Central Moraga – Moraga Creek to the Barn

The next two Landmarks will provide ground-level images of central Moraga from Moraga Creek to the St. Mary's-Moraga Road divide. The map is from 1941, also courtesy California State Railroad Museum, SBE 862 7 2 -001.

L7-05-Courtesy California Board of Equalization, 862-1-1D, (Image 1 of 16)

The SN route between Moraga Creek and the Moraga Barn was a northeasterly straightaway with numerous landmarks, such as the Moraga School, left, the Moraga Barn, center right, and the SN station in the background to the right of the barn. North view, undated.

L7-10-From the Collection of the Moraga Historical Society, Moraga, CA, (Image 2 of 16)

A detail from a southwest directed oblique aerial from 1935 shows all the landmarks to come, directing attention first to where the SN crossed Moraga Creek.

L7-12-Pacific Aerial Suveys, Courtesy East Bay Regional Park District, USNPS-11-E, (Image 3 of 16)

An SN trestle mile marker, such as this one at mile 18.12, identifies the Moraga Creek crossing. The pear trees to the east, right, block signal up ahead, and position of the posts provide valuable markings for other images. Northeast view, no date.

L7-15-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 52434sn, (Image 4 of 16)

SN 1014 has passed the Moraga School and heads to the station in this southwest view circa 1940.

L7-18-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 72398sn, (Image 5 of 16)

Well composed images such as this southwest view capture the Moraga School label above the doorway of the school. The 670 numerals on the former Tidewater Southern TS 106-SN motor were used between 1948 to 1954 according to Demoro's "Sacramento Northern".

L7-20-Courtesy California State Railroad Museum, CSRM 33369, (Image 6 of 16)

More subtle is this southwest view from June 30, 1941 of SN 661 entering Moraga. The end of the passenger service era is signaled by the return of the cars from Oakland to Chico. The journey of this train will be chronicled in later updates.

L7-23-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 50632sn , (Image 7 of 16)

Even when buildings are obscured by a long freight as in this southwest view from May 1947 with SN 653, the pear trees and background hills are unmistakeable for Moraga.

L7-24- Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 8 of 16)

Other images, such as this southwest view from a July 4, 1950 excursion with MW 302 and Salt Lake & Utah Parlor car 751, require a more careful inspection to appreciate the Moraga School behind the railcars.

L7-25-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 9 of 16)

From this southwest angle, also July 4, 1950, all the markings of the hills and poles are needed to place the scene to the same area as the previous two photos and not some uninhabited wilderness.

L7-30-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 10 of 16)

SN 605 leads this freight eastward to the crossing at what is today Country Club Drive, formerly the old Moraga Highway, Munster Street, in this undated southwest view. SN 605 was renumbered 645 in 1953 according to Demoro’s “Sacramento Northern”.

L7-35-Fred Matthews Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 51844sn, (Image 11 of 16)

MW 302 and Salt Lake & Utah Parlor car 751 have finally reached the Moraga station in this southwest view from the July 4, 1950 excursion. Note the Moraga Grocery in the background, and the multifunctional Moraga Barn, and Al Thoman and Tom Gray getting into Al’s Packard to race ahead of the train for the next photo opportunity!

L7-40-JG Graham Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 46807sn, (Image 12 of 16)

All aboard MW 302 and Salt Lake & Utah Parlor car 751 in this south view from the July 4, 1950 excursion. Note the proximity of the pear orchard to the east of the station.

L7-45-AJ Thoman Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 35918sn., (Image 13 of 16)

The sequence of train movements will be repeated many times until the final train made its way through Moraga under slight drizzle on Feb. 28, 1957, southwest view.

L7-49-Louis L. Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 75315sn, (Image 14 of 16)

SN 652 and the last freight have arrived at the station on Feb. 28, 1957, southwest view. More images of this last ride through the hills will be covered in future updates.

L7-51-Louis L. Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 75314sn, (Image 15 of 16)

Between the carefully restored Barn by Canyon Construction, and the Willow Spring Church, the south view in the lower panel from Country Club Drive remains vacant. The site of many SN photos, sewer lines now run below out to the School Street pumping station.

L7-55-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 16 of 16)