Las Juntas and Treat Boulevard - East Bay Hills Project

This northeast panoramic view over Main St. in Walnut Creek shows the SP crossing of the BART test track and the Treat Blvd. grade crossing on Mar. 3, 1969.

L214-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-28, Detail, (Image 1 of 31)

Once below Hookston, the Iron Horse Trail follows the single-track abandoned rail line with only a minor wiggle at Las Juntas.

L214-10-Courtesy Google Earth, (Image 2 of 31)

The area between Hookston and Las Juntas, turquoise rectangle, had one unofficial crossing of the line at the extension of Oak Park Blvd, today Coggins Ln., marking the beginning of the path south through unincorporated county land and Las Juntas, red rectangle. North view, Mar. 3, 1969.

L214-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-23, (Image 3 of 31)

A southeast overhead view at the extension of Coggins Ln., Mar. 3, 1969.

L214-20-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-20, Detail, (Image 4 of 31)

The catenary poles of the SN were still up on Mar, 10, 1957, 10 days after abandonment south of Lafayette and transition to diesel traction, when this southeast view was taken of the SN-SP crossing at Las Juntas.

L214-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5397-4, (Image 5 of 31)

The same southeast view, now ahead to Mar. 3, 1969 with replacement of the SN by the BART test track.

L214-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation 15606-26 Detail , (Image 6 of 31)

The rail crossing has been covered in the “Landmarks” section from the perspective of the SN right-of-way. Starting here along the SP axis is a north view from circa 1947. Left to right, note the SN Las Juntas shelter, the oval “stop” signs, a rare view of freight on the 683-foot interchange track, and the SP Las Juntas signpost.

L214-35-Tom Buckingham Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 54286sn, (Image 7 of 31)

North, left, and south, right, views of MW 320 on the interchange track during a BAERA-sponsored excursion on Nov. 29, 1953 highlight the SP flag stop signs. Irma Dotson points out the original designation by the SP for this location was Septimus, the derivation of which is unknown.

L214-40-Victor DuBrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 77481sn, l, 77480sn, , (Image 8 of 31)

A purported accidental encounter of MW 320 on the interchange track with SP 2831, tender and caboose on the mainline on June 12, 1954. It is not known why the locomotive was out for the day, but it may be the latest known documentation of a steam engine on the SP tracks.

L214-45-Victor DuBrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 80121sn, (Image 9 of 31)

After the SN handed over the right-of-way to BART, the crossing was dismantled and only a small section of SN track remained buried within the Las Juntas Way-Del Hombre Ln. intersection as the test track took shape in the distance in late 1964, northeast view.

L214-50-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 10 of 31)

By Mar. 1965, the BART test track was taking shape over the SP tracks, south view. Note the presence of extra long railroad ties on the SP, corresponding to the position of the interchange track with the SN.

L214-55-Louis L. Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 89616sn, (Image 11 of 31)

The abandoned SN right-of-way remained plainly visible in this west view of the Las Juntas area from Mar. 3, 1969 providing direct evidence that the spot where BART crossed the SP is not exactly where the SN crossed. Note as well that the large electrical poles remain on the west side of the track through Las Juntas.

L214-60-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-21, Detail, (Image 12 of 31)

South view of the BART elevated structure from Feb. 1978.

L214-65-Dan Engstrom, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, (Image 13 of 31)

The ride back to Concord for Dan Engstrom coincided with a BART train overhead, south view Feb. 1978.

L214-70-Dan Engstrom, Courtesy Dan Engstrom, (Image 14 of 31)

This north view from Sept. 7, 1978 of SP 2596 approaching the BART overhead structure nicely documents how the electrical towers flipped just south of Hookston to the west side of the right-of-way where they had been in Concord.

L214-75-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 15 of 31)

Moments later, SP 2596 and freight are now headed to the Treat Blvd. grade crossing, northeast view, Sept. 7, 1978.

