More than 250 vintage views of Pacific Electric operations in the 40s and 50s. Includes rare views of Freight and Passenger Equipment and other unusual items! This volume is more oriented towards the rolling stock of the line while the second volume will focus on the many PE routes.

Most pages feature 2 large photographs with good color reproduction.

Morning Sun Books, hard cover with jacket, 128 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., all color photographs with captions. MSB1066
Price: 40.95 USD

This is not a history or thorough review of the Pacific Electric. It is an attempt to give hints of the flavor and variety of this large railway.

The focus is on the system in the years after World War Two, when color photography came into more general use. The material selected for publication is intended to augment that presented in Volume One as well as stand alone. The emphasis in Volume One focused on rolling stock, which this volume is oriented on the routes, ranging from multi-tracked lines with heavy intercity passenger and freight service to weedy and quiet streaks of rust that saw infrequent use. Such contrasts were among the fascination with Pacific Electric. In addition, material is presented on the Torrance Shops, non-powered freight and maintenance of way rolling stock, and a sampling of the motor coach fleet. Take a look at the fine color photography presented in this second volume on 'The Worlds Greatest Interurban System'.

Morning Sun Books, hard cover with jacket, 128 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., all color photographs with captions. MSB1133
Price: 42.95 USD

The Pacific Electric Railway was incorporated November 10, 1901 with the primary owner Henry Edwards Huntington, Collis P. Huntington's favorite nephew. At the time Southern California was so vast and its population so dispersed, Huntington believed the only way to tie everything together was by an interurban electric railway system. This is volume two in a four-volume set which will cover in text, b&w pictures and captions the Pacific Electric routes and services by Division.

Contents:
Introduction, pp. 6-10;
Covina Rail Line, pp. 11-16;
Pomona Line, pp. 17-24;
Pomona Local Lines, pp. 25-26;
Upland to Pomona, pp. 27-28;
San Bernardino Line, pp. 29-53;
Riverside Line, pp. 54-60;
Riverside-Arlington-Corona Line, pp. 61-68;
Riverside-Redlands Line (Via San Bernardino), pp. 69-72;
San Bernardino Local Lines, pp. 73-79;
Redlands Local Lines, pp. 80-82;
Box Motor Service, pp. 83-90;
Railway Post Office Service, pp. 91-94;
Freight Service, pp. 95-107;
Railroad Enthusiast Excursions, pp. 108-110;
Bibliography, pg. 111;
acknowledgments, pg. 112.

Golden West Books, soft cover, 112 pages, 11 x 8.5 x .5 in., b&w photographs with captions and text. GWB176
Price: 27.95 USD

Henry Edward Huntington's impact on the public transportation system of Southern California was far reaching. His Pacific Electric red interurban went everywhere. That is except for the western portions of Los Angeles county where Moses Sherman and E. P. Clarks 180-mile Los Angeles Pacific Railroad dominated. By 1903, Huntington and the Southern Pacific controlled by Edward H. Harriman had become partners in the Pacific Electric.

During March 1906, Harriman negotiated with Sherman and Clark, for control of their railway. In the meantime Huntington operating on his own acquired the narrow-gauge Los Angeles and Redondo Railway. It had 89 miles of track, including 3 lines to Redondo Beach. Harriman always had in his mind the merging of the Pacific Electric with the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, thus forming a huge interurban empire. R.S. Lovett, Harriman's successor at Southern Pacific negotiated the sale of Huntington's interest in Pacific Electric to Southern Pacific by November of 1910 for an undisclosed sum. Once the Southern Pacific had control of the Pacific Electric, the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad was merged into the Pacific Electric, thus becoming the Western Division of the Pacific Electric. This book covers the Western Division of the Pacific Electric.

Contents:
Introduction;
Los Angeles Pacific Railroad;
Balloon Route Trolley Trip;
Port Los Angeles-Santa Monica Canyon Line;
Venice Short Line;
Redondo Beach via del Rey Line;
Western-Franklin-Brush Canyon Line;
Westgate Line (Brentwood);
Lagoon Line;
Santa Monica Air Line;
Coldwater Canyon Line;
Hollywood Boulevard Line;
Santa Monica Boulevard Line;
Hill Street Station;
Los Angeles-Vineyard Local Service;
Sherman Car House and Shops-West Hollywood Car House;
Hill Street Tunnels;
Vineyard-Beverly Hills-Sawtelle-Santa Monica Line;
Echo Park Line;
Glendale-Burbank Line;
Edendale Line-Edendale-Atwater Line;
Canoga Park Line;
San Fernando Line;
Van Nuys Line;
Subway Terminal Building-The Subway;
Freight Service;
Inglewood Line;
Los Angeles-Hollywood-Beverly Hills-Venice Line;
Bibliography, acknowledgments.

This book consists primarily of b&w photographs with extensive captions augmented with maps and advertising reproductions.

Golden West Books, soft cover, 142 pages, 11 x 8.5 x .5 in., b&w photographs. GWB22X
Price: 33.95 USD

This book presents a pictorial history of California interurbans, beginning in San Diego and following the coastline up to Los Angeles, where the largest interurban system, the Pacific Electric Railway, operated. The story then moves north to the San Francisco Bay region, where there were numerous carriers, and finally into California's legendary wine country.

The Golden State of California was once a beehive of interurban electric railways, and the interurban played a major role in the development of intercity public transportation. Replacing the infrequent and costly steam railroad branch line network, the interurban grew and expanded at about the same time as the motor car. The interurban outpaced the motor car until the Depression. But the convenience of the motor car won the battle for users and only those interurbans that operated freight, express and mail service and offered commuter trains were able to survive until after World War II. The convenience of the automobile and the motor bus triggered the eventual demise of the interurban system.

Contents:
Introduction, pp. 9-14;
1. San Diego Electric Railway-The La Jolla Line, pp. 15-18;
2. San Diego & Southwestern Railway, pp. 19-22;
3. Glendale & Montrose Railway, pp. 23-28;
4. Pacific Electric Railway, pp. 29-104;
5. Visalia Electric Railroad-Orange Grove Route, pp. 105-110;
6. Tidewater Southern Railway, pp. 111-118;
7. Central California Traction Company, pp. 119-132;
8. San Francisco, Napa, & Calistoga Railway, pp. 133-144;
9. Peninsular Railway-The Blossom Line, pp. 145-154;
10. San Francisco & San Mateo Electric Railway - The 40 Line, pp. 155-166;
11. Key System, pp. 167-196;
12. Southern Pacific Company-Interurban Electric Railway, pp. 197-224;
13. Sacramento Northern Railway, pp. 225-252;
14. Northern Electric Railway, pp. 253-264;
15. Northwestern Pacific Railroad, pp. 265-282;
16. Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad, pp. 283-291;
Bibliography, pp. 292-293.

Golden West Books, hard cover with color dust jacket, 293 pages, 8.5 x 11 in., b&w photographs with text and captions. GWB268
Price: 50.95 USD