Nostalgia & History > Yerba Buena Yard-Emeryville : A Great Place to Railfan

Hi Everybody--   I always wished I was born about 15-20 years earlier than I was so as to see some of the real old equipment that railroads in the East Bay used to operate.   When my grandmother used to take me on the Key System "A"-Line to San Francisco back in the 50's, it was always a thrill to sit in the front seat next to the motorman and look at all the tracks, switches, signals and "Junk" that hibernated in Key System's Yerba Buena yard in Emeryville, which we usually entered from the tail end of Louise Street in Oakland.

Usually you might see KEY Articulated Units, old streetcars and a large variety of misc mow and work equipment, electrically-powered !
Let's take a look back to the days of electric traction in Emeryville, before the modern Articulated Units were ever manufactured.
You'll have to readily admit---  the KEY SYSTEM had some "very interesting" odd-ball pieces of equipment.

Enjoy the adventure !!

KRK

Photo 1.  KEY wooden interurban car # 503

Photo 2.  KEY wooden interurban car # 507

Photo 3.  KEY wooden interurban car # 523

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives.

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Photo 4.  KEY wooden interurban car # 569  ("Apartment House Five")   Longer version.

Photo 5.  KEY Center-Entrance Steel Car # 660

Photo 6.  KEY Center-Entrance Steel Car # 681

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives

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Photo 7.  Fire Car # 1204   It could haul a Fire Engine to the Key Pier in case of fire.

Photo 8.  Crane 1206

Photo 9.  Motor Flat # 1207   (Note the Palm & Euc trees)

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/17 14:39 by KeyRouteKen.

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Photo 10.  Crane # 1213

Photo 11.   Dump Car # 1270   (16 cubic yard capacity)

Photo 12.   Side-Dump Motor # 1274   (15 cubic yard capacity)

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives.

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Photo 13.    Side-Dump Motor # 1275   15-yard capacity

Photo 14.    Side-Dump Motor # 1276    15-yard capacity

Photo 15.    Richmond Shipyard Railway # 518

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives

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Photo 16.  Richmond Shipyard Railway # 508

Photo 17.  Richmond Shipyard Railway Cars  (alongside Emeryville Shops)

Photo 18.  KEY wooden interurban car # 582   (Apartment House Five)  Longer Version.

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives.

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Photo 19.  KEY center-entrance steel car # 663

Photo 20.  KEY wooden interurban car # 548

Photo 21.  KEY wooden interurban car # 542

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives.

This concludes our brief look at Yerba Buena Yard in Emeryville, CA.

Note:  KEY records disclose that Wooden interurban car # 524 was SOLD.   BUT---  it has never been discovered to this day !!

Cheers.

KRK

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Yes Ken, that's quite a variety of equipment.  Thanks for posting it.

Marty Bernard

Great memories you have shared. Today's railfan can only look in amazement!
Bob

Photo 22.  KEY SYSTEM   LINE CAR # 1201   (Approximate 110-years old---  made from old 'California Railway'--Leona Heights
  Carter Bros. car # 21)

Photo 23.  KEY SYSTEM  WRECKER #  1011   (Has siderods to equalize Adhesion between Trucks)

Photo 24.  KEY SYSTEM   FREIGHT MOTOR #  1000  (Originally from California Railway--Leona Heights)

Photos courtesy of KRK Archives.

Thought you might like THREE additional photos..

Cheers.

KRK

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Thank you for sharing a great piece of history. Well done...

Posted from Android

1207. Now that's a cute lil feller.
Very well done my friend.

Photo 25.  Emeryville Shop Switcher # 1215

Photo 26.  Line Car # 1218

Photo 27.  Key System Doane Crane  (aka "Nightmare Alice")   (Chain Drive--Solid Rubber Tires)

OK Guys--  Here is another THREE of more Key System MOW and Work Equipment.

Cheers.

Ken Shattock

(KRK)

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Damn, tell me your publishing a book! these are fabulous, but all of your Key System stuff is, cannot get enough of this rail system.
The ex-NYC EL Shipyard cars are really interesting as well; the absolute last passenger car body style I would associate with pantographs.

A few techie points: according to the Key's records, the 1201 was built as the Califonia Railway 21 by Carter Brothers in 1895. The 1204 and 1218 have Thielsen arch bar trukcs, which are extremely rare in this day and age.

The 1201 is either the second or third car in the attahced pic of the California Railway (taken in 1898/99).

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EtoinShrdlu Wrote:
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> A few techie points: according to the Key's
> records, the 1201 was built as the Califonia
> Railway 21 by Carter Brothers in 1895. The 1204
> and 1218 have Thielsen arch bar trukcs, which are
> extremely rare in this day and age.
>
> The 1201 is either the second or third car in the
> attahced pic of the California Railway (taken in
> 1898/99).

Thank you, EtoinShrdlu --  for the information...

KRK

Nothing quite as funky or purpose-built as electric railway equipment! Great bunch of photos!

Dick Samuels

That side dump car is interesting.  I also like the center entrance cars.  The gate for the vestibule steps is
something that I haven't seen before.  Thanks for documenting everything!

> The gate for the vestibule steps is something that I haven't seen before.

Before being modified for service over the Bridge, the SP's red electrics used similar gates.

Regarding the Key System Doane Crane. It was operated under its own power up I-80 from Emeryville to Rio Vista in 1965. I don't think that would happen today!!!!