A pair of Pacific Electric Red Cars coupled together as they pass through the intersection of Colorado Blvd and Lake Ave, Pasadena, California, October 7, 1950 |

A pair of Pacific Electric Red Cars coupled together as they pass through the intersection of Colorado Blvd and Lake Ave, Pasadena, California, circa early 1940s Until I came across this photo, I never knew that some models of the Pacific Electric Red Cars could be coupled together. And even then, it would be only in places with intersections wide enough to allow them to negotiate around the corner. This is the intersection of Colorado Blvd (part of Route 66) and Lake Ave in Pasadena. The streetcar line was abandoned the following day on October 8, 1950.

Reymond says: “The PE Twelves underwent rebuilding/repainting in 1939 to become the “Butterfly” cars you see here. Service on all the lines (including the “Oak Knoll” line that encompassed Lake Ave service) ended in 1949.”

I’m not sure that this image from January 2019 is facing the same direction as the vintage photo, but none of the buildings at any of the four corners of this intersection have that nice building we can see in the background.

Paula Carr says:

May 30, 2021 at 9:41 am

I actually have an early memory of being on a Redcar. They were ripped out when I think I was 2, so it was an extremely early memory! It was on Washington Blvd, and it was near the old Helms Bakery, because I remember the Helmsman statue. Which is probably why it stuck in my mind to begin with. So sad they’re gone. They went everywhere!