Nostalgia & History > Oakland, California's 16th Street Station and Trains---Roger Puta

The station was damaged by the Loma Pareto Earthquake in 1989 and closed.  In 1994 a new station was opened at Jack London Square in Oakland.

For much more detail see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_station_(Oakland) and https://www.16thstreetstation.com/?fbclid=IwAR110oc0Qk_bDT-6QLuTGYZnot0WyG8aO48eBBSxKzQctif3F4LNI4ao9p4


1. AMKT 314 with the California Zephyr at 16th Street Station, Oakland, CA in November 1980.  Roger Puta photo

2. AMTK 336 at 16th Street Station, Oakland, CA in February 1983.  Roger Puta photo

3. SP 3203 SDP45 with Train 51, the San Joaquin Daylight arriving at Oakland, CA on May 22, 1970.  Roger Puta photo



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/21 20:35 by MartyBernard.

---

---

---

4. SP 3209 SDP45 with the Coast Starlight, Train 14, at 16th Street Station, Oakland, CA in July 1972.  Roger Puta photo

5. SP "Your Friendly Railroad" sign in April 1974 at 16th Street Station in Oakland, CA.  Roger Puta photo

6, 7, and 8.  Roll-by of WP 3015 (GP35) of 16th St. Station, Oakland, CA in March 1983.  Roger Puta photo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/21 11:50 by MartyBernard.

---

---

---

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/21 11:51 by MartyBernard.

---

---

Old SP RR Oakland, CA based passenger train and engine crews worked to and from Sparks, NV  in first two photos.
 Olf SP RR Oakland based passenger train and  engine worked to and from Tracy, CA in photo 3,
Old SP RR Oakland, CA based passenger train and engine crews worked to and from SLO, CA. in phoro 4.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/21 12:02 by RodneyZona.

Its all gone now thank you Roger. Unless your a freeway fan "It's All Crap Now"....

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

WP detour train due to washouts in Niles Canyon and Altamont Pass.

RodneyZona Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Old SP RR Oakland, CA based passenger train and
> engine crews worked to and from Sparks, NV  in
> first two photos.
>  Olf SP RR Oakland based passenger train and 
> engine worked to and from Tracy, CA in photo 3,
> Old SP RR Oakland, CA based passenger train and
> engine crews worked to and from SLO, CA. in phoro
> 4.

Again.. SP crews work to Sacramento for train men and RV for engine crews

At the time photo #1 was taken, the train was still named the San Francisco Zephyr.  It wouldn't become the California Zephyr until 1983 when it was shifted from the Union Pacific to the Rio Grande route.

I experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake right there with Amtrak San Joaquin #710, which would have departed 11 minutes later. I honestly didn't think it had been that bad until I walked around the corner and saw the collapsed freeway.

wpamtk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake right
> there with Amtrak San Joaquin #710, which would
> have departed 11 minutes later. I honestly didn't
> think it had been that bad until I walked around
> the corner and saw the collapsed freeway.

Wow! I was a lot further away and we dove under tables because it kept shaking and was quite strong. We had driven that stretch of 880 a few times and it was shocking to see it and a portion of the Bay Bridge collapsed. Won’t forget that day or all the changes it wrought.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

MartyBernard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> 6, 7, and 8.  Roll-by of WP 3015 (GP35) of 16th
> St. Station, Oakland, CA in March 1983.  Roger
> Puta photo

Ken Meeker was the UP (WP) Yardmaster that day and held the train in the UP yard until his shift ended so he could photograph it on the Cal-P.  Solid  WP power was pretty rare by this date. The detour made it even more special. The plan was to photograph it on the Benicia bridge. We all agreed it was going to be shooting fish in a barrel. But because of the delay, SP was able to send a freight ahead of the detour. Joy soon turned to horror when over the radio the eastward SP asked the Ozol Yardmaster what track his pick up was on, thus blocking the WP. Sun went down on a shot of a lifetime.

I remember in '93, sitting in the open-air waiting area just north of the station, after dark waiting for the northbound Coast Starlight with my then young family. The dark station buillding loomed overhead kind of spookily! The night was warm and it wasn't a hardship at all to wait there; it was surrounded by chain-link and I remember feeling secure enough in what might have been a somewhat sketchy area of town. A food truck on site did a brisk business.