The South Chester Line was a line of the
Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway. The route originated at the intersection of 19th Street and Chester Avenue, and traveled south on Chester. At the southern end of the line, there was a loop around 8th Street, N Street, and 11th Street. The line was constructed in 1903, as part of the original expansion plan. It closed in 1939.
[Bergman, John. ''The Southern San Joaquin Valley: A Railroad History''. Jostens Printing and Publishing Company. Visalia, California: 2009. . Page 140.]
The line was originally single track, constructed with 36-pound rails. The line was constructed in conjunction with the
Beale Memorial Clock Tower (dedicated April 4, 1904) which resided at the intersection of 17th Street and Chester Avenue. In 1910, the company began plans to upgrade the line. With traffic concerns, the
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
voted to remove the clock tower. However, after public pressure, they reversed their decision.
[Lynch, Georg]
The Streetcars, Gone but not Forgotten
. ''The Bakersfield Californian''. Accessed: 05-09-2011.
In 1912, the entire line was upgraded to 87-pound rails. That same year, the section between 19th Street and 11th Street was double tracked. At the intersection of the clock tower, the rails were shifted to allow travel around it. In 1930, streetcars were operating every 15 minutes. However, revenue for the streetcar line was declining. On July 1, 1939, the line was abandoned and replaced with buses.
Connections
*
Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Line (B&KE)
B&KE = Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
References
{{Bakersfield and kern electric railway
Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway