Nostalgia & History > Last Passenger train on SF original Main line

On July 21st 1956 the last passenger train on the ORIGINAL San Francisco main line steams East (South) at Colma. This was an excursion train as the last scheduled passenger trains ended in 1930. The present Colma BART station is just in front of the trains location in 2006. This coming July, it will have been 50 years...

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Here 2345 passes the Wig Wag at Old Mission road and Molloys Bar. (A favorite watering hole for Colma and Cemeterie visitors)

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Interesting picture. I enjoy looking at the now vintage autos nearly as much as I do the railroads. Isn't that car a 1951 Plymouth?, maybe a 1952?

Con

The little SP Colma depot, estimated to date back to 1863, is beautifully preserved east of the original mainline at the Hillside Cultural Park next to the Italian Cemetary at the corner of F St. and Hillside Blvd. Filled with artifacts on the line through Colma and a must see for any SP fan. An easy 10 minute walk from Colma BART.

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The first car looks like it might be a DeSoto or Chrysler. It looks too big for a Plymouth.

The sports car is a Studebaker.

Is this a present day picture of that station?
Where does the track in the pic go?

At which URL could I view an old map of the old S.P. route?

pwh Wrote:
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> The first car looks like it might be a DeSoto or
> Chrysler. It looks too big for a Plymouth.
>
> The sports car is a Studebaker.


The Studebaker looks to be a 1955 Commander (V-8) or Champion (flathead-6). These were designed by Raymond Lowey, who also was responsible for the styling of PRR streamliners to go up against the NYC designs of Henry Dreyfuss. His other work for PRR included the S-2 turbine, the T-1 and the GG-1, along with a lot of work for Fairbanks Morse.

Wasn't Wyatt Earp laid to rest in Colma?

pramer Wrote:
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> Is this a present day picture of that station?
> Where does the track in the pic go?
>
> At which URL could I view an old map of the old
> S.P. route?

The photo was taken about a year ago, the last time I was there. The Colma freight shed, pictured below, is also on site--the two buildings were once attached to each other as one structure for several decades. The track is just a disconnected section for appearance purposes.

Try fjc's site in the link below for info on the original S.F. mainline. Also look for a Winter 2005 copy of SP Trainline(SPH&TS magazine) for an article on the line by Frank Maffei.
http://www.railsaroundthebay.net/history.html

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I was never able to pass Molloys Bar. I passed out a few times at Molloys however,

lahogger Wrote:
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> Wasn't Wyatt Earp laid to rest in Colma?

Yeap. Sure is...

My Dads truck Bumper sticker reads:
"Its Great to be Alive in Colma"

The Depot was moved to Hillside Blvd. in Colma years back when the Colma Bart line was upgraded (Shed47 photo).3 miles or so from its original location. 500 feet of track was saved from the original line and placed next to the depot when it was restored.Neat place to visit. My Dad is doesin on some days. Loves to talk about the old days when the crews would let him fire the locomotives as a guest.
He did an article in SP Trainline on this line in issue #82 if you would like to read more about the area.

Dave

Here's the 2345 in the deadline at Bayshore, a couple of years later. Wish I had been a railfan just a few years earlier.

Ed

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Thanks for posting the neat photos of the passenger train in Colma. It's been so many years that I had forgotten Malloys. My former in-laws purhased a manufactured home above the cemeteries in Colsa and they used to say you couldn't ask for quieter neighbors. - Tony J.

The Bar is still there, doesn't look like it or the clientel has changed much, pool table near the front door. The BART tracks are underground along here and there's a huge number of condos built on the cleared area above the tracks. There's a Kaiser Hospital to the north along El Camino, don't think it will be too quite anymore with those ambulance sirens going.

photobob Wrote:
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> I was never able to pass Molloys Bar. I passed out
> a few times at Molloys however,

Well, I can't say I've passed out at Molloy's, but I've enjoyed their liquid refreshments on many an occasion. One of the few places I've found that can pull a decent pint of Guinness, assuming any Guinness outside of Ireland is decent. Don't get there much anymore living in Fremont, but I do have a sister-in-law who lives not too far from there, so I try to find an excuse to go there when my wife and I are visiting.

DaveE

I think it is a 54 or 55 Plymouth. By 56 the Plymouth had tailfins.

Bandob

My dad, Sam White, was the last agent Colma. I have a Wells Fargo wax seal stamp from the station. I've never been to the restored museum, but it won't be long now.Wonder if there's any wax around, I'd love to make an inpression!

Anybody know the hours for the Museum?

I recall taking the Lark to and from San Francisco in the summer of 1957. Would that train have taken a different route into the city? When was the Lark discontinued into San Francisco?

PossumBellyCaboose Wrote:
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> I recall taking the Lark to and from San Francisco
> in the summer of 1957. Would that train have
> taken a different route into the city? When was
> the Lark discontinued into San Francisco?

The Lark would have taken the current "Bayshore Cutoff" route into the city.