The city's network of street railways peaked around 1908 before the patchwork of separate companies was consolidated under the Pacific Electric.
The Redlands Street Railway Company (RSR) was incorporated on March 22, 1888, acquiring on June 5 a franchise from the San Bernardino County Supervisors dating to December 1887, conveying the right to construct, operate and maintain for a term of 50 years a line of street railways in Redlands, Terracina and vicinity.
[9] After being ousted from a previous position at a nearby street railroad, Henry Fischer established the Redlands Central Railway in 1907 and began construction of a line on Brookside Avenue.
[12][3] The company began running their "Orange Empire Trolley Trip" tourist excursion to Redlands in 1915, which brought in day trippers from Los Angeles.
At its peak, PE operated five local routes in Redlands, with streetcars running to Smiley Heights and on Orange, Olive, and Citrus Avenues.
[17] With 2.07 miles (3.33 km) of track into the city lifted,[18] Bus service operated by the Motor Transit Company, a subsidiary of Pacific Electric, began on July 20.
"[21] The abandoned Pacific Electric La Quinta trestle over the Santa Ana River stood immediately south of San Bernardino International Airport into the 2010s but was removed when an Amazon facility was built adjacent to the site.
The Redlands Trolley Barn was built in 1907 and was the depot of the company's initial lines, continuing to serve in such a capacity for the Pacific Electric Era.