Packing Pears at the Bancroft Shed

Once east of the Walnut Creek overpass, SN trains approaching the Bancroft and Minert Road intersection would first encounter the fruit shed of the Bancroft family’s Mount Diablo Fruit Farm-Aloha Fruit Farm on the northwest corner, followed by this little shelter on the southeast corner, still intact in 1948, east view.

L128-05-Tom Buckingham Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 54490sn, (Image 1 of 23)

With the Bancroft Rd.-Ygnacio (now Valley Rd.) Ave. intersection in sight, Clyde Sunderland took this northwest oblique circa 1956. Alot of the history about the Bancrofts, Hookston and the water-agriculture axis in Contra Costa County in this view, but for now the subject at hand. See the detail, next. Ref: brk00017187_24a

L128-10-Clyde Sunderland Photo, Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 2 of 23)

A detail of L128-10, the northeast view marks the SN path from the easterly crossing of Las Juntas Rd., yellow arrow at SN grade-crossing crossbuck, the obscured SN crossing of the Walnut Creek, red arrow, the fruit shed area, white arrow, and the former location of the passenger shelter, green arrow. Ref: brk00017187_24a

L128-15-Clyde Sunderland Photo, Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 3 of 23)

To match L128-15, the 1939 aerial shows the SN Walnut Creek overpass, red arrow, the fruit shed area with four boxcars on its spur, white arrow, the passenger shelter, green arrow, and a boxcar on the Stewart Fruit Co. spur, blue arrow. The shed and its spurs survived into 1958, right panel. Full Ref.: USDA AAA Western Division, BUU 280-64 from Jul 25, 1939; 1958 aerial courtesy CCC Planning Department

L128-20-Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society , (Image 4 of 23)

As would be expected, at the near completion of the BART test track, northeast view from April 12, 1965, the shed and Stewart Fruit Co. spur were gone.

L128-25-SF BARTD Photo, Collection of Harre Demoro, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 5 of 23)

For clarification, this composite shows the three spurs between Pleasant Hill and Bancroft. The Sparkle spur, left, has been presented in the landmark, “Did Phil Bancroft Create Sparkle”, with the associated photo by Richard Kampa, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum, 58314sn. What follows will describe the spur for the Stewart Fruit Farm, far right, and then the spur to the Bancroft shed, center.

L128-30-Courtesy California Board of Equalization and BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 6 of 23)

This figure from July 26, 1928 shows the juxtaposition of the Bancroft property to the west of Bancroft Rd., to that of the spur crossing Minert Rd to the Stewart Fruit Co. shed. The latter orchard was the property of EA Smith and was never purchased by the Bancrofts, and an image of the associated shed has not been found.

L128-35-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 36417sn, (Image 7 of 23)

An empty right-of-way was almost a necessity to capture the small spur that crossed into the orchards on the south of Minert Rd. Northeast view, 1950. An additional loading platform for the Bancroft shelter is seen at the left edge.

L128-40-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 80306sn, (Image 8 of 23)

Finally to the Bancroft fruit shed, here seen in a southwest view from June 22, 1941, with the shelter, SN 1014 and a refrigerator car on its associated spur. The half-mile railroad crossing sign refers to the crossing of the Southern Pacific San Ramon line at Las Juntas.

L128-45-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 60295sn, (Image 9 of 23)

A nearly identical image to L128-45, but this southwest view was taken on May 18, 1948 with MW 302 at Bancroft on an annual inspection. The man in front of the train is longtime SN motorman George Hademan.

L128-50-Robert Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 47211sn, (Image 10 of 23)

A more westerly view circa 1950 with MW 302 and some of the details of the east side of the shed.

L128-55-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 11 of 23)

As to the color of it all, this west view from the May 18, 1948 annual inspection with MW 302 provides the answer.

L128-60-Robert T. McVay Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 98555sn , (Image 12 of 23)

The Bancroft Station shelter survived the cessation of SN passenger service and WWII. It was present during the the BAERA excursion with MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on July 4, 1950, left, but gone by the excursion with MW 302 on Nov. 29, 1953, right.

L128-65-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, l, Courtesy BAERA. W. Railway Museum Archives, 164587, r, (Image 13 of 23)

Moving closer to the shed, this west view from a 1945 inspection train with MW 300 and either MW 301 or 302 in tow show the numbering above one of the shed doors, and the catenary wire above for the spur to the shed.

L128-70-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 98582sn , (Image 14 of 23)

This north view shows SN 1012 leading a trailer past the shed in July 1940. The open doors signal fruit packing activity, but did anyone ever capture the process? The answer is yes, but first, some documentation about the shed to make its history complete.

L128-75-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 81619sn , (Image 15 of 23)

First, the origins of the shed, here provided from a lease documenting the transfer of it from Earl Fruit Co. to the Bancroft brothers in Dec. 1928. The Earl Fruit Co. was ubiquitous across California, and an excellent history can be found at http://vasonabranch.blogspot.com/2011/05/earl-fruit-company.html. Note that by 1929, the Bancroft brothers were in full-swing expanding their prize-winning, pear-growing operation.

L128-80-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38602sn , (Image 16 of 23)

Although the letter from the Bancrofts could not be found, this exchange between the SN President Harry Mitchell and WP Industrial Overseer JW Grace from Sept. 1945 is of interest. Perhaps the Bancrofts had a prescient notion that the SN would abandon the line in mid-1964, resulting in this attempt to renew the 20-year lease in 1945 versus 1948.

L128-85-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38602sn, (Image 17 of 23)

Finally to Paul Smith’s documentation of freight activity at the Bancroft shed, all circa 1940, starting with this southwest view of SN 602 at mile 30, half-a-mile from Las Juntas, ready for work. Note the take-off of the spur from the mainline.

L128-90-Paul Smith Photo,Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 55767sn, (Image 18 of 23)

Down the spur comes SN 602 and crew in this southwest, circa 1940 image. Note the presence of the Walnut Creek overpass along the left margin in the background.

L128-95-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 94257sn, (Image 19 of 23)

SN 602 is seen coupling to some Pacific Fruit Express “reefers” in this northeast view with a passing two-car passenger train led by SN 1008.

L128-100-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 94255sn , (Image 20 of 23)

SN 602 has two PFE reefers on the mainline inching toward the creek overpass, north view, circa 1940. Are they done or is more switching in store? We will never know.

L128-105-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 94256sn , (Image 21 of 23)

Sometime in the 1940s, SN 606 aids the pear harvest with a long row of reefers in this northeast view with the mile 30 marker in view.

L128-110-Aitkins Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162568sn, (Image 22 of 23)

The last west-bound freight to Oakland with SN 652 and SN 653 as helper move inactive engines 650, 660, 651 on Feb. 27, 1957 in this northeast view. The city of Walnut Creek has been traversed, onward to the section on Concord.

L128-115-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 87390sn, (Image 23 of 23)