Nostalgia & History > Traction Action: Oakland, Calif. -- B line

The end was very near when the photographer traveled to Oakland's Trestle Glen neighborhood to capture this scene on March 8, 1958. The final Key System revenue train departed woodsy Underhills station on April 20, 1958. Articulated unit 110 is at the end of the line and in a few minutes will depart for San Francisco with a young boy in the front "railfan's seat." The line was single track to Wesley Avenue, then double track along Lakeshore and Grand Avenues and eventually to the city. The Trestle Glen neighborhood was developed around the B-line in the early 1900s. After the rails were removed, new homes were built on portions of the right of way and some homeowners extended their back yards on to the former B-train route. A few artifacts of the Key Route exist today if you know where to look.

---

Looking at this great photo while it is 109 degrees outside here in Southern California, I recall how pleasant that part of Oakland was... and even nicer back in the days of the Key System. In 1986 I was interested in buying a home near Lakeshore Ave., but discovered the earth was sliding a bit there so quickly backed out.

Nice photo. Just this afternoon I was watching a Pentrex tape that featured the Key System in its final years.

Where and how can I trace this line, or what's left of it?

Where is this exact location?

I wish I had more maps were CURRENT maps were overlaid with OLD route maps.

Great image--oh how I wish we still had these lines.

That is a great seat!

Tom Y

The circle is about where Underhills was. Access via paths from Trestle Glen and Underhills Rd.
Track came off of Lakeshore Ave. between Trestle Glen and Longridge. You can see the opening in the big iron fence behind a business there.


coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where and how can I trace this line, or what's
> left of it?
>
> Where is this exact location?
>
> I wish I had more maps were CURRENT maps were
> overlaid with OLD route maps.
>
> Great image--oh how I wish we still had these
> lines.

---

coach Wrote:

> Where and how can I trace this line, or what's
> left of it?

Most of the B-line was on city streets. This is the junction with the A-line on Poplar - you can see where the B-line curved through the buildings onto 22nd (now West Grand):

http://goo.gl/maps/axLIX

The B-line went down 22nd (Grand Ave.) past Lake Merritt, turned right onto Lake Park Ave., passed the Grand Lake Theater, then turned up Lakeshore Ave. The line turned off Lakeshore onto private right-of-way through what is now a Bank of the West between Trestle Glen Rd. and Longridge Rd.:

http://goo.gl/maps/bHI8R

From there to the terminus, the right of way is mostly in backyards except for a stretch along the south side of Northvale Rd., where 1960-era houses built on the abandoned right-of-way contrast sharply with the 1910-era houses on the north side:

http://goo.gl/maps/2ZM8w

At Sunnyhills Rd., it's back to backyards the rest of the way to the terminus at Underhills.

> Where is this exact location?

The Underhills waiting shelter was more or less in the backyard of the house that now stands at 975 Underhills Rd.

http://goo.gl/maps/LIwJK

This photo of SN 1005 on an excursion at Underhills shows the barn-shaped house next door (1001 Underhills Rd.), which still stands:

http://www.bayarearailfan.org/photogal/displayimage.php?album=3&pid=81

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3186919,3186919#3186919

This is a shot at Wesley Ave. posted on TO some time ago. (Search "traction action" for additional Key views under my name.)
The Wesley photo shows Longridge Rd. in the background and those homes are all in tact. New houses were built on the rail right of way.

Stash - "A few artifacts of the Key Route exist today if you know where to look"

Haven't been over the Bay Bridge eastern span lately, are they removing the old bridge that once carried Key System trains?

Heard something about BART wanting to increase capacity by sinking more Transbay tubes. Sigh....

Sphogger