Nostalgia & History > San Joaquin at 16th St, 31 years ago.

Still carrying SP numbers and paint, 6455 has just arrived from Bakersfield at Oakland 16th St in April of 1975.

---

1975...you could still catch some un-repainted power like this, but it didn't last very long though. By 1976-77, everything had been "platinum-misted" at that point.

Amtrak 123/SP 6461 was never painted other than to "patch" it with a new number. It is the second unit in the Fun Train photo I posted.

What was the point of the old upper level platforms at 16th street station?

The upper platforms were for the interurban that the SP used to run around the East Bay (and over to SF for a short time after the Bay Bridge was finished). There used to be interurban tracks running up to the upper platforms. I don't know the details of the SP system, but Key Route Ken and probably a few others could give them all. It's been discussed on her before, but not recently.

BobB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The upper platforms were for the interurban that
> the SP used to run around the East Bay (and over
> to SF for a short time after the Bay Bridge was
> finished). There used to be interurban tracks
> running up to the upper platforms. I don't know
> the details of the SP system, but Key Route Ken
> and probably a few others could give them all.
> It's been discussed on her before, but not
> recently.

It was called the Interurban Electric Railway and lasted until 1941.

I'm sure if you Google it (or even use the TO.com search engine) you'll find lots of info.

topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BobB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > The upper platforms were for the interurban
> that
> > the SP used to run around the East Bay (and
> over
> > to SF for a short time after the Bay Bridge was
> > finished). There used to be interurban tracks
> > running up to the upper platforms. I don't
> know
> > the details of the SP system, but Key Route Ken
> > and probably a few others could give them all.
> > It's been discussed on her before, but not
> > recently.
>
> It was called the Interurban Electric Railway and
> lasted until 1941.
>
> I'm sure if you Google it (or even use the TO.com
> search engine) you'll find lots of info.


It didn't become the IER until sometime in the thirties (I think) and was originally the Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley.