Nostalgia & History > Santa Fe and Oakland Terminal

In the long days of summer, the Santa Fe roadswitcher out of Richmond would make it to Oakland during daylight, and OT 101 would often come across the flyover to interchange. This photo from June 1987.

- Loleta Fernbridge

 

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Not to mention the other flyover - the Slice Blimp!  Great shot!

Is the track that curves to the right on a steep grade the flyover?  Where did it do and what was its purpose?
Thanks!
Andy

The flyover was built circa 1938 to get SP
electric trains from Berkeley to the Bay Bridge
to go to SF. Those trains quit running in 1941--
dunno if Oakland Terminal or its predecessor
started running over it to the Army Base
immediately.

timz Wrote:

> The flyover was built circa 1938 to get SP
> electric trains from Berkeley to the Bay Bridge
> to go to SF. Those trains quit running in 1941--
> dunno if Oakland Terminal or its predecessor
> started running over it to the Army Base
> immediately.

Key System didn't sell the OTR to WP and Santa Fe until 1943, so freight to the outer harbor would have continued to use the Key subway for at least two years after SP quit running interurban electrics over the flyover.  Even after the sale, photos exist showing leased Sacramento Northern freight motors squeezing OTR freight moves through the subway as late as 1945.  I don't know when the OTR started using the east leg of the old flyover to cross the SP mains, or if they used both the flyover and the subway for a time. In any event, the wire was gone from the flyover by the time OTR started using it.