Echo Park Avenue Line
Introduction:
ECHO PARK AVENUE LINE ROUTE:
From a downtown terminus at 11th & Hill Streets, the Echo Park Avenue Line followed the Hollywood Line to Sunset Boulevard & Echo Park Avenue (3.31 miles). Here it turned right and proceeded north over twisting, turning Echo Park Avenue via single track with turnouts to a terminus at Cerro Gordo Street. (4.56 miles).
HISTORY:
The Elysian Park Street Railway Company built this line in 1889 on Echo Park Avenue from Temple Street to about 600 feet north of Sunset Boulevard as a horse car line. In the fall of 1890 that part of the line between Temple and Sunset was abandoned and the rails removed. In late 1890 the line was extended about a mile up Echo Park Avenue to Cerro Gordo Street. The Los Angeles Pacific purchased the line on November 15, 1895. The line was electrified by LAP in 1902, opening for service as such on November 20, 1902. The line was standard gauged in 1909. The Pacific Electric acquired this line in 1911, and it was operated until converted to bus operation on October 1, 1950.
OPERATION:
LAP operated this line as a shuttle service, through passengers being required to transfer at Sunset Boulevard & Echo Park Avenue. PE reversed the switch at Sunset Boulevard in 1912, making it possible for cars to operate through service to the downtown district; this line was then through-routed with the West 16th Street Line. In 1916, through routing was discontinued, all cars terminating at 9th & Hill Streets; changed to 11th & Hill Streets in 1923. In 1932 night and Sunday service was again through-routed with West 16th Street service. Base headway then averaged 15 minutes. Storm drain construction in 1938 caused discontinuance of rail operation on Echo Park Avenue except during morning & evening weekday rush hours. Rail service was reestablished in July of 1939 except that shuttle busses with but a few cars continuing out Venice Boulevard provided evening and Sunday service. Most terminated at 11th & Hill. On August 15, 1942, full time rail service was restored with one‑man cars operating as shuttles on a base headway of ten minutes. Again in 1949 storm drain construction cut rail service; night and Sunday service was discontinued and weekday cars ran only to Montana Street. Late that year, full time service by rail was restored. Ten-minute headways prevailed except during rush hours when cars appeared every five minutes. Running time between 11th & Hill and Cerro Gordo was thirty minutes. Single-track operation between Montana and Cerro Gordo Streets was governed by automatic block signal operated by trolley contact. These signals and territory they governed were as follows:
Signal 29 (Montana) governed outbound movements to Morton Avenue
Signal 33 (Morton), outbound to Marsden Street
Signal 35 (Marsden) outbound to Cerro Gordo
Signal 38 (Cerro Gordo), inbound to Marsden
Signal 34 (Marsden), inbound to Morton
Signal 32 (Morton), inbound to Montana.
The signals used were the Nachod type. Signals' normal indication was dark; they were located ahead of switch points so trainmen could see them operate. Trains were held to four mph while passing signal contactors. After trolley contacted contactor, car could proceed if signal showed white light and white disc; approaching signal showing white indicated a train in block ahead going in same direction; train could proceed if signal blinked when the trolley passed contactor. If signal displayed red light and red disc, train had to stop until signal cleared. If opposing trains passed contactors at the same instant, signals remained dark; both then had to back into the siding, not allowing trolley pole to touch contactor; inbound then proceeded if able to get correct signal indication; outbound train had to wait three minutes if signal remained dark, then proceed if able to get correct indication. Trains could not reverse direction between contactors. If power failed, signals remained dark and all trains had to stop.
EQUIPMENT:
Same as Hollywood lines until August 15, 1942, when cars 100-114 took over; these remained until abandonment.
TRACK:
70-lb T-rail on entire length from Montana to Cerro Gordo; 128-lb girder rail between Sunset Boulevard and Montana Street.
ELECTRICAL FACILITIES:
None exclusive to this line; power came primarily from Olive Substation. (Sunset and Occidental)
FREIGHT OPERATION:
None.
PASSENGER OPERATION:
| (Fare & Transfer) | |||
| Year | Passengers | Revenue | Car Miles |
| 1917 | 870,806 | $39,220 | 260,563 |
| 1918 | 899,104 | $40,825 | 236,975 |
| 1920 | 1,119,722 | $56,311 | 235,476 |
| 1922 | 1,311,719 | $73,562 | 259,765 |
| 1924 | 1,319,432 | $74,398 | 232,454 |
| 1926 | 1,653,248 | $91,013 | 273,004 |
MISCELLANEOUS:
Traffic congestion at 11th & Hill Streets caused by turning back of this line's cars was always a point brought up regularly by authorities; both PE and Los Angeles Railway cars were delayed, as well as automobile traffic. Before 1942, terminus at Cerro Gordo Street was a single track; in that year, a double track terminus was constructed there and the siding at Fargo Street was removed. The second track between Sunset Boulevard and Montana Street was constructed in 1920. 13 cars maximum and 8 cars base were used on this line in 1947.