Nostalgia & History > A little action on SP's Colma Branch

These are the only shots I ever took on the Colma Branch. I believe I was cruising around South San Francisco in my 1950 Chevy when I came upon this train. I think I took it in 1960. A couple of kids are hitching a ride on an empty bulkhead flat car that the engineer could care less about. I don't know the story of the trailing car but it was being used as a caboose. I'm sure there is nothing in this scene which still remains in a much simpler time. 

Robert Morris Photography

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Looks like El Camino in the background, maybe where Hickey Blvd intersects. If so this would be the Kaiser Hospital now.

Consider that this was at one time the mainline into SF.

+ Checking the map it could be a BART station and a Traders Joe. Street View can't show the hillside because of the houses and the parking 'structure'.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/17 15:02 by TCnR.

Is that RPO or whatever the one that ended-up on the Trona RR as a caboose?

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Bob, you're holding three ACES!  Thanks for sharing the SP I grew up with...Alco switchers.  Love that third shot.

Kent in CArmel Valley

That RPO caboose was at CRSM, then to PLA - Niles Canyon and now it is up at Willets,CA at the Roots museum..Needs work....

Looking at these photos, it's hard to believe that at one time, this was the hard charging mainline for the SP.  Train after train after train on a mostly single-track line over the hill to SF.  Passenger, manifest and locals.  Really hard to imagine.