Balboa (Pacific Electric)

Balboa
Overview
Type	Light rail
System	Pacific Electric
Locale	Southern California
Termini	Pacific Electric Building Balboa
Stations	50
Daily ridership	55,390 (last used)
Operation
Opened	1908
Closed	1950
Owner	Southern Pacific Railroad
Technical
Line length	39.66 miles
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead lines
Route map Legend Pacific Electric Building J R S J S U Amoco Vernon Avenue V Slauson Junction Fleming Florencito Park Florence Nadeau Graham Latin Wattsend local service Abila Springdale Willowbrook Sativa Winona Compton Dominguez Dominguez Junction Del Amo Cota Los Angeles River Los Cerritos Vista del Mar Willow Long Beach Burnett Searby Signal Hill Temple Avenue East Long Beach Termino Lobrico Las Altas Alamitos Heights Alamitos Bay Naples Alamitos Bay San Gabriel River Seal Beach Anaheim Landing Anaheim Bay East Side 16th Street Sunset Beach Sunset Beach Los Patos Bolsa Chica Rocamp Huntington Beach Gamewell Surf Club Pacific Gun Club Santiago Santa Ana River El Moro Melrose Newport Beachterminus after 1940 East Newport Balboa

Balboa was the southernmost route of the Pacific Electric Railway, running between Downtown Los Angeles and the Balboa Peninsula in Orange County by way of North Long Beach, though the route was later cut back to the Newport Dock. The route ran "flyer" service between Downtown Los Angeles and Willowville (a route also served by the Long Beach Line), making flag stops only at Vernon, Slauson, Watts, Compton and Dominguez Junction. Though ridership early on was very high, it slowly dwindled to 55,390 in 1948. Today, the beach route between Long Beach and Balboa is heavily trafficked, and plans to revive rail service along this corridor have been proposed sporadically.

List of Major Stations

Station	Major Connections	Date Opened	Date Closed	City
Balboa
Pacific Electric Building	Alhambra-San Gabriel, Annandale, Fullerton, Hawthorne-El Segundo, La Habra-Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Monrovia-Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Pomona, Redlands, Redondo via Gardena, Riverside-Rialto, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Sierra Madre, Soldiers' Home, South Pasadena Local, Upland-San Bernardino, Whittier, LAR Routes B, H, J, R, 7, and 8	1905	1961	Los Angeles
Amoco	Fullerton, Hawthorne-El Segundo, La Habra-Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Redondo via Gardena, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Soldiers' Home, Whittier	1902	1961
Slauson Junction	Fullerton, Hawthorne-El Segundo, La Habra-Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Redondo via Gardena, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Whittier	1902	1961
Watts	Hawthorne-El Segundo, Long Beach, Redondo via Gardena, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana	1902	1961
Compton	Long Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez	1902	1961	Compton
Dominguez Junction	Long Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez	1902	1961	Rancho Dominguez
Willowville	Long Beach	1902	1961	Long Beach
Zaferia		1904	1950
Alamitos Heights	Alamitos Heights	1904	1950
Naples		1904	1950
Seal Beach	Alamitos Bay	1904	1950	Seal Beach
Sunset Beach		1904	1950	Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach	Huntington Beach-La Bolsa, Santa Ana-Huntington Beach	1904	1950
Newport Beach		1905	1950	Newport Beach
Balboa		1906	1940

Sources

• Electric Rail Heritage Association