Los Angeles Streetcars - The Final Years

[shasba]

You have to remember that LA used to burn its trash so combine that with the cars it was way more polluted then even with the light rail than now. That being said,I miss the streetcars

[LurlineUnderway]

You can't blame everything on Nat'l City lines. People had money, they were moving to the suburbs which were off of freeways not streetcar lines. It was epic bad planning, but it was no worse than our foreign policy, and produced the mess we endure today.

Today LA is rapidly building streetcar lines, arguably faster than some are catching on. But the Blue Line is America's single heaviest used rail transit line.

[metalux1971]

where i come from (The Hague ,Holland) we had almost simular PCC streetcars

they where also American built and i grew up with them .

even they where still in use until 1993

search for pictures on google : PCC tram HTM

[LiftYaGame]

Melbourne Australia still has a fantastic working and massive tram network with some of the old ones still on tourist routes

[JollyRodders]

There used to be a film on YouTube in four parts called "It's a big job" about training to be a yellow car operator. It may still be on here somwhere, but I'm buggered if I can find it.

[JollyRodders]

@JollyRodders O.K added to my last post put >> It's A Big Job (Part 1) << into the search box. You'll see parts 2 to 3 on the right hand side.

[Coolasion]

Is this kinda like the same thing they got going on in San Francisco?

[Xomanowar99]

These lines still exist in form of bus lines. Buses serve these route better. That's the reason street cars are gone. What Los angeles really needs is a subway system.

[MrMfloor]

To put it nicley.....the U.S. has let anyone come into this country illegally and now L.A. has turned into a third world hell hole. The Anglo Saxon and other middle class residents that once inhabited the city have fled because they have no backbone. Left wing politicians have made the city into a sanctuary for any low life that wants to live here. Oh...and the vagrant bums have been allowed to live on the streets.

[2deluxe58]

who framed Rodger rabbit

[TheJomogogo]

@photolitherland

Actually, open uncontrolled immigration is what has killed our great cities. I grew up in Los Angeles in the 50's, it was a clean, safe, wholesome environement. BECAUSE IT WAS 90% WHITE.

[lotwyo]

that is like socialist transport... state employed drivers... no, thanks. those were crap anyway.

[agentsmithone]

@lotwyo You should know that when Los Angeles had streetcars the system was built and operated by private companies! Henry Huntington (a multi-millionaire real estate magnate) owned the Pacific Electric Railway which was created after a series of mergers and acquisitions of privately head passenger railroads in the late 19th century and earlier 20th century. Google it.

[RugbyFootballer]

Ah the old street cars when times were simpler. "A Simpler Time"

[firebird960]

did white people live in south central when it was first developing?

[aeronuk1]

@firebird960 I imagine the whole of LA would have been white back then.

[RennyGd]

Chicago had trolleys back in the day too. The electric motors were clean and efficient and had good pickup on takeoff. I miss them.

[ChaosDemonwolf]

I agree with trader....i think it's amusing the officials of LA boasting about the commuter rail lines they installed a few years back.......HELLO....LA had all right of ways back in the 20's then tore them all out.......not they basically re-do what they screwed up? I remember the red cars of PE. i went from long beach/bellflower all the way to dana point, or pomona, riverside for a quarter. how much is it now?...and i bet they dont go anywhere ''near'' the places they once did.

[skcyclist]

C'mon... who'd want to spend hours going from a to b with multiple passenger and traffic light stops? Moreover the passenger stops were dangerous; often in the middle of a busy urban road. They were satisfactory in the 40's and 50's, even fun if you were a kid, but they outlived their practicality.

[Tubes12AX7k]

For what its worth, I'll add that, in the northern city that we live in, rail vehicles like streetcars and regional rail were working, but a number of bus lines were suspended on account of heavy snow.

[Pocketrocklife]

I was born in L.A. in the '80s so I have NO history of the streetcar system, but my mom and dad and extended family (who grew up in LA pre-1963) actually rode them in Central L.A. and they'd take them to see movies and shop downtown or go to the beach. But I'm happy to say I was one of the first to get on the Red Line in '93 :)

[Pocketrocklife]

God, I wish LA never did away with those streetcars. It completely transformed the life of the city. LA would totally be a more open "center"-feeling place it we didn't demolish them. We're bringing them back but it's going to take a generation or so to see any real change in city culture.

