San Ramon, Terminal Redux

After leaving Danville and heading south, the next destination of importance during the Southern Pacific, SP, San Ramon Branch operation would have been Osage at mile 56.4 according to Irma Dotson in her book, “San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific”.

L272-05-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 1 of 40)

Southwest views of the Sycamore Valley Rd.-Highway 680 interchange from 1965, left, and 1977, right, highlight the significant housing developments added to the area during this interval. This should be kept in mind in the presentation to follow as aerials from the 1960s will be partnered with ground views from the late 1970s.

L272-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 11404-7, l, 20824, r , (Image 2 of 40)

The Mar. 26, 1950 California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society excursion with SP 1792 provided a few difficult-to-localize images of the train in this section, north view.

L272-15-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 116092sp, (Image 3 of 40)

Dan Engstrom took this southeast view in Feb. 1978, left, denoting the addition of a distinctive type of electrical transmission pole just north of the Sycamore Valley Rd. grade crossing on the east or left side of the tracks. The matched image from 2022, right, is a reminder that the Iron Horse Trail deviates from the right-of-way for the last 200 ft. or so to the road crossing, trees now obscuring the pole of interest. The insert confirms the pole type on the south side of the road.

L272-20-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, l, Stuart Swiedler Photos, r, (Image 4 of 40)

A series of wires across the track as in this south view of SP 2596 and boxcars heading back to Danville on Sept. 7, 1978 by Wayne Monger, left, allow for matching the same location on the Iron Horse Trail just north of John Baldwin Elementary School in 2022, right.

L272-25-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, l, Stuart Swiedler Photo, r, (Image 5 of 40)

The subtle difference in the position of the wire holders relative to the pole is documented in this northwest view at the El Capitan Dr. grade crossing from Dan in Feb. 1978, left. In 2022, right, the first house seen on the west, or left side, remains the only one not obscured by the tree growth of 44 years.

L272-30-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, l, Stuart Swiedler Photos, r, (Image 6 of 40)

The westward curve south of the El Capitan Dr. grade crossing can be located in this southeast-directed aerial from Feb. 11, 1965 amongst the orchards at Osage. Irma Dotson explains the name was derived from seeds of the Osage tree from Ohio that R. O. Baldwin brought when he started his farm here. One small structure is seen to the east of the right-of-way at the curve initiation.

L272-35-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 11404-7, (Image 7 of 40)

The diagram in Irma Dotson’s book shows no depot, but a long siding with a spur to a warehouse on the west side of the track. The image from 1939 shows the small structure to the east as in the previous aerial, yellow arrow, and what could be a warehouse of the proportions shown in the diagram on the west side, turquoise arrow. The warehouse is not present in the aerial from 1965.

L272-40-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 8 of 40)

Later in 1965 on Dec. 14, the northwest view on the left taken south of Greenbrook Dr. shows the early stages of the new highway. The enlarged version on the right, the placement of which is shown by the orange box on the left, shows an additional structure on the east side of the track at Osage, yellow arrow.

L272-45-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 12313-2, (Image 9 of 40)

From Osage, the next two major landmarks were the bridge at the most southerly crossing of San Ramon Creek, and the SP’s San Ramon rail-related facilities further south. The turquoise arrow is to indicate that there is a slight shift in the trail at Fosteria Way, but the shift is still well within the area of trackage at San Ramon.

L272-50-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 10 of 40)

The northwest aerial view from Apr. 13, 1961 was taken south of where Norris Canyon Rd. meets State Rd. 21 or San Ramon Valley Blvd., left, the central part of town. The area with the train bridge is boxed in orange and enlarged on the right. The bridge structure is barely visible over the creek, but the tell-tales, red arrows, on either side of the bridge that warned the brakemen on the top of cars that an obstacle was approaching can be seen. Modern air brakes made their function obsolete, but for whatever reason as seen in earlier updates, the SP left the structures in place into the 1960s.

L272-55-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 8082-4, (Image 11 of 40)

Now ahead to Feb. 1978, Dan’s image shows a one-of-a-kind wire holder just south of El Capitan Dr. on the way to the bridge, left. That unique structure still sits on the pole south of El Capitan Dr. in 2022, right.

L272-60-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, l, Stuart Swiedler Photos, r, (Image 12 of 40)

The bridge is now in view in Feb. 1978, left, the replacement that was placed toward the end of 1988 is shown on the right from 2022, right. Note the tell-tales are no longer in place.

L272-65-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, l, Stuart Swiedler Photos, r, (Image 13 of 40)

Two more views of the bridge, a northwest view taken by Dan in Feb. 1978, left, and a south view taken by Wayne on Sept. 7, 1978, right.

