Bulletin Board - East Bay Hills Project

The Latest Update: https://eastbayhillsproject.org/gallery/the-icing-platform-branching-spurs-and-other-yard-secrets/

The Latest Expanded Update: Click Here

John Bosko’s Cheney Challenge: John Bosko of Bosko’s Picture Framing at 6038 College Avenue in Oakland has created a gallery of images taken by Eston S. Cheney during the 1920s and 1930s on his FLICKR website. He is planning to add a few items at a time including images that have not been accurately identified as to place or time. Check this new feature out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/97974762@N00/sets/72157642303771624/. Click on an image and test your knowledge.

Running Text of Past Announcements

August 2023
Electric Trains Battle at the Border – Part 2 – The Oakland-Berkeley Border and the Market Street Solution
Oakland Heritage Alliance, Stuart Swiedler and Ron Hook, Tour Guide
Join us for a walk that will explore the competition between the Key System interurbans and streetcars and Southern Pacific “Red Trains” along the Oakland-Berkeley border in the first half of the 20th century. The tour will focus on the eight electric lines packed between the one mile separating Telegraph Ave. and Sacramento St. The location of the towers at rail crossings, wide avenues, and private right-of-ways used to disperse the lines in Oakland will be retraced to understand their impact on the present day street grid. Emphasis will also be placed on the origins of the jagged border between the cities, preservation of late 19th century Victorian structures, the Lowell St. industrial corridor, and the solution reached to increase the flow of auto traffic once the electric rail era ended in the 1950s. The 4.25 mile walk on level paved streets begins by the parking lot behind the medical building at 2320 Woolsey St. at Telegraph Ave. The date is August 5, 2023.

August 2022
Electric Trains Battle at the Border – Part 1, The Oakland-Emeryville Border
Oakland Heritage Alliance, Stuart Swiedler, Tour Guide
Join a walk that will retrace the routes of the Key System interurbans and Southern Pacific “Red Trains” along the Oakland-Emeryville border to compare and contrast the repurposing of the abandoned corridors in both cities in the 20th century. In addition to the rail-related “Linden Cut”, “Towers of Power”, and the site of one of the most storied SP-Key clashes, late 19th and early 20th century Victorians in the Gaskill and Golden Gate neighborhoods will be contrasted with modern upgrades or new structures along the abandoned corridors. Specific buildings and places to be highlighted will include Temescal Creek, the Golden Gate Library and brick facades along San Pablo Ave., and a visit to “Three-Corners”. The level walk will begin at 40th St. and Linden St., and will cover 3.25 miles plus 0.4 miles back to the start and within a very short distance to many lunch opportunities. The date is August 20, 2022.

November 7, 2021
Stuart Swiedler will present a webinar entitled “The Evolution of Interurban and Commuter Rail Travel in the Bay Area.” The presentation will follow the competition in the private sector to expand rail transportation opportunities using electric trains in the Bay Area in the early 20th century, the decline in rail service starting in the mid-20th century, to the eventual takeover by governmental agencies to provide what exists today. The date is Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 2 PM. Register for this presentation via Zoom at https://lafayettehistory.org/speaker-series-the-evolution-of-interurban-and-commuter-rail-travel-in-the-bay-area/

February 20, 2020
Stuart Swiedler will present at the Oakland Heritage Alliance a talk entitled “How Transportation Corridors and Eminent Domain Changed Lakeshore, Grand Lake and Trestle Glen in the 20th Century.” The date is Feb 20, 2020 at 7PM, OK Stereo, 299 3rd St., 3rd Floor (American Bag Building.) For more information see http://tinyurl.com/oha-events; www.oaklandheritage.org
Lake Merritt and the associated Grand Lake-Lakeshore-Trestle Glen areas of Oakland transitioned mid-20th century from using a streetcar-interurban corridor of transportation along Grand Ave. (22nd St.) to one dominated by the MacArthur Freeway. This presentation will utilize aerial photos, photos by rail enthusiasts, and images from eminent domain records to capture this transition and the associated controversies, and to recreate the architecture and street scenes lost as a result.

January 26, 2020
Stuart Swiedler will present at The Lafayette Historical Society a talk entitled “How Eminent Domain Saved Lamorinda”. The date is Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020 at 2 PM at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center-Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette CA, 94549. More details at http://www.lafayettehistory.org/.
Imagine being told that the land your home sits on will become part of a reservoir that will not even benefit local residents. Or that your back yard was needed for a freeway. Eminent domain refers to the power of the government or its agent to take private property for public use if fair compensation is provided to the owners. This presentation will utilize aerial photographs, images of properties and documents to examine how eminent domain impacted the course of Lamorinda in the 20th century, culminating in efforts to prevent a freeway’s construction.

November 13, 2019
Stuart Swiedler will present “The Controversy in the Way of the MacArthur Maze”.
The design and placement of the MacArthur Maze was the most complex of highway projects in Oakland in the 20th century. This presentation will utilize rare aerial photographs, ground images, and documents to provide a background for the project, and the controversial impact on the California Industries and Orientation Center for the Blind. The date is Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 6 p.m. in the Oakland Main Library’s Walters Auditorium (125 14th Street.) The event is free and open to the public.