[viktorknedla]

Hello everybody! This is great footage of great PCCs. I am interested in these specific, narrow gauge PCCs. I found out that they were sold and shipped to Cairo, Egypt. However, the Cairo system ran on 1000 mm gauge, LA was 1067 mm gauge. Does anybody have informations about the bogies? Were they modified when shipped to Cairo? Did they use other wheels with very thin flange? Is there enough space within the PCC narrow gauge truck to adapt it for 1000 mm? Thanks everyobdy!

[StellarBlue1]

I was a young boy in the 50's and I loved to go to my Grandma's house in Long Beach all the way from West Los Angeles. Those were the days.

[SweetJaneofGoth]

Like I totally grew up in L A and my mom said that Reagan hated the trolley cuz they made the city look poor. Reagan said that anyone who couldn't afford a car was a self made bum. He also said that all the trolley conductors were communists who passed out communist newspapers.

[gajcatsb]

@SweetJaneofGoth Yes, the conductors used to have communist cell meetings with Bogart, Tracy, and all those Hollywood pinkos. They were planning the current destruction of California, laying the groundwork for the Mexican drug cartel invasion.

[1400deadwood]

@SweetJaneofGoth ~ it's a shame that people close their minds to the truth. Trolleys are gone thanks to wealthy elites such as the big oil interests who paid off politicians from both parties. Our cities would be cleaner & safer if those trolleys had stayed. In fact, many continue to work quite well in foreign cities. Some day the closed minded types will learn trolleys are the salvation of our cities.

[emforty2]

and we thought cars were advanced form or transportation

China now has maglev trains and we don't

advance civilization have advance forms of transportation you know like aliens and their flying saucers.

[SatansComment]

the good old days.....

[collegefootballrulez]

My dad lived in the days of these street cars and he said you could hope on a rail from Alhambra and go to USC to watch a football game. Too bad the damn oil companies and General Motors wanted all freeeways in LA. It serves GM right to go belly up.

[TheSecondEvolution]

They kinda have those back now with the Metro Blue Line running through the streets of the Downtown LA.

[DetroitLove4U]

If I'm not mistaken after all those lines of street cars were out of service and retired forever .............. that's when the areas therein started to rot and go foul.

[califgirl11]

I love the Hamm's beer sign, my dad drank Hamms beer! LOL!

[kimmer6]

@califgirl11 I love the Hamm's beer sign, my dad drank Hamms beer! LOL!

Yes, and it took a real man to crush a steel Hamms can with one hand. Remember the "church key" required to punch 2 triangular holes in the top?

My gramma and grampa used to take us kids on the Yellow cars when we were very young. People were well dressed and many wore hats. For some reason these forgotten memories are coming back to me even while I sleep. I hope this phenomenon lasts!!!

[BOOGE64]

I have this video and it is five stars! Its too bad that Pentrex is a West Coast outfit, with the majority of their videos focusing on West Coast Subject Matter.

[Tubes12AX7k]

I bought the DVD and it's pretty nice. I kind of wish that they said a little more about the PCC's and their design and impact on the US system, and I kind of wish that they said a little bit more about the routes - where they went, what was located there, etc. To me the DVDs are also a bit of a commentary on how life was "back then" versus now. You'll notice that people dressed up a little more back then, and with the lower traffic congestion back then, you can see the architecture more.

[colindominy]

There's an amazing parallel here. Here where I live & was raised, in Sydney Australia, we too used to enjoy a widespread network of street cars. However we called them 'trams'. Our rather stupid state govt short-sightedly got rid of our tram system in 1958. Funny how govts thru'out the western world are good at being short-sighted, isn't it !! It was a most-efficient way of mass-transitting people around the city .. obviously just like in LA in them days. This footage is v. interesting to me.

[yowvapaa]

The streetcar sounds are really not needed, but it is nice to see actual film footage of something that most Angelinos were too young to know. At least one day, streetcars of the likeness of the old Los Angeles Railways will return to Los Angeles.

