Nostalgia & History > Espee's San Ramon Branch

Alco S6 SP1245 with the "San Ramon Local" at Walnut Creek in June 1972. Bob Campbell photo. - Tony J.

---

Alco S6 SP1234 approaching Mayhew Road at Pleasant Hill (SP Hookston) in 1971. The trian is heading to Walnut Creek. Bob Campbell photo. - Tony J.

---

One of the rare times when a guy gets to find two trains on the San Ramon Branch. Here a ribbon rail train has just set out rail in Walnut Creek in December 1971. The train is running caboose first across Hookston Road with 40+ cars while the San Ramon Local (SP1232) protects the crossing from the siding. Bob Campbell photo. - Tony J.

---

The same two trains as in the previous photo at Walnut Creek in December 1971. Bob Campbell photo. - Tony J.

---

Alco S6 SP1251 arriving Danville with - for this late date - a very long train of 12 cars in September 1972. Five of the cars were for Danville. Bob Campbell photo. - Tony J.

---

SP1251 after setting out cars next to the SP depot at Danville in Sept. 1972. Bob Campbell photo. - Tony J.

---

Ribbonrail ?!? Was SP installing ribbonrail on the San Ramon Branch, or were they picking up unused rail for reuse or scrap ? Gerry

If anybody has 'em, I'd love to see some pictures of the branch from Alcosta Blvd south to Radum...

Great pictures! Thanks for posting those. It's so rare to see anything from that branch. I second the request for Radum to Danville.

Interesting photos Tony. Is this branch still used?

Interesting...

I moved from Mountain View to Walnut Creek in June of 1970.

The SP depot was a spot I frequently rode my bicycle by on the way to and from school (St Marys Catholic Elementary on Mt Diablo Blvd) from September of that year until June of 1971. The structure still had it's full wooden platform along the freight house portion of the building. There was usually an Alco idling just behind the fence in back of the Capwells two story parking structure (on what is now South Broadway).

The Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society had it's layout in a building just south and west of the station. Their last Fall Show in that building was held in November of 1970 because...

in 1971, the Army Corp of Engineers began relocation of Walnut Creek with a concrete flood control channel. (Today part of the Broadway Plaza shopping area sits on top of it.) That relocation also forced the SP to move the San Ramon Branch east. As I understand it, the agent's job was abolished at Walnut Creek and the depot closed in mid-1971. The building was later sold to John Herrington who moved it (in 1972 as I recall) about 1500 feet to it's present location and added a Pullman heavyweight open platform sleeper lounge -- where is is operated today as Vic Stewarts http://www.themenupage.com/vicstewarts.html

The branch ran next to the new depot location until it was abandoned. A passing track and spur were also located here. Ironically, the realigned right-of-way later became a flood control by-pass channel.

I suspect the ribbon rail was installed (with Federal monies no doubt) during the relocation. Considering that what business there was online (specifically Kaiser Cement) in Walnut Creek was also relocated (without rail access -- replaced by trucks) the heavier rail is amusing. Traffic was never heavy after the project. A concrete ramp, surrounded by an asphalt pad replaced the loading dock off of the spur. That still exists today and is used as parking by the restaurant workers.

From 1971 to 1973, I went to the Walnut Creek Intermediate School and remember various trains passing while I was out enjoying P.E. courtesy of Coach Bill Russell or wood shop with Mr. Keith. Later, I attended Las Lomas High School (1973-1977) and made liberal use of the branch, as did many other students, as a shortcut to and from class through the various neighborhoods. During those years I recall motorcars on the line (especially exciting for a friend who narrowly missed being hit by one in the fog one morning), an SW-1200 on the ground due to spread rails just north of the bridge over the San Ramon Creek, and seeing a fair number of PFE ice reefers stored at what is now the Bishop Ranch area of San Ramon.

If you didn't know about the railroad being there, you would have no clue today. After it was abandoned, it either became the Iron Horse trail or was reclaimed for other purposes. In Walnut Creek, the South Broadway extension now lets autos travel the line between Newell Ave and S Main Street. Several bridges still are in place as part of the trail, but one (from Danville) was dismantled and today is on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento (with the V&T #12 "Genoa").

http://www.csrmf.org/doc.asp?id=159

Also the Danville depot has been restored and now is the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, with an SP Bay Window caboose converted for restrooms.

http://www.museumsrv.org/

The folks at Danville did a good restoration to their depot. By the time of this Dec. 9, 1986 photo it was looking pretty shabby.

---

Here's the 4438 and 3191 heading south in Dublin in early 1979. I think that's Santa Rita Jail in the background.

---

SP 3852 and another GP9 on the East Pleasanton Turn at Radum Oct. 19, 1984. I think the train is on the lead into the gravel plant, with the San Ramon branch tracks off to the right.

---

Here's the East Pleasnton Turn with GP9 3679 and F7 355 switching at Radum on Mar. 11, 1972. The tracks in the foreground are SP's Tracy Line; the East Pleasanton yard office is off to the right, just out of view. By this date the 355 was the last unit still carrying a Texas & New Orleans number.

---

What??? That sure looks a lot more like Port Chicago to me on the Mococo (sp ?) line. (The photo with the 4438.)

Yikes! You may be right, especially since that's an awfully long train for the branch. Wouldn't be the first time I misidentified a slide taken during my too-lazy-to-take-notes youth.


Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What??? That sure looks a lot more like Port
> Chicago to me on the Mococo (sp ?) line. (The
> photo with the 4438.)

Yes, that's Port Chicago... Spent too many hours watching trains go by there before the Navy paid the county to close the roads.

At a glance the first photo looks like it could be Dublin with Camp Parks off to the right. But at closer look, things don't line up. The overpass in the background would have to be the 580 overcrossing. But then Camp Parks would be on the wrong side. So I would say that is not Dublin. There were never Griswold crossing gates in Dublin. Both crossings that I remember had those Wabco "one arm bandit" style gates. Weird how I remember that...

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What??? That sure looks a lot more like Port
> Chicago to me on the Mococo (sp ?) line. (The
> photo with the 4438.)

And my only photo of the branch was taken at Santa Rita Rd. back when it was 2 lanes. Seen here heading towards Radum from the Kodak plant in Dublin. This was taken when the branch was cut off at that point.

---