July 2, 2019
Walking Tour: The High Road Along Trestle Glen’s Key System B Line
Join a walk that starts at the Lakeshore shopping district and heads up Longridge Rd. to match period photographs to show how the development of Lakeshore Highlands after World War I was coordinated with integrating the Key System B-line. Emphasis will be placed on surviving Key System landmarks, station locations, and walking paths to access the electric train line, and architectural landmarks that have defined the character of this attractive neighborhood. The walk will include several sloped walkways. Tour guides will be Ron Hook and Stuart Swiedler. The date and time are Saturday, July 13, 2017, 10:00 AM -12:30 PM meeting at Trestle Glen Rd. and Wesley Way. See http://oaklandheritage.org/walking-tours.html

April 6, 2019
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member Stuart Swiedler in a program entitled “How the North End of the Sacramento Northern Railway Was Lost. A Photographic Exploration of Globe, Sankey, Oliver, Live Oak, Durham and Colusa”. The presentation will focus on key locations of the railway away from the major cities that were served north of the American river in Sacramento. Unpublished aerial photographs and a significant number of unpublished ground views will be used to document the evolution at these sites. The date is Saturday, May 4, 2019 from 2pm – 3:30pm in the FM Smith Memorial Library. The Museum address is 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.
See http://www.wrm.org/events for more information.

September 27, 2018
Stuart Swiedler will present a program entitled “How We Got to School by Electrics in the Bay Area” to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society on Thursday, October 11TH, 2018 at 8:00PM at the San Rafael Elks Club Carriage House at 1312 Mission Avenue, San Rafael. The free program runs approximately 2 hours overall with intermission. Plenty of parking is available up the hill behind the building. Whether preconceived or by chance, images of electric trains taken by railfans near schools in the Bay Area captured an experience and different way of life unique to the first half of the 20th century. The talk will primarily provide rare images and personal accounts of the use of electric railways and street cars during that period to get teenagers to high school. In addition, a brief extra special electric railways presentation entitled “Wye San Anselmo?” will be viewed based on the impact made on the presenter after two decades of weekend trips traveling between Oakland to Woodacre in Marin County.

July 24, 2018
Stuart Swiedler will present: “Tales About Trails” for the Lafayette Historical Society. The date is Sunday, August 12, 2018 from 2-3PM at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center-Arts & Science Room, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette CA, 94549. More details at http://www.lafayettehistory.org/. How much do you know about the design, creation, the hurdles faced in the creation of two of the East Bay’s most popular public trails, the Lafayette-Moraga Trail and the Iron Horse Trail? Fact versus fiction will be sorted through using images from the middle-third of the 20th Century.

June 23, 2018
Stuart Swiedler will be leading the following Oakland Heritage Alliance-sponsored walk: “Terrace and the Forgotten Trestle”.
The Warren Freeway occupies what was once a wooded canyon that was traversed by the Sacramento Northern Railway between Broadway Terrace and Moraga Avenue. The east side of the canyon was drastically altered, while the west side is relatively preserved. A distinguishing feature is a path leading to the the site of a railway trestle that allowed passage to Glenwood Glade and Fernwood. Join a walk that will include the intact railway right-of-way to the site of the trestle, feature the homes on Estates Drive, and review important natural landmarks including the Sheridan Road “Gap”, The “Elephant Seal” Eucalyptus and the Moraga Avenue “Mound” that impeded the construction of the Mountain Boulevard Freeway. The walk includes several steep uphill and downhill segments, including one on a dirt path. The date and time are Saturday, July 21, 2018, 10:00 AM -12:30 PM. The meeting point is the southeast intersection of Thornhill Drive and Moraga Avenue.
See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-terrace-and-the-forgotten-trestle-tickets-45111605025?aff=web

April 28, 2018
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member Stuart Swiedler in a program entitled “Three Railway Stories: How Abandonment of Their Right-Of-Ways Impacted the Surrounding Communities”. The mid- to late 20th century was characterized by the abandonment of a large number of railway right-of-ways. This presentation will use extensive aerial and ground images to reconstruct the operation of three right-of-ways that experienced vastly different outcomes for further use of the abandoned corridors. The three topics to be addressed specifically are-
-What has become of the 16th Street Sacramento Northern approach to Diamond Match in Chico?
-To what extent was the Southern Pacific San Ramon branch converted to the Iron Horse Trail?
-What was the impact of the loss of SN operation to the loss of architecture within the historic center of Marysville?
The date is Saturday, June 2nd, 2018 from 2pm – 3:30pm in the FM Smith Memorial Library. The Museum address is 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.
See http://www.wrm.org/events

April 21, 2018
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member Grant Ute in a program entitled “Distant Mirror: San Francisco Municipal Railway in 1918” on the centennial of arguably the “high water mark” of the fledgling experiment in public ownership of public transit. The date is Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 2pm – 3:30pm in the FM Smith Memorial Library. The Museum address is 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.
See http://www.wrm.org/events

April 1, 2011
Stuart J. Swiedler will be presenting a talk at the Lafayette Historical Society on April 6, 2011 on the East Bay Hills Project at 3 PM at the Lafayette Public Library. He will be showing primarily images that are not yet on the WEB site. For more information, contact the LHS at http://www.lafayettehistory.org/wp/

June 6, 2011
There seems to be an issue with seeing the list of Landmarks on the Landmark’s page, particularly if you are using Internet Explorer. By clicking on the orange icon below “Click Below to Sign Up for Newest Updates” you will be able to view the updates, and clicking on any particular one will bring them to the Landmarks page. This problem is being investigated to see if there is a way to insure a more continuous feed of the biweekly updates.

