Nostalgia & History > Direct rail service to drug store

An eastbound Key System “A” train derailed at the 38th Ave. & E. 14th St. switch in Oakland, Calif. causing quite a bit of excitement in the neighborhood. The accident occured in 1942 and took a good deal of time to clear up. The main damage to the building was broken glass. The articulated unit is in two separate sections.

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How about walking out of Herb's Place after a few too many beers and imagining you see a train on the sidewalk?

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If you can read the headlines on the news rack, it's all about World War II. The San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner were bitter rivals in those days and the Oakland Tribune was a mere 12 cents. The Key System claims people were no doubt needing some of that Alka Seltzer that morning.

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Another view of Butler's Drug Store and the wayward Key unit.

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Who needs hard hats? Key shopmen will drag the unit back to Emeryville one way or the other.

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12 Cents? I remember the Chron, Examanier, and the News Call Bulliten were all 10 cents into the 60s and they were in an open news rack. You left a dime in a slot or not. I think most people paid back then. Times were different.

Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
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> 12 Cents? I remember the Chron, Examanier, and the
> News Call Bulliten were all 10 cents into the 60s
> and they were in an open news rack. You left a
> dime in a slot or not. I think most people paid
> back then. Times were different.
>
> Nudge

I remember the dime slots too. Also recall more newspapers! What I should have stated was the BIG, SUNDAY TRIB was 12 cents.

---stash

Is it possible to get a shot of this intersection today for comparison? Maybe taken from the same angle? I like to see the "now and then" shots.

steamjocky

One of the great things about all these Key System photos are other things in the scene: The old cars, the clothes people wore, the little neighborhood stores. I like the phone number in the store window in photo number four, ANdover 4711. My grandfather lived in Oakland in the 50's, his prefix was ANdover.

SPs main number in SF was DOuglas 2-1212.

Nudge

Those were the days, most major cities had at least 2 papers, and you had morning, evening, and sometimes special editions for breaking news. LA had the Times and the Herald-Examiner, The Bay area had the Chronicle and Examiner in San Francisco competing with each other AND the Oakland papers.

Steamjocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is it possible to get a shot of this intersection
> today for comparison? Maybe taken from the same
> angle? I like to see the "now and then" shots.
>
> steamjocky


I believe you also wanted a then and now of Pacific Junction. At any rate, I will get out to those places with a digicam and take a photo or two.

---stash

The 'cocktail lounge' in the photo later became the "Cozy Corner".. The big white WALL in the background, is the "Fruitvale Theatre"...

There is an entry from ME in Daves Rail Pixs, I believe, that tells the story of what happened. Who was injured, etc.
This accident happened at 38th Ave & East 14th St in East Oakland, at the Junction of the # 1 Car line, "A"-Bridge line & the # 11 38th Ave Car Line (later # 16)..

MY HOUSE was one block up 38th Avenue, at Foothill Blvd..

And don't forget the SF Call-Bulletin, Berkeley Gazette, Richmond Independent, East Oakland News, and other "fallen flags" of the press..

KRK

stash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steamjocky Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is it possible to get a shot of this
> intersection
> > today for comparison? Maybe taken from the
> same
> > angle? I like to see the "now and then"
> shots.
> >
> > steamjocky
>
>
> I believe you also wanted a then and now of
> Pacific Junction. At any rate, I will get out to
> those places with a digicam and take a photo or
> two.
>
> ---stash


Yes I did and thank you very much.

steamjocky