L272-70-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, l, Stuart Swiedler Photo, r, (Image 14 of 40)

With the creek now to the west of the track, Dudley Westler was taken by the view of the valley to the east as his train sped north during the Mar. 30, 1952 California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society excursion.

L272-75-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, Dudley Westler Photo, 119461sp, (Image 15 of 40)

Viewed from the north, the track turned back to the east after the creek crossing and continued southeasterly to San Ramon and the warehouses seen in the distance in this aerial view from Feb. 11, 1965. This would be the end of the line for freights coming from the north at this time.

L272-80-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 11404-7, (Image 16 of 40)

Having finished the big curve past the creek, Wayne captured SP 2596 and a boxcar destined for Pacific Supply Co. in this northwest view taken on Sept. 7, 1978, left. This spot is just south of Greenbrook Elementary School, the last two houses south of the school, nos. 120 and 121 Danforth Ct., are still there in 2022. On the right, the sign post for the San Ramon stop just north of Crow Canyon Rd. is seen in a southwest view, the white facing of no. 121 Danforth Ct. as a marker in the distance.

L272-85-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 17 of 40)

Two more images to the north from Wayne at the flag stop, from Sept 7, 1978 on the left, and the last train on Sept 19, 1978 coming to get the last empty boxcars, right. As Irma Dotson wrote, San Ramon was the original southern terminus of the line from 1891-1909. Originally there was an engine house, turntable and depot building at this location, the latter dismantled in 1927.

L272-90-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 18 of 40)

Irma Dotson pointed out some very interesting facts about San Ramon. Unlike Danville, the depot was one-half mile east of the town center. The railroad site had the largest single siding, 4325 feet, and the most total siding, 6042 ft., relative to anywhere else on the branch. By 1939, the area north or left of Crow Canyon Rd. where the depot, turntable and engine house were located was bare, the operation reduced to warehouses south of the road.

L272-95-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 19 of 40)

Railfan Tom Buckingham had no fear of heights as demonstrated in other images shown along the branch, and his north view during the May 4, 1947 California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society excursion with SP 1795 was no exception.

L272-100-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, Tom Buckingham Photo, 54871sp, (Image 20 of 40)

Irma Dotson shows a picture of the small replacement “depot” the SP had installed at San Ramon, and noted that Armand Borel had purchased it from the SP in the early 1940s. Robert L. Stein’s image on the left shows the building on the Borel farm on Feb. 26, 1948, while it was still in decent shape. Arthur Lloyd’s image on the right from the May 4, 1947 California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society excursion with SP 1795 shows that once clear of the last warehouse, nothing else was in view to the northeast.

L272-105-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 47451sp, l, 116060sp, r , (Image 21 of 40)

Two views from Dan’s Feb 1978 trip to the geodesic dome just north of Crow Canyon Rd., viewed from the north, left, and from the south, right. The self standing dome was erected by Pacific, Gas and Electric Co. in 1972 to serve as a technology center for experimentation.

L272-110-Dan Engstrom Photos, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, (Image 22 of 40)

Likewise, Wayne documented switching activities of SP 2596 at Pacific Supply Co. on Sept. 7, 1978 that also captured views of the dome in northwest, left, and north, right, views.

L272-115-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 23 of 40)

Pushing further south, Dan took these two southeast views approaching the last of the station’s warehouses on the west or right, and Pacific Supply Co., on the east or left.

L272-120-Dan Engstrom Photos, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, (Image 24 of 40)

Wayne took several images of trains switching at Pacific Supply Co. Here presented are three images on SP 2596 in action making the most of the single spur to get the empties out and leave a full boxcar behind. Note the grade crossing for Norris Canyon Rd. in the background.

L272-125-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 25 of 40)

SP 2596 and freight are ready to head back to Danville, Sept. 7, 1978, south view.

L272-130-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 26 of 40)

Of course, Wayne followed the last freight movement on Sept. 19, 1978 to San Ramon. Northeast, left, and northwest, center, views of SP 2634 on the spur track, and ready to bring the last set of empties back north in an east view, right.

L272-135-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 27 of 40)

Just south of the Norris Canyon Rd crossing, two views are shown from Mar. 24, 1976 of a tie tamping machine. Wayne Monger explained that the line south of here was used less than once yearly at this point in time, but even minimal track maintenance and inspection were necessary due to the stored SP boxcars seen in the distance. The planted ties on both sides of the tamper were to make certain that it would not be used by some creative railfans for a midnight ride over the San Ramon Branch.

L272-140-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 28 of 40)

Before explaining about those stored boxcars, two sets of aerials are shown starting with this comparison bringing the line and trail to the level of Bollinger Canyon Rd.