September 1, 2011
For some reason, the Landmark list will not accept more than 10 entries, and 11 have been loaded. Please click on the orange symbol just below the “Click Below to Sign Up For Newest Updates” at the bottom of the Updates Page to get the Landmarks from Moraga that are not listed.

September 24, 2011
The WEB site Landmarks page appears to be working well again. As the number of Landmarks entries increases, it is possible to click on the orange symbol just below the “Click Below to Sign Up For Newest Updates” at the bottom of the page to view the order in which they had been added, from the latest to the earliest entry. Finally, additional pictures will be added to existing Landmarks entries and the location of these images will be identified on the Bulletin Board.

September 25, 2011
Additional images to enhance the Landmarks topics previously entered have been added as follows:

Image L3-36 in All Roads Lead to Temescal- Final Configuration in the late 1930;
Image L9-65 in Shafter Avenue Architecture I- Hudson to College, and
Image L12-46 in Orchards of Lafayette’s Burton Valley

October 29, 2011
Esperanza Surls, a teacher at Canyon School and member of the Canyon community, had the following comment on 9/7/2011 regarding the geographic notation of Redwood Canyon on the WEB site:

I also realized I was mistaken in thinking that you had no pictures of Canyon because they are listed under the title “Redwood Canyon.” Was Canyon called that in the old days? When I was growing up here we always called our community and the area along Pinehurst road “Canyon”, and we referred to the area between the south gate of Redwood Regional Park and Skyline along Redwood road as “Redwood Canyon”. That’s why I didn’t realize that you had some good photos of our train stops etc.

The comment is very justified, and the thinking behind the use of Redwood Canyon on the WEB site was intended to be a catch-all term of the region as used by photographers in the 20th century. The section labelled Redwood Canyon was intended to cover everything from the Pinehurst Road – Skyline Boulevard intersection through to the Moraga border at the junction of Indian Creek with the north side of Canyon Road. Prior to WWII, this section of Pinehurst Road was called Redwood Canyon Road (check first map in Mainline Rockridge section), and, according to Contra Costa County Public Works’ records later as Snake Road. Aerials from EBMUD labelled the canyon itself as Upper San Leandro Canyon or Upper Canyon of the San Leandro Creek, reserving Redwood Canyon for the more westerly canyon now occupied by the park of the same name. The SN railroad had several stations or designated areas in the canyon, including Canyon, by the present school, but also Eastport, by the tunnel portal, a major destination stop at Pinehurst, in which they had a real estate interest, and lesser known stops such as Sequioa and, very early on, a flag stop at Wilcox. Today, of course, those terms are not commonly used, but they were clear geographic markers to distinguish parts of the canyon.

But, based on Esperanza’s note, and with agreement from Contra Costa County Public Works, it would be more clear to a 21st century audience to label the section on the WEB site as Canyon. To be as broad as possible, I have labelled the Mainline as “Canyon and Pinehurst” to allow for covering the area traversed by the entire length of Pinehurst Road. I still have some bugs and was unable to change the Landsmark page name from “Redwood Canyon” to “Canyon and Pinehurst”.

Thank you, Esperanza!!!

November 18, 2011
Additional images to enhance the Landmarks topics previously entered have been added as follows:

Images L9-63 and 70 in Shafter Avenue Architecture I- Hudson to College, and
Image L11-57 Shafter Architecture III – East Intersection with College.

January 10, 2012
Thanks to John Harder for providing two additional images for the Landmark, The Sacramento Northern’s Other Tunnel. See images L4-16 and 41.

January 14, 2012
Go see “Before BART: Electric Railroads Link Contra Costa County”, the Contra Costa County Historical Society’s new exhibit at the County History Center, 610 Main Street, Martinez, opens January 17, 2012, with a reception to be held at the History Center on January 21.
http://www.cocohistory.com/

The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member John Harder for a program about the Key System from the late 1940s until abandonment in April 1958. John and his good friend Harre Demoro grew up in the East Bay. As young men, they were fascinated by the Key’s unique rail operations and took hundreds of photographs of the Key System in action. This program will feature music of the era and photos from both John’s collection and from the BAERA Archival collection. Great for all ages. Saturday 1/21/12: 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA.
www.wrm.org/events/upcoming_events.htm

After coming up empty for several years, two previously unidentified images of the Lucille Lane Grade Crossing in Burton from the 1950s were found at the Western Railway Museum Archives. Both images were produced from 35 mm negatives, with L-12-56 from Kodak Safety film and L-12-57 from Tri X. Comparing the two, it is easy to tell which film held up better and produced superior images. Check out Landmark, “Orchards of Lafayette – Moraga Border to Burton Station”.

February 27, 2012
Two talks provided by the East Bay Hills Project will be given in March. One will be at the Contra Costa County Historical Society (CCCHS) in Martinez on Saturday, March 17, at 1 PM (the Society Meeting begins at 12:30 PM), and the other at the Moraga Historical Society (MHS) on Thursday, March 22 at 7:30 at the Moraga Public Library.

The CCHS talk is entitled “HOW AN ELECTRIC RAILROAD IMPACTED THE GROWTH OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY”

Synopsis:
Stuart J. Swiedler, our speaker, will use rare, historic images from the East Bay Hills Project website to trace the considerable role the Sacramento Northern Railroad and the Oakland Antioch and Eastern Railway played in helping populate Contra Costa County and surrounding areas. The route of the Sacramento Northern created a unique transportation corridor connecting Contra Costa and Alameda counties during a period of rapid growth in the early to mid-20th century. Most of the images you will see are not yet on the website and many have never appeared in print or shown in any presentation. Swiedler’s lecture will be held in Martinez at Veterans Memorial Hall located on Ward Street, corner of Court Street.
Guests are welcome
Refreshments will be served following the lecture
Admission: $10 payable at the door
All are invited and encouraged to walk or drive to the History Center at 610 Main Street to view a related exhibit titled: Before BART: Electric Railroads Link Contra Costa County.

The MHS talk is entitled “The East Bay Hills Project: Reconnecting Images of the mid-20th Century to Solve a Mystery involving a Forgotten Railroad”

Synopsis:
The route of the Sacramento Northern Railroad created a unique transportation corridor connecting Contra Costa County to Alameda County during a period of rapid growth in the early to mid-20th century. Photographs of the railroad captured the trains, their daily function, and the surrounding communities. Stuart J. Swiedler, our speaker, will use rare, historic images from the East Bay Hills Project (Eastbayhillsproject.org) to solve a mystery of the location of a place portrayed in an image of the East Bay hills taken by a now deceased former Life Member of the MHS. The images to be presented that will solve the mystery will cover Oakland, Moraga and more. The majority of the images to be presented have not as yet been posted on the website, and many have not appeared in publication or presentation of any form.
Admission is free and all are invited to attend.

April 4, 2012
The next presentation provided by the East Bay Hills Project will be given on May 23, 2012, at the Men’s Breakfast at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, at 7 AM. The address is 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette, CA, 94549. RSVP to bevf@LOPC.org. There is a $5 donation for breakfast. I have been told that a substantial number of the attendees are women, so gender is not an issue.

The LOPC talk is entitled “Historic Lamorinda and the Impact of an Electric Railroad”

Synopsis:
Stuart J. Swiedler will share rare, historic images from the East Bay Hills Project to document changes experienced in the late 1950s and 1960s once the railroad abandoned its operations in Lamorinda. Two portions of southern Lafayette that did not become part of BART will be compared, and the relationship of the railroad to the water supply in Moraga will be discussed. Many of the images you will see are not yet on the website and many have never appeared in print or shown in any presentation.

May 7, 2012
The next presentation provided by the East Bay Hills Project will be given on June 12, 2012, at the Rotary Club of Moraga at the Soda Center of St. Mary’s College at 6 PM. Check out the RCM website for more details, http://www.moragarotary.com/. There is a buffet dinner that costs $15, but there is no need to RSVP.

The RCM talk is entitled “ St. Mary’s College in the mid-20th Century – The Railroad, the War, and Water.” The talk will also include coverage of the Lafayette-Moraga Trail in southern Moraga.

August 10, 2012
The “Click Below to Sign Up For Newest Updates” function has been altered by some outside source. The site is otherwise unaffected.
Links to the latest update titles will now be added at beginning of the Bulletin Board page.

This function has since been repaired.

August 11, 2012
The next presentation will be at the Pleasant Hill Rotary Club on August 23, 2012 at noon at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The address is 1601 Mary Drive, just two blocks west of Contra Costa Blvd, and one block south of Taylor Blvd (Willow Pass Road) in Pleasant Hill. The phone number is : 925-250-6412

The PHRC talk is entitled “Pleasant Hill in the Mid-20 Century Through Aerial Views and Images of the Sacramento Northern.”

August 30, 2012
The next presentation will be a small part of the Moraga Barn 100 Year Anniversary Event on Saturday, September 15 at 8 PM at the Moraga Barn, 925 Country Club Drive, Moraga, CA. There will be a $15 charge for the event that will include admission, a drink ticket, live music and other presentations. The contact is Larissa D. @ 925.376.3486, ext.2018 The presentation will be approximately 20 minutes, focusing on the Barn and a trip from Eastport to the Barn using images from the mid-20th century.

