The Pacific Electric, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system in the world in the 1920s.
Organized around the city centers of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, it connected cities in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County.
The system shared dual gauge track with the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge Los Angeles Railway, "Yellow Car," or "LARy" system on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles (directly in front of the 6th and Main terminal), on 4th Street, and along Hawthorne Boulevard south of downtown Los Angeles toward the cities of Hawthorne, Gardena, and Torrance.
A historical photo collection from Metro Library and Archive that documented activity of the Pacific Electric railway from 1942 to 1945.
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| A specially painted Pacific Electric Railway car 5000, 'Fly for the Navy' at the 6th and Main Street Station, 1942 |
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| A specially painted Pacific Electric Railway car 5000, 'Fly for the Navy' at the 6th and Main Street Station, 1942 |
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| Crowds of passengers in the Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station after exiting trains, 1942 |
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| Pacific Electric Railway Company buses and 1200 series rail cars in United States military service during World War II in San Bernardino, 1942 |
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| Pacific Electric Railway Company President Oscar A. Smith and H.O. Marler, PE General Passenger Agent, with United States servicemen, 1942 |
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| Passengers at the ticket windows of Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th Main Station, 1942 |
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| Servicemen at the front entrance of Pacific Electric-Southern Pacific San Bernardino Station, located on 3rd St. between D and E Streets, 1942 |
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| Servicemen marching toward the Pacific Electric-Southern Pacific San Bernardino Station, located on 3rd St. between D and E Steets, 1942 |
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| The information booth at Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| The Information Booth at Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| The Information Booth at Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station, 1942 |
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| The Information Booth at Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station, 1942 |
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| The interior of Pacific Electric Railway Company's Sixth and Main Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| The interior of Pacific Electric Railway Company's Sixth and Main Street Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| The interior of the Pacific Electric Railway Company's Sixth and Main Station, 1942 |
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| The ticket office in the Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| United States servicemen aboard a Pacific Electric Railway Company 4600 series car during World War II, 1942 |
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| United States servicemen boarding Maritime Commission cars at Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th Main Street Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| United States servicemen boarding Maritime Commission cars at the 6th & Main Street Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| United States servicemen boarding Pacific Electric railcars at the 6th & Main Street Station during World War II, 1942 |
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| United States servicemen on board a 4600 series Pacific Electric Railway Company car during World War II, 1942 |
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| United States servicemen on board Pacific Electric Railway Company car no. 1245 during World War II, 1942 |
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| World War II servicemen inside the Pacific Electric-Southern Pacific Station in San Bernardino, 1942 |
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| World War II troops marching west on 3rd St., between D and E Streets, toward the Pacific Electric-Southern Pacific station, 1942 |
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| A Pacific Electric Railway Company bus operater punching the tickets of United States servicemen, 1942 |
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| Bellflower Depot, California, circa 1943 |
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| Interior of Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station, 1943 |
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| Loading in concourse at Main St. Station during WWII, circa 1943 |
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| Pacific Electric's 6th and Main Depot interior, circa 1943 |
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| WWII Servicemen at Main St Station, 1944 |
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| 6th St. to Main St. on VJ Day, Sept 1945 |
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| A steam engine running west on the eastbound track on 6th Street, at Main Street, Los Angeles, September 1945 |
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| PE - Building on V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day). Surrender of Japan during WWII. 6th & Main, August 15, 1945 |
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| The Pacific Electric Railway Company building in Downtown Los Angeles after the announcement of the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II, August 15, 1945 |
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| The Pacific Electric Railway Company building in Downtown Los Angeles after the announcement of the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II, August 15, 1945 |
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| The Pacific Electric Railway Company building in Downtown Los Angeles after the announcement of the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II, August 15, 1945 |
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| The concourse gates at Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main Street Station, 1947 |