[akwaqs]

"America is the only country in the world where you can go to the poor house in an automobile." ~ Will Rogers (1879-1935)

[kaferere]

Seems to be the same story as U.K. really. U.K. had a wonderful railway network for carrying heavy goods and passengers, amazing overhead trains and trams in cities. They destroyed 70% of it all at a stroke in the '60's. Now the roads are full of huge trucks and one person per car. They created a perpetual need for steel and oil and isolated us from social travelling. Now we're busy reintroducing trams again, the obvious efficient and social choice.

[emforty2]

enjoy your $50 gas fill ups, traffic , smog, $2k insurance premiums, $8 a day parking fees and enjoy your weekends at GMs dealearship while your car is being serviced

in Europe and most of Asia you can go not just between cities but between COUNTRIES by rail !

[chud89]

@emforty2 same here? ar eut hat stupid seems you have some deep hate with LOS angeles lol

[ianjohn05]

@emforty2

Agreed!

# 1 reason why I live in Moscow

[saywhatyoumean1]

i know

[mesoemo]

woah what happened?

[11mc213]

Well many of the new lines they are building are based on the old lines of the back then trolley lines...so we are returning to that era.. :)

[lukebccb]

Also USUALLY all the complaining about the costs of subways are VERY shortsighted as once the subways are built and up and running there's almost always the feeling of "why didn't we build the subway sooner?"

That's what's happening with San Francisco's "Central Subway". Folks are bitching of the cost but believe me, once it's built and running it'll be "why didn't they build it sooner?" Where that subway is to be built is one of the most worst gridlocked areas of San Francisco.

[lukebccb]

Though this isn't an absolute certainty, there is a very good chance Downtown LA MIGHT have stayed prosperous if there was an existing subway or El around Downtown. This seems to be the case with the East Coast cities that had undergrounds/Els and with Chicago that had an extensive El in the Loop.

But then again in the postwar period San Francisco didn't have an underground nor an El (YET) and it's Downtown didn't deteriorate.

[lukebccb]

Could've Downtown LA have survived the demise of the streetcars? It's hard to say. From what I've gathered Downtown LA REALLY began to deteriorate a few years after WWII and the streetcar lines began to suffer ridership drops as the Downtown area began to deteriorate with ever growing empty storefronts. The development of the Wilshire corridor that pulled a lot of the offices away definitely didn't help either.

[john91722]

The ability to aford and own cars killed the trolleys. As the suburbs grew the areas that were not serviced becames areas that people lived in and wanted to go to or work at so the central hub areas of the trolley system was left behind in the expansion which was answered by individual car ownership and good bus systems. Alas, the Metro sytem tends to go from only a few areas to a few areas and is convienient only to a few people. I love trains and trollies Bus systems are economical to run..

[NudeManOnPatrol]

Amazing upload.

[timosha21]

LOS ANGELES COULD have been one of the most cleanest cities. It killed its trams and trolleybuses. Because of greed from GM and Ford. They pushed legislation to get rid of the system and replace them with buses. Also to encourage cars... Now LA is stuck in traffic jams daily and it has heavy pollution.

[MrMfloor]

GM and Ford were not greedy......it also takes consumers who buy! It was part of the American Dream to own your own car. Yeah...it was cool to look back on the good old days of trolly cars...but the car was way more convenient and still is today in LA. You can't get anywhere unless you have a car.

[timosha21]

and thats why you have the number one rate of traffic jams... Look at Europe... Their is need for a car at all. That is why LA has to reintroduce these trams... Taking the bus won't help you get around these traffic jams they are stuck in it too.

[loonercrazy]

@timosha21 You don't even know what you are talking about. The MTA, which was an upstart operator of the mass transit bus system back then kept buying up the various streetcar and train routes and eventually shut them down and replaced them with busses. GM and Ford had nothing to do with the demise of the LA streetcars.

[gygyman64]

@loonercrazy Actually he is right, where GM did not have private companies owning the systems, it simply bought the people, by giving them cadillacs so they would eventually convert to buses. You have to watch "taken for a ride" or read about the "great american streetcar scandal". If it wasn't for GM, than how do you explain that the US has less streecars than Europe or Japan?!

[loonercrazy]

@gygyman64 Actually I saw a great 2 hour documentary on the Pacific Electric Railway system of LA and it clearly pointed out it was the MTA in its initial formation as an agency that bought up the various lines one by one and eventually converted them over to the bus lines as how we have them now. That is my the MTA runs various busses that look amazingly similar in style as a throwback to the old railcars and each line is named after the original colors. It wasn't a car company

[gygyman64]

@loonercrazy Believe what you want, I won't argue, but it seems very suspicious that this happened all across the US and some parts of the world at the same time.

[CDTbossy]

look at all those wonderfull old cars! :)

[flippyflyer]

Firestone kiiled the trolley..thanks Firestone....

[maynardcat]

GM had the biggest hand in killing the streetcar systems across the nation. There are articles posted on the internet regarding this subject.

[bizofjim46]

@maynardcat

This is simply not true, there were so many other factors which overshadowed them

[MarishkaXX89]

Los Angeles... I'd like to work in such beautiful City.

[stubbyguy]

Beautiful? Not exactly, unless your in the hills where the mansions are. The rest of the city is a dump. Welcome to Mexico

[MarishkaXX89]

Well, may be you are right. In the end, I've never been in Los Angeles.

[InsideLosAngeles]

Thanks to Measure R, Los Angeles will once more have awesome public transportation.

[jackiechan511]

If only GM and its conspirators didn't destroy the streetcars. I guess this is what happens when big companies eliminate the competition which is failure 50 years later

[lokust77]

LOS ANGELES

[Tubes12AX7k]

Not to beat this subject to death, but, in the Northeastern USA cities that are affected by this weekend's blizzard, the only public transport vehicles that are currently able to navigate through the snow are rail vehicles.

[Tubes12AX7k]

On another note: oil changes, tires, gasoline, and asphalt are entirely dependent on oil. A return to electric rail as our primary means of transport decreases our dependence on oil, whether foreign or domestic. Obviously, cars and trucks will still exist, for those who are worried, but our dependence on them will decrease.

[Tubes12AX7k]

I've been told by trolley drivers (who were former bus drivers) that the costs of operating buses vs. trolleys is approx equal. Buses require frequent oil changes, tire changes, engine maint. vs. trolley track and overhead line work. The trolley can go places that the bus can't: into subways, through buildings, and go between street running and dedicated rail right-of-ways. It involves more planning, but is more efficient in the end.

[Corvettably]

That didn't appear to be true at the time that the systems were changing over to buses. The service cost of the vehicle may be the same but consider the cost of maintaining tracks, overhead power lines etc. Also, if you want to change the route of a trolley you need to build new tracks. That makes the system very expensive and inflexible. They are great when you have high passenger volume since a bus can't hold as many people. However, a bus cost less and can be profitable on side routes.

[Tubes12AX7k]

Corvettably, I'm still going to disagree. Trolley routes are often added to, but not often changed. They've been very successful as of late in Minneapolis, San Diego, Portland, San Francisco, and Toronto. The real trick is to give them right-of-way's where they are not competing with car traffic, and to give incentives for businesses to locate near the routes, and reduce sprawl.

[Corvettably]

There are a lot of misinformed people here. A little bit of researching would reveal that GM didn't kill the street car. There was no evil plot. Street cars died a natural death in most places because they weren't as cost effective as buses and cars. It was natural causes but it's easier to blame GM and perpetuate a good myth than actually look at the facts.

[DENJCA29]

Yet today there is absolutely no doubt that cars are the most expensive and inefficient forms of mass transit. A car isn't mass transit you say? A 4 lane road in each direction with thousands of cars per day is most certainly a mass transit corridor. The private car is the most space inefficient form of transit that exists today (on land) and is only sensible in rural areas.

