Western Railroad Discussion > More of Oakland's Homestead Yard Fading Away?

Well, not exactly. As a follow-up to MDO's recent Nostalgia threads on his big move up to West Oakland on the SP, here are the current happenings of the Homestead yard as part of UP's current West Oakland yard. Visit MDO's thread with a picture of the yard in 1974 when he arrived on the scene. http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,809444

Looks like after a year or so of closure for these red-flagged yard tracks in the Homestead, UP is finally deciding to put the money in to redo the yard. At least I think so. Yesterday morning, a small team of contractors did a pretty good job of ripping up half of this red-flagged yard section. The last time I remember a train setting out cars in this section of the yard a couple of years ago resulted in a nice derailment. Ties and rail piled up neatly after the 8 hour shift. So Topper, whatz the plan on this yard - relay nice ribbon rail track and make it nice again or clear away the space for more intermodal yard space for either packet tracks or container/chasis storage space? Or something else I can't figure out?

-Ryan aka "espeeboy"
on the ex-WP Oakland Sub MP11.2

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My guess would be an expansion of the intermodal facility.

mdo

mdo Wrote:
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> My guess would be an expansion of the intermodal
> facility.
>
> mdo

No. They just picking up all of Naj's discarded Cragmont bottles and cans!

(I'm sure MDO will be explaing all about who Naj was in his Mad Dog Chronicles over on the N&H board.)

Actually, what you're seeing in Ryan's photos is the first step in rebuilding the 70 Lead, known as "Tom's Plan". After they rip out the old rails and ties, the plan is to reinstall some of the tracks, but there'll be less tracks than before as they'll now have the correct (i.e., PUC mandated) track centers. There'll also be new ties and ballast (gee, what a concept!).

If they follow through with "Tom's Plan", they'll be doing some of the 60 Lead tracks as well.

Of course, we'll see how far they actually get with "Tom's Plan".

Millions of $ were spent around 1990 - 1992 in the I880 / Cypress Project in Oakland for new SP rail facilities paid for by the State of Calif. due to the new freeway project necessitated by the great earthquake of 1989. This is what paid for the new yard at East Oakland that never received much use. I never knew who made the final decisions on what was to be done, but always felt that too many important decisions were made at Roseville and at Denver by folks too far removed to understand what would work best at Oakland.

Westbound Wrote:
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> Millions of $ were spent around 1990 - 1992 in the
> I880 / Cypress Project in Oakland for new SP rail
> facilities paid for by the State of Calif. due to
> the new freeway project necessitated by the great
> earthquake of 1989. This is what paid for the new
> yard at East Oakland that never received much use.
> I never knew who made the final decisions on what
> was to be done, but always felt that too many
> important decisions were made at Roseville and at
> Denver by folks too far removed to understand what
> would work best at Oakland.

In this case, you are wrong. I was the AVPO at the time and all of the changes were aproved by me. What we gave up to the highway folks was also my decision. I bear all of the responsibility for what was done and not done in the reconfiguration and rebuilding of East Oakland, Jack London Square, West Oakland Yard, Desert Yard, Emeryville and the main lines from CP Strong to CP Shellmound. I don't particularly like the track configurations in the Desert, but, that is another story. Neither Roseville or Denver had a thing to say about it.

If you do not like the result, then blame me and only me. I was the one who made the final decisions.

mdo

You might have planned it based on what you saw then, but its up to your predecessors
on how they use it. If they don't like it, present a better plan to Omaha. No Worries, Mike, your only one person.

mdo Wrote:

> In this case, you are wrong. I was the AVPO at
> the time and all of the changes were aproved by
> me. What we gave up to the highway folks was also
> my decision. I bear all of the responsibility for
> what was done and not done in the reconfiguration
> and rebuilding of East Oakland, Jack London
> Square, West Oakland Yard, Desert Yard, Emeryville
> and the main lines from CP Strong to CP
> Shellmound. I don't particularly like the track
> configurations in the Desert, but, that is another
> story. Neither Roseville or Denver had a thing to
> say about it.
>
> If you do not like the result, then blame me and
> only me. I was the one who made the final
> decisions.
>
> mdo

Mike,

Considering what was left to work with after the highway folks got their way. You did OK.

J.

Westbound Wrote:
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> This is what paid for the new
> yard at East Oakland that never received much use.

Believe it or not, under "Tom's Plan" the rail and ties (well, the rail for sure; I'm not certain about the ties, although they are still in good shape, having been in actual ballast instead of just dirt) for this work is supposed to come from the East Oakland Yard.

The original pitch for this project was to pull up most of the rail at East Oak and replant it at West Oak. The vacated areas at East Oak could then be sold off.

I'm not sure if that's still the plan, and I kind of doubt it. We'll see...

In any event, someone tipped off one of the regional Caltrans right-of-way people, who was very much opposed to using the stuff from East Oak since it was paid for by Caltrans.

mdo Wrote:
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> I don't particularly like the track
> configurations in the Desert, but, that is another
> story.


What's with the high-wide detector there on the west end of Desert? Was it ever in service? What was the intent when it was put in?

While you're at it, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on Desert.

(and the origin of its name?)

Highspeed Wrote:
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> (and the origin of its name?)

When built, there was no water available for the steam engines.