San Diego Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
The San Diego Electric Railway (SDERy) was a mass transit system in Southern California
, USA, using streetcars and (in later years) buses.
The SDERy was established by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels
in 1892. The railroad's original network consisted of five routes, delineated as follows:
The company would establish additional operating divisions as traffic demands led to the formation of new lines. The company also engaged in limited freight handling primarily as an interchange with Spreckels' San Diego and Arizona Railway
(SD&A) from 1923 to 1929.
At its peak, the SDERy's routes would operate throughout the greater San Diego
area over some 165 miles (266 km) of track. Steadily-declining ridership, due in large part to the phenomenal rise in popularity of the automobile, ultimately led the company to discontinue all streetcar service in favor of bus routes in 1949. The demise of some streetcar companies in the United States
has been tied by some to the General Motors streetcar conspiracy
, in which a consortium of General Motors, Standard Oil
, and others formed a front company, National City Lines
, in order to buy streetcar lines, shut them down, and replace them with buses. The plot of Touchstone Pictures
' 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
is loosely based on this event.
The few surviving pieces of rolling stock are on display at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
in Campo, the San Diego Electric Railway Association in National City
, and the Orange Empire Railway Museum
in Perris, California
.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, USA, using streetcars and (in later years) buses.
The SDERy was established by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels
John D. Spreckels
John Diedrich Spreckels , the son of German-American industrialist Claus Spreckels, founded a transportation and real estate empire in San Diego, California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
in 1892. The railroad's original network consisted of five routes, delineated as follows:
- the Fifth Street and Logan Heights Lines;
- the First and "D" Streets Lines;
- the Depot Line;
- the Ferry Line; and
- the "K" Street Shuttle.
The company would establish additional operating divisions as traffic demands led to the formation of new lines. The company also engaged in limited freight handling primarily as an interchange with Spreckels' San Diego and Arizona Railway
San Diego and Arizona Railway
The San Diego and Arizona Railway was a short line American railroad founded by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved...
(SD&A) from 1923 to 1929.
At its peak, the SDERy's routes would operate throughout the greater San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
area over some 165 miles (266 km) of track. Steadily-declining ridership, due in large part to the phenomenal rise in popularity of the automobile, ultimately led the company to discontinue all streetcar service in favor of bus routes in 1949. The demise of some streetcar companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has been tied by some to the General Motors streetcar conspiracy
General Motors streetcar conspiracy
The General Motors streetcar conspiracy refers to allegations and convictions in relation to a program by General Motors and a number of other companies to purchase and dismantle streetcars and electric trains in many cities across the United States and replace them with bus services; a program...
, in which a consortium of General Motors, Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
, and others formed a front company, National City Lines
National City Lines
National City Lines, Inc. , was a controversial company founded in Minnesota, United States in 1920 as a modest local transport company operating two buses which was reorganized into a holding company in 1936 with equity funding from General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California and...
, in order to buy streetcar lines, shut them down, and replace them with buses. The plot of Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
' 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
is loosely based on this event.
The few surviving pieces of rolling stock are on display at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, located at the corner of State Route 94 and Forrest Gate Road near Campo, California, is a railroad museum dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of railroads as they existed in the Pacific Southwest....
in Campo, the San Diego Electric Railway Association in National City
National City, California
National City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
, and the Orange Empire Railway Museum
Orange Empire Railway Museum
The Orange Empire Railway Museum , 2201 South "A" Street, Perris, California, is a railroad museum founded in 1956 at the Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum." The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds.-Background:The collection focuses on Southern...
in Perris, California
Perris, California
Perris is a city in Riverside County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city population was 68,386, up from 36,189 at the 2000 census. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad...
.
- "Before you can hope to get people to live anywhere...you must first of all show them that they can get there quickly, comfortably, and above all, cheaply. Transportation determines the flow of population." J.D. Spreckels
Early years
- July 3, 1886: The first horse-drawn open-air streetcar of the San Diego Street Car Company (SDSCC) (founded by Hamilton Story and Elisa Babcock) makes its run up 5th Street. The fare is five cents.
- November 9, 1887: The first electric-powered streetcar makes a test run on new tracks up Broadway to Kettner Boulevard and on to "Old Town."
- November 19, 1887: Electric streetcar service is inaugurated on the San Diego and Old Town Street Railway, making it the first electric railway on the west coast and the second in the country to use the "ground return" for electric current.
- 1888: The Electric Rapid Transit Company (ERTC) puts an electric streetcar into regular operation in San Diego.
- July 22, 1889: The San Diego Cable Railway (SDCR) is incorporated and takes over the failed ERTC.
- June 7, 1890: Opening day on the SDCR.
