East Bay Electric Lines
Encyclopedia
The East Bay Electric Lines were a unit of the Southern Pacific Railroad
which operated a system of electric interurban
-type trains in the East Bay
region of the San Francisco Bay Area
. Beginning in 1862, the SP and its predecessors had operated local steam-drawn ferry-train passenger service in the East Bay on an expanding system of lines, but in 1902 the Key System
started opening a competing system of electric lines and ferries. The SP then drew up plans to expand and electrify its system of lines and this new service began in 1911. The trains served the cities of Berkeley
, Albany
, Emeryville
, Oakland
, Alameda
, and San Leandro
transporting commuters to and from the large Oakland Pier (the "mole") and the Alameda Pier
of the Southern Pacific. A fleet of ferry boats
ran between these piers and the docks of the Ferry Building
on the San Francisco Embarcadero
.
The East Bay Electric Lines became the Interurban Electric Railway (IER) in December, 1938 in anticipation of the completion the following month of the tracks on the lower deck of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge to the San Francisco Transbay Terminal
. Southern Pacific ended its IER transbay commuter train service in July, 1941.
The Oakland Seventh Street Line carried the most passengers, with the Berkeley Shattuck Avenue Line being second in this respect. The total patronage of the system was at a maximum about 1920 and had declined to about half this number by the time of Bay Bridge operation.
The SP seemed to prefer to have groups of their lines terminate at the same place. Three lines originally terminated at Thousand Oaks in Berkeley, two at 14th and Franklin in Oakland, and two at High St. S. in Alameda. The IER had two lines terminate at Thousand Oaks and two lines at West Alameda.
to obtain electrical power from overhead catenary
wires. The equipment was maintained at the Alameda Shops, located at West Alameda, on the Oakland Estuary
. During bridge operation routine maintenance was performed at a shop in the Bridge Yards.
The large steel cars, 73 ft. long, used by the SP for its commuter trains were moderately heavy in overall weight but low in weight per passenger due to their huge capacity, 3-2 seating, maximum of 116 passengers. At first they were painted in standard railroad olive green, but were soon painted a bright red and became known as the "red trains" or "big red cars". The first group of cars arrived in 1911 from the American Car and Foundry Company
(ACF) and consisted of 40 powered passenger coaches (motors), 25 powered combination baggage-passenger cars
(combos), and 50 unpowered passenger coaches (trailers), some with train controls and some without. They had large rectangular end windows which proved to be a liability for train crews in accidents. Over time these windows were replaced by smaller, distinctive round windows, or "owl-eyes", similar to but larger than those of the Pennsylvania Railroad's MP54
cars, in all cars except for trailers without train controls, which could not be used at the ends of trains. The second group of cars arrived in 1912 from the Pullman Company
and consisted of 10 motors, 4 combos, and 2 powered baggage-express cars (box motor
s), all with round end windows. The third group of cars arrived in 1924 from the St. Louis Car Company
and consisted of 6 motors with round end windows, bringing the total number of cars for ferry-train service to 147.
The usual operating practice was that the number of powered cars in a train was at least one more than the number of trailers. Trailers, with or without train controls, were always placed in the interior of trains; train controls on trailers were mainly used in assembling or disassembling trains. As ridership declined and trains became shorter, trailers were primarily used only during rush hour. Combos were used to carry checked baggage to and from main-line trains at Oakland Pier and to deliver bundled newspapers. They were usually put on the end of the train toward Oakland Pier, and most commonly on the Seventh Street Line as far as Havenscourt or Seminary Avenue. When plans for longer routes were not implemented, 21 of the ACF combos were changed to motors at the time they received their round end windows in the 1920s. Due to the heavy grades on the Bay Bridge, 10 trailers were changed to motors in 1938 when all the passenger-carrying cars were modified with automatic train control and other safety equipment for bridge operation. The California Toll Bridge Authority (TBA) funded these changes and received title to 58 cars in return. Originally all the cars carried the name "Southern Pacific Lines" until Bay Bridge service began, at which time the IER-owned cars were repainted with "Interurban Electric Railway Company", but the TBA-owned cars continued to bear the name "Southern Pacific Lines" until the termination of service in 1941.
