Nostalgia & History > A foggy morning in Burlingame

When peninsula commute trains looked like trains.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

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A moment in time beautifully caught.
Bob

As usual,  OUTSTANDING!

Harrimans and a Flare = NOSTALGIA!!  Thanks for the great memories of the penisula commuters Bob.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Very NICE shot! Brings back good memories! I do miss the steam and Trainmasters.

Larry

Amazing!

Is there a spur coming off to the left there? Anyone know where it went?
 

phthithu Wrote:
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> Is there a spur coming off to the left there?
> Anyone know where it went?
>  
Looks like the Burlingame area, which had businesses served by spurs.

phthithu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there a spur coming off to the left there?
> Anyone know where it went?

What you are seeing as a "spur" just past that signal box is actually a small pedestrian crossing. (I assume that's what you are looking at.)

However, perhaps 1/2 mile behind the train (you can't see the switch in this photo) there was a small siding that came off the westbound main; I think there were 2 tracks in this "yard".
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/19 02:03 by Railbaron.

Awesome photo!  Fog, eucalyptus trees, and SP.  Sure screams Bay Area to me.  I kinda miss the fog.

Nathan

photobob Wrote:
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> When peninsula commute trains looked like trains.

Nothing else needs to be said!

Craig
mcmrailvideos.com
 

Thanks Railbaron. That's what I was thinking off--it appears to be about halfway back on teh train. 

Looks like a switch lock can be seen, if I am identifying it right, way back in photo--that silver box on a pole. I'm guessing that's the west switch into the yard...

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> phthithu Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is there a spur coming off to the left there?
> > Anyone know where it went?
>
> What you are seeing as a "spur" just past that
> signal box is actually a small pedestrian
> crossing. (I assume that's what you are looking
> at.)
>
> However, perhaps 1/2 mile behind the train (you
> can't see the switch in this photo) there was a
> small siding that came off the westbound main; I
> think there were 2 tracks in this "yard".
>  

yaaaay  yaay now THATS how REAL COmmuter trians are supposed to Look. 
TOtaly OUTSTANDING photo,  Photobob  BLESS your heart now and for evermore.
 ----Daniel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/19 15:31 by daniel3197.

phthithu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Railbaron. That's what I was thinking off--it appears to be about halfway back on the train. 
>
> Looks like a switch lock can be seen, if I am identifying it right, way back in photo--that
> silver box on a pole. I'm guessing that's the west switch into the yard..

I downloaded the photo and blew it up and I still can't see the switch for the siding/yard; it's that far back. If you look closely you can see a block signal for westward trains behind the train. Just past that is a crossing, and the switch into the yard is about 1000 feet beyond that crossing. If you look at Google Maps you can see the switch but in those days the track that comes west (north) of that switch wasn't there; the siding went eastward and into a 2 track yard.

The first and second poles with wires to them were signal boxes but I'm not sure for what. There were no "switch locks" on the peninsula. The "thing" you see on the ground about halfway back on the train is a small pedestrian crossing. As I say, I looked closely and cannot make out the switch stand for the siding through the fog.

As a note, on the entire peninsula almost every hand-throw switch, including crossovers, were laid out so they would be "trailing point" movement only; there were only a few facing point switches.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/19 16:24 by Railbaron.

Thanks Railbaron. So in terms of the switches configuration that you brought up, the spurs off the westbound main would run to the east  and the spurs off the eastbound main would run west usually? 

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> phthithu Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks Railbaron. That's what I was
> thinking off--it appears to be about halfway back
> on the train. 
> >
> > Looks like a switch lock can be seen, if I
> am identifying it right, way back in photo--that
> > silver box on a pole. I'm guessing that's the
> west switch into the yard..
>
> I downloaded the photo and blew it up and I still
> can't see the switch for the siding/yard; it's
> that far back. If you look closely you can see a
> block signal for westward trains behind the train.
> Just past that is a crossing, and the switch into
> the yard is about 1000 feet beyond that crossing.
> If you look at Google Maps you can see the switch
> but in those days the track that comes west
> (north) of that switch wasn't there; the siding
> went eastward and into a 2 track yard.
>
> The first and second poles with wires to them were
> signal boxes but I'm not sure for what. There were
> no "switch locks" on the peninsula. The "thing"
> you see on the ground about halfway back on the
> train is a small pedestrian crossing. As I say, I
> looked closely and cannot make out the switch
> stand for the siding through the fog.
>
> As a note, on the entire peninsula almost every
> hand-throw switch, including crossovers, were laid
> out so they would be "trailing point" movement
> only; there were only a few facing point
> switches.
>
>  

Correct. Good planning by SP to avoid somebody opening a mainline switch in front of a commute train and running it into a spur. Even the center sidings had the facing point switches removed so if a train had to clear into one of these sidings it would have to pull by and back in.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/19 19:01 by Railbaron.

very interesting thx railbaron

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Correct. Good planning by SP to avoid somebody
> opening a mainline switch in front of a commute
> train and running it into a spur. Even the center
> sidings had the facing point switches removed so
> if a train had to clear into one of these sidings
> it would have to pull by and back in.

I'm guessing there were never any spurs
that far west of the station. No one thinks
they see a switchstand?

Electric switch locks never looked like that?