Getting to Know Shell Point - East Bay Hills Project

This late 1950s WP circular, left, indicates that Shell Point was an important customer for the three railroads along the North Coast of Contra Costa County. The 1953 Thomas Bros. map, right, identifies Shell Chemical in West Pittsburg, today Bay Point. More on Ambrose next.

L182-05-Courtesy Bruce Eldridge and Contra Costa County Public Library, (Image 1 of 41)

This 1914 map supports the listings in books about the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe that Ambrose was a passenger stop 3.5 miles west of Pittsburg until the end of WWI. It was later referred to as “Brose”. Ref: Ref: Weber's CCC 1914 G4363.1914.W4

L182-10-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University California, Berkeley, (Image 2 of 41)

Back to Shell Point, this east facing oblique aerial taken west of McAvoy from Jan. 20, 1951 shows the the three railroads passing the Shell Chemical Plant. A closer view follows.

L182-15-R.L. Copeland Photo, Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 7275, (Image 3 of 41)

An east view of the Shell Chemical Plant from Jan. 20, 1951, with the McAvoy-Port Chicago Highway intersection in the lower left corner. The turquoise arrow denotes a set of three trestles for the railroads across a creek, and will be referred to later in SN mileage terms as mile 43 trestle. The orange arrow indicates a cluster of trees.

L182-20-R.L. Copeland Photo, Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 7275, Detail, (Image 4 of 41)

This agriculture-related map from 1939 indicates the area had been invested in hay and grain. According to Dean McLeod’s “Bay Point”, Shell Chemical built their plant specializing in ammonia production on Ambrose Ranch in 1928. A pictorial review of George Russell aerials of this territory prior to this construction follows. Ref: G4363.C6J1 1939 .C6.

L182-25-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University California, Berkeley, (Image 5 of 41)

This north view circa 1920s shows McAvoy toward the upper left. Two details follow. Ref: API 578_23_BOX 72

L182-30-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, (Image 6 of 41)

From the west or left side of L182-30, this detail shows McAvoy at the left, mile 42.6 for the SN, and the mile 43 trestle, marked in L182-20. Ref: API 578_23_BOX 72

L182-35-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 7 of 41)

From the east or right L182-30, this detail shows the mile 43 trestle at the left, and the cluster of trees marked in L182-20 at the right. This establishes that the Shell plant was built to the right or east of this image. Ref: API 578_23_BOX 72

L182-40-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 8 of 41)

Based on the previous discussion, this north view circa 1920s shows the cluster of trees now in the center of the image. Two details follow. Ref: API 578_26_BOX 72

L182-45-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission , (Image 9 of 41)

From the west or left side of L182-45, the mile 43 trestle is in the center, and the cluster of trees is to the east or right border. Ref: API 578_26_BOX 72

L182-50-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 10 of 41)

From the east or right side of L182-45, the cluster of trees is now to the west or left border, and everything to the east or right would correspond to the site of the future Shell plant. The total size of the Ambrose ranch has not been determined, but this has to be a part of it, extending to the south as well. The cluster of trestles in the background corresponds to the SN mile 43.5 trestle. Ref: API 578_26_BOX 72

L182-55-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 11 of 41)

To complete the series of north views circa 1920s, the section to the east of the future Shell plant is shown corresponding to where the SN started its approach to the subway that would bring the line to the north of the SP and SF. Ref: API 578_25_BOX 72

L182-60-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission , (Image 12 of 41)

George Russell also took southwest-directed obliques from the north, starting with this image that included the SN mile 43 trestle. Ref: API 579_3_BOX 73

L182-65-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission , (Image 13 of 41)

A detail of the three trestles for the SF, SP and SN, foreground to background, respectively, corresponding to SN mile 43 trestle. Ref: 14 API 579_3_BOX 73

L182-70-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail , (Image 14 of 41)

Heading further east, this southwest-directed oblique captures the cluster of trees to the right and the western border of the soon to come Shell plant. Ref: API 578_5_BOX 71 thru 74

L182-75-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission , (Image 15 of 41)

A detail from L182-75 features the cluster of trees and three trestles for the SF, SP and SN, foreground to background, respectively, this time corresponding to SN mile 43.5 trestle. Ref: API 578_5_BOX 71 thru 74

L182-80-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail , (Image 16 of 41)

A detail from L182-75 of the two homesteads along what will become the Willow Pass Rd. Ref: API 578_5_BOX 71 thru 74

L182-85-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 17 of 41)

A final detail from L182-75 featuring the right-of-ways of the SF, SP and SN, foreground to background, respectively, east of the trestle trio including the SN mile 43.5 trestle. Ref: API 578_5_BOX 71 thru 74

L182-90-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail , (Image 18 of 41)

Now back to where this tour left off at the McAvoy Rd. crossing, these comparative aerials mark a large industrial site, orange arrow, that was not present in 1939.

