Nostalgia & History > East Pleasanton Turn in Niles Canyon

SP's East Pleasanton turn works its way up Niles Canyon in April of 1979.

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That's pretty cool. Here's one from Sunol in 1980. Got any more from the canyon?

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Thanks - Here are afew more:

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Mainelines,

Your 3rd shot is a pure mindblower! Excellent!

Where did the steel coils go to? Was always strange to see them on the EPT.

I didn't follow that train out of the canyon so don't know where the coils were headed. Here's another shot of it at Brightside.

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SP 4356, Jul '80 opposite Hearst, Sunol, CA

Jim

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GP9 3838, same location in Aug '80

Jim

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Oops! Posted 3838 twice. Here is the real SP 4356.

Jim

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Those are all great photos. The one you said was at Brightside was actually at the Pleasanton depot.

Here's a short one at the Pleasanton depot in 1981 - headed for Radum / E. Pleasanton.

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You are correct about Pleasanton Depot. I guess I followed it further than I remembered.

yardclerk Wrote:
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> Mainelines,
>
> Your 3rd shot is a pure mindblower! Excellent!


I'll take the first shot as the mindblower. Red-over-green, going to the Canyon.

WAF Wrote:
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> Where did the steel coils go to? Was always
> strange to see them on the EPT.

I rode the EPT around 1980 and we got as far as a steel plant or metal fabricator in Livermore before switching there and heading back. That shipper may have been the destination. On that trip our power was an SD9 and a GP9. These photos are just great, showing just how scenic Niles Canyon is. Still looks like old California and thankfully is too narrow to be spoiled with a freeway.

East Pleaston Turn originated in Bayshore and went to Tracy did it not? Anyone have photos of those white Kaiser Sand & Gravel hoppers?

I have several photos but will have to dig them up later. I'll start a new thread with those since this one is almost off the first page.

fjc Wrote:
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> East Pleaston Turn originated in Bayshore and went
> to Tracy did it not? Anyone have photos of those
> white Kaiser Sand & Gravel hoppers?

Thanks Dan, would like to see Walthers paint up that car, since they make something close enough to it. Or even decals, I can go for about 20 or so myself ;-)

danf Wrote:
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> I have several photos but will have to dig them up
> later. I'll start a new thread with those since
> this one is almost off the first page.
>

East Pleasanton Turn TURNED at East Pleasanton or may have worked Livermore as part of the job and then turned back, don't knon. There used to be the City Rock which orginated in the early AM like 2a or so and went to Tracy and ran back to the City that night.

By 1968 or so, its main job was bring rock to SF for the BART construction (cement). There was also a Oakland Rock that did the same and for the same purpose. The City Rock disappeared about 1974. THe EPT ran in the afternoon (Sun-Fri) leaving about 2p or so and came back about 8p.

WAF Wrote:
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> East Pleasanton Turn TURNED at East Pleasanton or
> may have worked Livermore as part of the job and
> then turned back, don't knon. There used to be the
> City Rock which orginated in the early AM like 2a
> or so and went to Tracy and ran back to the City
> that night.
>
> By 1968 or so, its main job was bring rock to SF
> for the BART construction (cement). There was also
> a Oakland Rock that did the same and for the same
> purpose. The City Rock disappeared about 1974. THe
> EPT ran in the afternoon (Sun-Fri) leaving about
> 2p or so and came back about 8p.

Sometimes they'd work the EPT out of Pool 2 (SF to Tracy or Oakland) and sometimes as a local. As I recall, when it ran as a regular local it was bulletined as far east as Livermore.

The eastbound version was the City Rock was known as "472's Extra" in reference to its old timetable schedule number. It was called out of Pool 2 eastbound at Bayshore between 12:30 and 1 AM and would usually rate one "big" unit or two "small" units. The same crew would then be called at Tracy at 9 PM to take the City Rock back west, often with the same power.

As far as I know, the Oakland Rock was called out of Pool 1 as a turn-around job.

And until the mid- to late-1970s, SP had a day job at East Pleasanton that switched the pits and went up (what was left of) the San Ramon Branch. It usually rated one GP9, although they would occasionally get an SW1500.

The SF City Rock was good for F's while they lasted, especially w/b out of Tracy. During that same time period, there was an EPT out of Oakland at night which would turn at East Pleasanton

These are some FREAKIN' AWESOME PHOTOS!

Thanks for sharing.