Shafter Avenue Architecture V- Presley to Ross and Transition to the Private Right-of-Way

SN 653 passes no. 5701 Ross St. as it heads east on Shafter Ave. in Sept 1956, southwest view. Nothing in this image survived the 1960s except that SN 653 has been preserved and is operational at the Orange Empire Railway in Perris, CA.

L25-05-Fred Matthews Photo, Courtesy Anonymous Donor, (Image 1 of 20)

This update will examine the section of SN track around the area of Ross St. where the public right-of-way transitioned to private land. Southwest view, Apr. 8, 1953.

L25-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3300-40, Detail, (Image 2 of 20)

This review will begin with northeast views along this image, northeast view, Apr. 8, 1953.

L25-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3300-41, Detail, (Image 3 of 20)

This east view of SN 1018 from Sept. 20, 1939 shows the east corner of Presley Way, bottom left, with a hedge surrounding the grounds of a private school east to Ivanhoe Rd. Fred J. Jackson lived at no. 5937 Shafter Ave., right, identifiable by the open double doors and the sign advertising his services as a plumber.

L25-20-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy Donald Duke , (Image 4 of 20)

Further east on Shafter, SN 1019 sits just west of the private right-of-way, between Ivanhoe Rd. and Ross St. The double roof line of no. 5701 Ross St. is visible at the top left. Temescal Creek ran to the west of this house, where the bushes are visible.

L25-25-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 53167sn , (Image 5 of 20)

This southwest view toward the intersection with Ivanhoe Rd. from June 29, 1941, captures Cal-Nevada-sponsored excursion train SN 1014-1005-Bidwell on its return from Pittsburg to San Francisco.

L25-30-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives,93717sn, (Image 6 of 20)

Now for a southerly view down Ross St. to see the last freight train west of Lafayette, Feb. 28. 1957, with SN 652 in the lead.

L25-35- John Holt Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 108287sn, (Image 7 of 20)

Facing east in this Jan. 28, 1954 image, the right portion shows the delineation of the homes on the south side of Shafter Ave. up to the private path for the SN. The homes present on the western side of Patton St., also destined for demolition in a decades time, come into view in the upper right.

L25-40-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 8 of 20)

At least 10 years prior to L25-30, this east view with a long freight led by SN 604 shows the absence of houses on Patton St. as predicted by the comparison of 1939 to 1956 in L25-05.

L25-45-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 51720sn , (Image 9 of 20)

SN 661 has just passed onto the private right-of-way, with a northwest view of the Tudor-style homes on Ross St. in this circa 1952 image.

L-50-Courtesy Reginald McGovern, (Image 10 of 20)

This passenger era southwest view shows the most easterly home on the south side of Shafter Ave. Note the rear of the homes above the train along Keith Ave. The pairing of SN 228 and SN 1014 invokes the memory of the Northern Electric and Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroads, respectively.

L25-55-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 53222sn, (Image 11 of 20)

SN 1022 is about to clear the last home on the south side of Shafter Ave. providing a southwest view of the same homes seen in L25-10 plus the palm tree just west of no. 5937 Shafter.

L25-60-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 56641sn, (Image 12 of 20)

Art Lloyd recorded three consecutive east views on Jul. 8, 1945 of motorman George Hademan directing a SN 604 and 603-led freight to a halt at the transition of the Shafter Ave. private right-of-way. In addition to appreciating the scene itself, the images also supply additional architectural features to the area.

L25-65-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 13 of 20)

With dust swirling, the freight appears to have come to or approaching a full stop. Compare the elaboration of the phone and electrical poles, and the position of the palm tree in this figure versus L25-50 for orientation. East view, Jul. 8, 1945.

L25-70-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 14 of 20)

This final shot of the sequence adds additional architectural information and completes this survey of Shafter Ave. from Presley Way to the private right-of-way. East view, Jul. 8, 1945.

L25-75-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 15 of 20)

The section of Shafter Ave. from Presley Way to just east of Ross St., red line, stayed relatively unchanged between 1939 and 1956. More details to follow next. 1939, Ref. BUT-BUU-289-66, top; 1956, Ref. G4364_B5_A4_1956_R6_no.116-2, bottom.

L25-80-USDA AAA Western Division, RM Towill, and Earth Science and Map Library, UC Berkeley, (Image 16 of 20)

The south side of Shafter Ave. and north side of Keith Ave. in this 1956 aerial were cleared for BART and Highway 24 in the mid-1960s. Additional houses present in 1939 and cleared, green circles, houses built between 1947 and 1956 and cleared, red circles, and between 1939 and 1946, blue circles. The yellow circle indicates a house built after 1946 that survives. Ref. G4364_B5_A4_1956_R6_no.116-2

L25-85-RM Towill Photo, Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 17 of 20)

The removal of homes from the cross streets ending at Shafter Ave. is best appreciated by this east view up Miles Ave. from the corner of Ivanhoe Rd. of the on and off ramps for Highway 24.

L25-90-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 18 of 20)

A southwest view of the transition zone for the right-of-way with a repainted MW 302 on excursion, Nov. 23, 1953.

L25-95-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 130719sn, (Image 19 of 20)

SN 660 sits opposite Clover Dr. on the private right-of-way, but the line of gondola cars to the west with SN 652 at the rear still traverses the public roadway in this southwest view from Sept. 7, 1956. Nothing in this image exists today, save for SN 652. It continues to supply parts to its operational sister motor, SN 654, at the Western Railway Museum in Suisun, CA.

L25-100-Fred Matthews Photo, Courtesy Anonymous Donor, (Image 20 of 20)