Category Archives: San Diego Electric Railway

History, North Park, Railroads, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, San Diego Electric Railway, Streetcar

Streetcar Tracks Exposed – Part 2

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Ongoing roadwork in the North Park neighborhood in San Diego has exposed yet more streetcar tracks. This work is a part of a bikeway project which will add raised median islands and pedestrian signals to enhance safety along the route.

The tracks for the #2 San Diego Electric Railway line are temporarily exposed on 30th St at Landis St. Both sets of rails are at least partially exposed, with the southbound rails fully exposed and northbound with one side exposed. I doubt they will remain for very long.

Tracks exposed at Landis St on 30th St
Southbound tracks and one northbound rail exposed

Information on the roadwork from the City of San Diego and SANDAG:

Landis Street and 30th Street: Crews will implement traffic control and begin demolition activities to construct median islands, curb extensions, curb ramps, and pedestrian improvements (including installing Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons or “RRFBs”) at the intersection.

History, Mass Transit, North Park, Railroads, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, San Diego Electric Railway, Streetcar

San Diego Electric Railway Exposed in North Park

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The City of San Diego has a project underway known as the University Avenue Mobility Project. This will add a median to University Ave from Florida St to Boundary St and a transit lane in both directions. This work, which has begun in earnest in the past few weeks, has exposed more of the San Diego Electric Railway #7 car line. The last time these tracks saw revenue service was on April 23, 1949 and have been buried under asphalt since.

Construction projects such as these allow a brief glimpse into San Diego’s past, in this case exposing hundreds of feet of intact railway tracks. At the time of this writing, the exposed tracks run from Idaho St to near Grim Ave along University Ave. Between Idaho St and Utah St, you can see get a unique view looking between two sets of tracks, where the remainder exposed is just one direction.

Who knows? Maybe the future of University Ave will see these tracks torn up and replaced with newer rails? Los Angeles did that along 1st for the Metro L Line back in the early 2000’s. It could happen here.

Looking west from Utah St on University Ave. Here, the middle of a section of double-track can be seen during roadway construction. Additional rails are still buried beneath the pavement.
Looking east from Kansas St on University Ave. These were the former westbound tracks.
Further east on University Ave at Ohio St looking at the former westbound tracks.
History, Railroads, San Diego, San Diego County, San Diego Electric Railway, University Heights

San Diego Electric Railway #11 line at El Cajon Blvd

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Recent utility work on Park Blvd has indirectly revealed that the tracks for the former SDERy #11 line (Downtown to Kensington via Park and Adams) are still buried beneath Park Blvd, at least at El Cajon Blvd. Looking at video from 1970 of Park Blvd wasn’t really helpful in spotting the tracks as they seem to have been paved over quite well even back then.

1970 video showing Park Blvd from the San Diego City Clerk

However, despite not being physically uncovered, their presence is still made known. Crews, marking various services underneath the roadway, also marked “Railroad Tracks” on Park Blvd. Two sets in fact, which is pretty cool. Maybe they’ll be unearthed in the near future.

Railroad Tracks marked at the crosswalk at Park / El Cajon / Normal
Looking southerly on Park showing both sets of markings
Hillcrest, History, North Park, Railroads, San Diego, San Diego County, San Diego Electric Railway

San Diego Electric Railway Exposed!

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For the first time since 1949, a section of the San Diego Electric Railway, double track at that, is exposed for only a short time before it will be destroyed in Hillcrest. They last saw service on April 23, 1949 as a part of the #7 streetcar line. The City of San Diego is currently restoring the 1914 Georgia St bridge over University Ave. As a part of this project, they are also lowering University Ave between Park Blvd and Florida St.

These tracks represent a bit of San Diego history and I highly recommend a visit in the next week or so before they are gone. Remnants of the former railway are getting harder to find as time passes and more roads are torn up for various projects.

Looking east from Georgia St, tracks are in the median.

Looking easterly toward Georgia St

Looking toward the Georgia St bridge with the tracks in the median

Angled view of the tracks between Georgia St and Park Blvd.

Looking down at the torn up eastbound tracks.

Railroad ties on top of the Georgia St bridge from the roadway below.

Torn up tracks and a #7 bus

Looking west from near Florida St.

More information about the San Diego Electric Railway

Railroads, San Diego Electric Railway

Streetcar tracks in Bankers Hill

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While riding home today from downtown San Diego, I passed some construction on 5th Ave between Olive St and Palm St. It seems that the tracks from the #1 San Diego Electric Railway line are still in place. I had thought most of these tracks were long since torn up. Instead, as seen on Park Blvd, the tracks are merely buried under a few inches of asphalt.

Southbound and one northbound track at Olive St
Southbound and one northbound track at Olive St

Southbound rails in place.
Southbound rails in place.

Side view showing three rails within the trench.
Side view showing three rails within the trench.