View source for San Fernando Line

{{short description|Part of the Pacific Electric Railway system}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{multiple issues|
{{more sources|date=September 2020}}
{{original research|date=September 2020}}
}}
{{about|the defunct interurban line|the modern transit projects|East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = San Fernando
| image                           = File:First Red Car over to North Hollywood, December 16, 1911 (GWMC13).jpg
| image_width                     = 300px
| color                           = {{rcr|Pacific Electric|San Fernando}}
| caption                         = First car over [[Cahuenga Pass]], December 16, 1911
| type                            = [[Interurban]]
| system                          = [[Pacific Electric]]
| locale                          = [[Southern California]]
| start                           = [[Downtown Los Angeles]]
| end                             = [[San Fernando, California]]
| stations                        = 36
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 
| open                            = March 22, 1913
| close                           = June 1, 1938 (to San Fernando)<br />December 28, 1952 (to Van Nuys)
| owner                           = [[Southern Pacific Railroad]]
| operator                        = [[Pacific Electric]]
| character                       = 
| stock                           = PE 5050 Class [[Hollywood Cars]] (last used)
| linelength_mi                   = 27.5
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 1–2
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}
| electrification                 = {{600 V DC|conductor=overhead}}
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = {{PE N San Fernando}}
}}

The '''San Fernando Line''' was a part of the [[Pacific Electric Railway]] system in [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]], [[California]]. It was designed to increase the reach of public transportation from the [[Downtown Los Angeles]] and [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] into the [[San Fernando Valley]], to support land [[speculation]] and development expanding Los Angeles.

==History==
===Southern San Fernando Valley line===
{{see also|Owensmouth Line}}
Beginning in 1911, a {{convert|20|mi|km|adj=mid}} interurban electric railway was built from Lankershim (present day [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood]]), the terminus of an existing line from over the [[Cahuenga Pass]] from Hollywood, westward through the entire southern San Fernando Valley property of the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company syndicate, to promote and support small farm and residential property sales. The syndicate was led by [[Harry Chandler]], with partners General [[Moses Sherman]], [[Isaac Newton Van Nuys|Isaac Van Nuys]], [[Hobart Johnstone Whitley]], and [[James Boon Lankershim]]. The project was initiated in anticipation of the [[Los Angeles aqueduct]] opening in 1913, which would bring water for residential and irrigated agricultural development in the syndicate's San Fernando Valley holdings (and citywide). The syndicate is the Los Angeles land speculation group dramatized in the movie ''[[Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]''.

The partner General [[Moses Sherman]] directed the [[Los Angeles Pacific Railroad]] electric railway line's construction. It ran from Lankershim to the three new towns the syndicate's partner [[Hobart Johnstone Whitley]] had planned for the valley, [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles|Van Nuys]], Marion (present day [[Reseda, Los Angeles|Reseda]]), and Owensmouth (present day [[Canoga Park, Los Angeles|Canoga Park]] and [[West Hills, Los Angeles|West Hills]]). Tracks ran in the middle of Sherman Way, a broad, landscaped, and paved avenue to the [[Owensmouth (Pacific Electric)|Owensmouth]] terminus.

===Northern San Fernando Valley spur===
In addition, the San Fernando Mission Land Company of [[Charles Maclay]] and George K.&nbsp;Porter, which owned much of the northern San Fernando Valley (north of Roscoe Boulevard), began construction of an electric railway spur line north from Van Nuys, to connect their undeveloped land and the [[San Fernando, California|City of San Fernando]] with the Pacific Electric system. Pacific Electric would eventually take over and finish construction of this line.<ref>{{cite news |title=New line will be rushed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114440694/ |access-date=11 December 2022 |newspaper=The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet |via=Newspapers.com |date=5 April 1912 |page=1}} {{free access}}</ref> Service began on March&nbsp;22, 1913 as a shuttle between San Fernando and Van Nuys,<ref>{{cite news |title=Steel ribbons across valley |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-steel-ribbons-acro/136020795/ |access-date=30 November 2023 |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |via=Newspapers.com |date=March 22, 1913 |page=17}} {{free access}}</ref> but through service to Los Angeles probably began by that July.<ref name=Veysey>{{harvnb|Veysey|1958|p=43}}</ref> From San Fernando, the southbound route followed Brand Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Parthenia Place, and then Van Nuys Boulevard from present day [[Panorama City, Los Angeles|Panorama City]] to Van Nuys. Remnants of the right of way include center medians on Brand Boulevard, and roundabouts at the Parthenia Place and Sherman Circle/Van Nuys Boulevard turns.

===Later development===
Cars were rerouted from the surface to the [[Hollywood Subway]] beginning on February&nbsp;7, 1926.<ref name=Veysey />

[[File:Cahuenga Pass, Hollywood, Calif (70198).jpg|thumb|left|Postcard depicting the private right of way in the [[Hollywood Freeway]] [[median strip]] (right of center frame), {{circa|1940}} ]]
The route originally navigated the [[Cahuenga Pass]] in its own right of way on the west side of the state highway. When the [[Hollywood Freeway]] was built, the line was relocated to the freeway's [[median strip]].<ref name=1981survey>{{cite web |title=1981 Inventory of Pacific Electric Routes |date=February 1982 |url=http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/pacificelectric/1981-caltrans-inventory-of-routes.pdf |publisher=Caltrans |accessdate=3 June 2020}}</ref> Services were truncated to North Sherman Way on June&nbsp;1, 1938,<ref>{{cite news |title=Modernized Transportation Service in Valley About June 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-van-nuys-news-and-valley-green-sheet/136060158/ |access-date=30 November 2023 |newspaper=The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet |via=Newspapers.com |date=April 25, 1938 |page=1}} {{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Improved Cars Now in Service |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-van-nuys-news-and-valley-green-sheet/136060029/ |access-date=30 November 2023 |newspaper=The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet |via=Newspapers.com |date=June 2, 1938 |page=1}} {{free access}}</ref> and finally replaced by buses on December&nbsp;28, 1952.<ref>{{cite web |title=San Fernando Valley Line |url=http://erha.org/pewsfv.htm |publisher=Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California |accessdate=8 September 2020}}</ref>