In addition to the large cars already described, the SP took delivery in 1912 of 20 streetcars from the Pullman Company for its Oakland-Alameda streetcar line. In 1913 it found that they had too many of these cars so they shipped 10 of them to the Pacific Electric (PE). By 1919 patronage had grown so the SP recalled two of the cars from PE.
assumed rights to some of the trackage and overhead wires of abandoned IER/SP routes. This had first occurred due to the 1933 consolidation. In March, 1933, a portion of the abandoned California Street line in Berkeley, from about Ada and California Sts., up Monterey Avenue to Colusa Avenue, was used for the Key's Sacramento Street Line (H line) until this line's abandonment in July, 1941. In April, 1941, a portion of the abandoned 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line in East Oakland, from East 14th Street to Havenscourt Boulevard, was used to extend the Key's 12th Street Line (A Line) until October, 1950, when this line was cut back to 12th and Oak Streets. In August, 1941, a portion of the Shattuck Avenue line in Berkeley, from about Dwight Way to the south end of the Northbrae Tunnel was used to extend the Key's Shattuck Avenue Line (F Line). In December, 1942, the F Line was extended further, through the tunnel to the intersection of Solano Avenue and The Alameda. The F-line was abandoned in April, 1958.
Key System streetcars also used the IER Shattuck Avenue tracks from Parker Street to University Avenue until abandonment in November, 1948. During World War II
the Key System used a portion of the 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line tracks in Oakland on 7th Street, from Broadway to Pine Street, for streetcar service to a shipyard and most of the 9th Street track of the Ninth Street Line for the Richmond Shipyard Railway.
SP freight service continued over parts of the Ninth Street, Shattuck Avenue, Seventh Street, and Lincoln Avenue Lines. An excursion train, pulled by a steam locomotive, was operated over this track in April, 1954, by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association. By 1960, all of this track, except for the part from the Ninth Street Line, had been abandoned.
The most noticeable remaining structures from the SP/IER lines are the Northbrae tunnel, now used to extend Solano Avenue eastwards, turning to the south to connect with Sutter St., and the Alameda shop building, now used by private businesses.
After IER service ended, the TBA separated their 58 cars from the SP's 89 cars. In 1942, the TBA sold 6 motors for scrap in January and then sold their remaining 52 cars to the Houston Shop Corp., which shipped the cars via the SP to Houston. One of the TBA trailers was wrecked in transit, so the SP replaced it with one of their trailers. The SP sent the 2 box motors to the PE, in March and April used 5 trailers for buildings in West Oakland, and stored their remaining 81 cars until they were requisitioned in July and September by the United States Maritime Commission
for use in transporting workers to World War II
shipyards: 20 trailers to a line in the Portland, Oregon
, area and 61 cars to the PE in Southern California
where some of them were in use until that system ceased operations in 1961. Many cars were reassigned to other locales during World War II. A few of the cars have been preserved and can be seen at Travel Town in Los Angeles, the Western Railway Museum
in Rio Vista, California
(in need of restoration), and the Orange Empire Railway Museum
in Southern California.
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
which operated a system of electric interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
-type trains in the East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
region of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Beginning in 1862, the SP and its predecessors had operated local steam-drawn ferry-train passenger service in the East Bay on an expanding system of lines, but in 1902 the Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
started opening a competing system of electric lines and ferries. The SP then drew up plans to expand and electrify its system of lines and this new service began in 1911. The trains served the cities of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, Albany
Albany, California
Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
, Emeryville
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
, Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, and San Leandro
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
transporting commuters to and from the large Oakland Pier (the "mole") and the Alameda Pier
Alameda Mole
The Alameda Mole was a facility, no longer existing, that served as a transit and transportation artery for ferries landing in the San Francisco East Bay. It was located on the West end of Alameda , and later became part of the Alameda Naval Air Station...