L182-95-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 19 of 41)

A closer view of what had started as Acme Steel is estimated to have been built in the 1970s based on historicaerials.com and telephone directories. Now occupied by ITW Angleboard, it is the only remaining industry in the East Bay serviced by original SN track, and can only be approached from the west via the SP-SN interchange at McAvoy.

L182-100-Courtesy Bing Maps, (Image 20 of 41)

After negotiating three switch tracks, Union Pacific trains today enter the main spur to Angleboard, an east view on the left, a west view into the facility on the right, both from 2016.

L182-105-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 21 of 41)

A east view, left, and west view, right, along the inactive secondary spur, both images from 2016. The east view also reveals a pile of unused track to the south. Details to follow.

L182-110-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 22 of 41)

Detail on the rails from the manufacturer, right, and the year, 1942.

L182-115-Steven Lane Photos, Courtesy Steven Lane, (Image 23 of 41)

Back on the SN mainline, further to the east was Shell Chemical, here shown in a north-oriented vertical from 1965. The SN spur took off close to the plant, yellow arrow, while the SP spur, now UP, red arrow, originated much further east beyond the SN subway. Ref: US Dept. of Agriculture, AAA Western Division Aerial, RG 77 NRHS Acc Number 077-99-01 Box 9, Folder 5

L182-120-Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco , (Image 24 of 41)

A east view, left, and west view, right, from 2016 documents the remains of the switch for the SN spur into Shell. Based on aerial photographs, the spur was severed at about the time of the WP-UP merger in the 1980s.

L182-125-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 25 of 41)

Four views from 2016 starting with a west view of the truncated spur, upper left, an east view, upper right, respectively; the take-off point of the spur, west view, lower left, and east view, lower right, respectively.

L182-130-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 26 of 41)

Walking further to the east is a grade crossing for the three railroads across a gravel path that leads to Suisun Ave. Here is shown a west view from 2016 down the SN right-of-way back toward the spur remains to Shell.

L182-135-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 27 of 41)

An east view at the grade crossing, 2016.

L182-140-Stuart Swiedler Photo , (Image 28 of 41)

The gravel road crosses the ex-SP, now UP, spur to Shell, the land occupied in 2016 by Criterion Catalysts and Technologies.

L182-145-Stuart Swiedler Photo , (Image 29 of 41)

A southwest view of the UP spur where it entered the Criterion site in 2016.

L182-150-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 30 of 41)

Based on this letter and the diagram of the rail connections onto Shell that follows, the SP and SN continued serving the plant into the 1960s.

L182-155-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38642, (Image 31 of 41)

Shell Chemical plant rail connections, 1961.

L182-160-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38642, (Image 32 of 41)

Images during the electric era taken from the McAvoy crossing to the east were displayed in the previous section, “Switching at McAvoy with Dave Stanley”. No photographs from the electric era between that location and the Shell Chemical plant spur have been identified. This may be do to no road access between McAvoy and Suisun Ave. as indicated along the orange line in the Thomas Bros. map from 1953.

L182-165-Courtesy Contra Costa County Public Library, (Image 33 of 41)

The SN right-of-way became accessible at Suisun Ave., and this northeast view from Apr. 1941 shows SN 1010 and trailer running next to the SP spur to Shell Chemical. The SN trestle at milepost 43.85 has not yet been covered, but it did not survive into the 1950s as will be shown later.

L182-170- Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 134282sn, (Image 34 of 41)

Here is SN 1010 also from 1941, but this time with two trailers heading east in this west view. All the details match the previous image, including the SN trestle at milepost 43.85.

L182-175-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 93698sn, (Image 35 of 41)

One decade later, SN 654 moves a long freight past the same location, west view.

L182-180-Robert P. Townley Photo, Courtesy Robert P. Townley , (Image 36 of 41)

SN 143 and the End-of-an-Era excursion passenger cars reach the same spot in this west view from Apr. 12, 1964.

L182-185-Courtesy Charles Smiley, (Image 37 of 41)

A north aerial oblique from Dec. 14, 1970 covers the area from the McAvoy crossing, left, until Suisun Ave. parallels the SN tracks, right. Details follow.

L182-190-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C3285-14 , (Image 38 of 41)

The western section of the north aerial oblique from Dec. 14, 1970 is shown here. The major details remain the same.

L182-195-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C3285-14, Detail , (Image 39 of 41)

The eastern section of the north aerial oblique from Dec. 14, 1970 shows the cluster of trees and the Shell Chemical plant to the east.

L182-200-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C3285-14, Detail , (Image 40 of 41)

The initial descent to the West Pittsburg subway can be discerned in the distance in this 2016 east view, the destination of the the next update on this North Coast tour.

L182-205-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 41 of 41)