Nostalgia & History > Muller & Hanft: Tunnel 5, Brisbane, CA

Been enjoying the recent posts illustrating SP and Caltrain in the Bayshore/Brisbane area south (railroad east) of San Francisco, CA.  Here are a few photos from the Western Railway Museum Archives that illustrate another piece of the scene that has vanished (more or less).  Tunnel 5 bored through the southeastern tip of San Bruno Mountain near Sierra Point, connecting Brisbane and South San Francisco along SP's main commute line.  From what I understand, the tunnel was bypassed in 1956 due to the construction the freeway version of Highway 101.  The west portal and several hundred feet of the west end of the tunnel still exist, but the east end is buried under the freeway.

1. SP 4444 boils out of the west portal of Tunnel 5 with westbound commute train 113.  San Francisco Bay is to the left.  E.K. Muller photo.
2. Two trains later, Muller moved down closer to the west portal and caught 4-8-2 #4347 curving out of the tunnel with train 117.  Anyone know the story behind that other little tunnel way up on the hillside above the road?
3. Robert Hanft expended a frame of Kodachrome on SP 4-6-2 #2458 - airhorn, square tender and all - leading eastbound train 78 out of Tunnel 5 past the Visitacion 1 M sign. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/15 20:37 by Evan_Werkema.

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Excellent!  Thank you for breaking the diesel monotony.  Great shots.

For years the City of Brisbane used the abandoned northern end of the tunnel for a protected city starage facility but apparently recently it was deemed unsafe for earthquake and
has been sealed closed.

Regards, Jim Evans

What are (were) the tunnels high up in pix 1 and 2?

Paul Ramer
Cincinnati, OH

Wow, wow, and wow! 

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Before the tunnel, 1907

EO

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The same day this shot was taken I was firing for Tommy Taylor on #137 with eng 4324.  Our return trip on #132 had eng 2477.  Fired the 4347 later that month on #117 (June 23)  with Roger Fitzpatrick.  AAH the good old days!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/15 10:48 by Exespee.

Exespee Wrote:

> The same day this shot was taken I was firing for
> Tommy Taylor on #137 with eng 4324. 

Hmmm...any chance of a slipped digit?  Muller appears to have spent all of June 9th along the tracks at various spots, and among the trains he photographed were #135 with eng 4324 and #137 with eng 4342, see below.

> Our return trip on #132 had eng 2477. 

That one we've got dead to rights.

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Excelllent and simply AWESOME AWESOME and razor SHARP--CRISP photos of SP commute history.
Many Many Than yous for posting this historic record !!
----- Daniel

Those pole lines bring back youthful memories of family automobile trips.  I had no concept of state geography and no idea where to find railroads as a captive traveler in the rear seat. But I knew to keep a sharp lookout for pole lines and the more cross arms the better. These photos prove my point. What better than a 4-8-2 or a 4-8-4 pulling a passenger train at speed?