Pacific Electric
5 car blimp trip at South Compton
On June 30, 1957, the Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California, of which I was at the time President (youth knows no limits to its incompetencies) ran the BIG one, a fantrip using five (count 'em) five PE cars of the 450 class.  Five was the maximum number of cars that could be entrained, although three was the most we ever saw in regular service.  We covered all the interurban lines remaining at the time, plus some freight trackage.  Hence we went to Bellflower, Long Beach and San Pedro.  The curves on the West Basin trackage made us look like a long red millipede.  Cars 450-459 were unusual in that they could train only with themselves, since they had a non-standard brake valve with respect to all the other ex-IER/NWP cars.
June 30, 1957
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