September 14, 2012
The Landmark entitled “Completing the Landvale Link -Broadway Terrace Mystery 1936” may be less of a mystery thanks to the detective work of Craig Sundstrom, who wrote the following in an email:

One small note of correction (or at least the possibility of correction): the 8th and 9th photos in the “Broadway Terrace Mystery” section have to be of the construction of the Mt Blvd underpass instead; the main clue being that the angle formed with the roadway is obtuse on the right/acute on the left, whereas @BT just the reverse is true; I considered the possibility that the negatives had simply been reversed, but there is the additional problem that neither shot shows the large ridge that lies to the west of the ROW.
(This would also make these shots the “missing” close-ups of the MB trestle if it’s the original).

To address Craig’s Comments:
This possibility was never considered when reviewing these specific images which, understandably by the comments made above, did not exactly match all of the landmarks of other images. It was assumed that the images were from a later time of construction. These negatives were all enclosed in a packet from Oakland City Planning labelled “Broadway Terrace Underpass”, and no packets of the Mountain Boulevard Underpass were recovered. The picture shown in the article in the October 8, 1936 Oakland Tribune announcing the opening of the Mountain Boulevard Underpass matches the image L5-40. So, Craig is correct.

Whether the wooden trestle shown in these two images is of a temporary structure or the original structure is still a mystery.

The captions of L5-35 and L5-40 will be modified to acknowledge this very astute observation.

November 28, 2012
The next presentation will be:
Key Events of the 20th Century East Bay Interpreted Through Aerial Views and Images of an Electric Railroad
Speaker: Stu Swiedler
Date: January 19th, 2013 at 2PM
Venue: Western Railway Museum, 5848 State Highway, 12 Suisun, CA 94585 (707) 374-2978
The Museum is approximately 12 miles East of Highway 80, on Highway 12.

The talk will include 10 important categories affected by the SN including electricity, water, and roads, with a special presentation on the important role played by the SN during WWII and how it positively impacted the railroad’s longevity.

December 5, 2012
An influx of more great images over the past year will be followed up with expansion and revision of many Landmarks already posted. A link to each revised Landmark will be placed at the top of this Bulletin Board.

February 8, 2013
The next presentation:
Key Events of the 20th Century East Bay Interpreted Through Aerial Views and Images of an Electric Railroad will be presented at the 2013 Pacific Coast Region – NMRA Convention, Dublin, CA on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 10:30AM in the Tralee Ballroom. The speaker will be Stuart Swiedler.

June 9, 2013
OHA 2013 SUMMER WALKING TOURS
Saturday, July 27, 10 am-12:30 pm

Key Events of the 20th Century East Bay Interpreted Through Aerial Views and Images of an Electric Railroad – A Montclair Moment

The route of the Sacramento Northern Railroad created a unique transportation corridor connecting Contra Costa County to Alameda County during a period of rapid growth in the early to mid-20th century. Photographs of the railroad captured everyday life, and the major events that shaped the development of the East Bay hills. This included the introduction of electricity, water, parks, roads and bridges, building construction, new agricultural products, education, manufacturing, transportation and ultimately the preparation and execution of war. This tour will begin at the southwest corner of Moraga Avenue and Thornhill Drive, follow Moraga Avenue south until entering Montclair Playground and heading east to the Montclair Railroad trail off Mountain Boulevard. The trail will be followed just past the bridge at Snake Road or until the mid-point of the allotted time is reached. The return to Thornhill Drive will follow Mountain Boulevard to the north. All the major events commented on above will be discussed at various points, and several key images will be shared.

On-site, day-of admission: Members $10, General $15.
If you join OHA or renew your membership on the day of the tour ($45 individual, $65 family), you attend the tour for FREE!
http://www.oaklandheritage.org/events.html

August 14, 2013
The Next Oral Presentation in the series of talks under the general heading “Key Events of the 20th Century East Bay Interpreted Through Aerial Views and Images of an Electric Railroad” will be at the Lafayette Historical Society on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 7:00 PM. More details on the location to follow. This will be the same talk given at WRM in January 2013, and at the 2013 Pacific Coast Region – NMRA Convention in April.

August 19, 2013
The next presentation will be:
100 Years of the OA&E, San Francisco to Sacramento
Speaker: Stu Swiedler
Date: September 15, 2013 at 2PM
Venue: Western Railway Museum, 5848 State Highway, 12 Suisun, CA 94585 (707) 374-2978
The Museum is approximately 12 miles East of Highway 80, on Highway 12.

The talk will celebrate the first OA&E San Francisco to Sacramento passenger train trip that took place on September 3, 1913 with images covering the entire system and history.

November 3, 2013
A walking tour through Montclair will be led by Stuart Swiedler on Saturday, November 23, 2013, meeting at 10:00 AM at Thornhill Drive and Moraga Avenue. This walk will be sponsored by the Western Railway Museum. It will be a repeat of the earlier tour sponsored by the Oakland Heritage Alliance. Tickets are just $20 and can be reserved by calling 707-374-2978.

December 12, 2013
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member Evan Werkema for a program entitled “Oakland Terminal Railway – A History and Appreciation”. Evan has amassed a large collection of images documenting the evolution of the original Oakland Terminal Railroad through to the present time. Great for those interested in the history of West Oakland, including the Oakland Army Base, and Emeryville. The date is Saturday 1/25/14: 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

Deecember 30, 2013
All Landmark sections for Chabot Canyon have been updated.

