Western Railroad Discussion > The Long Street Runs Light Engines Under BART

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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/18 14:20 by phthithu.

Nice. Was there a problem at Yoshi's? Gerry

In the first picture, I like the way that the overpass support makes a sort of frame-within-a-frame effect. I always really enjoy your photos from that area. The graffiti you mention on the reefer looks like fire. Very cool.

Jim

The wide two column supports were to cross the BART tracks over the WP mainline and the joint drill track that came together (crossed each other on a diamond)at that spot. For about a couple blocks the BART tracks ran behind a couple businesses while the WP track still fronted the street up to High St. The curve in the BART tracks was a turn toward that separate route.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

Great pics. Glad to see railroad work still in Oakland! Thanks for posting these photos.

Walter



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/17 20:41 by drumwrencher.

On the SP, this was called the "Drill Track". "Long Street" was the WP's name for the district.

The WP mainline once continued straight ahead, right at the camera. The train is on the old mainline. The drill track off of the SP used to cross over the WP main line at that exact point at an angle and ran down the left side of the WP main. When they tore out the WP main north of this location, they connected the WP main to the SP drill track so trains coming off the old WP could access the SP route into Oakland. The WP was abandoned north of this point. This was of course after the UP absorbed the SP. The signal on the signal bridge actually guarded the crossing of the WP main with the SP drill track. (There were two diamonds there. The Track off the SP split and one line crossed the WP at a 90 degree angle and went into the Melrose Lumber Yard that was in the vacant lot just across the WP line. This was once an IER line that ran up to and then down Bancroft Ave (south).

Once the UP connected the WP line through Niles Canyon to the SP Centerville line, the WP route was mothballed, except on the north and south end where there was still some local business. At that point the joint drill track was pulled up from the SP connection there at Melrose down to where there are a few tracks down by the paper plant. A couple of switches down by Sunshine Biscuits were connected up to the old main instead.

Many years ago there were so many other tracks in the area. Some spurs off of the drill track connected to old street car line remanants. Of the notable ones was a spur off of the drill track at the Coliseum BART that ran up 69th Ave, or thereabouts. There may have been more than one customer still on the line in the 1970's, but the line ran up to Bancroft Ave and turned north in the median of Bancroft for several blocks where there was a small oil refinery on the west side of the street. Near Havenscourt Ave. I remember seeing a tank car or two there. KRK would have been able to fully describe the line.

The SP Stonehurst Branch once crossed the WP on a diamond in the middle of 98th Ave. the line once connected to an automobile manufacturing plant up by E14th St (International Blvd). Eventually the plant closed but the line was kept partially intact (just in case). The branch was pulled up between the SP mainline and the WP crossing. Instead the end of the drill track was connected up to the line running up 98th Ave. I have no idea if it ever got used by that point. Part of the curve in the drill track line still exists in a small parking lot right there at 98th Ave.

If I remember correctly, I believe Evan once posted a flyer from a railfan excurision that ran up the Stonehurst Branch, maybe the line up to Bancroft as well,

Gary

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/17 22:40 by SN711.

> The WP mainline once continued straight ahead, right at the camera. The train is on the old mainline. The drill track off of the SP used to cross over the WP main line at that exact point at an angle and ran down the left side of the WP main.

Having worked for the SP for 18 years, spending many nights on the drill track job and partaking of greasy meals at the Double Clutch, I'm well aware of the track layout in the Melrose/drill tack area and the reciprocal switching agreement. It looks to me like the drill track is still there but the MT is gone because in the distance there isn't enough room between a building and the track for another track.

>When they tore out the WP main north of this location, they connected the WP main to the SP drill track so trains coming off the old WP could access the SP route into Oakland. The WP was abandoned north of this point. This was of course after the UP absorbed the SP. The signal on the signal bridge actually guarded the crossing of the WP main with the SP drill track.

Before they did all this, the connection was made at E Oakland (when they tore out the trackage on 3rd Street).

I am positive that the existing line is the mainline. Once the drill track was pulled up, all of the crossing gate mechanisms on the east side of the tracks were moved closer making it look like there was never a track there. Plus the WP once had a short siding between the mainline and the BART tracks there north of seminary Ave. I can never remember the name. If you look down from the BART train, you can see there was room for the drill track on the east side the entire way from Melrose to 98th Ave.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

A good friend of mine has worked that job many times. I even chased the train around a bit and got some photos.

Learned some new stuff today, thanks guys. Wasn't modeling UP at the time so I never chased any trains south of Oakland, now I wish I had.

Nathan

With regard to the 1946 areal pic:

What is labeled "interurban line" is the SP red electric suburban line to Dutton Ave. However, by the date of this pic, it had been abandonded beyond E 14th St., the street between the 5 and sixth line up. The curved track the sixth line is pointing to the connection put in by the Key System to run its A line out E 14th and get on the former SP line. This ran until 12 St Dam was rebuilt in the late 1940s (at which time, the A line was cut back to 12th and Oak Sts.). The SP's switching connection to the Drill Track is between the first and second yellow lines, and what was left of the electric line crossed the WP and stopped short of E 14th St (this was called "Melrose" and the station building is just below the end of the 4th yellow line -- it's not to be confused with the WP's application of the name to diamonds of the SP-WP crossing). I mentioned before about its being reciprocal switching zone, and the other part was the SP lead next on the land side of the San Jose mains just south of High St. The WP's connection this is just off the bottom center of the pic. The three unlabeld yellow lines at the upper left of the pic point to the Key's A line in E 14th and where it joined the former red electric line to Dutton Ave.

>I am positive that the existing line is the mainline. Once the drill track was pulled up, all of the crossing gate mechanisms on the east side of the tracks were moved closer making it look like there was never a track there.

If the UP continued to serve the zone after the line north of Melrose was removed, this makes no sense because there were no switches in the main line, and I seriously doubt the UP would go to all the expense of moving the switches and track in what was a dying industrial zone.

>3: Just for fun this shows the trackage around the O.Co and 69th St.

66th Avenue.

>I am positive that the existing line is the mainline. Once the drill track was pulled up, all of the crossing gate mechanisms on the east side of the tracks were moved closer making it look like there was never a track there. Plus the WP once had a short siding between the mainline and the BART tracks there north of seminary Ave. I can never remember the name. If you look down from the BART train, you can see there was room for the drill track on the east side the entire way from Melrose to 98th Ave.

The only thing which sows doubt in my mind is that building in the mid distance which appears too close to the track, and I seriously doubt the UP would allow encroaching on it's R/W (future pipe and/or UG fiber optic lines, etc.). Don't forget there were a couple of run-arounds attached to the Drill Track too (they were on the land side). That WP siding was called Kohler (had to look it up).

>Also posting a current aerial photo that shows the old drill tracks still in the crossing near Melrose. Shows there is space and that the crossing signals have been put basically in between where the rails used to be.

That cinches it. The drill track has been torn up (it's been about 30 years since I've been in the area). However, per the ETT, "WP Melrose" consists of the diamond where the SP's crossed the WP's main to access the drill track (both the 1940 and 1982 ETTs), which is just to the left of that yellow "WP Melrose" oval. What you have labeled "industrial lead" is Glasscock St.