PERYHS Archives

Pacific Electric’s weed burner no. 1840 was the first version to serve the PE. Its pilot burned weeds as the car was pushed forward – too well, because a water car had to follow to [...]

Pacific Electric ran special trains for its shop crews from the 6th and Main passenger terminal in downtown Los Angeles direct to the Torrance Shops. This special, led by blimp no. 300, rolls [...]

Pacific Electric wooden steeple cab no. 1552 was built by the Los Angeles Pacific Railway and came to the PE in the 1912 Great Merger. It survived into the 1930s as a switcher at the Torrance [...]

Pacific Electric no. 608 was rebuilt with an experimental paint scheme and interior design in 1939 at the Torrance Shops. This image captures the stylish interior design. Donald Duke Collection

The first “blimps from the Bay” began to appear on the Pacific Electric to meet World War II traffic. Here several blimps are undergoing upgrades at the Torrance Shops to meet PE [...]

Pacific Electric’s 600-series “Hollywood” cars were delivered by the St. Louis Car Company to PE’s Torrance Shops in 1922. This shot captures an as-new no. 612. Donald [...]

Pacific Electric “blimp” interurban no. 4509 is captured in Torrance. This ex-Northwestern Pacific no. 384 unit was shipped south by Southern Pacific in 1942 and reworked to become PE [...]

Pacific Electric box motors crowd the loading area at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Union Station). Depicted here are nos. 1447, 1460, and 1449. William D. Middleton Photo Donald Duke [...]

Pacific Electric box motor no. 1458 crosses the San Gabriel River and onto double trackage. Modified based on comment Mount Lowe Preservation Society Collection Donald Duke Collection

Pacific Electric box motor no. 1459 at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Union Station). Donald Duke Collection