Freights by the Lake in the Forties and Fifties

Once passenger service ended in 1941, freight traffic on the SN became more common during daylight hours, and Lake Temescal became a favorite spot to photograph them. This post abandonment north view by John Harder from the spring of 1957 shows many of the key landmarks of the SN track in this section.

L114-05-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 1 of 27)

A low level aerial oblique view from Oct. 1946 provides a view to the south of where Tunnel Rd. veered to the east, and California Rd. 13 continued as the Landvale Rd.

L114-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1175, Deatil, (Image 2 of 27)

This detail from L114-10, a south view from Oct. 1946, shows the SN right-of-way and complements the view in L114-05.

L114-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1175, (Image 3 of 27)

Although not the topic of his landmark, images of passenger excursions such as this west view of MW 302 in 1948 did provide additional information about structures along the track, such as the telephone booth, and the lake itself.

L114-20-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 4 of 27)

Now for the freights. EK Muller chased the last freight with Birney streetcar car 62 from 40th St. to Walnut Creek, and caught SN 653 pushing the train up the grade along the first section of the park from his perch on Broadway. Note the road through the trees along the right side or west of the train. Feb. 28, 1957 is the date.

L114-25-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 77370sn, (Image 5 of 27)

The Landvale Rd. towering above the right-of-way is featured in this southeast view by Al Thoman as SN 661 approaches the Broadway underpass on Feb. 2, 1950. If you are curious about what is indicated on the sign above the road, read on...

L114-30-Al Thoman Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 20423sn, (Image 6 of 27)

The sign is of interest in that it is indicating you missed the connection with Broadway for the Caldecott tunnel. Note the PG&E moniker to the left. Southeast view, Feb. 2, 1950.

L114-35-Al Thoman Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 20423sn, Detail, (Image 7 of 27)

Views of passenger trains that included bathers at the lake were a popular image in the second half of the 1930s, but this southeast circa 1950s image by Don Olsen of SN 661 and helper navigating this freight provides as much beach scenery that could be found among freight photos of this genre.

L114-40-Don Olsen Photo, Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Archives, 90459sn , (Image 8 of 27)

Now a northwest view by Norman Smith from wartime of SN 660 along the beach area about to enter the section bordered by rocks to the west and highway to the east. This image managed to catch a few cars in the lot along the Broadway or north side of the lake.

L114-45-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 52316sn, (Image 9 of 27)

Further to the south, a 2012 northwest view in the rock section along the trail that replaced the right of way.

L114-50-Stuart Swiedler Photo, Courtesy Stuart Swiedler, (Image 10 of 27)

Tom Gray managed to squeeze along the rocks and stay clear of the track on Apr. 22, 1950 to capture SN 605 and SN 606 pulling their load, northwest view.

L114-55-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 11 of 27)

Just as SN 605 had a motor partner-in-tow in SN 606, so did Tom Gray in the person of Al Thoman, here delivering a similar northwest view from Apr. 22, 1950 in living color.

L114-60-Al Thoman Photo, Courtesy Al Thoman , (Image 12 of 27)

With the Landvale Rd. descending further south, SN 654 is seen emerging from the rocks and trees starting its path along the road circa 1952. Oakland-native Tom Buckingham’s shot also captured the western portion of the dam, just to the left of the motor.

L114-65-Tom Buckingham Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 54310sn, (Image 13 of 27)

It was along this section and continuing to the south that panoramic oblique views of the freights against the lake could be framed, such as this striking northwest view from Oakland’s Fred Matthews of SN 653 and freight in Jan., 1957.

L114-70-Fred Matthews Photo, Courtesy Anonymous Donor, (Image 14 of 27)

And if one excellent photo deserves another, L114-70 served as a perfect complement to this southwest view of a freight with SN 653 in the lead and 652 on the rear along the southern portion of the park, taken by the same photographer just months before on Sept. 22, 1956. The road directly above the lead motor is Broadway Terrace.

L114-75-Fred Matthews Photo, Courtesy Anonymous Donor, (Image 15 of 27)

Atop Upper Rockridge, Wil Whittaker experimented with kodacolor circa 1942 or later, northeast view.

L114-80-Wilbur C Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke, (Image 16 of 27)

Now for a trip from the rock section to the Broadway Terrace overpass. First, Arthur Lloyd caught SN 670 heading towards Montclair in this northwest view from 1951 along the spur track.

L114-85-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 17 of 27)

Only weeks away from railway abandonment, Richard Kampa was there to document SN 652’s climb to the switch track where the spur took off from the mainline. Northwest view, Feb. 9, 1957.

L114-90-Richard Kampa Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58315sn, (Image 18 of 27)

A stopped train at Temescal as documented here in this southeast view circa 1952 by Reg McGovern was not uncommon, but not necessarily due to switching freight or delivery of goods. Delayed passage took advantage of off-peak hour electricity costs, or allowed shifting the number of motors to contend with the steep grades in the Oakland hills. See “SN Operating Rules Through he Oakland Hills” by Robert Campbell, Sr. at http://www.wplives.org/sn/power.html

L114-95-Reginald McGovern Photo, Courtesy Reginald McGovern, (Image 19 of 27)

However, trains did move freight from the spur, here evidenced in Tom Gray’s northwest view of a SN 603 from 1950 showing the train entering the mainline.

L114-100-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 20 of 27)

This sequence of three images compiled by Norman Smith shows SN 660 after it had left freight off on the spur sometime during WWII. Ref: Left, 90563sn; Right, top, 90562sn; Right, bottom, 56028sn.

L114-105-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 21 of 27)

The long freight shown in this Dave Gumz photo, northwest view circa 1950, has passed the spur switch, telephone booth and block signal as it precedes toward Broadway Terrace.

L114-110-Dave Gumz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 90546sn, (Image 22 of 27)

Another well-framed image of a freight showing the surrounding details, undated north view of SN 605 in the lead.

L114-115-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 82388sn, (Image 23 of 27)

Arthur Lloyd’s northwest view from May 1947 of a SN 653-led freight takes us closer to the park’s southern border.

L114-120-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 24 of 27)

For completeness, one pair of photos showing a freight approaching and leaving from a set spot is included. Arthur Lloyd provides a perfect set from Oct. 17, 1945, showing SN 605 and freight approaching in this north view ...

L114-125-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd , (Image 25 of 27)

... and with SN 660 in the rear, southeast view, Oct.17, 1945. Note in the distance, from right to left, the last set of rock with the Broadway Terrace overpass behind it, the parking lot for Hamilton’s Market, 22 Glenwood Glade towering over the market, and Caldwell Rd. to the extreme left.

L114-130-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 26 of 27)

To leave with an unanswered question, this undated Peter Kyhn northeast view with the Lake Temescal Park southern entrance, shows a freight with SN 661 on the rear bringing the Bidwell parlor car to some point west. Based on the car parked by the park entrance, possibly for the 1941 final passenger excursion ...

L114-135-Peter Kyhn Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 69435sn , (Image 27 of 27)