Nostalgia & History > Station Then and Then SP Pleasanton

The old SP Station in Pleasanton, California

Its been a long time since I have been to Pleasanton but could not resist the comparisons in pictures # 1 & 2. Picture # 1 taken in September of 1980. #2 taken in 1991. # 3 in 1999.

In picture # 3 taken from the other end of the depot, I only have one question....who put the tracks back in ?????

What does it look like today ? Is the Niles Canyon Train ever coming this far ???


Thanks for looking

Jay

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I can't believe how resistant Pleasanton has been to allowing the Niles Canyon RR folks to build their line to that station. What a great ride that would, then some dining / shopping, then a ride back home. And just imagine Christmas time, or in summer during the Alameda County Fair!

I sure hope it happens someday...

Picture 3: The boxcar is an ex PRR X-29 that was sold to the Army then to the guy who owned the resturant in the station. It is now in the PLA collection. The caboose is NWP 13 and has been restored by the NWPHS and is at the Roots of Motive Power in Willits.

The track between the crossings in the third picture was built by the NCRY track crew in 1993 when it looked like we would be able to go to Pleasanton. That and a section of track built by Bernal road seemed to wake up the local opposition and the Pleasanton extension became wrapped up in politics. In the mean time the NCRY end of track has just recently (Oct. 2012) been extended past the ranch crossing just east of the WP bridge at Verona road. This minor road block took a focused effort to install the pannel and crossing in one day. Now the crew can proceed at their leasure toward the border of Pleasanton where track construction will end until permission is grantd by the city. At best the track would end at Bernal road since the ROW was cut and lowered when the latest Bernal road intersection was built.

The rebuilt station has to be a real asset to the community. But NIMBYs are only in a reactive mode, and not using the best part of their brains.