January 31, 2014
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member John Harder in two programs: (1) “All the Way Out Geary: the SF Municipal Railway Electric Line to Playland”, and (2) “The Bay Area Electric Railway Maritime Connections”. John is one of the foremost photo historians of Bay Area transportation. Don’t miss this one chance opportunity. The date is Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

April 18, 2014
Walnut Creek Special! Stuart Swiedler will be presenting a talk entitled “One-Hundred Years of Walnut Creek, And Fifty Years Since the SN’s Gone”. Topics will include where the SN and BART right-of-ways converged, Stan’ Brick House, and the location of the Walnut Creek depot. This talk will be made to a group in The Western Railway Museum Library, so it may be attended by anyone else visiting the museum that day. The date is Saturday, May 3, 2014 from 3pm – 4pm. The address is 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

April 14, 2014
Stuart Swiedler will present at The Western Railway Museum Library a talk entitled “Water and Its Impact on the SN”. Six topics will be covered depicting how the need, use and elimination of water influenced the route, progress and survival of the Sacramento Northern Railway and its predecessors. The date is Saturday, June 7, 2014 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

May 4, 2014
OHA 2014 SUMMER WALKING TOURS
Shepherd Canyon and Tales of the Tunnel – Saturday, July 19, 10 am-12:30 pm

A walking tour on the Montclair Railroad Trail will chronicle the changes in Shepherd Canyon in the 20th century ending at the west portal of the railway tunnel to Contra Costa County. Images of the construction, location, and interior views post-abandonment of the tunnel and west portal will be featured.
On-site, day-of admission: Members $10, General $15.
If you join OHA or renew your membership on the day of the tour ($45 individual, $65 family), you attend the tour for FREE!
http://www.oaklandheritage.org/events.html

August 3, 2014
Concord has now been added to the website. See the Mainline section. Landmarks to follow in the future.

August 4, 2014
Stuart Swiedler will present a talk entitled “The Western Pacific and a Lost Opportunity, the Sacramento Northern Railway” at the Western Pacific Railroad Historic Convention. The Western Pacific Railroad acquired the San Francisco Sacramento Railway in 1927 to gain access to Solano and Contra Costa Counties, and to create a shorter route to the Oakland waterfront relative to the routes of the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe. The primary focus was to increase freight traffic as the prospects for passenger service were on the decline at the time of the acquisition. Although successfully securing freight opportunities during WW II and the Korean War, the need for increased passenger service within Contra Costa and Alameda counties was the more longer term opportunity lost. The date is Saturday, August 16, 2014 from 2pm – 2:50 PM, in the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn at 2200 Gateway Court in Fairfield, CA 94533. Cost for non-members to attend the convention one or both days is $50 right now, at the door will be $60. More information and extra events can be found at http://convention.wplives.org

January 10, 2015
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member John Harder in two programs: (1)“GROWING UP IN THE EASY BAY WITH THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC IN THE 50S”, and (2) “WESTERN PACIFIC STEAM AND DIESEL IN THE BAY AREA”. John is one of the foremost photo historians of Bay Area transportation. Don’t miss this one chance opportunity. The date is Saturday, January 17, 2015 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

January 13, 2015
Tom Panas will present “Railroads in El Cerrito” at the El Cerrito Historical Society’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 7 p.m in the Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito. Tom has collected many excellent photos and will provide much before-and-after information relying on his extensive knowledge of buildings and history in El Cerrito.

January 20, 2015
Stuart Swiedler will present at The Western Railway Museum Library a talk entitled “The Sacramento Northern and the Promise of Agriculture – the Bancrofts and Sparkle, the Holland Tract’s Eden and Deraied by the Conaway Ranch” The date is Saturday,April 18, 2015 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.
Summary:
With passenger revenue declining for the predecessors of the Sacramento Northern Railway in the 1920s, the Western Pacific Railroad obtained these entities to take advantage of the rise in agriculture being experienced in Contra Costa and Yolo Counties. This presentation will employ photographs of the railway and agricultural enterprises to chronicle the fate of the operations in the Ygnacio Valley, the Yolo Panhandle, and the Conaway land holdings skirting the Yolo bypass.

April 19, 2015
Stuart Swiedler will present at The Lafayette Historical Society a talk entitled “Water: A Photographic Journey from the San Francisco Bay to the Sources of the Sacramento River”. The date is Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 7 PM at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center-Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette CA, 94549. More details at http://www.lafayettehistory.org/.
Summary:
We all take for granted the ability to open the tap and enjoy water to drink, bathe in, or use around our homes. Overlooked is the impact of the taming of numerous creeks and diversion of flood waters from the Sacramento River in the 20th century toward development of the East Bay and the surrounding communities. Join Stuart Swiedler, creator of eastbayhillsproject.org, as we board a train, fly in a small plane, and hike in the hills to retell the key events from this period.