- September 9, 1890: The SDCR opens "Mission Cliffs Gardens," a small recreation park (one of San Diego's first public recreation areas) overlooking beautiful Mission Valley, as an end-of-the-line attraction for cable car patrons.
San Diego Electric Railway Company
- November 30, 1891: John D. Spreckels incorporates the San Diego Electric Railway Company (SDERy).
- January 30, 1892: The SDERy purchases the SDSCC and the majority of its assets for $115,000; over the next few years the company will also acquire the competing Park Belt Line and the Ocean Beach Railroad. Plans are made to convert all existing lines to traction, and ten single-truck, single-trolley, open platform wooden cars are subsequently purchased from the J. G. Brill and Company.
- September 19, 1892: Car No. 6 begins shake-down runs on the electrified portion of the line.
- September 21, 1892: Double-decker Car No. 1, the first such electrically operated car in the United States, makes the inaugural run with many of the City's notables aboard.
- October 15, 1892: The SDCR makes its last run, the company having declared bankruptcy earlier in the year.
- December 31, 1892: The line has grown to 16.7 miles (26.9 km) of aggregated system track (12.21 miles (19.7 km) of single electrified track with 4.49 miles (7.2 km) for horse-drawn cars). Many new electrified lines will be constructed during the coming years.
- August 1895: The Citizens Traction Company (CTC) is formed and purchases the remains of the SDCR for $17,600, adapting the line to electric operation in order to compete with the SDERy.
- July 28, 1896: The first converted trolley car runs the entire length of the 4.49 miles (7.2 km) long CTC line
- February 12. 1897: Financial difficulties force the CTC goes into receivership.
- March 23, 1898: Elisa Babcock, as agent for the SDERy, buys the properties and franchises of the CTC for $19,000 plus "fees and costs." The track gauge is subsequently widenedGauge conversionIn rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
from to (standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
). - 1905: Spreckels builds a new power generating plant to accommodate the additional loads imposed by the expanding streetcar network.
- 1906: Spreckels announces he will form the San Diego and Arizona RailwaySan Diego and Arizona RailwayThe San Diego and Arizona Railway was a short line American railroad founded by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved...
(SD&A) and build a 148 miles (238 km) line between San Diego and El CentroEl Centro, CaliforniaEl Centro is a city in and county seat of Imperial County, the largest city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also...
. The Third Avenue Streetcar Line begins operation. The SDERy logs 798,152 car miles. - 1907: The Third Avenue Streetcar Line is extended to the future community of Mission HillsMission Hills, San Diego, CaliforniaMission Hills is a neighborhood of San Diego, California, USA. It is located on hills just south of the San Diego River valley and north of downtown San Diego, overlooking Old Town and San Diego Bay. It was subdivided on January 20, 1908 as a smaller portion of what is now referred to as Mission...
, and is briefly renamed the Mission Hills Line. - 1910: Spreckels forces a ballot initiative to amend his charter with the City of San Diego to give him more than 25 years on his leases to operate streetcar service. With this greater security he is able to acquire major loans for service expansion and infrastructure.
- 1911: The Imperial Avenue operating division is established in downtown. Spreckels builds second power generating plant at Kettner Boulevard and "E" Street when the plant built in 1905 can no longer provide sufficient capacity.
- 1912: Ordered by Spreckles, with guidance by William Clayton, and design by Homer MacNutt and Abel A Butterworth, twenty-four Arts & Crafts style streetcars (to be known as the 'Class 1' streetcar) are delivered to San Diego.
- 1913: Construction of a new brick car barn located at Adams Avenue and Florida Street is completed.
- December 31, 1914: The SDERy owns 38.9 miles (62.6 km) of single track and 22.4 miles (36 km) of double track, for a total of 83.7 miles (134.7 km) of "equivalent single track."
- 1915: The Panama-California Exposition in Balboa ParkBalboa Park (San Diego)Balboa Park is a urban cultural park in San Diego, California. The park is named after the Spanish maritime explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa...
spurs the next phase of transportation growth. A new electric car line is constructed up 12th Street to the Park's entrance with 101 new cars from the St. Louis Car CompanySt. Louis Car CompanyThe St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
and the Adams Avenue operating division is established in Normal Heights. San Diego's original VictorianVictorian architectureThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style train depot is demolished and replaced with a new Mission Revival StyleMission Revival Style architectureThe Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
Santa FeAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
depot building. The SDERy logs 3,521,571 car miles. - 1916: The "Great Flood" washes out several rail lines. World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
increases the cost of railway construction materials by 50 to 150 percent. There is a significant increase in the private ownership of automobiles and the SDERy begins to lose revenue to private "Jitney Buses." - November 15, 1919: The "golden spike" is driven and construction of the SD&A is ceremonially completed at a cost of $18 million (three times the original estimate).