L214-80-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 16 of 31)

A curve was introduced into the path of the Iron Horse Trail to insure that pedestrians and bikers crossed the road to the north of the BART crossing at the crosswalk. North view, 2018.

L214-85-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 17 of 31)

This aerial view looking south above the Pleasant Hill BART Station from July 10, 1973 continues this southerly overview of the straightaway to the Treat Blvd. grade crossing.

L214-90-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C4181-6, (Image 18 of 31)

After the track was removed in late 1979, the right-of-way became an extension of the BART parking lot as documented in a similar south view circa 1980s.

L214-95-Dept. of Public Works, Courtesy Planning Division, City of Walnut Creek, (Image 19 of 31)

A west view of the 1980s Pleasant Hill BART Station before the large parking garage was built showing the secondary use of the SP right-of-way.

L214-100-Dept. of Public Works, Courtesy Planning Division, City of Walnut Creek, (Image 20 of 31)

Just south of the Las Juntas crossing was the grade crossing for Treat Blvd., seen on Mar. 3, 1969 in the left and middle panels in a north view, and a northwest view in the right panel. Note how the tall electrical poles flip to the east side of the track just north of the grade crossing.

L214-105-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-23, l,m, -22, r, (Image 21 of 31)

The last train to Danville-San Ramon on Sept. 19, 1978 is shown crossing the Treat Blvd. grade crossing from a northwest view.

L214-110-Wayne Monger Photo, Courtesy Wayne Monger, (Image 22 of 31)

An northwest view of the abandoned Treat Blvd. grade crossing in the ca. 1980s, and ...

L214-115-Dept. of Public Works, Courtesy Planning Division, City of Walnut Creek, (Image 23 of 31)

... an east view ca. 1980s showing more of the abandoned right-of-way to the south in the distance.

L214-120-Dept. of Public Works, Courtesy Planning Division, City of Walnut Creek, (Image 24 of 31)

A north view of the bridge at Treat Blvd. for the Iron Horse Trail in 2018, north view.

L214-125-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 25 of 31)

In 2018, south of Treat Blvd. until Ygnacio Valley Rd. is one of the most serene sections of the the Iron Horse Trail until Alamo, but no definitive ground images have been found of the active SP right-of-way. This northeast view from Mar. 3, 1969 highlights the straight section from Treat Blvd., orange arrow, to the next official grade crossing at Walden Rd., just off the right edge of the image.

L214-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-28, (Image 26 of 31)

The northern-most section of the previous northeast view from Mar. 3, 1969 has the Treat Blvd. grade crossing in the center, and the crossing of the Contra Costa Canal at the right lower edge.

L214-135-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-28, Detail, (Image 27 of 31)

The canal crossing takes center stage in the next section heading south of the previous northeast view from Mar. 3, 1969.

L214-140-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-28, Detail, (Image 28 of 31)

Now back in time to Feb. 13, 1958, starting from the left upper edge and moving right or south, the Las Juntas SN crossing, the Treat Blvd. crossing, and the crossing of the Contra Costa Canal, respectively, can be followed in this northeast view. Note the SN mainline in the bottom left lower corner, just north of the SN Walden Rd. crossing.

L214-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5845-10, Detail, (Image 29 of 31)

This northeast view has all the information of the previous image, but also extends the view further south to the Walden Rd. grade crossing, green arrow. This crossing is easy to identify because it is here that Westcliffe Ln. begins to run along the southeast facing side of the track. From here, the right-of-way began to curve west toward Ygnacio Valley Rd.

L214-150-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5845-9, Detail , (Image 30 of 31)

This panoramic south view from Mar. 10, 1957 shows the Walden Rd. grade crossing, red arrow, and reveals the gentle east curve in the approach to Ygnacio Valley Rd. Great appreciation to the photographers who supplied their personal images, and to Andy Smith for the aerials of the Pleasant Hill BART station.

L214-155-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5397-1, (Image 31 of 31)