Western Railroad Discussion > What Is It?

I haven't had a chance to go out and take any scenic railroad photos lately, so I thought I would try this post as a test at resizing and editing the photos.

Here is an interesting photo of a spur track. Not so much as Where Is It , it is more like What Is It? There are a few interesting things going on here, some more obvious than others. Can you pick identify all of the interesting items?

Answer tomorrow night.

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Looks like an outside connection to the world for rapid transit cars. I don't know the location.

Tony J.

Reminds me of the signs posted along the BART ROW. Don't recognize location though.......

Steve Hazelton
Elk Grove CA

I'm guessing East Oakland

Yeah, the sign there says "Bay Area Rapid Transit," so that pretty well limits the locations.

- Jeff Carlson

The BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit District) yard in the Fremont area, I think. The siding connects to the UPRR.

Don



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/10 03:19 by 2472Don.

This is where the BART Fremont Line exits the Oakland Subway between the Lake Merritt and Fruitvale stations.

What exactly the short spur tracks there are used for is beyond me, though...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/10 03:31 by PSurfliner.

Not sure that I see a third rail there either

Looks like the third rail on the left, under protected guard rail

I would guess that outside the fence also visibly shows the difference in gauge between the "wide" BART track and the little piece of rail showing the standard gauge that the rest of the world uses. I think BART is about 6" wider than standard, and that looks to be about the difference here as well.

It's one of several places where BART hi-rail MOW equipment can get on the tracks to reach a problem spot.

Thanks for taking a look... Between all of you, you pin pointed the location, but MILWRDFAN gets the top prize.

The photo is taken inside BART's Oakland Shop complex, which is located adjacent to UP's (SP's) East Oakland Yard. The track beyond the fence leads to the main line (toward the left). On this side of the fence, the track leads into the shop building, where they maintain the district's diesel powered rail maintenance vehicles and the district's motor vehicles. This is one of the locations where they set on/off the maintenance hi-rail vehicles. The two tracks that lead off toward the right are short storage tracks where they typically store the rail grinder and other maintenance equipment. The track beyond the fence does have the third rail (typically cold), so that they can store a revenue train on that section of track. Either because it developed a serious mechanical problem and had to be taken out of service and immediately removed from blocking the mainline or to temporarily store an extra "event" train for major events being held at the Oakland Coliseum.

Now for the reason I bothered to take the photo. MILWRDFAN nailed it. BART's rail gauge is 5' 6" to allow for wider, smoother running train cars (also resulting in substantial extra costs due to customization of rail vehicles). The short section of extra rail, just in front of the fence, is exactly 4' 8 1/2" from the right running rail. There was once a spur track off of the old WP that connected to the BART yard at this point. The first track curving off to the right was once likely the standard gauge connection. A small remnant of the old WP spur is still in the asphalt access road that leads into UP's East Oakland yard. It tends to indicate the connection was via a switch back, probably because it was only temporary, likely taken out after construction ended in the early 1970's.

When I first visited the Oakland Shops, almost fifteen years ago, the dual gauge track extended from the fence all the way into the shop build, about 250 feet. Now there is only this small section left outside, although the dual gauge rail is still intact inside the building.

Out of three, there is one existing outside rail connection still in place. Out by the Hayward Yard complex, off of the ex-SP Decoto Line. Shipments of rail and other heavy track supplies are likely still delivered there by rail. A long section of dual gauge track was still in place there, inside the yard, almost 15 years ago. Probably still there.

SN711 Wrote:
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> Out of three, there is one existing outside rail
> connection still in place. Out by the Hayward Yard
> complex, off of the ex-SP Decoto Line. Shipments
> of rail and other heavy track supplies are likely
> still delivered there by rail. A long section of
> dual gauge track was still in place there, inside
> the yard, almost 15 years ago. Probably still
> there.

Here's an aerial view of it- http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hayward,+ca&sll=34.014606,-118.238212&sspn=0.000856,0.001515&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hayward,+Alameda,+California&ll=37.609066,-122.0351&spn=0.001636,0.002009&t=h&z=19

mapboy