S (Los Angeles Railway)

S
Overview
Type Light rail
System Los Angeles Railway, Los Angeles MTA
Locale Los Angeles
Termini Western Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard
Central Avenue and Firestone Boulevard
Stations 67
Operation
Opening 1895
Closed 1963
Owner Los Angeles MTA
Technical
Line length 12.41 miles
Track gauge narrow gauge
Electrification Overhead lines
Route map

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8th and Western
8th and Serrano
8th and Harvard
8th and Irolo
8th and Mariposa
8th and Catalina

8th and VermontV

7th and VermontV
7th and Westmoreland
7th and Magnolia
7th and Hoover
7th and Coronado
7th and Park View
7th and Alvarado
7th and Union
7th and Valencia
7th and Witmer
7th and Garland
7th and Bixel
Interstate 110
7th and Francisco
7th and Figueroa
7th and Flower

7th and GrandJ
7th and Olive
7th and Hill

7th and BroadwayP, 5
7th and Spring
7th and Main
7th and Los Angeles
7th and Maple

7th and San PedroR
San Pedro and 9th
San Pedro and 11th
San Pedro and Pico
San Pedro and 14th
San Pedro and 16th
San Pedro and Washington
San Pedro and 21st
San Pedro and 16th
San Pedro and 23rd
San Pedro and Adams
San Pedro and 30th
San Pedro and Jefferson
Avalon and Santa Barbara
Avalon and 41st
Avalon and 42nd

Avalon and VernonJ, V
Avalon and 46th
Avalon and 48th
Avalon and 51st
Avalon and 54th
Avalon and 56th
Avalon and Slauson
Avalon and 59th
Avalon and 61st
Avalon and Gage
Gage and McKinley
Gage and Central
Central and 68th
Central and Florence
Central and 75th
Central and 77th
Central and 79th
Central and Nadeau
Central and 81st
Central and 83rd
Central and 85th

S was a line operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1895 to 1958, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1963.

History

San Pedro Line (1895-1911)

The original San Pedro line began at an uncertain point in Downtown Los Angeles and reached the South Side of the city by way of Fourth Street, San Pedro Street, Park Avenue (present-day Avalon Boulevard), Gage Avenue, and South Central Avenue to 68th Street.

S Line (1911-1963)

Following the Great Merger of 1911, the tracks on Fourth Street were removed, and the San Pedro line now ran from San Pedro Street to Seventh Street from Downtown to the outskirts of Westlake. Here, the route took advantage of an old LAIU track on Hoover, Wilshire, and Commonwealth to continue northwest via Sixth Street, Vermont Avenue, Third Street, and Western Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard on the southern edge of Hollywood. In 1920, the route was renamed "S."

During the LARy and LATL eras, further route changes were made. The LAIU shortcut to Sixth Street was eliminated and the route ran straight on 7th between San Pedro and Vermont, while the route's southern terminus was extended 1.25 miles further south to the intersection of Avalon and Firestone Boulevard. When the N line was decommissioned in 1950, S was re-routed to fill in its route along 8th street, where it continued until its closure in 1963.

The route was very popular due to its proximity to Hollywood as well as the sizable manufacturing district in South Los Angeles.

Sources

Electric Rail Heritage Association