Steam & Excursion > Last run of ANY engine or train around the Mission Bay Wye in S.F

In a previous thread, about the GGRM Santa train in 1994, the ex-SP Mission Bay Wye had been taken out of service for several years in the late 1990's, but in 2002, with time running out on its 1272 day boiler teardown, SP Pacific #2472 P-10, is the very LAST engine or train of any kind to turn on the wye, seen here on 16th St. By this time, the yard has been torn up for several years, and all the remains is the wye and the track along 16th St,. which used to continue to the east across busy Third St. The second image looks NE from 16th St. today. The third photo looks west towards I-280 from 16th before the new buildings on 16th were constructed. Twenty years earlier, a couple of GP-9's have just dropped their train in the Mission Bay Yard and are headed light engine back to Bayshore. Mike Pechner Photos, Copyright, 2015, "All Rights Reserved."

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Text and Photos By Mike Pechner

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Thanks, Mike, for the great photos and the reminder
of a fun trip -- back at the end of December, 2002.
Yes, the 2472 and her train were the very last train
to ever use that wye, and I am sure that NO other
occupied passenger train EVER ran around that wye.

I was a Car Host on that Dec., 2002, excursion and
I did not think of the very historic nature of our
trip around that wye, or I would certainly have told
the passengers in my car that we all were making
history then.

AFAIK, that excursion was the very last time the 2472
ever ran under steam on anyone's main line.

Many thanks Margret for your insight and vital history of the #2472. As far as the mainline run, if everything falls into place, the #2472 will run on the Schellville main line when all is said and done wth the move from NCRY and the infrastructure to support it. BTW, former GGRM Steam Engineer Don Micheletti corrects my error. the '72 is a P-8 and not a P-10 as is wrote.

Mike --
Ia m pleased I was able to add something worthwhile
ton your post.

I, too ,hope that some day the 2472 can again run
somewhere. It remains to be seen exactly where
that "somewhere" will be.