Railfan Special at Monrovia 2
Alan Weeks Collection
Railfans pose for a group shot on Pacific Electric car no. 5078 at Monrovia Station sometime in the 1950s. The reversed inscription reads (partially):
Model Railroad Club Fans in Train Following /
…PE’s Monrovia-Glendora Train 9-30-5
Alan Weeks Collection
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Perhaps it was headed to Monrovia, but this photo was taken at 6th & Main. This was probably on the last night of operation before the abandonment of Northern District rail passenger service. The date would be Sept. 30, 1951. Of the three passengers in the window above the dash sign, the one behind the man in the suit might be Walter Abbenseth, who would go on to save four of these cars (but not 5078) from the scrap yard.
I agree with the previous comment as to its location and history.
Alas, Walter saved too many 600s, but then who else was saving equipment. But since he never liked the PCCs, we don’t have one of those to represent that particular era of PE rail service.
Our preservation efforts are much reduced by not having one of the “Glendale” Pccs.
The Glendale PCC’s all went to Argentina, where they didn’t last very long (the 1100’s and cars 732-759 had gone south of the Equator earlier and lasted longer). About the only way to make a replica PE PCC (double ended, center entrance/exit, prewar Pullman built) would be to take two Boston air-electric PCC’s and “kit-bash them–and there are lots more projects with a better chance of succeeding. Supposedly there are a few 1100-class bodies rusting away in South America, but it would probably be easier to build replicas from scratch (like the San Pedro 500’s) than to rescue them.