of the Southern Pacific. A fleet of ferry boats
Ferries of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay in California has been served by ferries of all types for over 150 years. Although the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge led to the decline in the importance of most ferries, some are still in use today for both commuters and...
ran between these piers and the docks of the Ferry Building
Ferry Building
The San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay and a shopping center located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. On top of the building is a large clock tower, which can be seen from Market Street, a main thoroughfare of the city...
on the San Francisco Embarcadero
The Embarcadero (San Francisco)
The Embarcadero is the eastern waterfront and roadway of the Port of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, along San Francisco Bay, constructed atop an engineered seawall on reclaimed land, and derives its name from the Spanish verb embarcar, meaning "to embark"...
.
The East Bay Electric Lines became the Interurban Electric Railway (IER) in December, 1938 in anticipation of the completion the following month of the tracks on the lower deck of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge to the San Francisco Transbay Terminal
San Francisco Transbay Terminal
San Francisco Transbay Transit Terminal, or simply Transbay Terminal, was a transportation complex in San Francisco, California, USA, located roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north–south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east–west by Beale Street and 2nd Street...
. Southern Pacific ended its IER transbay commuter train service in July, 1941.
Lines
The East Bay Electric Lines were originally designated mainly by the names of their principal street routes. They received numbers for Bay Bridge service. The most significant changes occurred as the result of the removal of the Harrison St. bridge between Oakland and Alameda in December, 1923, and the agreement with the Key System in March, 1933, with the Bay Bridge plans in view, to abandon duplicating lines on the basis of which company first served each area.The Oakland Seventh Street Line carried the most passengers, with the Berkeley Shattuck Avenue Line being second in this respect. The total patronage of the system was at a maximum about 1920 and had declined to about half this number by the time of Bay Bridge operation.
- Berkeley, California Street Line - Starting at Thousand OaksThousand Oaks, Berkeley, CaliforniaThousand Oaks is a neighborhood of Berkeley in Alameda County, California. Located at the base of the Berkeley Hills, it lies at an elevation of 239 feet .The principal shopping area is Solano Avenue, along the southern edge of the neighborhood...
station at the intersection of SolanoSolano AvenueSolano Avenue in Berkeley and Albany, California is a two mile long east-west street. Solano Avenue is one of the larger shopping districts in the Berkeley area...
and Colusa Avenues (Colusa WyeWye (railroad)A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
) in Berkeley, via Colusa, Monterey, private right-of-way, California, Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station16th Street StationThe 16th Street Station is one of three original train stations that served Oakland, California at the start of the 20th century. The building was designed by architect Jarvis Hunt who was a preeminent train station architect at that time and the facility opened in 1912...
in Oakland, thence to Oakland Pier. Terminated March, 1933.
- Berkeley, Shattuck Avenue Line (originally Berkeley Branch RailroadBerkeley Branch RailroadThe Berkeley Branch Railroad was a long branch line of the Central Pacific Railroad from a junction in what later became Emeryville called "Shellmound" to what soon became downtown Berkeley, adjacent to the new University of California campus. The line opened on August 16, 1876. The initial...
steam line) - Starting at Thousand Oaks station (Colusa Wye) in Berkeley, via Solano, private right-of-way, Northbrae TunnelNorthbrae TunnelThe Northbrae Tunnel, also referred to as the Solano Avenue Tunnel, was built as a commuter electric railroad tunnel in the northern part of Berkeley, California and was later converted to street use.In 1910...
, Sutter, Henry, Shattuck (stopping at Berkeley StationBerkeley StationBerkeley Station was the name of the principal railroad station in Berkeley, California from 1878 to 1911. It was located in what is now downtown Berkeley, on Shattuck Avenue between University Avenue and Center Street. The tract is today occupied by Shattuck Square and Berkeley Square...
), Adeline, Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to Oakland Pier. Designated Line # 3 (local) and # 9 (express) for Bay Bridge service, re-routed direct to the bridge with no stop at 16th Street Station. During Bay Bridge operation, the last train of the day (early morning) to leave San Francisco was extended from Thousand Oaks along the outer Ninth Street Line to Albany (San Pablo Ave.) because there was no Ninth Street Line service at this time; this was the last IER train when service was terminated in July, 1941.