A survey conducted by [[Caltrans]] in 1981 reported that almost all of the line had either been removed or paved over for street use.<ref name=1981survey />

==Redevelopment==
Part of the planned [[East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project]] is expected to reactivate much of the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor for use as a [[light rail]] line. Trains will run between the [[Van Nuys station (Los Angeles Metro)|Van Nuys G Line station]] at the former Southern Pacific right of way and continue north on Van Nuys past the curve where the San Fernando continued operation on Parthenia Street.

==Stations==
{| class="wikitable"
! Station
! Mile<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/maps/and_timetables/1934-09-01PEsystemPTT.pdf |title=Pacific Electric Time Tables |date=September 1, 1934 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |publisher=Pacific Electric |website=wx4's Dome of Foam |access-date=September 1, 2021 |page=28}}</ref>
! Major connections
! Date opened
! Date closed
! City
|-bgcolor = #{{rcr|Pacific Electric}}
|colspan = "6"|
|-
| San Fernando
| 27.47
|
| 1913
| 1938
| rowspan=1 | [[San Fernando, California|San Fernando]]
|-
| Plummer
| 23.81
|
|
| 1938
|
|-
| Mission Acres
| 22.81
|
|
| 1938
|
|-
| [[Sherman Way station (Metro Rail)|North Sherman Way]]
| 19.89
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
| 1911
| 1952
| rowspan=2 | [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California|Van Nuys]]
|-
| [[Van Nuys station (Los Angeles Metro)|Van Nuys]]
| 19.11
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
| 1911
| 1952
|-
| Circle Drive
| 17.72
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
|
|
|
|-
| Kester (Ethel Avenue)
| 16.17
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
|
|
|
|-
| [[Lankershim, Los Angeles County, California#Depot|Lankershim<br />{{small|(later North Hollywood)}}]]
| 14.17
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
| 1902
| 1952
| rowspan=1 | [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|North Hollywood]]
|-
| Rio Vista
| 11.59
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
|
|
|
|-
| Universal City
| 11.10
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
|
|
|
|-
| Barnham Boulevard
| 9.99
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
|
|
|-
| Cahuenga Pass
| 8.65
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]]
| 1902
| 1952
|
|-
| Highland & Hollywood
| 7.84
| [[Hollywood Line|Hollywood]], [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]], [[Venice via Hollywood Line|Venice via Hollywood]]
| 1902
| 1955
| rowspan=6 | Los Angeles
|-
| Highland & Santa Monica
| 7.09
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]], [[South Hollywood–Sherman Line|South Hollywood–Sherman]]
|
|
|-
| [[Colegrove, Los Angeles|Colegrove]]
| 
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]], [[South Hollywood–Sherman Line|South Hollywood–Sherman]]
| 1902
| 1955
|-
| Virgil Avenue
| 
| [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]], [[South Hollywood–Sherman Line|South Hollywood–Sherman]], [[Western and Franklin Avenue Line|Western and Franklin Avenue]]
| 1902
| 1955
|-
| [[Sunset Junction, Los Angeles|Sunset Junction]]
| 
| [[Hollywood Line|Hollywood]], [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]], [[South Hollywood–Sherman Line|South Hollywood–Sherman]], [[Venice via Hollywood Line|Venice via Hollywood]], [[Western and Franklin Avenue Line|Western and Franklin Avenue]]
| 1902
| 1955
|-
| [[Subway Terminal Building]]
| 0
| [[Echo Park Avenue Line|Echo Park Avenue]], [[Glendale–Burbank Line|Glendale–Burbank]], [[Hollywood Line|Hollywood]], [[Owensmouth Line|Owensmouth]], [[Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line|Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey]], [[Sawtelle Line|Sawtelle]], [[South Hollywood–Sherman Line|South Hollywood–Sherman]], [[Venice Short Line]], [[Venice via Hollywood Line|Venice via Hollywood]], [[Western and Franklin Avenue Line|Western and Franklin Avenue]], [[Westgate Line|Westgate]]
| 1925
| 1955
|-bgcolor = #{{rcr|Pacific Electric}}
|colspan = "6"|
|}

==See also==
* [[Owensmouth Line]]
* [[History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915]]
* [[Streetcar suburb]]
* [[Streetcars in North America]]
* [[List of California railroads]]
* [[History of rail transportation in California]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*{{Veysey-PE-1958}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML |display=title,inline}}
*[https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/31837df/untitled-map-of-the-pacific-electric-railway-routes-in-the-pacific-electric-railway Map of the Pacific Electric Railway Routes in the San Fernando Valley (1919)] — via Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.

{{Pacific Electric Railway}}

[[Category:Pacific Electric routes]]
[[Category:History of the San Fernando Valley]]
[[Category:History of Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Railway lines in highway medians]]
[[Category:Railway services introduced in 1913]]
[[Category:Railway services discontinued in 1952]]
[[Category:1913 establishments in California]]
[[Category:1952 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:Closed railway lines in the United States]]