May 7, 2015
Stuart Swiedler will present at The West Sacramento Historical Society a talk entitled “The Sacramento Northern and Water: A Photographic Journey from the San Francisco Bay to the Sources of the Sacramento River”. The date is Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 7 PM at the Riverbend Senior Manor, Community Room, 665 Cummins Way, West Sacramento, CA 95605. More details at http://www.westsachistoricalsociety.org/userfiles/file/MayJun2015Newsletter.pdf

June 14, 2015, 2014
OHA 2014 SUMMER WALKING TOURS: Broadway Terrace Mysteries – Saturday, July 18, 10 am-12:30 pm
A walking tour of Broadway Terrace led by Stuart Swiedler will chronicle the mysteries in and around Highway 13 in the 20th century from Temescal Creek to the site of Campi House. This will also include a walk down Glenwood Glade to chronicle the impact of freeway construction. Before-and-after images of the construction of Broadway Terrace, Highway 13, the Sacramento Northern Railway and Temescal Park will be featured. The tour will begin in front of the old Montclair Mart.
On-site, day-of admission: Members $10, General $15.
If you join OHA or renew your membership on the day of the tour ($45 individual, $65 family), you attend the tour for FREE!
http://www.oaklandheritage.org/events.html

October 7, 2015
Stuart Swiedler will present at The Visions of the Wild Water Festival a talk entitled “Water: A Photographic Journey from the San Francisco Bay to the Sources of the Sacramento River”. The date is Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 7 PM at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, 734 Marin St, Vallejo, CA 94590. More details at http://artvallejo.org/events/visions-of-the-wild-h2o-festival-reception-and-history-talk/ or http://www.visionsofthewild.org/tag/welcome/. This talk and the opening reception are FREE!
We all take for granted the ability to open the tap and enjoy water to drink, bathe in, or use around our homes. Overlooked is the impact of the taming of numerous creeks and diversion of flood waters from the Sacramento River in the 20th century toward development of the East Bay and the surrounding communities. Join Stuart Swiedler, creator of eastbayhillsproject.org, as we board a train, fly in a small plane, and hike in the hills to retell the key events from this period.

March 1, 2016
Evan Werkema will present at The Western Railway Museum Library a talk entitled “Western Pacific Excursions”. The date is Saturday, March 28, 2016 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

March 27, 2016
Stuart Swiedler will be making three presentations as follows:

“A Photographic Journey Along The Sacramento Northern Railway: The Railway’s Impact on Key Events in the 20th Century in the East Bay Hills” for the Alameda Historical Society. The date is Thursday, April 28, 2016 from 4PM-6PM at Lakeside Garden Center near Lake Merritt in Oakland. This talk will provide basic elements of the birth and death of the railway and describe its contribution to major events in the 20th century with primary emphasis on Alameda County. http://www.alamedacountyhistory.org/upcoming_events.html

“Industry: The Sacramento Northern in Oroville, Port Chicago to Pittsburg, and Other Spur Stories” at The Western Railway Museum Library. The date is Saturday, April 30th, 2016 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978. This talk will provide detail information on how the SN was able to operate an isolated freight operation in Oroville from 1937-1957, and how it challenged the major transcontinental railroads for freight traffic from Ohmer to Pittsburg. http://www.wrm.org/events

“Ships, Bombs and Steel: A Photographic Journey of the Industry of the North Coast of Contra Costa County in the 20th Century” foro the Lafayette Historical Society. The date is Thursday, May 26, 2016 from at 7 PM at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center-Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette CA, 94549. More details to come at http://www.lafayettehistory.org/. Board a plane or ride the rails to experience the industrial transformation of the north coast of Contra Costa County. Witness the scheme to produce ships for World War I, the struggle of a community to fend off the import of bombs and other nuclear weapons, learn the new names of old towns, and the old names of new towns. Witness how steel drove the economy during the era of bridge building and war.

June 4, 2016
Stuart Swiedler will be leading the following OHA-sponsored walk:
“Chabot Canyon”: Join a walk that starts at Chabot Elementary School and heads east on Chabot Road to learn about the secrets of this picturesque section of Oakland. This will include how the Sacramento Northern berm was created, the origins of the name of Reata Place, the Quarry, the Rockridge Syphon, the Chick House and ends with a walk up Roble Road to review the Heimbold Legacy. The date is Saturday, August 13, 2016 at 10 AM.

August 7, 2016
Steve Lane will present “Bay Point and Clayton Railroad Co. and Cowell Portland Cement Co. Railroad – Rolling Through the Clayton Valley – A Look Back 110 Years After Incorporation” at the Clayton Historical Society Museum, 6101 Main Street, Clayton, CA. The Museum exhibit will open Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 2p.m. and will run through December 2016.
The Talk is Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 7p.m at Diamond Terrace Retirement Living in the Meeting/Dining Hall, 6401 Center St., Clayton, CA. Steve has collected an unsurpassed set of materials covering the operations, events and equipment of this valuable shortline. The talk is very timely – remembering its incorporation August 29, 1906 (110 years ago), and its takeover, in part by the US NAVY in 1946 (70 years ago) – earning its right to be a focal point in discussions of the development of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

August 16, 2016
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member John Harder in two programs: (1) “Light Rail Transit in California”, a look back at the development of California’s light rail systems, and (2) “The Key System East Shore Empire 1939-1958”. John is one of the foremost photo historians of Bay Area transportation. Don’t miss this one chance opportunity. The date is Saturday, September 17, 2016 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

September 3, 2016
Recommended Talk: Steve Lane will present “Bay Point and Clayton Railroad Co. and Cowell Portland Cement Co. Railroad – Rolling Through the Clayton Valley – A Look Back 110 Years After Incorporation”. Steve has collected an unsurpassed set of materials covering the operations, events and equipment of this valuable shortline. The talk is very timely – remembering its incorporation August 29, 1906 (110 years ago), and its takeover, in part by the US NAVY in 1946 (70 years ago) – earning its right to be a focal point in discussions of the development of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.The date is Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

September 18, 2016
Stuart Swiedler will present “Oroville, the Sacramento Northern, and a Photographic Account of the Twenty Years of Railway Isolation, 1937-1957” for the Butte County Historical Society on Sunday, October 16th at 2:00pm at the Ehmann Home, 1480 Lincoln St., Oroville, CA 95965. Mostly unpublished photographs, documents and maps of the area will document a detailed history of the SN in Oroville and how it was able to operate an isolated freight operation. See http://www.buttecountyhistoricalsociety.org/activities.html

April 19, 2017
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member and BART pioneer Bob Townley in a program entitled “BART – What Went Right/What Went Wrong.” He will cover the early history of the BART project along with the problems faced during the ten plus years he was on the BART staff. The talk will end with Lessons Learned and what not to do the next time around. Don’t miss this one chance opportunity. The date is Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

April 30, 2017
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member Stuart Swiedler in a program entitled “How We Got to School by Electrics in the East Bay and Chico.” The talk will primarily provide rare images and personal accounts of the use of electric railways and street cars to get teenagers to high school in the entire Bay Area pre-1950, with special emphasis of the Sacramento Northern in Contra Costa County. The program will end with a detail overview of the Sacramento Northern’s passenger and streetcar operation in Chico that ended in 1947. The date is Saturday, June 3, 2017 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

June 22, 2017
Stuart Swiedler will beleading the following OHA-sponsored walk: “Trestle Glen, 1922. A Transition Moment in Time.”
Join a walk that starts at the Lakeshore shopping district at 625 Trestle Glen Rd., the southwest corner with Wesley Way, and match period photographs to existing landmarks to establish how Indian Gulch was transformed into Lakeshore Highlands in 1922. Learn about the individuals responsible for this transition, the role of the Key System B-line, and other socio-economic factors influencing the character of this neighborhood. The walk will include several sloped walkways. The date and time are Saturday, July 15, 2017, 10:00 AM -12:30 PM.

Daniel Levy will be leading an OHA-sponsored walk of the Key System C Line. Though the trains are gone, their imprint on the neighborhood’s buildings and streets is visible if you know where to look. Join us to see where the trains ran and to see how their existence still affects the neighborhood today. Tour ends on Piedmont Avenue, where you can enjoy lunch. Walk or bus back to BART. A level walk. The tour will begin at MacArthur BART Station underpass on 40th Street. The date and time are Sunday, July 16, 2017, 10:00 AM -12:30 PM.

July 15, 2017
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member Hunter Lohse in a program entitled “Interurbans in Marin County”. This will include rare photos and footage of the electric trains that connected all parts of Marin prior to 1940. Don’t miss this one chance opportunity. The date is Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.

August 8, 2017
The Western Railway Museum Library Program will host BAERA member John Harder in a program entitled “Bay Area Railways – The Life and Times of Harre Demoro”. Harre Demoro was a noted electric rail activist. John was a life-long friend and they made numerous expeditions in search of railroad history. He will review these events in connection with the evolution of Bay Area transportation. Don’t miss this one chance opportunity. The date is Saturday, September 2, 2017 from 2pm – 3:30pm, 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun, CA, 94585, (707) 374-2978.
See http://www.wrm.org/events

November 12, 2017
Stuart Swiedler will present “Going to School in Chico During the Electric Streetcar Era, 1905-1947 ” for the Butte County Historical Society on Sunday, November 19th at 3:00pm at the Adobe Church, 2404 Durham-Dayton Highway, Durham, CA 95938. Mostly unpublished photographs, documents and maps of the area will document a detailed history of the SN in Chico and its electric streetcar and train service and the schools along this route. See http://www.buttecountyhistoricalsociety.org/activities.html

December 24, 2017
Stuart Swiedler will present: “Getting to School in the Bay Area” for the Lafayette Historical Society. The date is Sunday, January 21, 2018 from 2-3PM at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center-Arts & Science Room, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette CA, 94549. More details at http://www.lafayettehistory.org/. The talk will primarily provide rare images and personal accounts of the use of electric railways and street cars to get teenagers to high school in the entire Bay Area pre-1950, with special emphasis of the Sacramento Northern Railway in Lafayette and surrounding central Contra Costa County.