Griffith Park in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Four Motor Electric Locomotive

Pacific Electric 1544

— "Electra" —

Four Motor Electric Locomotive Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, May 3, 2026

1. Four Motor Electric Locomotive Marker

Inscription.
Was used to help build the subway tunnel in Los Angeles.
Also used to help restore San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of 1906.
Donated by Pacific Electric Rlwy Co.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.

Location. 34° 9.306′ N, 118° 18.401′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Griffith Park. It can be reached from Zoo Drive 0.1 miles east of Forest Lawn Drive. Located in Travel Town museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5200 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles CA 90027, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:

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T-2 Semaphore Signal (within shouting distance of this marker); Automatic Block Signals (within shouting distance of this marker); Griffith Park Internment Camp (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Spirit of the CCC (about 300 feet away); Tracks Through Time (about 400 feet away); Pacific Electric Waiting Station (about 800 feet away); Ollie Johnston Depot (approx. ¼ mile away); Riverside Drive Bridge (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Regarding Four Motor Electric Locomotive. Pacific Electric 1544 "Electra" is a historic 50-ton electric steeplecab locomotive. Built in 1902 by the North Shore Railroad, it famously helped clear rubble after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake before being acquired by Pacific Electric. Today, it is preserved at the Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park.

Built in 1902 by the North Shore Railroad at their Tiburon, California workshops, it weighs 50 tons and features 500 horsepower. After assisting with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake recovery, it briefly served the Central Pacific Railroad before joining the Pacific Electric roster in 1917.

Four Motor Electric Locomotive image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, May 3, 2026

2. Four Motor Electric Locomotive

It spent the majority of its working life shifting equipment at the vast Torrance repair shops, and working on the Los Angeles subway tunneling project in 1925. The engine was retired in 1952 and officially donated to the museum in 1953, where it remains the only electric locomotive on display there.

The original subway tunnel in Los Angeles is now abandoned.

Additional keywords. Electra, Pacific Electric 1544

Four Motor Electric Locomotive and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, May 3, 2026

3. Four Motor Electric Locomotive and Marker

Public Domain

4. Four Motor Electric Locomotive

Clearing rubble after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Travel Town Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, October 14, 2018

5. Travel Town Museum

Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 27, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 17 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 27, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on January 1, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.