Return of the railroad nostalgia

Southern Pacific locomotive near Santa Monica in 1898

How many times have I wished the Los Angeles would be more (much more) accessible via public transport! And guess what. In the history of this car possessed metropolis there was a time when more local trains, trolley etc. were a natural part of daily life. About 1891 Southern Pacific built a line to the mouth of Santa Monica Canyon, just north of Santa Monica CA to their "Long Wharf," which they envisioned would be the beginning of a great harbor for the Los Angeles area. The line was an extension of the Santa Monica "Air Line" and ran from the Espee station near Ocean and Colorado, westerly in the ravine and through a right-curving tunnel to the beach, then north along the bottom of the high, unstable bluffs. The Pacific Electric eventually took over the route, electrified it and ran trolleys on it with decreasing frequency until the early 1930's. After abandonment, the state Division of Highways promptly took over the right-of-way and it has been part of the "Pacific Coast Highway" ever since. There still exists an original video from a train ride to Santa Monica - from the year 1898. Fascinating!
And there might be hope for a revitalisation: the city Santa Monica is planning to build a light rail system that will connect it to downtown Los Angeles. It may be a while before it gets here. The project is expected to be completed in 2010.