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Changing Face of Southern California

On the Road to Alpine Tavern, Mt. Lowe Division, Pacific Electric Ry., Los Angeles, Cal.

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On the Road to Alpine Tavern, Mt. Lowe Division, Pacific Electric Ry., Los Angeles, Cal.

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Identifier	post_00183
Title	On the Road to Alpine Tavern, Mt. Lowe Division, Pacific Electric Ry., Los Angeles, Cal.
Creator	unknown
Date Published	1901-1907
Subject (Topic)	Railroads--California--Los Angeles County; Scenic railways--California--Lowe, Mount (Los Angeles County); Mountains--California--Los Angeles County;
Subject (Name)	Pacific Electric Railway Company; Mount Lowe Railway;
Subject (Place)	Lowe, Mount (Los Angeles County, Calif.);
Type	image
Form/Genre	Postcards
Physical Description	1 postcard : Color ; 14 x 9 cm.
Institution	Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University
Country of Creation	US
Copyright Status	public domain
Copyright Statement	http://library.lmu.edu/generalinformation/departments/digitallibraryprogram/copyrightandreproductionpolicy/
Publisher	M. Rieder
Place of Publication	Los Angeles, Cal.
Language	eng
Description	A view of the tracks of the Mt. Lowe Railway as seen from a viewpoint above the horseshoe curve.
Historical Background	The development of Mt. Lowe in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles, California, was mostly undertaken by Thaddeus Lowe who retired to Los Angeles in the late 1880s. In 1893, he organized the construction of the Mount Lowe Railway, along with engineer David J. Macpherson. The railway was developed in three parts: the Mountain Division, which wound around Mt. Lowe and Echo Mountain, the Great Incline, which was a funicular railway which traveled up a steep grade of 48-62%, and the Alpine Division, which navigated steep mountainsides and crossed deep canyons, offering dramatic views of the landscape. Unfortunately, the railway did not prove financially successful, and the tracks were constantly in need of expensive repairs. A series of disasters between 1900 and 1928, including fires, floods, and gale-force winds gradually destroyed the buildings on the summit, and visitors dwindled. Henry Huntington acquired the railway in 1901, and kept it in operation until 1938, when torrential rains washed away large portions of the track. Although not seen in this image, the Alpine Tavern was the destination of many of the tourists riding the Mt. Lowe Railway. The tavern was built in 1895. It was destroyed in a fire on September 15, 1936. The horseshoe curve section of the railway was famous for its 120 degree curve. For each 100 feet of track, the trolley car passes around 120 degrees of a circle.
Publisher's Identifier	Series number: 699
Source	Werner von Boltenstern Postcard Collection