Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Bakersfield, California |
| Transit type | Streetcar, Bus |
| Number of lines | 5 streetcar, 3 bus (1915) |
| Annual ridership | 1.4 million (1915) |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | May 1888 |
| Ended operation | February 28, 1942 (Streetcar) |
| Number of vehicles | 23 (Total number of streetcars) |
| Train length | 1 Car |
| Headway | 15–20 minutes |
| Technical | |
| System length | 10.51 mi (16.91 km) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 550-volt DC Overhead lines |
| Average speed | 25 mph (40 km/h) |
The Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway was a streetcar company which operated between Bakersfield and Sumner (later Kern City), in California. Later, after Kern City was annexed by Bakersfield, the streetcar company operated completely in Bakersfield. The company was originally formed in 1887, under the name Bakersfield and Sumner Railroad. At its height, in 1915, the company operated five streetcar lines, totaling 10.5 miles (16.9 km). It also operated three feeder bus lines, one of the first companies in the nation to offer that type of service. Also, with the exception of one-way sections, the entire system was double tracked.
The company discontinued streetcar service in 1942. The company, however, never completely ceased operations. It continued to operate its feeder bus service, as well as the original streetcar lines with buses. The current provider of mass transit for Bakersfield, Golden Empire Transit, is the latest of an unbroken line of owners of the company.
In 1874, after a land dispute between the City of Bakersfield and the Southern Pacific Railroad, the railroad built its tracks about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the city. It founded the town of Sumner as its rail stop. It was soon realized that efficient transportation between these two points was needed. So in the same year, a franchise was granted by the city for the construction of a streetcar line. That company, however, never constructed the line. Transportation was instead provided by road vehicles. One of the earliest was the H. H. Fish Omnibus Line, which charged $1 for the trip.
In 1887, a second franchise was granted to a partnership made up of T.J. Packard, H.A. Blodget, John Keith and H.H. Fish (the operator of the Omnibus Line). In 1888, they constructed a single track railroad between the Courthouse in Bakersfield with the Southern Pacific Train Station. The company was named the Bakersfield and Sumner Railroad. The company used horse drawn cars. The track used 16-pound rails, which were previously used in a mine. The underlying ballast was substandard, and during heavy rain, the cars would sink into the street, or derail. The trek was through rural terrain, with little development.
In December 1894, the Power Development Company was founded. Its owners were H. A. Blodgett, C. N. Beale, S. W. Fergusson, W. S. Tevis and Henry Jastro. The company began work on constructing a hydroelectric power plant at the base of the Kern River Canyon. The construction was completed in 1897. It also would provide enough power for an electric streetcar line.
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