Santa Ana–Orange Line
| Santa Ana–Orange | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner |
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| Locale | Orange County, California | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
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| Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Interurban | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | Pacific Electric | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Pacific Electric (1908–1930) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | November 23, 1886 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | September 14, 1930 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 4.04 mi (6.50 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | 1–2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 600 V DC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Santa Ana–Orange Line is a former Pacific Electric interurban railway line in Orange County, California. Unlike most of the company's services, trains did not travel to Downtown Los Angeles and instead provided a suburban service between Santa Ana and Orange.
History
The beginnings of the route are traced back to a horsecar line built between The Plaza in Orange and Fourth Street and French Street in Santa Ana by the Santa Ana, Orange and Tustin Street Railway Company,[1] which began service on November 23, 1886.[2] The route originally extended further in both directions: to El Modena in the north and to Tustin in the south, comprising a total of 12 miles (19 km) of tracks. The line north of Orange was abandoned after a flood took out a critical bridge in 1891, while south of Santa Ana was discontinued due to poor patronage.[3] The Santa Ana & Orange Motor Company acquired the railroad and commenced steam operation in January 1897,[1] which was in turn sold the line to the Interurban Railway Company,[4] which proceeded to sell the railroad to Pacific Electric in 1901.[5] In 1904, Pacific Electric deeded the line to Los Angeles Inter-Urban Electric Railway, who proceeded to rebuild and electrify the route south of Santiago Creek. The new line commenced service on February 10, 1906 — passengers transferred to a steam dummy to complete to trip to Orange. Pacific Electric began operating the line on July 1, 1908, folding it into the system entirely in 1911 as part of the Great Merger.[1]
The segment of the route between Santiago Creek and The Plaza was electrified by July 11, 1914, allowing for through running and retiring the steam dummy. Frequencies generally increased as the line was more heavily trafficked. However, Pacific Electric's purchase of the Motor Transit Company made the line redundant as the latter was running frequent highway bus service between the two cities.[6] The final car departed Santa Ana on September 14, 1930.[7][6]
Operations
Tracks north of Orange to Marlboro were used by freight trains and saw no passenger service.
Between 1906 and 1914, passengers transferred from normal interurban cars to a steam dummy at Santiago Creek, as the line lacked electrical infrastructure north of this location. Through service was eventually extended as far as The Plaza in Orange.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 "Santa Ana-Orange Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ↑ Poor, Henry V. (1891). Poor's Manual of the Rairoads of the United States for 1891. New York, N.Y.: American Bank Note Company. p. 1163.
- ↑ Johnson, Helen (July 27, 1952). "Trolley Tracks On Main St. Bring Back Memories Of 'Peanut Roaster'". The Register. Santa Ana, California. p. B2. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Electric Road". The Whittier News. Whittier, California. May 18, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "From Santa Ana to Los Angeles". The Stockton Evening Mail. Stockton, California. December 7, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 Veysey, Laurence R. (June 1958). A History Of The Rail Passenger Service Operated By The Pacific Electric Railway Company Since 1911 And By Its Successors Since 1953 (PDF). LACMTA (Report). Los Angeles, California: Interurbans. p. 75. ASIN B0007F8D84. OCLC 6565577.
- ↑ "Orange Street Car Makes Its Last S.A. Trip". Santa Ana Daily Evening Register. Santa Ana, California. September 15, 1930. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.