Who Killed the Red Car? | Lost LA | Season 5, Episode 1 | KCET

Why did Los Angeles dismantle one of the greatest rail transit systems in the nation? In this episode, we search for a sunken Red Car off the coast of Redondo Beach, explore remnants of the Pacific Electric and ride a restored streetcar at the Southern California Railway Museum with co-founder Harvey Laner.

00:00-01:26 Introduction
01:26-12:11 Traces of Red Cars
12:11-22:23 The Los Angeles Railway Museum
22:23-25:41 History and Future of Metro
25:41-26:04 Conclusion
26:04-26:56 Credits

~~~~~~

Follow us:

#LostLA #LosAngeles #history #PacificElectric #streetcar #HarveyLaner

[pigoff]

We were stationed in Germany and I started riding buses, trains, and subways by myself when I was 13. Had to spend my babysitting money downtown and visit my friends somehow. So much fun.

[MadStyle]

One of the biggest OOF in L.A.'s history, we had the network already established and yet tore it all down only to realize we need rail transit again.

[maureencastillo]

I rode the red car frequently as a child, sometimes by my self. We didn’t need a car. We took our grocery cart to get groceries, went downtown for shopping. & on weekends went to the beach w a transfer.

[kenfrank]

Fascinating video, I'm donating to KCET.

[ericlindenmuth]

I wonder if he has any video of the Redondo Beach Line? One part of the demise of the PE was not talked about here. Henry Huntington built a lot of the rail lines, when he did he made an agreement to maintain the roads along the lines. Originally they were dirt, but as they became paved the cost was much higher and the burden to the PE grew. A lot of the old rail lines were removed for WWII, but if you know where to look you can still find some!

[palmplanet]

Great video, love it, I am a huge fan of Lost LA, keep up the great work! I am a big streetcar enthusiast so this was amazing. Such a cool series!

[richardweaver]

I used to take my kids to the Southern Calif railroad museum when it was Orange Empire Rail Museum to ride the streetcar and tour the barns where they are storeed along with the full sized locomotives in the collection.

[fishdaddy]

My dad took the red car to work every day. We lived in Pasadena and he worked in LA on Western.

[TishaJones]

Played on one all the time as a kid. We “went” everywhere on it.

[PeterHaderlein]

Love this video series! I hope you can finish the whole set.

[jeffpetrie]

I totally enjoyed this video! Thank you!! And especially Thank You for helping to preserve the memory of the spectacular LA of yesteryear, Harvey. 😎👍🏼

[kplante]

I love this show! Great episode. Thanks for sharing!

[sneadh]

Was glad to see that the role of Harry Chandler and his LA Times was mentionrd. There were some elections for transit improvements that the paper fought hard against. Note: the sunk streetcars were wooden LA Railway yellow cars, not red cars. They were equally important in LA tranist history. The substation mentioned was the Toluca Sustation, not belmont. PE had 1000 miles of track, not routle miles. It's like counting freeway mileage by "miles of lane."

[mackpines]

Love learning about the history of Los Angeles.
And I've never lived in nor visited it.

[spacecat]

My dad had one of the whistles from the red car line. I have it now. Love that sound.

[hondhd]

This is such a great follow up to S1E3. Make sure to check out the Subway Episode in "Visiting...with Huell Howser"

[sauluribe]

On hill street was once tunnels in which the red cars went through also completely abolished along with Fort Moore hill abuve it. Really astonishing.

[thomasmoore]

I loved the "Trolley Court" housing from the Red Cars! I wish I knew where they were located and if any still exist???

[socksal]

My home Charlotte is heavily investing in light rail and its effective and source of pride. However they are halfway to finishing a streetcar system that nobody wanted.

[maxxrenn]

One day LA will be a city with public transport, bicycles and few cars just like Amsterdam. We can dream.