- 1920: Spreckels announces plans to discontinue service on several rail lines to offset expenses, leading to approval of "zone fares". The SDERy purchases new streetcars that requires only one driver/conductor instead of two; older cars are retrofitted to reduce labor costs. Spreckels sells his power generating plants to the Consolidated Gas and Electric Company.
The first motor buses
- 1921: The first motor bus goes into service operating between National CityNational City, CaliforniaNational City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
and Chula VistaChula Vista, CaliforniaChula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
. "Number One" has hard rubber tires, two-wheel mechanical brakes, a four-cylinder engine, and a plywood body. - March 17, 1923: The SDERy begins its last major rail line expansion to Mission Beach ("Belmont Park"), Pacific Beach, and La Jolla. $2.5 million is spent on rails, Mission Revival Style terminals and substations, and Egyptian Revival StyleEgyptian Revival architectureEgyptian Revival is an architectural style that uses the motifs and imagery of ancient Egypt. It is attributed generally to the public awareness of ancient Egyptian monuments generated by Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and Admiral Nelson's defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of the Nile during 1798....
stations, and $800,000 is spent on the acquisition of 50 new cars. Construction is completed in 1925. - December 18, 1923: Car No. 400, an all-steel model with a closed body and the first on the SDERy to feature a pantographPantograph (rail)A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
-type current collector, is delivered. All 50 pantograph-equipped cars would eventually have trolley poles installed at each end due to the pantographs' poor performance. - 1930: Buses begin to replace street cars from Ocean Beach to La Jolla, and 222 new buses are added to the fleet. Ridership and revenue goes down but the SDERy is able to weather the economic downturn.
- 1935: The California Pacific International Exposition opens in Balboa Park without the need for expanded transit service.
- 1936: The SDERy orders 25 single-end Presidents Conference Committee (P.C.C.) cars from the St. Louis Car CompanySt. Louis Car CompanyThe St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
, becoming the first streetcar system in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to utilize streamlinedStreamlinerA streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
units. The cars are designated as Class 6. An order for 3 additional units is placed the following year. - 1941: World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
turns San Diego into a "boom town" again. Defense related industries revitalize the city, as does an influx of military personnel. Ridership on public transit increases 600 percent during the war years. Used transit vehicles are purchased from around the nation, and more electrical power is needed and substations are built (one in the basement of the Spreckels Theatre Building on Broadway). The $2.5 million rail line built in the 1920s to the beaches is ripped out along with the elaborate stations and terminals and replaced with a bus line. - 1942: The combined streetcar and bus lines carry 94 million people. Additional streetcars are brought in on loan from New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
and Wilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
to help keep up with demand. - 1944: Combined ridership increases lead to more than 146 million trips.
- 1945: Cars No. 502 and No. 503 are painted red and blue (in lieu of the standard golden yellow) to the American Red CrossAmerican Red CrossThe American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
blood donation campaign. - 1946: The SDERy begins to phase out streetcar lines and replace them with bus routes. By the following year, only 3 street car lines will remain in operation.
New owners and systematic conversion to buses
- July 26, 1948: The Western Transit Company (WTC) which was owned by Jesse Haugh bought SDERy for $5.5 million. Haugh was also president of Key SystemKey SystemThe Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
and an executive of Pacific Electric RailwayPacific Electric RailwayThe Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
- see Great American Streetcar Scandal - August 1948: 13 new 45-passenger buses are placed into service.
- September 9, 1948: The WTC announces that the SDERy will henceforth be known as the San Diego Transit System (SDTS). A new emblem (consisting of a pair of wings with a shield in the center) and slogan, "Safety, Courtesy, Service," are adopted.
- January 13, 1949: The SDTS borrows $720,000 for the purchase of additional new buses, and makes an application to the State Public Utilities CommissionPublic Utilities CommissionA Utilities commission, Utility Regulatory Commission , Public Utilities Commission or Public Service Commission is a governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility...
(PUC) to discontinue streetcar service. - March 3, 1949: The PUC grants authority to the SDTS to abandon its remaining streetcar lines.
- March 27, 1949: A "farewell to the streetcars" excursion, operated over the remaining trackage, is sponsored by the Pacific Railroad Society of Los Angeles.
- April 23, 1949: 45 new GM buses (each costing $20,000) parade down Broadway to mark the retirement of the street cars; free rides are offered during the procession.
