Western Railroad Discussion > Bayshore Today (Fill in the blank)

Since Dave, Bob and Inside Observer brought up Bayshore in the past, lets take a look today. I know it hurts many of you to see this, what it is reduced too. Now just sit back and imagine for a moment what it would have been like to see cab forwards or FM Trainmasters in this setting.

Part 2

Sad Frank, I have a photo of Bayshore Yard filled to capacity of stored boxcars in June, 1982, the start of the great Reagan Depression-Recession. Only track 108 was being used for make up of trains ( thats the track the circus train was being stored on in later years). Yes, where did all the business go?

Nice photos, Frank. Like my Dad said, he used to see millions of SP trains sitting in the big yard back in the 60s-70s. He wishes he could've taken pictures. But oh well.

Where did the traffic go? Look at Hwy 101 and 80, jammed with trucks 24 hours a day. Look at freeways that average 10 mph between 6 AM and 10 PM. Look at the Port of San Francisco and compare it to Oakland for container traffic.

And shed a tear...

Perhaps Bob Morris can come up with something showing the progressive
years at Bayshore!

I like THEN better...
I think its one thing, the container trafic in Oakland.
Shippers can bring in smaller loads and truck them
places in the bayarea. Not many shippers can fill a box car.
The shippers that can in the past are getting containers now.
If you drive around the Bay Area, checkout how many containers you see behind trucks on Hwy 80, 880, 101. Thats my guess.
I liked it before with less trucks and a full Bayshore Yard.
Dave

Heres 6460 about to couple up to the TBX for its trip to Oakland. It ran around the bay by way of the Dumbarton Bridge. I used to hop on to an empty gondola now and then for a ride around the bay and a 50 cent ride back on a Greyhound.

Heres a view inside the Bayshore Roundhouse with 5895 and switcher 1515 in 1960.

At least the building is still there!!! The same can't be said for Lenzen Ave. in San Jose. I know, it is going to be "rebuilt," but it won't be the same. I made sure to grab a few bricks for posterity. In fact, there are thousands still left on the property. . .

Brian B

Any new talks of preservation? How about GGRM? That would make a perfect location for a museum.

Anyone pay attention to how Lenzen St roundhouse was dismantled? I am surprised to hear that bricks are still sitting around on the property. I would have thought that each would be numbered or something if they were going to rebuild it exactly as is (was).

It's my understanding that the bricks will just be a facade over a much more sound shell. So the old bricks won't actually support the building the way it was originally.

danf wrote:
> Anyone pay attention to how Lenzen St roundhouse was
> dismantled? I am surprised to hear that bricks are still
> sitting around on the property. I would have thought that each
> would be numbered or something if they were going to rebuild it
> exactly as is (was).

More than the highways were responsible for Bayshore closing. Railroads only exist where there are shippers, and heavy industry has virtually disappeared from SF. Look around the old industrial south of Market area and there are remnants of spur tracks everywhere. But the buildings they led to are now offices, design showrooms and other businesses that don't use rail. But enough of the present...

Bayshore was great for seeing the circus train get unloaded and switched. This shot was taken 9-3-72 from the station area. The round-end car is former NYC 20th Century obs Hickory Creek.

djansson wrote:
> Where did the traffic go? Look at Hwy 101 and 80, jammed with
> trucks 24 hours a day. Look at freeways that average 10 mph
> between 6 AM and 10 PM. Look at the Port of San Francisco and
> compare it to Oakland for container traffic.
>
> And shed a tear...

Yes, essentially the old brick will be used as a facade over a reinforced structure. Because of Santa Clara County's concern against bringing hazardous waste onto the fairgrounds, the roundhouse was dismantled brick by brick to facilitate sandblasting and palletizing. This proceedure was more reasonable than a proposed bulldozer approach! Regardless, the contractor was able to save 75-80% of the brick versus the original estimate of 50%. What's left at the Lenzen site are the bricks deemed unsavageable for the reconstruction project.

I remember when they were in there, I was a young kid but my grandfather use to work out of Bayshore and San Jose. I remember the shops running in there, it was like a small city and very busy. This picture does make you sick, but I guess it's progress? I don't call it that, but that's what happens when they make changes, and not for the better.

Worked there when they were building Candlestick. Anyone who worked the swing shift at Bayshore could have told the Giants that afternoons and evenings would be miserable for basefull. But those of us on graveyard could have told them that the weather was great at 2 a.m., the winds quieted and the temp rose about 10 degrees. Bayshore was still a busy place in the early 60's. Somewhere I have a file of pix of the steamers in the deadline waiting to be scrapped....some looking freshly overhauled. Too bad a 4300 never got saved....a handsome engine. Remember the old bone yard at the east end....man it stank. A miserable place to switch. Interesting that the roundhouse still stands.