Central Station (Los Angeles)

Central Station was the Southern Pacific Railroad's main passenger terminal in Los Angeles, California. It was formerly on Central Avenue at Fifth Street, in eastern Downtown Los Angeles. The primary hub for Southern Pacific's passenger operations in Southern California, it was served by the Sunset Limited, Coast Daylight, Golden State, and other named trains. The station replaced the company's previous Los Angeles terminal, Arcade Depot, and was often referred to by the name of the older facility.^[3]

For other places with the same name, see Central Station.

Los Angeles Central Station
Exterior view of the Southern Pacific Depot, c. 1918
General information
Location	Fifth and Central Los Angeles, California United States
Coordinates	34°02′32″N 118°14′22″W
Line(s)	Southern Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific
History
Opened	December 1, 1914 (1914-12-01)[1]
Closed	1939 (passengers)[2] August 22, 1956 (1956-08-22) (demolished)[1]
Services
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station River toward San Francisco Coast Line Terminus Terminus Sunset Route Alhambra toward New Orleans Los Angeles – San Pedro Florence toward San Pedro Preceding station Union Pacific Railroad Following station Terminus Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad East Los Angeles toward Salt Lake City Preceding station Pacific Electric Following station Terminus Los Angeles SP–Pasadena SP (until 1933) Aliso and San Pedro towards Pasadena SP 6th and San Pedro towards Richardson Edendale Local (until 1940) Terminus Vermont towards San Pedro Los Angeles SP–Long Beach–San Pedro (until 1939) Preceding station Los Angeles Railway Following station 5th and San Pedro towards Larchmont and Melrose 3 Terminus 5th and San Pedro towards Bonnie Brae and Beverly D Central and 6th towards Central and Slauson 5th and San Pedro towards Vermont and Florence U

History

The Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) was the most used of the three mainline railroads that serviced Los Angeles in the early 20th century (the others being the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad and Santa Fe Railroad), though their main Arcade Depot had fallen into a state of disrepair by 1913.^[4] Southern Pacific began investigating the replacement of the aging station as early as that year in anticipation of increased passenger numbers to the state as a result of hosting both the San Francisco Panama–Pacific International Exposition and San Diego Panama–California Exposition in 1915.^[3]

Station platforms and tracks seen from the north

Passenger trains began operating at the station's new tracks on December 1, 1914.^[1] The station building opened on May 2, 1915.^[3] In 1918, just over 50% of all passenger traffic was provided via Southern Pacific and Central Station.^{[citation needed]} The Union Pacific Railroad, which had its main Los Angeles train station (built 1891) damaged in a fire, began operating from the station in 1924.^[3][1][5]

In addition to long-distance trains, the station was served by the two local electric railways. Pacific Electric Red Cars stopped at the station until 1950, calling at Ceres and Central on the west side of the building. Passengers could get cars to Sierra Vista, Pasadena, Edendale,^[6] Long Beach and San Pedro.^[2] By 1938, the Los Angeles Railway Yellow streetcar lines D, U, and 3 stopped in front of the building on Central Avenue.^[7][8]

In 1926 voters in Los Angeles voted 51% to 49% to build a union station. All long-distance passenger services were transferred to the new Los Angeles Union Station upon that building's completion in 1939.^[2] Pacific Electric cars continued to run here until September 1940 when trips were rerouted to the Subway Terminal Building.^[2]

The Central Station was demolished on August 22, 1956.^[1]

Design

The station was designed by the firm of Messrs, Parkinson & Bergstrom. Features which governed its design included:^[9]

• Pedestrian and track grade separation
• Separation of incoming and outgoing passengers
• Amenities for waiting passengers
• Adequate baggage facilities
• An efficient and convenient train ticket office
• A centralized information bureau
• Additional operational facilities including a power plant, kitchen and dining room, office, private car yards, etc.

1921 Los Angeles real estate map

References

1. Nathan Masters (January 17, 2013). "Lost Train Depots of Los Angeles". Socal Focus. KCET. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
2. 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.
3. Musicant, Marlyn, ed. (2014). Los Angeles Union Station. Getty Publishing. pp. 13–16, 30. ISBN 9781606063248.
4. "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.
5. Reiring, Ron (July 24, 2012), "Los Angeles, CA Union Pacific train station", Flickr, retrieved May 8, 2019
6. Wood, J. Henry (1907). Security Map And Street Railway Guide of the City of Los Angeles and Vicinity with Map of Beaches and nearby Points of Interest (Map). Los Angeles, California: Security Savings Bank. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
7. Crise, Steven J.; Patris, Michael A.; The Mount Lowe Preservation Society (2021). Los Angeles Railway. Arcadia Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 9781467105880.
8. H.P. Noordwal (1938). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Los Angeles Railway. "Alternate link" (Map). via Google.
9. Jennings, Frederick (February 1917). "Some California Railroad Stations". The Architect and Engineer of California. 48 (2): 47–49.

• "Local and Through Passenger Time Tables" (PDF). Southern Pacific. January 1921. Retrieved April 17, 2021 – via wx4's Dome of Foam.