[Corvettably]

GM was accused of killing streetcars to improve bus sales. The numbers at the time support that bus took over, without GM's help, because they were a more cost effective. That doesn't mean they are more cost effective today (though I suspect they still are). You can't blame GM (and the other bus sellers) for selling a product that at the time made more sense than streetcars. I would suggest those that disagree with me read General Motor and the Decline of the Streetcar by Cliff Slater

[Corvettably]

The above comment should not be taken as "cars are the answer". Cars, at least today's cars, are clearly not the answer for LA. However, it is not correct to blame GM for the loss of streetcars when it was simple economics of the time that replaced streetcars with buses. GM simply was one of the companies selling the buses. If GM really tried to remove light rail from LA, why did so many other cities do the same thing with out GM involvement? (All the facts are in Slater's article) Google it.

[DENJCA29]

Corvette, I agree with you (mostly at least). I think focusing on GM being good or bad is totally missing the point. I always used to think that light rail and trains were always the answer. Until I realized the mobility of buses without the need for special infrastructure. However, I've recently realized that a dedicated mass transit system, whether it be bus or rail, that doesn't get stuck i the traffic it's trying to relieve, is to me the answer.

[DENJCA29]

these street cars are entirely subject to the traffic jams that cars create.  I'm always in favor of getting rid of car lanes and replacing them with dedicated rail or bus lanes that don't get stuck in traffic that cars create. I believe billions are being spent in the wrong direction in California and every time we cater to cars we get rid of much needed green space and destroy buildings because of the amount of space cars require. GM having caused this is irrelevant at this point.

[Bryan90260]

And now 60 billion plus dollars later they still can't get a system that can compare to what they had.

[Flashback50s]

Greedy bastads from General Motors, Standard Oil, Firestone Rubber wanted to sell diesel buses, and greedy bastards in Los Angeles city government helped them do it.

[camarosbob]

Just like today, those elected officials are the ones to be held accountable, not greedy Corporate interests.

Whether its GM of the past or Real Estate Developers of today, anyone can ask for the moon, its up to the elected officials to just say "no."

Its up to the voters to keep the heat on elected officials - they are the single point of contact. And the public can use the press to embarrass politicians into doing the right thing.

[thedarkocean]

The MTA here is excellent, Snoble is a great leader. The transit system died because we entered a suburban, independent, car-bases society. Now we are re-entering an urban transit society. There was no conspiracy. The consumers get exactly what they want.

[DiverseLA]

Destroying the original mass transit system = worst decision in the history of Los Angeles.

And they've been stalling on the red line since the 90's.

[unrooolie]

Destroying the original mass transit system = worst decision in the history of Los Angeles. I agree with its worked on so many other cities its a shame they took it out now the want to rebuild it. I like that but its a huge cost on a big mistake

[cannedkitty]

Los Angeles is still a great city, but what an amazing place it would be to still have a comprehensive mass transit system.

[ROCKSTARCRANE]

Woe is us for ever letting these magnificent trolleys be lost to the petrol demons...

[pimerialta]

The "Fitzgeralds" bought up all public transportation in LA back in the fifties. The Fitzgeralds were a "front: company for General Motors hell bent on eliminating all public transportation. Less public transportation = more reliance on smog producing cars and buses=more profits for GM and other car corporations. LA was once a beautiful clean city. Do I care if GM folds and is gone forever? HELL NO!!

[coasterfreak100]

Also Downtown was being abandon for the "new" suburbs.

[cannedkitty]

To be fair, the streetcars had fallen out of favor decades before the fitzgeralds bought them all up. They had always been slow, noisy, bumpy. By the 20s L.A. had already become the car capital. We've known for a long time that the automobile experiement is over: its a complete failure. Here's to hoping the MTA finds money to revive these old lines but with slick, fast light and heavy rail.

[thedarkocean]

Tell these conspiracy nuts the truth.

[xandervaliya]

"And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.'' — Ada Louise Huxtable "Farewell to Penn Station,'' NY Times, 10/30/1963

Let's build it again.

[RedTango]

I live in Los Angeles and these street cars were gone years before I was born. We are more or less totally reliant on cars here. I would never try to ride a bike anywhere now the way people drive and it takes forever to get anywhere on the slow, unreliable buses. I love visiting European countries and using the subway systems there..what a treat! I'd get out more at night if I didn't always have to worry about parking and traffic.

