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Don Brown Photos, OERM Collection, click to enlarge
L. Swanson photo, OERM Collection, click to enlarge |
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| Orange Empire Railway Museum founding member Don Brown took the top two pictures in 1957. The Municipal Ferry Building can be seen in the background of the top photo. Today this building houses the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. Car 314, seen in the middle photo, also survives today at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Ditto with car 498, seen in the lower photo, with the San Pedro City Hall building visible in the background. PE's two-story San Pedro depot was opened in 1920, and succumbed to the wrecking ball in 1961. The new 6th Station on the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line is located just east of the former PE station site, adjacent to the entrance of the Maritime Museum.
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San Pedro Postcard Views -click image to enlarge- |
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The Pacific Electric San Pedro Depot Ca. 1920
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View of the San Pedro waterfront in the Teens. This view may be of the SP slip, near the present Ports O' Call Red Car Station. |
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View of the bascule bridge that provided rail access to the San Pedro harborfront. This bridge spanned the turning basin near what is now the west side of the Vincent Thomas Bridge. |
Another view of the San Pedro waterfront in the Teens. |
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The Ferry Terminal Building Ca. 1960, now the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. |
This was the pre-1920 Southern Pacific / PE station in San Pedro. The train of Red Cars is parked about where the new depot was built in 1920. The crowd of people is walking towards what is now the site of the Ferry Terminal Building.
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Front Street, today's Harbor Blvd., prior to construction of the 1920 PE depot.
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Late 1920s view of San Pedro waterfront. |
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Two additional postcard views of the depot. |
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Yesterday & Today |
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In this 1946 scene, PE 1001 is resting between runs just south of 6th St. San Pedro City Hall, which remains a part of the skyline today, is visible behind the car. Car 1001 itself is preserved in operating condition at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California. Photo: Craig Rasmussen Collection.
Same scene in 2003 with PE 1058 on the Waterfront Red Car Line. Note San Pedro City Hall in the background. John Smatlak photo
San Pedro yard, prior to construction of present day City Hall building. Harbor Blvd. at left. PE tracks along retaining wall at left. USC Digital Archives
Same scene today, Waterfront Red Car Line track at right John Smatlak photo
It's 1945, and a train of PE Twelves headed by 1235 passes the San Pedro Municipal Power & Light Station. The train has just entered the West Basin Line, inbound to Los Angeles. The trestle approach to the bascule bridge is visible in the background. Photo: Craig Rasmussen Collection.
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Fifty-six years later, the building still stands. In 2001, it sits in the shadow of the Vincent Thomas Bridge (visible at left and behind), adjacent to the World Cruise Center and the new Waterfront Red Car Line. The old PE tracks are still visible in the pavement in front of the building. John Smatlak photo
PE (MCL) 411 crossing Front Street, 1958 Credit:
Harold Stewart photo, OERM Collection
Same crossing, 2007. The Vincent Thomas bridge now dominates this area. John Smatlak photo
It's 1950
and a railfan trip on the PE 496 has ventured to near the end of the
"Outer Harbor" freight spur. The car is on Signal St. with the
camera looking north, and the
warehouse buildings at left stand today. The small building visible at
far right is today part of the Westway Terminal facility. Credit:
OERM Collection
The same area, looking north July 2005. The rails and the warehouse buildings are still in use, although the Pacific Electric's trains are long gone. John Smatlak photo
Another 1950s era railfan trip to the Outer Harbor, this time with PE car 1374. The camera looks south with Warehouse One in the background.
A color view from the same 1950s fantrip Credit:
OERM Collection
Looking south down Signal St. in the same area, 2007. Warehouse One once again in the background. John Smatlak photo
Harbor Blvd., circa 1938. PE LaRambla Birney awaiting departure time. Note San Pedro City Hall in background. Credit: Ernie Leo photo, ERHA-SC Collection
Wilmington Station area; looking northeast along the PE right-of-way at "B" Street (today Harry Bridges Blvd.) and Fries Ave. 1947 Credit:
Craig Rasmussen Collection
Same scene in 2007. Part of the Bekins warehouse is still in operation, and rails are still in place on the abandoned PE right-of-way. John Smatlak photo
This scene looks to the northeast along the PE right-of-way in Wilmington. The outbound car is turning off the right-of-way onto westbound "B" Street (Harry Bridges Blvd. today). Much of this scene remains intact today; the right-of-way (still with some track) is still visible on both sides of the street, and the Bekins Warehouse building visible in the background is still there. Robert B. Petersen photo, OERM Collection.
At 6th Street, Ferry Terminal Building (today's Maritime Museum) in the background. The track where the SP diesel switcher is running is still in place today. The electrified PE tracks in the foreground are gone. Robert B. Petersen photo, OERM Collection.
At the San Pedro PE Depot. San Pedro City Hall in the background. Robert B. Petersen photo, OERM Collection.
This scene looks north at First Street. The PE tracks were much closer to the water's edge than the tracks along Harbor Blvd. are today (Harbor Blvd. would be out of view to the left in this picture). Today this area is a wide open concrete lot, part of which is used by Cruise Terminal operations. Car 314 survives today at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Robert B. Petersen photo, OERM Collection.
Looking south in the San Pedro Yard during a 1950 PE fantrip. The electrified PE tracks occupied the western edge of the property, directly adjacent to Harbor Blvd. The SP freight tracks are at left, and the eastern-most track is today electrified as the Waterfront Red Car Line. Robert B. Petersen photo, OERM Collection. Rev 4/20/10
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