Nostalgia & History > 16th St. Station by Ralph Demoro

SP Extra 4404 East is ready to pull out of Oakland, Calif. while a westbound electric train ascends the ramp to the elevated platform at the station. Who are the people atop the cars: brakies or 'bos?

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A 2-car electric train makes a brief stop at 16th Street Station, Oakland, Calif., after a short trip from the Oakland Pier. The train will continue on to Berkeley via one of two routes: Shattuck or Ninth Street. Both terminated at Thousand Oaks station.

In 1939 direct service on the Bay Bridge rerouted SP's Interurban Electric Railway "red trains." At that time, San Leandro and Alameda trains ran through the station while Berkeley trains went to and from San Francisco via a flyover by 34th Street. Oakland Terminal Railway uses that flyover today.

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The guys on top of the cars are called brakemen. What you have here is a great shot the crew "decorating the cars"

I think it's more likely that the guys on top of the cars are not on the moving train. Probably working on the string of reefers in the background with the open hatches.

-p

portlander Wrote:
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> I think it's more likely that the guys on top of
> the cars are not on the moving train. Probably
> working on the string of reefers in the background
> with the open hatches.
>
> -p


Nah, those parked reefers are at least one track to the right (west) of that live rail. Perspective and how much of their body you can see puts them smack dab on that moving train!

Only way to tell is to rescan that small part of the photo at very high resolution.


espeeboy Wrote:
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> Nah, those parked reefers are at least one track
> to the right (west) of that live rail. Perspective
> and how much of their body you can see puts them
> smack dab on that moving train!

Wow, Ralph Demoro. Now there's a name I haven't seen in print (even electonic) for a really long time. Ralph was a very well known Bay Area railfan, as was his son Harry.