The Westgate Line was a suburban route operated by the Pacific Electric Railway from 1911 to 1940. This line was one of four lines connecting Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica that did not run through Hollywood. The line is notable for taking a circuitous route towards its end, along San Vicente Boulevard, mainly because it was built to encourage construction of new homes near Pacific Palisades.

Westgate
Overview
OwnerSouthern Pacific Railroad
LocaleLos Angeles
Termini
Stations18
Service
TypeInterurban
SystemPacific Electric
Operator(s)Pacific Electric
Ridership263,017 (1926)
History
Opened1906
ClosedNovember 18, 1940 (1940-11-18)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Old gaugenarrow gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line600 V DC
Route map

Hill Street Station
Subway Terminal
 J   R   S 
 N 
 W 
 P   9 
 J   9 
 W 
 A 
Vermont Avenue
 V 
Berendo Street siding
Western Avenue
3rd Avenue siding
Vineyard
 P 
Rosemary
Genesee
Big Barn
Sherman Junction
Alpers
Beverly Hills
Country Club
Buenos Ayres
High Bridge
Wolfskill
Santa Monica
and Sepulveda
Westgate
Westgate
Arcadia Street
Brentwood Park
26th Street Santa Monica
Palisades
Santa Monica

Many riders were veterans and employees of the Soldiers' Home, Sawtelle, stopping at the Streetcar Depot, West Los Angeles.

History

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The electrified line was built and operated by the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, opened in 1906 with narrow gauge rails.[1] On March 19, 1906, an agreement was reached to sell all the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad lines to Henry Huntington’s Pacific Electric Railway for $6 million (equivalent to $203 million in 2023).[citation needed] The line was converted to standard gauge in early 1908.[2][3]

Service was reduced to a single franchise car by July 1, 1940, with full abandonment following on November 18.[4]

Route

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The Westgate Line followed the Sawtelle Line as far as Sawtelle. From Sawtelle (Santa Monica Boulevard between Purdue and Butler Avenues) the Westgate Line branched northwesterly into an unimproved private way. Dual tracks ran in the center of the private way, across Ohio Avenue, and then along the westerly edge of the U.S. Government Soldier's Home property to a location near Rochester and Butler Avenues.

Here the dual rails entered the grounds of the Soldier's Home and continued north-westerly on private way, across Wilshire Boulevard to enter another section of unimproved private way in the center of San Vicente Boulevard.

The dual tracks followed San Vicente Boulevard, between twin roadways, in a sweeping curve to the west, crossing out of the Soldier's Home property at Bringham Avenue. Continuing in the center of San Vicente Boulevard,[5] the rails ran west crossing Barrington and Montana Avenues, and Bundy Drive to reach the Santa Monica city limit at 26th Street. Once into Santa Monica the dual tracks, still on private way between twin roadways, ran approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southwesterly, across the various numbered streets of Santa Monica, to Ocean Avenue. The dual tracks then ran southeasterly in the pavement of Ocean Avenue, crossing the major intersections of Montana Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard to reach the terminus of the line, one block farther south at Broadway.

Traffic

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Passengers (Fare and Transfer)[3]
Year Passengers Car miles Revenue
1913 394,283 246,195 $ 30,541
1916 337,709 201,669 19,984
1918 319,991 202,110 20,130
1920 340,953 178,608 22,424
1922 305,325 178,120 23,390
1924 350,688 183,000 27,133
1926 263,017 193,756 31,410

See also

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References

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  This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under the public domain as a work of the State of California. (license statement/permission). Text taken from 1981 Inventory of Pacific Electric Routes​, California Department of Transportation. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

  1. ^ Schwieterman, Joseph P. (2004). When the Railroad Leaves Town. Kirksville, MO: Truman State University Press. pp. 75–79. ISBN 9781931112130.
  2. ^ "Notable feat sharply done". Los Angeles Times. 1 April 1908. p. 23. Retrieved 28 July 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ a b "Westgate Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California.
  4. ^ 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). Los Angeles, California: Interurbans. pp. 80, 82. ASIN B0007F8D84. OCLC 6565577.
  5. ^ Nathan Masters, Nathan (21 February 2014). "Many L.A. Boulevards Began as Trolley Lines". KCET. Retrieved 7 February 2021.