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Santa Monica Canyon Line

Introduction:
W SANTA MONICA CANYON LINE ROUTE: From SP Station in the ravine southeast and below the intersection of Ocean & Colorado Aves., though a tunnel to the beach; thence, running along the foot of the Palisades, north to the mouth of the Santa Monica Canyon. HISTORY: This line was the remnant of the Port Los Angeles extension of the Santa Monica Air Line. It was built by SP in 1891 when that company built its famous Long Wharf with Port Los Angeles at its tip; the wharf was located about a half mile north of the mouth of Santa Monica Canyon. When the port of San Pedro was developed, Port Los Angeles diminished greatly in importance; by 1908 SP was ready to call it quits an leased this line, with that part of the Air Line between Santa Monica and Sentous, to LAP which at once electrified same. PE obtained the line in 1911; as of July in that year, cars left Santa Monica for the Long Wharf at 6:35 AM, 7:40 AM and every 30 minutes to 7:10 PM, then 10:40 PM (except 6:10 car ran Sundays only). The first inbound car from the Wharf at 6:45 AM was through-routed with the Air Line, running to Culver City daily; the 5:50 PM car inbound also ran through to Culver City daily except Sunday. As of November, 1921, the Long Wharf name was changed to "Rustic", evidently a turnback point on the stub of the Wharf, the outer portion of which had been abandoned in 1917. Service at that time was 45 minutes all day. In 1924, hourly service was established, cars leaving Santa Monica on the hour from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. In late 1931 service was reduced to two round trips daily except Sunday, leaving Santa Monica at 6:24 AM and 6:10 PM, operating through only to Santa Monica Canyon. It is probably that Santa Monica Canyon had become the northern terminus as early as 1924. One PE source claims August 22, 1933, as the abandonment date, while another gives it as January 31, 1934. A wood city car was assigned to this line in the early years, a Birney after about 1919. Balloon Route excursion trains ran over this line to the Long Wharf in both the LAP and PE regimes. This line's car was stored at Ocean Park Carhouse; power came from Ocean Park Substation. This line's right of way was immediately used for highway purposes after abandonment; the present Olympic Boulevard. tunnel was built on almost exactly the site of the old railroad tunnel. scene of numerous motion picture comedy scenes.


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