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Pacific Electric
Santa Monica Local Lines
Introduction:
SANTA MONICA LOCAL LINES
THIRD STREET LINE:
ROUTE: From 3rd Street & Santa Monica Boulevard. via 3rd, Montana, to 7th Street, 1.06 miles.
HISTORY: Built 1899 as the North Loop—a single track, narrow gauge electric line running from Santa Monica Boulevard. & Ocean via Santa Monica, Third, Montana and back via Ocean to starting point. In 1902, LAP took up the old horsecar line on Third between Santa Monica and Broadway and on Broadway between Third and Ocean; a new single track narrow gauge electric line was constructed over this route and tied in with the North Loop as an extension of same. The line was standard gauged in 1908. In 1910, an extension was built on Montana from Third to Seventh and trackage on Montana between Ocean and Third was abandoned. This line became a PE property in 1911, and was operated by PE until abandoned on December 13, 1929.
OPERATION: As of July, 1911, cars left 7th & Montana at 6:10 AM and every 30 minutes to 9:40 PM, then 10:40, 11:40 and 12:40 AM. At that time this line was through-routed with the Lagoon Line.
On August 10, 1916, this line was separated from the Lagoon Line. It operated as a single line until May 3, 1919, when it was through-routed for about six months with the Lincoln Boulevard. (8th St.) local line.
As of November 1, 1926, a 30 minute headway was in effect, with the last car leaving at 11:00 PM.
On November 1, 1927, that portion of the line between Broadway & Ocean and Third & Santa Monica Boulevard. was abandoned; this line then terminated at the latter point. Basic schedule remained unchanged to abandonment.
A travel check made on Tuesday, August 30, 1927, revealed a total of but 147 passengers riding this line that day. The lone Birney made 55 trips of which 24 carried not a soul.
The Birney was stored overnight at the Ocean Park Carhouse. Power came from Ocean Park Substation.
EIGHTH STREET LINE
ROUTE: From 8th Street & Santa Monica Boulevard. on 8th Street to Pearl Street, 0.98 mile. All single track, standard gauge, 72 lb rail in oil macadam pavement.
HISTORY: This line was under construction at the time of the Great Merger in 1911. PE completed the work and th line was opened for service on January 30, 1912. It was operated for most of its life as a shuttle service. After December 29, 1919, it was not listed in PE timetables, but the official abandonment date is January 22, 1927.
OPERATION: When opened, this line was through-routed with the Third Street Line. Soon thereafter it was separated from that line and became a shuttle line.
As of January 6, 1913, cars left Garfield Avenue at 6:09 AM and every 30 minutes until 11:09 PM.
On May 3, 1919, this line was again through-routed with the Third Street Line. As of 1921, the Third Street Birney (car 337) made a morning and afternoon trip over 8th Street to serve students of Santa Monica High School; all other service had been abandoned.
As early as 1915 PE was unhappy about its local lines in Santa Monica. In a letter to the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce in late 1915, PE's head man, Paul Shoup, said:
"We have fared vary badly in Santa Monica the last two or three years. On the one hand we have put at least $250,000 into improvements, and as against this our earnings have fallen off. What I am trying to avoid is the conclusion that now seems staring us in the face and which is that we will have to abandon our street car lines and local car service entirely in Santa Monica.
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