Alhambra–San Gabriel Line

The Alhambra–San Gabriel Line was a Pacific Electric interurban line which traveled between Los Angeles and Temple City.

History

The line was built by the Los Angeles & Pasadena Electric Railway starting in October 1901; it was the first standard gauge interurban railway in Southern California. It opened on June 21, 1902 running between Los Angeles General Hospital and the San Gabriel Mission, soon extended to the Masonic Home. The service became a part of the Pacific Electric system by 1911, terminating at the Pacific Electric Building. Tracks were extended to Temple City on July 29, 1924. Passenger trips began utilizing the bypass in San Gabriel in 1928, with some cars skipping the Mission section and running straight through from Downtown to Temple City. The general operating pattern involved every other train alternately terminating at Temple City and San Gabriel Mission.
The last trips occurred on November 30, 1941. After passenger service ended, tracks were retained for freight until removed in 1951.

Route

Between the 6th & Main Terminal and Sierra Vista Junction, the line followed the Northern District main line. At Sierra Vista Junction, the line diverged due east along the median of Main Street, continuing down Main through Alhambra, into San Gabriel and finally into Temple City, where the line had an off-street terminal at the northeast corner of Las Tunas Drive and Kauffman Avenue. Additionally, there was a branch that turned south on Mission Drive in San Gabriel, passed along the southern edge of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, then turned north on Junipero Serra Drive before rejoining the main line at Junipero Serra and Las Tunas drives.