Flying Fast in Pomona

The picture on the front of this post card is of a steam-powered trolley car, "The North Pomona Flier". It was in service in Southern California providing transportation to Pomona, Chino, and Ontario, Calfornia in or about the year 1897, when this picture was taken. The following information was gleaned from this website: http://www.erha.org/pelines/peepll.htm The thriving city of Pomona was founded in 1875, and soon grew large enough to support street railways The first four lines were operated by horses, but the last was spectacular; on it operated by "North Pomona Flier", a steam Dummy Line combining passenger car and locomotive in one vehicle—it went huffing and puffing down the street, billowing clouds of smoke and steam, visual evidence to the awe inspired citizenry that the machine age had arrived. The "North Pomona Flier" operated from Garey Avenue & Bertie Street, Pomona, north along Garey Avenue, Orange Grove Avenue, Hiwasse Street, Laurel Street to Railroad Street, then went west to a point opposite the Santa Fe Station in North Pomona. It operated continuously from November or December, 1887 to November, 1907. During 1895 the SP acquired control and operated it until operation ceased. SP then sold the line to Pacific Electric (PE) giving PE its first entry into Pomona. PE tore up the old rail on Garey Avenue and put down an electric railway constructed of 70-lb. steel rails. PE did retain enough Pomona Street Railway real estate to furnish a site for its substation at Garey & Bertie streets. PE at once began the development of its Pomona city lines, doing the work through the PE Land Company. This work was performed from 1 October 1907 to 15 September 1911. When completed, the Pomona city lines aggregated to 10.43 miles of equivalent single track, 0.06 mile spurs and sidings.

This post cards was published and distributed by the Olde Tyme Photo Cards Bicentennial Station in Los Angeles, California. I have five post cards from Olde Tyme Photo Cards in my collection. The post card was first printed in 1976.