North Bay and College Avenue to UC Berkeley

The display of electric train scenes along Bay Area High Schools (HS) continues with this circa 1930 flight by George Russell with a north view of Mill Valley in Marin County. Ref: Index_515_SLC_515-1930

L198-05-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission, (Image 1 of 33)

A closer look at this north view shows a school, a railway, and railway tower. Ref: Index_515_SLC_515-1930

L198-10-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 2 of 33)

To dissect the aerial, first this circa 1908 north view of the new Tamalpais HS taken from what would become Almonte Blvd. in Mill Valley with the Northwest Pacific Railroad, NWP, platform to the right or east.

L198-15-Mercantile Advertising Co. Photo B-112, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 21482nwp, (Image 3 of 33)

Construction of the school is not yet complete, but this circa 1908 northwest view shows individuals leaving the school and waiting on the station platform.

L198-20-Mercantile Advertising Co. Photo B-109, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 21488nwp, (Image 4 of 33)

NWP 310 as a two-car train approaches the HS station platform in this northwest view from 1908. The individuals in this close-up look like adults, possibly the first set of teachers and administrators for the new building.

L198-25-Mercantile Advertising Co. Photo B-110, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 21479nwp, (Image 5 of 33)

Vestibule steel motor 383 awaits students and school officials in July 1937, Northwest view.

L198-30-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 8734nwp, (Image 6 of 33)

The front of the school is now visible in this Sept. 9, 1940 northwest view of school and unidentified steel motor.

L198-35-Roy Covert Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 20154nwp, (Image 7 of 33)

NWP school trains were generally five cars, so based on this train’s location on the switch near NWP Tower no. 2, this particular train is heading directly north and not to Tamalpais H.S. Trains to Mill Valley heading north from Sausalito had to cross the opposite track, so the tower insured against collisions from an oncoming south-bound train.

L198-40-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Coutesy John Harder, (Image 8 of 33)

Next to Napa, where in 2019 the St. Helena HS original building is covered by trees, but in 1919 it was clearly visible as in this west view with a passing all-steel San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga car. This car was originally a Visalia Electric RR car, then a Peninsula Electric RR car.

L198-45-L.F. Brown Photo, Courtesy Harry Aitken, (Image 9 of 33)

Key System car 993 as an outbound 6-line car sits in front of Oakland Technical HS on Broadway in this southwest view from June 23. 1946, just months before operation on this line would cease.

L198-50-Peter Kyhn Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58464ks , (Image 10 of 33)

Continuing on the 6-line heading north, Key System car 987 line 6 inbound has entered onto Broadway off College Ave. approaching Coronado Ave. The former Treadwell Mansion, at this point part of the California College of Arts and Crafts, is on the National Register of Historic Places. East view, Sept 1946.

L198-55-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79800ks, (Image 11 of 33)

Key System employee Peter Kyhn continued his documentation of the 6-line before its abandonment on Sept 30, 1946 with this northeast view up the southern-end of College Ave. The in-bound streetcar has company in the form of a Ford Transit Rockridge bus, June 23, 1946.

L198-60-Peter Kyhn Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58463ks , (Image 12 of 33)

Now to start north on College Ave., this image taken just past where the street splits off Broadway on Jan. 7, 1947. The two travelers wait for a bus since the Key 6-line had been abandoned the previous fall.

L198-65-Clyde Sunderland Photo, No. 17536 B, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 13 of 33)

An outbound Key 6-line car reaches Shafter Ave. in this southwest view taken from the steps of Claremont Middle School on June 23, 1946. No SN freights are in sight, so it is safe to proceed.

L198-70-Peter Kyhn Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58459ks, (Image 14 of 33)

Same southwest view in 2017, and one of the rare places in the East Bay where an a electric train remains in the 21st century where one or more had served prior to 1950.

L198-75-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 15 of 33)

Now a look at the Claremont Middle School as inbound 988 checks for SN freights on Shafter Ave. in this northeast view from Sept. 1946.

L198-80-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 44332ks, (Image 16 of 33)

On reaching Claremont Ave., Key car 962 meets more tracks and interurban E-line bridge-unit 128 in Aug. 1946, southwest view. A transfer to the interurban is in order for kids attending Muir School ...

L198-85-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 93626ks, (Image 17 of 33)

... as seen to the left as this Key E-line bridge-unit reaches Claremont and Ashby, Mar. 1958, southwest view.

L198-90-Roy Covert Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 96267key, (Image 18 of 33)

Key System 6-line streetcar 994 makes the big turn at Bancroft Way with the UC Berkeley’s Campanile well in sight. The license plate of the car indicates it is 1946 or earlier, northwest view.

L198-95-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 19 of 33)

Key System streetcar 808 picks up a customer on Bancroft Way circa 1946, east view. The cupola of UC Berkeley’s International House can be seen in the distance.

L198-100-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 20 of 33)

Once on Bancroft Way, and west of Telegraph, the Key 6-line had company. Here car no. 987, a Key K-line Alcatraz streetcar, sits by Bancroft and Telegraph ready to return after dropping passengers off at the university. The K-line eventually turned east up Alcatraz Ave. and would meet the 6-line at College Ave. East view, circa 1946.

L198-105-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 21 of 33)

Here at Bancroft Way and Fulton St., the other streetcar line that shared the track west of Telegraph with the College 6-line was the Telegraph 5-line. Here two 5-line cars, nos. 804 and 803, hold court in this east view by Edwards Field near the intersection, circa 1946.

L198-110-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 22 of 33)

Traveling north from Bancroft Way, Fulton St. becomes Oxford St., and streetcars heading this way would turn onto University Ave. on the final approach to the Berkeley Station. East view of 6-line car 278, June 23, 1946, with UC Berkeley in the background.

L198-115-Peter Kyhn Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58469ks, (Image 23 of 33)

Those heading to the university from North Berkeley could take the Euclid-Arlington 7-line, here shown with streetcar 932 in a north view on Apr. 24, 1948 at Oxford St. and University Ave. Note the white top of the car, emblematic of the takeover by National City Lines in 1946 and a sign of impending doom for the remainder of the system in Nov. 1948.

L198-120-Peter Kyhn Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58449ks, (Image 24 of 33)

A north view of Berkeley High, and Key 352 is westbound on Grove St., now Martin Luther King Way, between Allston and Bancroft Way. The car is returning after a farewell parade with banner on Nov. 27, 1948, for tomorrow would be the last day of service.

L198-125-Victor DuBrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 70903ks, (Image 25 of 33)

Now looking south by Berkeley HS, you may wonder what a Telegraph 5-line streetcar is doing on Grove St. The 5-line was combined with the Grove St. 3-line for five months in 1919, and on Mar. 31, 1946 until service was terminated on Nov. 28, 1948.

L198-130-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 26 of 33)

East Shore and Suburban car 327 is seen heading southbound on San Pablo Ave., passing Franklin School and Virginia St., and closing in on Francisco St. and the Raspiller Brewing Company. The streetcar line would be consolidated with other East Bay electric lines to form the San Francisco, Oakland Terminal Railway in 1912, about when this photo was taken.

L198-135-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 11393ks, (Image 27 of 33)

Here shown is a northeast view from 1951 of the Eunice St. bridge along Henry St. in North Berkeley with a three-unit F-line interurban. All remains of that bridge are gone, but the grade separation of the street remains as a reminder. A slice of the School of the Madeleine appears on the left.

L198-140-Courtesy Western Dominican Province Archives, (Image 28 of 33)

After crossing the bridge, another Key F-line trains consisting of three bridge units passes over the Eunice St. bridge along Henry St. in 1941 heading to Berryman Station in this northeast view. The tracks to the local rail yard are seen in the lower right corner.

L198-145-Dave Merrill Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 44198ks, (Image 29 of 33)

Just one year before, 1940, the track was part of the Southern Pacific’s Interurban Electric Railway, IER. In this northwest, the presence of the School of the Madeleine can be seen from the Berryman St. station platform.

L198-150-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 70160ier, (Image 30 of 33)

A similar northwest view as the previous image, but here from Dec. 1941 with the Key F-line now in place.

L198-155-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 105759ks, (Image 31 of 33)

This northwest view captures the crossing of the double-track Southern Pacific California St.-line and the Key Sacramento St. H-line in 1921 along with the Rose St. tower as seen from Rose St. In the distance is the Peralta Park Hotel, housing St. Joseph’s Academy Grammar School since 1903. St. Mary's College HS moved to the park grounds in 1927, technically in the city of Albany. This building was razed in 1959.

L198-160-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 25355ier, (Image 32 of 33)

The SP would abandon the California St.-line tracks in 1933, and they would be reconfigured by the Key System to allow its H-line to take up that route to the north, while abandoning their tracks on Hopkins St. A view south to the Rose St. bridge in 1941 confirms this, the bridge still present in 2019.

L198-165-Maynard Coll., Bob Burrowes Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 107275k, (Image 33 of 33)