1895: All Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railway Company property is transferred to the care of Morris Tremble, a Chicago broker, for the benefit of bondholders.
Two months later, the bondholders purchase the property under foreclosure proceedings and organize a new company, Los Angeles Railway, which would remain in business until 1945.
The Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railway Company had been granted a fifty-year franchise on October 14, 1890.
In 1892, California Illustrated wrote:
That the success of the Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railroad Company will be marked, there is no doubt.
The electric company has been fortunate in securing a favorable franchise for the period of half a century; the foresight of its promoters, in looking beyond the present, and in their mind’s eye seeing the densely crowded streets of Los Angeles twenty years hence, and the many heavily loaded cars of their electric line passing to and fro without ceasing, has secured for the stockholders future wealth.
Three years later, it was out of business.
Other images from its 1890-1895 existence can be viewed here.
1937: 10,000 cheering spectators celebrate the arrival of two Los Angeles Railway President Conference Committee cars at Los Angeles City Hall which are inaugurated by child star Shirley Temple.
The full story unfolds on our 75th anniversary post of this event.
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2010: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority announces promotion of the Dodger Stadium Express from Union Station set to begin with pre-season games on April 1.
Urging baseball fans to “think blue and act green,” LACMTA CEO Art Leahy joins with Los Angeles County Supervisor and LACMTA Board Member Michael Antonovich and other officials for the announcement.
The new service is paid for with a $300,000 grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee.
Glendale Mayor and LACMTA Board Chairman Ara Najarian, who officiated the event, says “This is a great service and we hope fans from all over the region will take advantage of this link from Union Station to Dodger Stadium to enjoy the ride and the game.”
Los Angels Mayor and LACMTA Board Member Antonio Villaraigosa says “We’re going to have to get out of that automobile once in awhile and why not do it going to a ball game?”
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CEO Art Leahy explains that he plans to use the new service on Opening Day, April 13th and encourages fans to perform their own “double play” by using public transit to get to Union Station, and then, the new Dodger Express Service to get to the stadium.”
More information can be found in the March 23, 2010 issue of MyMetro, the LACMTA employee news digest.
