Nostalgia & History > SP track diagrams - Walnut Creek

Figure some of you would find these interesting. Here's a couple of track diagrams from the 40's of SP's Walnut Creek branch (?) here in CA. I really know nothing about this line so some of you will have to fill in the blanks. I have a bunch of different locations on the SP and will be putting 3 or 4 different sets on eBay today for those interested.

Take Care,
Alex Ramos

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Cool. Mococo Bob knows all about that branch.

Me to. I had the chance to ride the line several times from Avon to San Ramon and back. Them were the days. The conductor was Fredie Young.

Shannon

stash Wrote:
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> Cool. Mococo Bob knows all about that branch.

Incorrect, Sir Stash!!
The name of the correct individual with knowledge of that
particular SP Branch is "mococomike" ....

Cheers.

KRK

Hi Alex-- This was the "San Ramon Branch", sometimes referred to as the "Danville Branch" in earlier years. It ran from AVON (near Concord) down to RADUM (near Pleasanton), via WALNUT CREEK..

As I previously stated, "Mococomike" can enlighten you further.

Attached are some early photos of the line. I'm sure that others have better ones.

Photo 1. SP1833 at AVON. Courtesy of Tony Johnson.
Photo 2. SP Xing with SN at "Las Juntas" (nr Walnut Ck.)
Courtesy of "Key Route Ken".
Photo 3. SP 'water service foreman' Victor Shattock(right)
with helper, at DANVILLE,CA (1924)...
(Note: KRK's Grandpa) (KRK Archives).
Photo 4. RADUM Yard.. Courtesy of Dan Furtado.
Photo 5. RADUM Yard. Looking the other direction.
Courtesy of Dan Furtado.

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RADUM photos as previously described. Courtesy of Dan Furtado.

KRK

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Wrong, KRK. Mococo Bob was the person I was referring to. Mococo Mike is another Mococo guy.

---jcs


KeyRouteKen Wrote:
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> stash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
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> > Cool. Mococo Bob knows all about that branch.
>
> Incorrect, Sir Stash!!
> The name of the correct individual with knowledge
> of that
> particular SP Branch is "mococomike" ....

Stash-- Where do you find these people ? All the years I have been on T.O.-- I have only heard of "mococomike" -- the original true and authentic mococo guy!!

KRK

Does anyone have a map of this line showing city streets, grade crossings, industries, etc. in the Walnut Creek area, circa 1950-1960? I know the Sacramento Northern ran through the area also. I'd like to get my hands on a Walnut Creek map from the period showing the location of both railroads and the thriving post-war metropolis of Walnut Creek.

At one time, the McDonalds on N California Blvd and Cypress Drive used to have some photos and a map of the area displayed on it's interior walls. That all went away a while back.

The map was a good one showing downtown from about 1950, and if I recall correctly, was a hand-drawn one.

To describe the area of those times, the SN ran down what is today California Blvd and crossed Mt Diablo Blvd making a curving climb up the hill into what is the parking lot of Longs Drugs and down today's Olympic Blvd on it's way to Oakland. The Chevron Station at the corner of Mt. Diablo and California Blvd was the Standard oil distributor and indeed received products by rail. The SN's Walnut Creek Station was located at what would be the corner of N California Blvd and Civic Drive where the Lesher Regional Center for the Arts is today.

The SP was across the creek (Walnut Creek, literally) where South Broadway and Mt Diablo Blvd cross. Where Safeway is today was Kaiser Cement, and the SP station was located about where Nordstrom's loading dock is today. The SP right-of-way through the area was where the Army Corp of Engineers built the flood control by-pass channel (in the 80's, post abandonment). The station, which is today Vic Stewart's restaurant, was moved across the street and southeast to it's current location when Walnut Creek was made into a concrete canyon in the early 70's (another Corp of Engineers flood control project). Downtown Walnut Creek was somewhat prone to heavy flooding until those projects helped direct the water elsewhere.

I moved to Walnut Creek in June of 1970 and rode my Schwin Varsity ten-speed bike all over town that summer. I recall that the SP had an Alco switcher that sat idling next to the fence at the Capwell's (later the Emporium and now Macy's) parking structure, pretty much right across the street from where the depot is today.

Of course, I never took photos of any of it.

But some folks did and here are links to their TO postings:

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?263660

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?263657

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?145936

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?133260

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?126282

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?48308

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?48311

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?48249

http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?48316

And in that last view, I still think that Ford station wagon waiting at the crossing is my family car of those days.

Thanks for all the work there Pullman. It is appreciated. I take one exception to your info....Downtown Walnut Creek was VERY, not somewhat, susceptible to flooding when I was a kid there in the 1950's. And I haven't thought of Capwell's for ages. As I recall it stood at the end of a street that was lined with small, mom~n~pop stores. We did very well without Wally World back then thank you. Of course that was before your time there youngster!

I'll second the motion for all those old threads.
"Pullman" is cool!!

KRK

Alex, do you have anything for Concord?