car | |
| This page was last revised on 4/27/10 | ||||||