[BurningtunaDC]

Thanks for posting this important historical document. Yes many European and Canadian cities still operate the streetcars/trams. In Prague they run all night and are a wise choice for getting home after a round of late night socializing. In addition to producing less air pollution they are also quieter.

[sega31098]

Actually, all Canadian cities except for Toronto have ditched their streetcar/tram systems. In addition, all trolleycoaches/trolleybuses in Canada have been scrapped except for Vancouver.

Sad that people scrapped streetcar/tram systems in North America.

[kapitanbar]

The PCC was created in 1929, it's time for another new tram to be created in the USA!

[krizvasa]

I agree. We are still using this PCC conception in Central Europe (type T3). PCC was invented to save US tram systems from closure and it was produced in our country (Czech republic) even half century later. We produce new tram types nowdays. I hope ecological tram transportation will return to US cities!

[DaveEngland187]

Pretty sad the street cars were replaced with personal automobiles. When the oil shortages come peopel will want these street cars again. Too bad American cities are now land of the millions of commter drivers who burn millions of gallons of gasoline (which is why we have to fight these useless oil wars )

[krizvasa]

I don´t know why did US cities deleted their streetcars. We still have it in Central Europe. USA must get back from individual cars to public transportation!!! Streetcars are ecologic space effective and no as expensive as subway. PCC trams are very nice. We are still using them (T3) and their reconstruction types in Central Europe.

[gguru1]

The car company GM and others created a fake holding company called "National City Lines" to force the tramways out of business to force people to support their business by using cars buses. There's still a stigma in the US that trams are relics form the past like the horse and buggy.

[krizvasa]

I know. Unfortunately what happened in your country to streetcar systems. It was very bad crime from GM to force the tramways out of business. We had another problem - Communism. There was no freedom in our country, but people couldn´t afford cars. So trams were saved thanks Communism...

[at1212b]

GM is now paying for all their sins.

[krizvasa]

Yes, they are. I want all US car factories to bankrupt. I know that US government wants to help them because of millions of jobs in car industry, but I think US cities must change their transportation politics from stupid car jungle to public transport system. It is reliable, space effective and less carbon dioxide polluting.

[at1212b]

Definitely, as its only a matter of time before $5-10/gallon gasoline comes and the short-sighted pay dearly. I also find it extremely ironic and 'strange' how many streetcars in all US cities just suddenly disappeared in the 1950's, a time when GM rose.

Being Canadian and in Toronto, I am glad to say that we had no such company to rob us of our streetcars (in the 70s, it was considered to being phased out but we rose against it and won!)

[priestpilot]

I'm glad Toronto kept the streetcars. I tried them out once, and they're so much better than buses! I sometimes look back at history and wonder who had the bright idea to replace streetcars with buses...and then I wonder why Toronto is one of the only North American cities to have kept the streetcars!

[socalltd]

The MTA here in L.A is horrible. the mayor is a chair person and buoght by the union

that runs public transportation. our governor talks the eco talk yet, flys to sacramento from L.A. every day on his private jet and his wife drive an escalade while on her cell phone. alot of fuel you know.. we should bring the electric streetcars back

there are still leftovers on some streets, center tracks, thats how good our streets are oouuggh!!

[emforty2]

the most fuel efficient car is A

RAIL CAR

guess which big company bought them and eventually crushed them ?

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

Cool.

Love L.A.

George Vreeland Hill

[italobambino43]

A lot can be said of the 1950's, the wave of postwar prosperity that rippled across the nation, out with the old in with the new was the motto!In the midst of this movement General motors joined forces with Firestone tires and a few oil companies to form The national cities corporation, they went in and bought huge chunks of stock in a transit company, took control, then made them buy busses, great little scam!

[jeffmagic32]

hey, lets give em another 15 or so billion just for old time's sake

[tradercris]

GM with co-conspirators killed the LA Streetcars, and years later they killed their (GM's) own electic car(!). Screw 'em, let them go bankrupt. Shouldnt the market place decide where resources go (to those that use them most efficiently ie Toyota, Nissan Honda) rather than politicians in Washington? No to the bailout baby!

