Watts (Pacific Electric)

The Watts line was a local line of the Pacific Electric Railway that operated between the Pacific Electric Building in Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States and the Watts Station at 103rd Street in Watts, Los Angeles. It was the primary local district service for the Southern District, which also included the Long Beach, San Pedro, Santa Ana and Whittier lines. The route operated along the Southern Division's Four Tracks route, with the Watts Line using the outer tracks and the Long Beach line and other interurban and express lines using the inner tracks.[1] It operated between 1904 and 1958. During the 1910s, its service was combined with the South Pasadena Line of the Northern District. From 1938 to 1950, the line was combined with the Sierra Vista Line, which was the main local line in the Northern District. Since 1990, service along the Watts Line between Washington Boulevard and 103rd Street has been operated by the Los Angeles Metro Blue Line (renamed the A Line in 2019), with stations at Washington Boulevard, Vernon Avenue, Slauson Avenue, Florence Avenue, Firestone Boulevard and 103rd Street.

Watts
Overview
Type	Light rail
System	Pacific Electric
Locale	Southern California
Termini	Pacific Electric Building Watts
Daily ridership	37,436 (peak, 1946) 4,325 (close, 1958)
Operation
Opened	1904
Closed	1958
Owner	Southern Pacific Railroad
Operator(s)	Pacific Electric
Technical
Line length	7.45 miles
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead lines
Route map Pacific Electric Building  H   J   R   H   U  Amoco to Santa Monica Air Line Vernon Avenue  V  Slauson Junction to Whittier & La Habra–Yorba Linda Fleming to Ascot Park Florencita Park Florence Nadeau Graham Latin Watts end of local service

Stops and stations

The following were stops and stations along the Watts line[2]

References

1. "Pacific Electric Watts Line". Eagle Rock Historical Association.
2. Pacific Electric Railway Guide: Names and locations of stops, cross streets and important points of interest on or Adjacent to Lines of the Pacific Electric Railway. Orange Empire Railway Museum.