Steam & Excursion > You Can Certainly Know That This Place Has Changed From This!

Ralph Demoro shot this interesting scene in the late 1920's in San Francisco. We see a single Western Pacific 0-6-0 shoving a short string of freight cars in a sparsely populated part of the City.

Maybe this is for Tony J. Where is this in San Francisco? We can certainly assume the area is now covered with houses and looks much different.

Let's see who can spot the location. Good luck.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 03:40 by LoggerHogger.

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LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> Ralph Demoro shot this interesting scene in the
> late 1920's in San Francisco. We see a single
> Western Pacific 0-6-0 shoving a short string of
> freight cars in a sparsely populated part of the
> City.
>
> Maybe this is for Tony J. Where is this in San
> Francisco? We can certainly assume the area is
> now covered with houses and looks much different.
>
> Let's see who can spot the location. Good luck.
>
> Martin

Hunters Point?

Looks like it could be out on the edge of Daly City???

Wow! I'll have to think a while about this one. My first impression is its the WP "main" heading towards Army Street. Ralph would be standing near Third Street looking west. This track was in service into the UP takeover. The gas storage tank also fits in. The track eventually went over the SP, which is hidden by Tunnels #3 and #4. Parts of the hill behind the train still remain visible today.

Another possibility is the train is on the old Ocean Shore RR, which SP took over its San Francisco operation. I doubt this is the case here.

And yes, the area is loaded today with freeways, houses, industries, and produce warehouses. Will think about it after doing trackwork today at our railroad park. God bless Ralph and R.H. McFarland for taking photos of this area of The City when few others did.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 17:40 by TonyJ.

Yeah, first guess is we're looking west
across 3rd St where WP crossed it on the
way to its tunnel. Look at the 1938
aerial map at davidrumsey.com.

TonyJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow! I'll have to think a while about this one. My
> first impression is its the WP "main" heading
> towards Army Street. Ralph would be standing near
> Third Street looking west. This track was in
> service into the UP takeover. The gas storage tank
> also fits in. The track eventually went over the
> SP, which is hidden by Tunnels #3 and #4. Parts of
> the hill behind the train still remain visible
> today.
>
> Another possibility is the train is on the old
> Ocean Short RR, which SP took over its San
> Francisco operation. I doubt this is the case
> here.
>
> And yes, the area is loaded today with freeways,
> houses, industries, and produce warehouses. Will
> think about it after doing trackwork today at our
> railroad park. God bless Ralph and R.H. McFarland
> for taking photos of this area of The City when
> few others did.

My first thought was also Army St., but I could be wrong.

Larry

I think that the engine is facing west on what will become Army St. I think that they are just west of 3rd Street.

ʎɹɹɐ˥

I think you are all wrong it is heading south near Pennsylvania st and 23rd after recently exiting Potrero Tunnel . In the far distance is San Bruno Mtn. The gas tower in the distance was near Army St where the SP entered the 2nd tunnel.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 17:29 by mococomike.

mococomike Wrote:
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> I think you are all wrong it is heading south near
> Pennsylvania st and 23rd after recently exiting
> Potrero Tunnel . In the far distance is San Bruno
> Mtn. The gas tower in the distance was near Army
> St where the SP entered the 2nd tunnel.


That is another possibility. If so I am puzzled by the street in the foreground (which I feel is Third Street) because I can't recall a cross street that close to the 'south" portal of WP's tunnel. One thing for sure most of us feel we are in the same general area.

Between the south portal and crossing over the SP you had 22ndand 23rd streets. I think the SP is in the cut between the 1st and 2nd poles to the right of the gas tower. I think the WP tracks are gradually curving left. If you look closely to the left of the engine are houses in a gully. Was this eventually filled in. Along Army St west of the SP the WP right of way was below grade of Army St. Which you don't see here. If it was between 3rd and the SP along Army you see the SP horizontal. Across the view. I only remember 1 gas tank in the area which was near the SP where it crossed Army which would be the gas thank to the left. 1915 SF map on Dave Rmasey site this is closer to 22nd before 23rd between Missisppi and Pennsylvania there is some straight industrial track. To the right you see cross bucks and that is the mainline into the tunnel.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 18:24 by mococomike.

Timz possibly with the cut between the 1st and 2nd poles to the right of the gas tower being the WP right of way along Amry St. The houses in the gully could be about where 280 crosses but my only issue is you don't see the SP coming through here as the SP would be over Army St if visible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 18:37 by mococomike.

That baffled me too-- where's the SP main?
But we're not at Army St-- we're looking
west a long block north of Army, and the
SP bridge over Army St is out of sight
to the left.

Did you look at the 1938 aerial map?

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~217219~5504219:Composite--1-164

The WP crosses 3rd St near a right angle,
as in the pic. Doesn't do that with any
street south of the tunnel.

Maybe those are streetcar rails across
the bottom of the pic.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 18:58 by timz.

Mocco Mike Is right. I lived on Potrero Hill for 20 years. Right side of picture is lower slopes of the Hill now all housing. PG&E Gads bath came down in the late 1970's. T-1. is underground in foreground and middle of picture and comes out were you see the structures middle distant. I-280 is to the right of the Gas Tank. Mike Pechner

Guess you think the street at the bottom
of the pic is 23rd St, and the camera is
looking SSE with the WP tunnel behind the
camera?

If you were looking that way, you wouldm't
see a gas tank like that, and you wouldn't
see a hill right of it.

If you were looking WSW from 3rd St where
WP crossed it, you would see the gas tank
on the south side of Army St west of Evans,
and Mt Davidson right of the tank.

weather wrote:

> PG&E Gads bath came down in the late 1970's.

What is a "Gads bath?"


> T-1. is underground in foreground and middle of picture and comes out were you see the structures middle distant.

Just guessing, does "T-1." refer to Tunnel 1?

I presume the "were" should be "where."

English gets me every time......

I'll go with Army and 3rd because the WP was on the south side of Army.

> WP was on the south side of Army

Dunno if WP had track south of Army St--
the track in this pic crossed 3rd St
maybe 900 ft north of Army St.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/18 16:27 by timz.

Now see what you've started Martin!

TonyJ Wrote:
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> Now see what you've started Martin!


I like it when a plan comes together.

Martin