Lamanda Park Line

The Lamanda Park Line was a local line of the Pacific Electric Railway serving Pasadena until 1941.

Lamanda Park
Pasadena Electric car running along Colorado Street, 1903
Overview
Owner	Southern Pacific Railroad
Locale	Southern California
Termini	Downtown Pasadena, California Lamanda Park, Pasadena, California
Stations	3 (plus additional stops)
Service
Type	Streetcar
System	Pacific Electric
Operator(s)	Pacific Electric
Rolling stock	Birney 300 Class (last used)
History
Opened	1903
Closed	January 19, 1941
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification	600 V DC Overhead lines
Route map Lamanda Park Colorado and San Gabriel Colorado and Altadena Sierra Madre Lamanda Park Junction Colorado and Craig Colorado and San Marino Colorado and Allen Colorado and Bonnie Colorado and Marion Colorado and Harkness Colorado and Hill Colorado and Michigan Colorado and Wilson Colorado and Catalina Colorado and Mentor ← North Lake Pasadena via Oak Knoll → Colorado and Lake Colorado and Hudson Colorado and Oak Knoll Colorado and El Molino Colorado and Madison Colorado and Oakland Colorado and Los Robles Colorado and Euclid Colorado and Garfield Colorado and Marengo Colorado and Arroyo Santa Fe RR Colorado and Raymond Pasadena multiple lines

History

The original 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) horsecar line was established by the Colorado Street Railway. Along with other Pasadena horsecar lines, it was purchased by the Pasadena and Los Angeles Electric Railway in 1894. Pasadena Electric succeeded the Pasadena and Los Angeles in 1902 and by 1903 the line had been electrified and converted to standard gauge.[1]

The Pasadena Electric was absorbed into the Pacific Electric in 1911 under terms of the Great Merger.[1] In March 1936, the tracks east of Lamanda Park Junction were abandoned. The final car ran over the line early in the morning of January 19, 1941.[2] The route was sold to Pasadena City Lines, a subsidiary of National City Lines, and the rails were removed and service replaced with buses.[1]

Route

The line operated on Colorado Boulevard between Daisy Avenue and the Pasadena Pacific Electric station on Fair Oaks Drive. Services throughout the line's life were through routed to other Pasadena local lines or terminated in Downtown Pasadena. Running along the route of the Tournament of Roses Parade caused annual operational issues on New Year's Day, usually resulting in rail replacement bus services.[2]

List of major stations

Station	Major Connections	Date Opened	Date Closed	City
Lamanda Park
Pasadena	East California, East Orange Grove, East Washington, Lincoln, Mount Lowe, North Fair Oaks, North Lake, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, South Pasadena Local, West California, West Colorado and Orange Grove	1895	1951	Pasadena
Lamanda Park Junction	Sierra Madre	1902	1941
Lamanda Park		1902	1936

References

1. "Pasadena Local Lines". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
2. Veysey, Laurence R. (June 1958). A History Of The Rail Passenger Service Operated By The Pacific Electric Railway Company Since 1911 And By Its Successors Since 1953 (PDF). LACMTA (Report). Retrieved 19 September 2020.