Nostalgia & History > SP West Alameda shops

In reference to Stash' post regarding this former SP electric shop...

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,899507,899507#msg-899507

I went to go find this old building, and indeed it still stands. I took a few pictures of it today for those that have not seen it before or have since relocated out of the area. I'm hoping that someone has some old photos of this building to post here as well.

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It is still being used by a winery, lots of barrels being moved in and out of the building.

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East side view. The "sawtooth" roof clearly visible.

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Another view of the east side. I'm guessing that I am standing on the old ROW that lead to the Alameda pier.

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Was this building used for RR purposes? This is just west of the main shop building.

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Interesting to see all of the siding removed... Wonder if it had the big A?

Rosenblum does excellent zinfandels. Had one of their single vineyard Zins last night.

Bob Knoll
Tucson

Dan Furtado-- Great photos.. Well, all goes to prove that Todd Shipyards isn't there any more, huh??

There was some GREAT shots of the West Alameda Shops building on one of these discussion groups just a very few weeks ago.. I personally posted the FANTASTIC aerial shot that shows the entire complex including cars in storage and the Junction wye, etc.. There was also an Interlocking Tower over here on the way to Alameda Pier..
After posting my AERIAL shot, someone came right back with some very SHARP and brilliant INTERIOR shots.. Have to look around and see!!

Where is STASH at a time like this?? They may have been photos from "John Harder" that Stash posted.. Can't remember!

And Yes, Dan, you MUST have seen the photo I have posted in the past of the "City of San Francisco" being towed to West Alameda over the IER tracks pulled by SP STEAM power!!!

On that great video, "Electric Rails Around the Bay", you can actually get a moving glimpse of the "City" being towed down 7th Street, I believe..

Check it out.. And Sir STASH-- get involved and find those photos for us..

"Key Route Ken"...

Thanks Ken. I found the thread...

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,860496,860520#msg-860520

Great overhead shot!

Some additional photos of the West Alameda yard and shops. This 1939 shot by Ralph Demoro would be in the Interurban Electric Railway era, the Espee subsidiary that operated electric lines in the East Bay. That service lasted until 1941. View looks toward the Oakland hills and the water is at left.

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Here's a shot of the tower near the Alameda pier. On Jan. 15, 1939 the Red Trains began operating to San Francisco and the ferryboat service from Alameda was discontinued. That city didn't exactly get a great deal out of the switch. Rather than a ferryboat connection directly to and from San Francisco, trains now ran to the east end of the island before crossing the Fruitvale bridge and finally pointing toward The City.

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IER equipment at West Alameda. For a map, see: http://www.trainorders.com/images2/view.php?41339

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Known as Pacific Junction, the Lincoln and Encinal routes met there. This is the intersection of Pacific and Main in Alameda.

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The City of San Francisco, "fastest thing on wheels," is towed back to Oakland from the West Alameda shops. The interurban shops took care of the electrical needs of those early day diesel electric locomotives. It looks to me like they used the line than ran over the Posey Tube and then near Webster St., joining the Lincoln Ave. line at Mastick Junction (near 8th & Lincoln).

Four shipways remain as office space in what is now known as Marina Village in Alameda.

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Wow! Very cool Stash...

What was the ROW that ran on the west side of Atlantic toward Main? Was that just for the Belt line?

I remember that brick building very well. If I remember right there was some controversy over wheather to save the building and use it for a mall or something, or tear it down. Real shame it had to go.

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Three years later it was torn down.

Alameda is really a fascinating little town.

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danf Wrote:
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> Wow! Very cool Stash...
>
> What was the ROW that ran on the west side of
> Atlantic toward Main? Was that just for the Belt
> line?
>
> I remember that brick building very well.

I notice the boats in the background behind the now-gone building. I used to sail out of Marina Village.

As for the track along the edge of Atlantic, that was the ABL as far as I know. It continued into the Naval Air Station.

stash Wrote:
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> Known as Pacific Junction, the Lincoln and Encinal
> routes met there. This is the intersection of
> Pacific and Main in Alameda.


Is there any chance of seeing what this intersection looks like now? I'd like to see the difference.

steamjocky

Stash is correct, as usual... (grin) When the "City of San Francisco" streamliner was ready to be towed back to West Oakland and Oakland Pier from being serviced at the West Alameda Shops, they used the old route via Tynan (sic), close to the location of the Posey tube, then West along Webster Street, past the old Alameda Drive-In Theatre, then on a curve in a Southwesterly direction to "Mastick Junction" where it swung onto the Lincoln Avenue line, then past the station and freight house at Park Street, past Blanding Junction, across the Fruitvale Bridge, to Fruitvale Junction, where they continued back toward West Oakland on the IER mainline..

All this trackage lasted into the very early 60's...

KRK...