- Berkeley, Ninth Street Line - Starting at Thousand Oaks station (Colusa Wye) in Berkeley, via Solano, Jackson, private right-of-way, Ninth Street to private right-of-way to Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to Oakland Pier. Designated Line # 5 for Bay Bridge service, re-routed direct to the bridge with no stop at 16th Street Station. Terminated July, 1941.
- Berkeley, Ellsworth Street Line - Starting at Ellsworth and Allston Way in Berkeley, via Ellsworth to Woolsey, Adeline, Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to Oakland Pier. Line shortened one block to Bancroft Way in 1931. Terminated March, 1933.
- Oakland, Seventh Street, Dutton Ave. Line (originally San Francisco and Oakland RailroadSan Francisco and Oakland RailroadThe San Francisco and Oakland Railroad was built in 1862 to provide ferry-train service from a San Francisco ferry terminal connecting with railroad service through Oakland. It subsequently was absorbed into the Southern Pacific Railroad . The track in Oakland was electrified in 1911 and extended...
steam line) - Starting at Dutton Avenue and Bancroft in San Leandro, through the neighborhoods of EastmontEastmont, Oakland, CaliforniaEastmont is a neighborhood in Oakland, the county seat of Alameda County, California. It lies at an elevation of 95 feet . It was formerly an unincorporated community....
(with freight service to a Chevrolet plant), HavenscourtHavenscourt, Oakland, CaliforniaHavenscourt is a neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda County, California. It lies at an elevation of 49 feet .-Schools:Middle schools located in the Havenscourt neighborhood include the Coliseum College Preparatory Academy at Havenscourt, and the Roots International Academy at Havenscourt, which were...
, and SeminarySeminary, Oakland, CaliforniaSeminary is a neighborhood in the East Oakland section of Oakland, California. It is located just north of the Elmhurst neighborhood. Seminary's ZIP code is 94605. It is best known for its close proximity to Mills College....
, via Bancroft, Almond Street, then private right-of-way to 90th Avenue, then Blanche Street to 82nd Avenue, then private right-of-way to Ritchie Avenue, then Beck Street to 73rd Avenue, then private right-of-way to Church Street, then Beck Street to 64th Avenue, then private right-of-way to Seminary Avenue, then Bond Street to private right-of-way leading through MelroseMelrose, Oakland, CaliforniaMelrose is a neighborhood in Oakland in Alameda County, California. It lies at an elevation of 39 feet ....
and along the SP main line tracks through FruitvaleFruitvale, Oakland, CaliforniaFruitvale is a neighborhood in east Oakland, California, in the United States. It is located about two miles southeast of Lake Merritt and is home to Oakland's largest Latino population, with Latinos comprising 49.5% of Fruitvale's population . Fruitvale's ZIP code is 94601...
to 7th Street, then 7th to Oakland Pier. Originally, regular trains operated only as far as Havenscourt, with a connecting train (Suburban Connection) meeting every other train and operating to Dutton Ave. Starting in February, 1924 all trains operated to Dutton Ave., but the last few cars of each outbound train were removed at Seminary Ave., then added to the front of the next inbound train. During rush hour an additional express train operated via Alameda Pier and the Lincoln Avenue line, stopping only at Park St. N. (Alameda), crossing the Fruitvale BridgeFruitvale BridgeThe Fruitvale Bridge is a small drawbridge that crosses the Oakland Estuary. It links the cities of Oakland and Alameda.-Rail Bridge:Immediately adjacent to the Miller-Sweeney road bridge is an out-of service rail bridge...
, joining the Seventh Street line east of Fruitvale Station, and making limited stops to the end of the line. Designated Line # 2 (local) and # 7 (express) for Bay Bridge service, and re-routed via the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland. Starting in March, 1939, all cars operated through to Dutton Ave. Terminated March, 1941.
- Alameda, Encinal Avenue Line (originally South Pacific Coast RailroadSouth Pacific Coast RailroadThe South Pacific Coast Railroad was a narrow gauge steam railroad running between Santa Cruz, California and Alameda, with a ferry connection in Alameda to San Francisco. The railroad was created as the Santa Clara Valley Railroad, founded by local strawberry growers as a way to get their crops...
steam line) - Starting at High St. South, via Encinal, Central, Main, private right-of-way to Alameda Pier. When outbound trains arrived at High St. South, they became inbound Lincoln Avenue trains. For Bay Bridge service, starting at West Alameda, via private right-of-way, Main, Central, Encinal, Fernside, private right-of-way, Fruitvale Bridge, private right-of-way alongside Fruitvale Ave. to junction with 7th St. line at Fruitvale Station. Designated Line # 4 eastbound and # 6 westbound. Terminated January, 1941.
- Alameda, Lincoln Avenue Line (originally San Francisco and Alameda RailroadSan Francisco and Alameda RailroadIn 1863 A. A. Cohen, a prominent San Francisco attorney, together with Charles Minturn, an operator of river steamboats and bay ferries, E. B. Mastick, a prominent Alameda landowner, and others incorporated the San Francisco and Alameda Railroad to provide passenger and freight ferry-train service...
steam line) - Starting at High St. South, via Fernside, private right-of-way to Alameda Station at Park St., then Lincoln to 5th St., then private right-of-way to 4th St., Pacific, Main, private right-of-way to Alameda Pier. When outbound trains arrived at High St. South, they became inbound Encinal Avenue trains. For Bay Bridge service, starting at West Alameda, via private right-of-way to Main, then Pacific to 4th St., then private right-of-way to 5th St., Lincoln to Alameda Station, private right-of-way, Fruitvale Bridge, private right-of-way alongside Fruitvale Ave. to junction with 7th St. line at Fruitvale Station. Designated Line # 6 eastbound and # 4 westbound. Terminated January, 1941.
- Alameda via Fruitvale (Horseshoe) Line (originally Central Pacific RailroadCentral Pacific RailroadThe Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
steam line) - Alameda Pier (or other Alameda location on Lincoln Ave. line) to Oakland Pier via Fruitvale Bridge. An important purpose of this line was to give Alameda residents access to main-line trains at Oakland Pier. Terminated January, 1939.
- Oakland, 18th Street Line - Starting at 14th and Franklin Station, via Franklin to 20th, 20th (alternating with 21st) to West Street, then via diagonal private right-of-way to 18th Street, 18th to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station, thence to Oakland Pier. In 1926, starting at Webster and Second Street via Webster to 20th to Franklin and as before. Terminated March, 1933.
- Oakland via Alameda Pier Line (originally South Pacific Coast RailroadSouth Pacific Coast RailroadThe South Pacific Coast Railroad was a narrow gauge steam railroad running between Santa Cruz, California and Alameda, with a ferry connection in Alameda to San Francisco. The railroad was created as the Santa Clara Valley Railroad, founded by local strawberry growers as a way to get their crops...
steam line) - Starting at 14th and Franklin Station, via Webster, Harrison St. bridge, to private right-of-way to Alameda Pier. Terminated December, 1923.
- Crosstown Streetcar Line - Starting at a loop in front of Oakland 16th St. Station, via 18th St., then via diagonal private right-of-way to West St. to 20th (alternating with 21st) to Franklin, through 14th and Franklin Station to Webster St. to Harrison St. bridge to private right-of-way to Mastick (Alameda) to 8th to Central to Encinal to Fernside to private right-of-way to Lincoln to Mastick and back. Alternate cars went around the Alameda loop in the opposite direction. Some service was to 14th and Franklin only. In December, 1923, all service was cut back to the 14th and Franklin station. Terminated March, 1926.
- Mail trains - Starting in December, 1923, mail trains, usually consisting of one box motor, would load sacked mail several times a day at Oakland Pier and deliver it to Oakland 16th St. Station and to Berkeley Station. Mail from Oakland Pier was also delivered to Alameda Station, in this case using scheduled shop trains of cars being sent from Oakland Pier to the Alameda Shops for maintenance and repair. Terminated November, 1938.
