page_title: San Diego Electric Railway
section_title: San Diego Electric Railway Company
hierarchical_section_title: San Diego Electric Railway / History / San Diego Electric Railway Company
caption_attribution_description: English: Double-decker San Diego Electric Railway, 5th &amp; Market, Sept 21, 1892.
context_page_description: The San Diego Electric Railway was a mass transit system in Southern California, United States, using 600 volt DC streetcars and buses.
  The SDERy was established by sugar heir and land developer John D. Spreckels in 1892. The railroad's original network consisted of five routes: the Fifth Street and Logan Heights Lines, the First and "D" Streets Lines, the Depot Line, the Ferry Line, and the "K" Street Shuttle. The company would establish additional operating divisions as traffic demands led to the formation of new lines. The company also engaged in limited freight handling primarily as an interchange with Spreckels' San Diego and Arizona Railway from 1923 to 1929.
  At its peak, the SDERy's routes would operate throughout the greater San Diego area over some 165 miles of track. Steadily declining ridership, due in large part to the phenomenal rise in popularity of the automobile, ultimately led the company to discontinue all streetcar service in favor of bus routes in 1949. Some see this as related to the National City Lines's General Motors streetcar conspiracy controversy, as the SDERy's president had been with NCL previously.
context_section_description: By November 30, 1891 John D. Spreckels incorporated the San Diego Electric Railway Company (SDERy). On January 30, the SDERy purchased the SDSCC and the majority of its assets for $115,000; over the next few years the company would also acquire the competing Park Belt Line and the Ocean Beach Railroad. Plans were made to convert all existing lines to traction, and ten single-truck, single-trolley, open platform wooden cars were subsequently purchased from the J. G. Brill and Company. Double-decker Car No. 1, the first such electrically operated car in the United States, made the inaugural run on September 21, 1892 with many of the City's notables aboard. A few weeks later, the SCCR completed its last run, the company having declared bankruptcy earlier in the year. At the end of 1892, the line had grown to 16.70 miles (26.88 km) of aggregated system track (12.21 miles or 19.65 kilometres of single electrified track with 4.49 miles or 7.23 kilometres for horse-drawn cars). Many new electrified lines were constructed during the coming years.
  In August 1895, the Citizens Traction Company (CTC) was formed and purchased the remains of the SDCR for $17,600, adapting the line to electric operation in order to compete with the SDERy. On July 28, 1896 the first converted trolley car ran the entire length of the 4.49-mile (7.23 km) long CTC line. However, by February 1897 financial difficulties forced the CTC to go into receivership. Elisa Babcock, as agent for the SDERy, bought the properties and franchises of the CTC in March 1898 for $19,000 plus "fees and costs." The track gauge was subsequently widened from 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in).
  In 1905 Spreckels had a new power generating plant built to accommodate the additional loads imposed by the expanding streetcar network. He announced the following year the formation of San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A) and plans for a 148-mile (238 km) line between San Diego and El Centro. The Third Avenue Streetcar Line began operation. The SDERy logged 798,152 car miles. By 1907 the Third Avenue Streetcar Line was extended to the future community of Mission Hills, and was briefly renamed the Mission Hills Line. Spreckels forced a ballot initiative in 1910 to amend his charter with the City of San Diego to give him more than 25 years on his leases to operate streetcar service. With this greater security he was able to acquire major loans for service expansion and infrastructure. The next year, the Imperial Avenue operating division was established downtown. Spreckels had a second power generating plant built at Kettner Boulevard and "E" Street, as the 1905 plant could no longer provide sufficient capacity.
  Ordered by Spreckels, with guidance by William Clayton and design by Homer MacNutt and Abel A. Butterworth, 24 Arts and Crafts-style streetcars (to be known as the 'Class 1' streetcar) were delivered to San Diego in 1912. The following year, construction of a new brick car barn located at Adams Avenue and Florida Street wa completed. By the end of 1914 the SDERy owned 38.9 miles (62.6 km) of single track and 22.4 miles (36.0 km) of double track, for a total of 83.7 miles (134.7 km) of "equivalent single track".
  The 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park spurred the next phase of transportation growth. A new electric car line was constructed up 12th Street to the park's entrance with 101 new cars from the St. Louis Car Company, and the Adams Avenue operating division was established in Normal Heights. San Diego's original Victorian style train depot was demolished and replaced with a new Mission Revival Style Santa Fe depot building. The SDERy logged 3,521,571 car miles. The "Great Flood" in 1916 caused significant damage, washing out several rail lines. World War I increased the cost of railway construction materials by 50 to 150 percent. There was a significant increase in the private ownership of automobiles, and the SDERy began to lose revenue to private "Jitney Buses". On November 15, 1919 the "golden spike" was driven and construction of th
caption: SDERy double-decker Car No. 1 pauses at the intersection of 5th Street & Market Street during its inaugural run on September 21, 1892.
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