San Pedro via Gardena Line facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Pedro via Gardena
The Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge in Torrance as seen in 2013
Overview
Owner	Southern Pacific Railroad
Locale	Los Angeles, and the South Bay
Termini	Downtown Los Angeles San Pedro, California
Stations	37
Service
Type	Light rail
System	Pacific Electric
Operator(s)	Pacific Electric
Rolling stock	PE 1200 Class (last used)
Daily ridership	101,461 (last count)
History
Opened	January 1903 (1903-01)
Closed	January 15, 1940 (1940-01-15)
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Old gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification	Overhead lines

The San Pedro via Gardena line was an important electric train route. It was also known as the San Pedro via Torrance line. This route was part of the Pacific Electric Railway system. It was the first train line that connected downtown Los Angeles to San Pedro.

This train line helped new factories and businesses grow in Torrance. Today, parts of the route are similar to the Harbor Transitway highway.

History of the Train Line

The Los Angeles Interurban Railway started building this line in 1901. The very first trains ran to San Pedro in January 1903.

In 1911, the Pacific Electric company took over the railway. At first, passengers had to switch trains. This was because the tracks used different widths, called "gauges."

The company changed the tracks to a standard width in 1912. This made it easier for trains to run. On March 19, 1912, trains could go all the way to Torrance.

By 1921, trains could travel directly from San Pedro to Los Angeles. They used the Watts Line for part of the journey. This meant people no longer needed the older Torrance via Athens service, so it stopped.

Another train line, the San Pedro via Dominguez Line, started taking away passengers. Because of this, the San Pedro via Gardena line became less busy.

On February 26, 1939, direct service north of Hermosillo stopped. Train service to San Pedro was also greatly reduced. By January 1940, all passenger trains on this line stopped running.

However, freight trains continued to use the tracks. They carried goods until 1965.

In the late 1980s, a part of the old line was removed. It was rebuilt to make way for the Century Freeway highway. This new construction also included tracks for the light rail C Line.

The Train Route

The San Pedro via Gardena line started in Los Angeles. It began at the 6th and Main Street Station.

From there, it followed the Long Beach Line to Watts Junction. Then it used the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line to South Los Angeles. After that, it followed the Hawthorne–El Segundo Line to Delta. Delta was located at Vermont Avenue and 117th Street.

From South Los Angeles to San Pedro, the line had only one track. It ran on its own special path, away from roads. This is called a "private right of way."

At Delta, the line turned south. It ran in its own path between the two sides of Vermont Avenue. This continued until Strawberry Park.

From Strawberry Park, the line followed the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line. It went south on Vermont Avenue. Then it turned west near 116th Street to Hermosillo. Hermosillo was at Normandie Avenue.

At Hermosillo, the line turned south again. It crossed Normandie Avenue. Then it entered its private path on the west side of Normandie Avenue.

The line continued south to Dolanco Junction. Here, a loop line to Torrance branched off. The main line kept going south to Ocean Avenue. The Torrance loop line rejoined the main line here.

The line then crossed Sepulveda Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. It turned southeast as it crossed Gaffy Street and Anaheim Street.

After Anaheim Street, the line went south along Gaffey Street. It then crossed Wilmington Road. Finally, it joined the San Pedro via Dominguez Line. Both lines then ran together into San Pedro.

Main Train Stops