The SP seemed to prefer to have groups of their lines terminate at the same place. Three lines originally terminated at Thousand Oaks in Berkeley, two at 14th and Franklin in Oakland, and two at High St. S. in Alameda. The IER had two lines terminate at Thousand Oaks and two lines at West Alameda.
Equipment
Electrical power at 1200 volts DC was supplied by the SP's own power plant, located on the east side of the Tidal Canal along Fruitvale Ave. Substations were at Thousand Oaks, West Oakland, and the power plant. The trains and streetcars used pantographsPantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
to obtain electrical power from overhead catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
wires. The equipment was maintained at the Alameda Shops, located at West Alameda, on the Oakland Estuary
Oakland Estuary
The Oakland Estuary is the body of water separating the cities of Oakland and Alameda, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. On its western end it connects to San Francisco Bay, while its eastern end connects to San Leandro Bay.-Crossings:...
. During bridge operation routine maintenance was performed at a shop in the Bridge Yards.
The large steel cars, 73 ft. long, used by the SP for its commuter trains were moderately heavy in overall weight but low in weight per passenger due to their huge capacity, 3-2 seating, maximum of 116 passengers. At first they were painted in standard railroad olive green, but were soon painted a bright red and became known as the "red trains" or "big red cars". The first group of cars arrived in 1911 from the American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. One of its subsidiaries was once a manufacturer of motor coaches and trolley coaches under the brand names of ACF and ACF-Brill. Today ACF is known as ACF Industries LLC and is based in St. Charles, Missouri...
(ACF) and consisted of 40 powered passenger coaches (motors), 25 powered combination baggage-passenger cars
Combine car
A combine car in North American parlance, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....
(combos), and 50 unpowered passenger coaches (trailers), some with train controls and some without. They had large rectangular end windows which proved to be a liability for train crews in accidents. Over time these windows were replaced by smaller, distinctive round windows, or "owl-eyes", similar to but larger than those of the Pennsylvania Railroad's MP54
PRR MP54
The Pennsylvania Railroad's MP54 class of electric multiple unit cars was their first and largest class of this type of car. They were initially built for the original Philadelphia-based network of electrified suburban lines and were eventually used throughout the railroad's electrified area...
cars, in all cars except for trailers without train controls, which could not be used at the ends of trains. The second group of cars arrived in 1912 from the Pullman Company
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
and consisted of 10 motors, 4 combos, and 2 powered baggage-express cars (box motor
Box motor
A box motor, in railroad terminology, is a self-propelled boxcar, normally powered by electricity and running on an interurban railway or a streetcar line. Many box motors were converted from passenger cars on the systems that ran them, with the seats and most of the windows removed and large...
s), all with round end windows. The third group of cars arrived in 1924 from the St. Louis Car Company
St. Louis Car Company
The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
and consisted of 6 motors with round end windows, bringing the total number of cars for ferry-train service to 147.
The usual operating practice was that the number of powered cars in a train was at least one more than the number of trailers. Trailers, with or without train controls, were always placed in the interior of trains; train controls on trailers were mainly used in assembling or disassembling trains. As ridership declined and trains became shorter, trailers were primarily used only during rush hour. Combos were used to carry checked baggage to and from main-line trains at Oakland Pier and to deliver bundled newspapers. They were usually put on the end of the train toward Oakland Pier, and most commonly on the Seventh Street Line as far as Havenscourt or Seminary Avenue. When plans for longer routes were not implemented, 21 of the ACF combos were changed to motors at the time they received their round end windows in the 1920s. Due to the heavy grades on the Bay Bridge, 10 trailers were changed to motors in 1938 when all the passenger-carrying cars were modified with automatic train control and other safety equipment for bridge operation. The California Toll Bridge Authority (TBA) funded these changes and received title to 58 cars in return. Originally all the cars carried the name "Southern Pacific Lines" until Bay Bridge service began, at which time the IER-owned cars were repainted with "Interurban Electric Railway Company", but the TBA-owned cars continued to bear the name "Southern Pacific Lines" until the termination of service in 1941.