[denny906]

Those big three CEO's should be fired.

[italobambino43]

Hello, did you ever hear of a book called "On a clear day you can see GM"? You need to read it, Also, the movie called "Tucker" inspired by a book written by one of Preston Tucker's closest friends and co-engineer of the Tucker automobile, which was introduced in 1946, Tucker was put out of business primarily by General motors.

[Cheiron19]

@tradercris You don't know what you're talking about. What killed the interurban railways in the LA area was the influx of population which resulted in cities growing along the lines that were already established. These cities began to condemn rights of ways and force the inter urban to share their routes with streets. Eventually the personal car won out, with people not paying attention to rights of way and accidents occurring, the blame was placed on the interurban railways forcing them to slo

[bapes41]

Wow! The old Yellow Cars! I was born the year they when away, but my older brothers and sisters remembered them and told me about them! Thanks for letting see them.

[charlieboy1980]

fukin cool!

[wahoo76]

That shot on the last day of service shows the Herald Express building, not the Herald Examiner building. The Herald Examiner building still exists, but the Herald Express building was torn down to make way for the Los Angeles Convention Center.

[tradercris]

GM, Firsetone Tire and Rubber and the then Esso (now Exxon Mobile)deliberately destroyed the LA Trolley (or streetcar) lines. If you think that's OK, then vote for McCain in November.

[avenueb]

Nailed it

[hudson501]

Here, Here!

[denny906]

Not only in Los Angeles but in other cities as well.

[562vert]

the w line and the s line.... YOU DONT WANNA BE IN THOSE AREAS NOW ADAYS HIGH CRIME AREAS GANG INFESTED........

[tradercris]

High Crime Areas? You mean like Wall Street where hundreds of billions of dollars were looted by mortgage, brokerage and insurance companies and now the tax payers are stuck with the bill?

[bapes41]

Instead of Wall Street, go to Vegas. You might lose everything there, but at least you'll a complementary drink and dinner afterwards!

[Tubes12AX7k]

They're high crime areas only because we've allowed them to be over the years.

[hookalakah]

I'm shocked! At 1:23...there's no graffitti! Things sure have changed in L.A.

[ikgrande]

Graffiti proliferated when a certain demographic did too.

[lukebccb]

Yeah young males that got access to spray paint.

[TrainmasterCurt]

And now we have the effects of too many auto's, looks like electric LRT's and Streetcars are the future

[SlavikYershoff]

High prices of gas is a way to bring them back.

[CambridgeAlphonse]

And now LA drowns in its automobile traffic with limited sufficient rail alternatives.

Freeways, in my opinion, are probably the ugliest structures ever built

[train2589]

@CambridgeAlphonse yeah. LA needs to kick there own butts. they wanted cars no thy got it and they dont like it.

[DiverseLA]

@CambridgeAlphonse L.A. once had the most expansive rail system in the US. Even better than New York's. Sad they were tore down.

San Francisco still kept its cable cars & street cars, and that adds to the flavor & culture of the city. These cars would've added that same flair to L.A. and would be historic landmarks today.

[kes1963]

I love the way they painted "frowning faces on the front of those PCC's

[neonsurfer]

They were not abandoned, they were destroyed by Geneal Motors.

On March 12, 1949, General Motors was convicted for monopoly and violating antitrust laws by a federal court. It was fined merely $5000.

[blueroses888]

Wow there was hardly any traffic. Times have surely changed in LA

[mi2026]

Got any more?

[EPracer]

Wow LA actually resembled a city, not the massive sprawling suburbia it is today.

[bbs5ekata]

The video shows only the downtown, and very East parts of LA, which always were more urban. What interests me is those areas were service was thickest and then removed became the areas that went through "white flight" and became racially diferentiated and, it could be argued, under served municipally.

[stevegainesthehero]

Beautiful! 5*

[cheengators]

amazing vid. a peek back in time.

[stoogeswoman]

Wow - we sure could use those today! Great video! :-)

[twoslices]

Great posting