PE Box Motors Nos. 1457 & 1458: Two of a Kind
Ralph Cantos Collection
By Ralph Cantos
This fantastic faded shot of Pacific Electric Box Motors Nos. 1457 & 1458 working MU on the Santa Monica Air Line was taken about 1948. The two units have just crossed the Venice Short Line’s high iron at Culver Junction and are outbound to the Santa Monica Freight Station.
Before 1947, these 2 Box Motors could not work together as an MU train. PE added MU receptacles to the doors of both cars in 1947, necessitating lowering the position of the headlight. Business must have been good to require a two-box-motor train on this historic line.
In the back ground can be seen a white building. It was the CULVER BUILDING MATERIALS CO. PE serviced this company for many years. It was still standing until bulldozed away about 5 years ago to make way for the “NEW SANTA MONICA AIR LINE” (also known as the LAMTA’s EXPO LINE).
As I have said many times on the website , “what goes around, comes around” (sooner or later).
Ralph Cantos Collection
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I lived close to west blvd and exposition in the thirties ( I think pe had a stop there called cienega) and used to walk there to watch them go by. How I loved that whistle!!
You are correct David about the stop called “Cienega”. It was juest east of 11th Ave. The PE serviced seveal small factories in that area. Today, the factories remain with their abandoned loading docks along side the Metro Rail EXPO Line car tracks.