L272-145-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 29 of 40)

The northwest-directed oblique, left, is from Apr. 13, 1961, taken south of where the Bollinger Canyon Rd. interchange with Highway 680 is in 2022. The orange box places the image on the right, showing the guts of the SP San Ramon operation, and a long string of boxcars to the south. Using this section as a storage site meant that free access was blocked for through freight service, the line requiring locals coming from Ozol and Pleasanton.

L272-150-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 8082-3, (Image 30 of 40)

Wayne took the southeast views of the line of boxcars in March 1971, left, and on Feb. 7, 1976, right. Note the change in pole type. He explained that “the branch was the favored storage location for retired boxcars that were eventually heading for the Purdy Company's scrapping location in the business park at Benicia. They were brought in from the Walnut Creek side, where the locomotives ran around the cars at Danville, then were shoved south past the Norris Canyon Rd. crossing. I never did see any boxcar trains come up from Radum-Pleasanton, as there would have been a problem of leaving a caboose on the wrong end of a cut of cars for storage.” 

L272-155-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 31 of 40)

The northwest-directed aerial from Apr. 13, 1961, left, was taken just north of where the Acosta Blvd.-Highway 680 interchange sits in 2022. The turquoise arrow points to Forest Home, then belonging to the Boone family, a historic park in 2022, and the green and red arrows point to two creek overpasses that have been eliminated for the trail. The detail on the right is the contents of the orange box on the left, showing the full expanse of stored boxcars at this time.

L272-160-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 8082-2, (Image 32 of 40)

The next set of comparative vertical aerials covers the area of the Bollinger Canyon Rd.-Highway 680 interchange along the top, north, and Pine Valley Rd. along the bottom, or south. Not much to say about the railroad or the present trail …

L272-165-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 33 of 40)

… but the next segment, the last one for which there is a 1939 counterpart, shows the creek that flowed through Forest Home, green arrow, a useful marker in upcoming images, and the location of the branch line’s Forest Home flag stop. According to Irma Dotson’s research, the only structure there would have been the Boone’s warehouse, a victim of a fire just before this aerial was taken. Collectively, there are no ground images of this stop.

L272-170-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 34 of 40)

Appreciating how few roads existed in this section of Contra Costa County, these two maps will aid in the process of reviewing aerials from the 1960s to the early days of Highway 680. In particular, interchanges only existed initially for Crow Canyon Rd. and Alcosta Blvd., and those in bordering in Alameda County once Highway 580 replaced Route 50. Ref: 175-G4363 A3P2 1964 C3, l; 175-G4363 A3P2 1972 C3, r

L272-175-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 35 of 40)

With those maps in mind, the southwest-directed aerial on the left from Apr. 13, 1961 shows the crossing of State Highway 21 and Dublin Blvd. along the bottom, and early housing developments in Dublin. The orange box covers area around the railroad, right, the blue arrows marking the electrical transmission towers that still closely follow Pine Valley Rd. in 2022. The two creek overpasses are color coded to match those in L272-160.

L272-180-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 8082-1, (Image 36 of 40)

The outline of the new highway and Alcosta Blvd. interchange at the Contra Costa-Alameda Counties border highlight this northwest-directed aerial on the left from Feb. 11, 1965. The turquoise arrow points to the Boone family’s Forest Home. The contents of the orange box are shown on the right, the most northerly of the two rail creek crossings, green arrow, would be located between Pine Valley Rd. and Montevideo Dr. in 2022 if it still existed.

L272-185-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 11405-3, (Image 37 of 40)

Wayne took this southwest image in Feb. 1971 from the Montevideo Dr. crossing. The change in and around the rail bed in the distance is the position of the most northerly of the two creek overpasses just reviewed. The electrical transmission towers following the line are the ones that will be replaced by 1976 as shown in L272-155. The position and number of the electrical transmission towers crossing the valley also confirm the image’s placement.

L272-190-Wayne Monger Photos, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 38 of 40)

Backing away to the south of the Highway 680-Alcosta Blvd. interchange on Feb. 11, 1965, left, almost directly east of the Boone family’s Forest Home, turquoise arrow, the detail within the orange box, right, shows the most southerly of the two rail creek crossings, red arrow.

L272-195-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 11405-9, (Image 39 of 40)

The Interstate Commerce Commission authorized the SP on July 18, 1978 to abandon the section from Willow Pass Rd. to Alcosta Blvd., the northwest view from the latter taken by Wayne Monger in Jan. 1979. The track to the north would be removed quickly. Appreciation to Wayne and Dan Engstrom for their invaluable photos and insights. Next time, pushing south.

L272-200-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 40 of 40)