Western Railroad Discussion > Dirty Dirt Railroading on the Streets of S.F.

If not for the contaminated dirt traffic generated at the truck-to-rail transfer
operation at Pier 96 San Francisco would devoid of any rail freight traffic.
UP's LSF-51 goes to work weekday mornings in South San Francisco and on Tuesdays
and Thursdays makes a quick run up the Caltrain main to the Quint Street Industrial
Lead to access Pier 96 and swap empties for loads.

The 51 job is seen this morning at 09:30 edging on to Quint Street with a cut of
empties for the pier.  With potential obstructions along the way a crewman on the
porch is standard practice when running long hood forward.  Third shot shows the 
train about to hit the S.F. Muni T-line diamonds on Third St.

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60 minutes later the UP1410-UP1088 creep on to Quint with today's dirt loads rolling
past assorted light industry, a homeless encampment and a collection of garbage
dumpsters.  This isn't pretty railroading.

The clearance between the train and parked vehicles and trucks making deliveries can
often be a foot or less but it's unusual to see them have to come to a stop.

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WSGX 533XXX series gons make up a sizable portion of the group of cars assigned to the
dirt pool.  Their days hauling coal for the BN out of the PRB are long gone for this 
repurposed fleet.  The loads are consigned to the ECDC Environmental Landfill at
East Carbon, UT on the old DRGW Sunnyside Branch.

SFBR 30 handles the switching at the transload at Pier 96 and assembles UP's outbound train. 
The 30 is a Knoxville Locomotive Works model SE10 powered by an MTU Series 2000 12 cyl. engine
rated at 1050 h.p.  Republic Services bought out the SFBR and assumed the lease from the 
Port of S.F. at the pier in 2019 and has now renamed the operation the San Francisco Bay RAILWAY.

The dirt empties are delivered to South San Francisco by the evening UP Mission Bay Turn(on duty
in Warm Springs at 16:00 weekdays).  In August of last year dirt empties made up the entire
consist of one such train seen approaching Mountain View.

 

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Ironic that it is the dirty dirt train, but the pictures show CLEAN right-of-way on SFO streets!

What are the repercussions (if any) of hitting a vehicle fowling the tracks from the railroads point of view? I've seen the SP completely demolish a seven series BMW parked to close in Emeryville and always wondered if the crew had to answer for it. 

Nice series!

Milepost 20...This is a great report with photo's t back up the report.....

Great stuff !

Jim

Urban railroading tends to NOT be in the better part of town.

Nice coverage and great images!

Super urban series.  Definitely like each and every one.
Thanks for your excellent posting.
ALLEN

I have always been facinated with this type of urban branchline railroading and really enjoyed your shots. I hate to see this type of railroading disapperaing from the rail scene.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL

Thanks for the pics...