Nostalgia & History > Train Deraiment in Downtown Oakland! Film at Eleven

The precise date of these festivities has been lost to history. May of 1975 is as close as I can peg it. However, the fun began when WP 602 wandered off the girder rail and onto the pavement during what must have been a slow news day, as not one, but TWO of the local TV stations have sent out a cameraman to record the event.

Africansteam

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As an Oakland PD motor officer provides crowd control, railroad management has the re-railing process well in hand, and soon all will be right with the world once more.

Africansteam

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Well, that’s a wrap. Now it’s back to the studio. Cool bellbottoms, huh?

Africansteam

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I could see Bob MacKenzie from Channel 2 having a field day with that one...

That was a long time ago--note that the cameraman is using a MOVIE camera. Back when "film at 11" meant film and not pro-Beta. I remember one news event at LA Union Station--most of the news crews were using Beta tape but one guy still had the "mouse ears" camera.

danf Wrote:
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> I could see Bob MacKenzie from Channel 2 having a
> field day with that one...


He was probably a Tribune columnist then.

You're right, this was a few years before his KTVU time. Point being that this would be the perfect feature for his style of storytelling...



stash Wrote:
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> danf Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I could see Bob MacKenzie from Channel 2
> having a
> > field day with that one...
>
>
> He was probably a Tribune columnist then.

africansteam Wrote:

> The precise date of these festivities has been
> lost to history. May of 1975 is as close as I can
> peg it. However, the fun began when WP 602
> wandered off the girder rail and onto the pavement

Was that genuine girder rail on 3rd St., with the flangeway rolled as part of the rail? I was under the impression that it was just two sections of ordinary rail spiked down close together, with a narrow flangeway in between.

Nice shots!! Question about that switcher...I'm not a Western Pacific expert, but if I'm not mistaken, are those not GE trucks? WP do a little [minor] rebuilding of their own?

Kevin Morgan
The Front Range
http://www.drgw.ws/

Evan, you may be correct about the rail. I really don't know. I am not familiar with the history of track construction in the Oakland area. I was on my way back to La La Land, and just got lucky!

Africansteam

Kevin, I an not an expert either, however, a quick check of this site seems to show a variety of units with a similar truck.

http://yardlimit.railfan.net/gallery/tad/index4.html

Africansteam.

Where in "dog town" (common name for the Short Street back then) did this event take place. By '75 I had left Oakland and was working in Milpitas and of course minor derailments wasn't mentioned much. Most derailments on 3rd during my time either happened around the crossover or the OT switch near Maggie. Another hot spot for going on the ground was the House tracks at Oak Street. It was very common during the 50's and 60's for the afternoon job to collect up 60 or 70 cars along 3rd and make a gravity drop at the crossover just east of Oak Street and drag it all back to the yard.

When talking about 3rd Street derailments reminds me of the grand daddy of them all in the early 80's when a westbound stacker picked a switch on the eastbound track at Oak Street and collected up a dozen or more parked automobles and stacked them neatly in a big pile. That one made the front page of the Tribune. Ahhhh, those were the days....

Al

I don't know exactly where this took place. At the time I was living in Burbank, and "just pass'n thru". I have one more slide of the event that may show a street sign, as there was a interection nearby. I will try to locate it tomorrow.

Africansteam

FrontRange Wrote:
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> are those not GE trucks? WP do a little
> rebuilding of their own?

Naw. They're standard GSC switcher trucks, often called "AAR Type A".

RoustaboutAl Wrote:
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> Where in "dog town" (common name for the Short
> Street back then) did this event take place.


Foamer-Al and all, since this is right on my current OakTown foaming grounds, the derailment location as shown is right past Market street probably at the Clay St. crossing. Jack London Square is technically a few more blocks down beyond M.L.K Street (what was it called back then?) and Broadway to the right. Switcher was on the landside main moving south (RR east) towards East Oakland away from the photographer. Hope this helps!

espeeboy Wrote:
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> Foamer-Al and all, since this is right on my
> current OakTown foaming grounds, the derailment
> location as shown is right past Market street
> probably at the Clay St. crossing. Jack London
> Square is technically a few more blocks down
> beyond M.L.K Street (what was it called back
> then?)


MLK was called Grove Street.
(Come to think of it, had the name not changed, we'd have a "CP Grove" today.)

and his birthday is known to locals as 'grove way day'

The first photo was taken at the intersection of 3rd Street and Brush Street.
Here is a Google Street View looking South from Brush Street.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.799575,-122.28301,3a,75y,94.89h,84.06t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVPKMmf2y5-Bcg7U_Y0E0xw!2e0

Please note the building on the left. It has changed somewhat. But,
the utility poles are exactly as seen in the first photo.

BaltoJoey
 

WOW, look at those pants on that cameraman. Time marches on.

Jim
Hatboro, PA