Pacific Electric Magazine for December 10, 1925

Michael Patris Collection

The Pacific Electric Magazine was a great way for corporate officials to keep in touch with all employees, particularly during the holidays. This issue, Volume 10, Number 7 dates from December 10, 1925 and features car 741 as “the first outbound Subway Passenger Train” as a “Special” heading out of the terminal. There is a Motorman in the center window with a Christmas wreath around his neck and a Christmas bow hanging from the top right corner of the car. The employee is flanked by other company officials, including “Our Chief” (D. W. Pontius) with a dubious look on his face.

This event included great fanfare, such as a 1,500 person banquet at the Biltmore Hotel. PE officials said the opening of this terminal on December 1, 1925, would remove 778 cars from Hill Street daily and 301 cars from 6th Street daily as well. The length of the track from Hill Street to 1st and Glendale Boulevard was 5,000 feet long, cost four million to build, and became the largest excavation for any building in the City’s history.

The building itself used 6,000 tons of steel during construction, began at a depth of 330 feet, would house 600 offices. Certainly this was a great Christmas gift not only to the community, but to the Pacific Electric Railway as well.

Michael Patris Collection