Arcade Depot
Former Southern Pacific rail terminal, Los Angeles
| Preceding station | Southern Pacific Railroad | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale toward San Francisco | Coast Line | Terminus | ||
| First Street toward New Orleans Union Station | Sunset Route | |||
| First Street toward Pasadena | Pasadena Branch | |||
| First Street toward River | Los Angeles – San Pedro | Clement Junction toward San Pedro | ||
| Santa Monica Branch | Clement Junction toward Port Los Angeles | |||
| Preceding station |  Pacific Electric | Following station | ||
| 6th and San Pedro towards Richardson | Edendale Local | Terminus | ||
| Terminus | Los Angeles SP–Pasadena SP (1912–1914) | Aliso and San Pedro towards Pasadena SP | ||
| Sierra Vista Local (1912–1914) | 6th and San Pedro towards Sierra Vista | |||
The Arcade Depot was the main Southern Pacific Railroad passenger railway station of Los Angeles, California between 1888 and 1914. It was located on Alameda Street, between 5th and 6th Streets. This station consolidated intercity services at a location closer to Downtown Los Angeles than the previous terminal, the San Fernando Street Depot.
History
The land for the station was furnished to Southern Pacific by the City of Los Angeles, which was intended to lure the railroad to town.[2] The Victorian style wooden station was completed in 1888.[2] It was located on the site of the former orange groves of William Wolfskill, on the east side of Downtown Los Angeles towards the Los Angeles River.[1] It was a massive wooden structure, 500 feet (150 m) long, with skylights and an arched roof clearing 90 feet (27 m) above the platforms below.[1] A palm tree was replanted outside the station during its opening year.[3]
The station replaced the Southern Pacific River Station as the main L.A. passenger terminal, which was located next to a freight yard farther outside of downtown L.A.[1]
In addition to mainline steam trains, the depot was also served by Pacific Electric Red Cars.[4][5]
By 1913, the Arcade Depot had fallen into a state of disrepair and calls were made for its replacement in anticipation of increased passenger traffic.[6] The station was closed in 1914 when the SP opened the Los Angeles Central Station just to the north. The old depot was demolished soon after to make room for new outdoor platforms serving the new station.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Masters, Nathan (January 17, 2013). "Lost Train Depots of Los Angeles". Socal Focus. KCET. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ a b Stargel, Cory; Stargel, Sarah (2009). Early Downtown Los Angeles. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 70–72. ISBN 9780738570037.
- ^ Nathan Masters (April 17, 2013). "CityDig: L.A.'s Oldest Palm Tree". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ 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. pp. 11, 84–85. ASIN B0007F8D84. OCLC 6565577.
- ^ "S.P. Pasadena Trains Give Way to Trolley". Los Angeles Express. Los Angeles, California. May 1, 1912. p. 23. Retrieved July 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mayor Rose Asks Council to Act on S.P. Depot". Los Angeles Express. Los Angeles, California. November 7, 1913. p. 20. Retrieved July 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arcade Depot.
- Los Angeles Train Time Departure timetable from May 1892
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Major inter-city railroad stations of Los Angeles
- Union Station
- Arcade Depot
- Central Station
- La Grande Station
- Los Angeles & San Pedro
- River Station
- Salt Lake Station