- April 24, 1949: Rail service on the SDERy comes to an end at 5:45 a.m. as Car No. 446 pulls into the Adams Avenue car barn, making San Diego the first major Southwestern United StatesSouthwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
city to eliminate streetcars and convert to an all-bus transit system. - May 23, 1949: Work crews begin removing the overhead trolley lines and tracks on the loop at downtown's Union Station.
- 1950: 17 of the P.C.C. model cars are sold to the El Paso City Lines (EPCL) for service on the international loop between El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, and the MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. - 1952: Three more P.C.C.'s are sold to EPCL. All remaining Class 5 cars and the 3 "service" cars are purchased by the Allied Salvage Company for scrap.
- August 1957: The 8 remaining P.C.C.'s are purchased by the San Diego Mill Supply Company. Car No. 508 is acquired by the Orange Empire Traction Company for display at its museum in Perris, CaliforniaPerris, CaliforniaPerris is a city in Riverside County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city population was 68,386, up from 36,189 at the 2000 census. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad...
, and Car No. 528 is obtained by the Railway Historical Society of San Diego for preservation and exhibition.
Revival
- July 19, 1981: After years of planning and development, the "San Diego TrolleySan Diego TrolleyThe San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
" (a new interurban light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
mass transit system) makes its inaugural run on the 15.9 miles (25.6 km) long "South Line" between the U.S. International Border and Centre City San Diego. - July 26, 1981: The San Diego Trolley begins revenue service; San Diego will become known in transit circles as "The city that started the 'light rail craze' in the United States."
- August 1996: Three "Class 1" streetcars are saved for San Diego. These cars, numbered 126, 128, and 138, were ordered by JD Spreckles specifically for San Diego and in anticipation of the 1915 Panama California Exposition. The logo of the SDERy is still visible.
- 1997: The San Diego Historic Site Board recognized the three native "Class 1" streetcars with the official designation of San Diego Landmark #339.
- February 14, 2005: The San Diego Electric Railway Association salvages the body shell of Car No. 357 (formerly of the Bellingham, WashingtonBellingham, WashingtonBellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
streetcar system) from a Centre City San Diego restaurant site where it had been used as a "dining room" since 1972. - December 14, 2005: The San Diego Vintage Trolley Co. purchases two former San Francisco Municipal RailwaySan Francisco Municipal RailwayThe San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
PCC cars (529-530). The cars are expected to run on a loop around Centre City using existing San Diego Trolley tracks; service planned to start in 2011. #529 is readied; 3 others: 1 from SF Muni & 2 from SEPTA (531-533) purchased. - March 2011: San Diego Metropolitan Transit SystemMTS- Organizations :* Machine and Tractor Station, a state enterprise of agricultural machinery in the Soviet Union* Manitoba Teachers' Society, 1919-present, a Manitoba, Canada teacher union...
begins work on a study to evaluate the feasibility of reconnecting Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo and Downtown San Diego through a fixed-guideway, electrified streetcar line. - August 27, 2011: San Diego Metropolitan Transit SystemMTS- Organizations :* Machine and Tractor Station, a state enterprise of agricultural machinery in the Soviet Union* Manitoba Teachers' Society, 1919-present, a Manitoba, Canada teacher union...
begins weekend and holiday service of the Silver LineSilver Line (San Diego Trolley)The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...
, which operates around Downtown San Diego and features renovated PCC streetcarsPCC streetcarThe PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
with a partnership with the San Diego historic streetcar society.
See also
- Los Angeles RailwayLos Angeles RailwayThe Los Angeles Railway was a system of streetcars that operated in central Los Angeles, California and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between from 1901 and 1963. Except for two short funicular railways it operated on tracks...
- Pacific Electric RailwayPacific Electric RailwayThe Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
- Public transportation in San Diego
- San Diego and Arizona Eastern RailwaySan Diego and Arizona Eastern RailwayThe San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway is a short-line American railroad originally founded in 1906 as the San Diego and Arizona Railway by sugar heir, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels...
- San Diego and Arizona RailwaySan Diego and Arizona RailwayThe San Diego and Arizona Railway was a short line American railroad founded by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved...
- San Diego TrolleySan Diego TrolleyThe San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
External links
- The Home of the Historic San Diego Class 1 Streetcars — report documents the efforts of the North Park Main Street Association to reintroduce "Class 1" streetcar service along a historic 3.5 mile line in the San Diego community of North ParkNorth ParkNorth Park may refer to:Places in the United States*North Park, San Diego, California, a neighborhood*North Park , a valley in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado*North Park, Chicago, Illinois, a neighborhood...
. — documentation of GM front companies and hostile takeovers of "Key System" transit companies in California. — photos and text from an article in the January, 1956 issue of The Journal of San Diego History.