In addition to the large cars already described, the SP took delivery in 1912 of 20 streetcars from the Pullman Company for its Oakland-Alameda streetcar line. In 1913 it found that they had too many of these cars so they shipped 10 of them to the Pacific Electric (PE). By 1919 patronage had grown so the SP recalled two of the cars from PE.
Lines
The rival Key SystemKey System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
assumed rights to some of the trackage and overhead wires of abandoned IER/SP routes. This had first occurred due to the 1933 consolidation. In March, 1933, a portion of the abandoned California Street line in Berkeley, from about Ada and California Sts., up Monterey Avenue to Colusa Avenue, was used for the Key's Sacramento Street Line (H line) until this line's abandonment in July, 1941. In April, 1941, a portion of the abandoned 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line in East Oakland, from East 14th Street to Havenscourt Boulevard, was used to extend the Key's 12th Street Line (A Line) until October, 1950, when this line was cut back to 12th and Oak Streets. In August, 1941, a portion of the Shattuck Avenue line in Berkeley, from about Dwight Way to the south end of the Northbrae Tunnel was used to extend the Key's Shattuck Avenue Line (F Line). In December, 1942, the F Line was extended further, through the tunnel to the intersection of Solano Avenue and The Alameda. The F-line was abandoned in April, 1958.
Key System streetcars also used the IER Shattuck Avenue tracks from Parker Street to University Avenue until abandonment in November, 1948. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Key System used a portion of the 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line tracks in Oakland on 7th Street, from Broadway to Pine Street, for streetcar service to a shipyard and most of the 9th Street track of the Ninth Street Line for the Richmond Shipyard Railway.
SP freight service continued over parts of the Ninth Street, Shattuck Avenue, Seventh Street, and Lincoln Avenue Lines. An excursion train, pulled by a steam locomotive, was operated over this track in April, 1954, by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association. By 1960, all of this track, except for the part from the Ninth Street Line, had been abandoned.
The most noticeable remaining structures from the SP/IER lines are the Northbrae tunnel, now used to extend Solano Avenue eastwards, turning to the south to connect with Sutter St., and the Alameda shop building, now used by private businesses.
Equipment
After the SP streetcar line was abandoned in 1926, all 12 cars were sold to the Key System.After IER service ended, the TBA separated their 58 cars from the SP's 89 cars. In 1942, the TBA sold 6 motors for scrap in January and then sold their remaining 52 cars to the Houston Shop Corp., which shipped the cars via the SP to Houston. One of the TBA trailers was wrecked in transit, so the SP replaced it with one of their trailers. The SP sent the 2 box motors to the PE, in March and April used 5 trailers for buildings in West Oakland, and stored their remaining 81 cars until they were requisitioned in July and September by the United States Maritime Commission
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...
for use in transporting workers to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
shipyards: 20 trailers to a line in the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, area and 61 cars to the PE in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
where some of them were in use until that system ceased operations in 1961. Many cars were reassigned to other locales during World War II. A few of the cars have been preserved and can be seen at Travel Town in Los Angeles, the Western Railway Museum
Western Railway Museum
The Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California is located on Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of theSacramento Northern Railway...
in Rio Vista, California
Rio Vista, California
Rio Vista is a city located in the eastern end of Solano County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento River Delta region. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census....
(in need of restoration), and the Orange Empire Railway Museum
Orange Empire Railway Museum
The Orange Empire Railway Museum , 2201 South "A" Street, Perris, California, is a railroad museum founded in 1956 at the Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum." The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds.-Background:The collection focuses on Southern...
in Southern California.
See also
- The Key SystemKey SystemThe Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
; another transbay commuter rail system that served the East Bay during the same era.
External links
- 1927 Map of East Bay Electric Lines (almost maximum extent of lines: no Harrison St. Bridge or streetcar tracks on 8th St., Alameda)
- Photos and maps of the red trains in the East Bay
- List of California street railroads
- List of interurban railways