Trolley Pole Overhead Reversers

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

Here's LATL 1435 as it was on Apr. 2, 2013. I have a custom of taking a train trip on my birthday, and this time I stayed entirely within the LA Metro area. While checking out the route of the Downtown Connector LRT subway line, I went by the Subway Terminal Building and found 1435 where it's been for several years now.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:03 pm

I finally pulled down my copy of Ira Swett's Interurban Special No. 30 "Pacific Electric In Transition, 1911"

I need to correct myself. This was a reprint from Journal of Electricity, Power and Gas issue of January 7, 1911. The "transition" in Ira Swett's title refers to the time period between Huntington and the Southern Pacific separating their interests and just before the combination of all of the interurban lines under a greater (or "New") Pacific Electric controlled by the SP. The Los Angeles city streetcars went to the Huntington controlled Los Angeles Railway.

Below is one of the illustrations used in the article. It shows the reversing set-up. There is trolley wire inside the troughs. Cars came in on the right-hand track next to the photographer took one of the tail tracks and then exited to the street with the left-hand track.

Attachment:

pe_trolley_reverser_reduced size2.jpg [ 85.11 KiB | Viewed 3395 times ]

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Wed Sep 04, 2013 3:49 am

Bob Davis wrote:

The PE building still stands, but the Main St. entrance and part of the old waiting room were converted into parking areas in the 1960s (sacrilege!) and the building has been modified for residential use in recent years.

Thanks, Bob, for posting the recent photo of LARy K Class streetcar #1435!

I find it interesting that both the Subway Terminal Building and the Pacific Electric Building have been remodeled in recent years from offices to apartments. Just out of curiosity, when did Southern Pacific move its regional offices out of the Pacific Electric Building?

Brian Norden wrote:

I finally pulled down my copy of Ira Swett's Interurban Special No. 30 "Pacific Electric In Transition, 1911"

I need to correct myself. This was a reprint from Journal of Electricity, Power and Gas issue of January 7, 1911. The "transition" in Ira Swett's title refers to the time period between Huntington and the Southern Pacific separating their interests and just before the combination of all of the interurban lines under a greater (or "New") Pacific Electric controlled by the SP. The Los Angeles city streetcars went to the Huntington controlled Los Angeles Railway.

Below is one of the illustrations used in the article. It shows the reversing set-up. There is trolley wire inside the troughs. Cars came in on the right-hand track next to the photographer took one of the tail tracks and then exited to the street with the left-hand track.

Thanks, Brian, for posting the photo of the original reverser setup in the Pacific Electric Building! Looks like the car on the left has "Long Beach" for the destination!

Tim Davis · **Posted:** Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:35 pm

My question has taken us from England to the U.S. West Coast. Thank for replying everyone.

What are the plans for LARy streetcar #1435?

Tim Davis
Detroit, MI

o anderson · **Posted:** Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:29 pm

An overhead reverser is shown in action on this short point-to-point trolley line at Heath Park, Cardiff, Wales.
The gauge of the line is 18".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4JkE6tyWKw

Regards,
O. Anderson
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NG-Traction

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 12:54 am

Brian Norden wrote:

I finally pulled down my copy of Ira Swett's Interurban Special No. 30 "Pacific Electric In Transition, 1911"

I need to correct myself. This was a reprint from Journal of Electricity, Power and Gas issue of January 7, 1911. The "transition" in Ira Swett's title refers to the time period between Huntington and the Southern Pacific separating their interests and just before the combination of all of the interurban lines under a greater (or "New") Pacific Electric controlled by the SP. The Los Angeles city streetcars went to the Huntington controlled Los Angeles Railway.

Below is one of the illustrations used in the article. It shows the reversing set-up. There is trolley wire inside the troughs. Cars came in on the right-hand track next to the photographer took one of the tail tracks and then exited to the street with the left-hand track.

Attachment:

pe_trolley_reverser_reduced size2.jpg

Here's a clearer version of the same image, courtesy of the Pacific Electric Historical Society's website: