The Many Faces of Pittsburg – The Depot Area

The SN Pittsburg Station or Depot, to be referred to as “the depot”, was one of the SN’s most photographed railway-associated structures. Picking a single image out is tough, but this east view of SN 1014 on the ICC-mandated final run of July 12, 1941 is typical for the passenger era, and has a balance of almost all the components that will be highlighted in this update.

L221-01-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162128sn , (Image 1 of 38)

The first depot with SN 1002 is shown here circa 1913, southeast view. The banner foreshadows many north-end destinations that the south-end line would eventually serve, but at this point, it only served those places by bus or arrangement with the Northern Electric.

L221-05-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162134sn, (Image 2 of 38)

The latest image found of the depot was from Dec. 1978, east view with Western Pacific, WP, 2005. The depot lasted into the 1980s, but finding the date or an image may require issue-by-issue review of the still unsearchable Pittsburg Post-dispatch

L221-10-Dan Engstrom Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 56408sn, (Image 3 of 38)

The map from 1928, left, provides some of area’s landmark features, while the 1957 north-oriented aerial, right, provides detail for the end of the electric era and the majority of photos to follow. Black Diamond St. divides East from West 8th St. The penciled-in extension anticipates the change in the line in 1930. Ref: abo-1957_17t-112, right

L221-15-Courtesy BAERA, 41000, and U.C. Santa Barbara Library, Special Research Collections, (Image 4 of 38)

The change from the first depot to the second one occurred in 1931 or after based on the first structure coexisting with St. Peter Martyr Church as seen in this east view. Note that the square blocks on either side of the depot contained only one building, Pittsburg City Hall. Ref: API 628_3_BOX 95

L221-20-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, Detail , (Image 5 of 38)

An east view of the depot area circa 1941 shows the second depot and surroundings. A dated image of this structure prior to 1940 from rail enthusiast has not been found, so the timing of the removal of the first structure is not known. Again, note the lack of any commercial businesses on either flank of the depot.

L221-25-Louis L. Stein Coll., Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 3100, (Image 6 of 38)

Same time period, 1941, but this east view of the depot with SN 1005 is unusual for that time period as Ralph Demoro took a few extra steps back to supply extra views around the central elements missing from his contemporaries' shots.

L221-27-Ralph Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 7 of 38)

Just after the end of electric service to Pittsburg in 1957, E.K. Muller photographed the depot area looking east. Commercial entities were now plentiful as WWII and the ensuing Cold War brought Camp Stoneman to the east of the downtown, and the steel mill was kept busy. The function of the extra long catenary wire holders will be explained shortly.

L221-30-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 96935sn, (Image 8 of 38)

The Apr. 12, 1964 End-of-an-Era excursions between Walnut Creek and Pittsburg meant the end of freight service south of the BART yard construction in south Concord. East, left, and west, right, views capture the moment of SN 143 and passenger flotilla, as well as the surroundings around the depot.

L221-35-Courtesy Charles Smiley, (Image 9 of 38)

This north view circa 1948-1949 shows where the initial area to be surveyed will be presented, to the east of St. Peter Martyr Church at Black Diamond St. to the depot at Railroad Ave.

L221-40-Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 5924, Detail , (Image 10 of 38)

Now to look at the surroundings in more detail east of Black Diamond St. starting with this west view from the 1960s of SN 301, companion Electro-motive Diesel, and caboose, most likely finished delivering a trainload of bombs to Port Chicago or Clyde.

L221-45-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 18786sn, (Image 11 of 38)

The presence of the print shop on the north side of East 8th St. between Black Diamond St. and Railroad Ave. is documented in this west view of the rear of Salt Lake and Utah 751, with SN 1005 obscured in front, from the last south-end electric excursion from Oakland to Pittsburg on Jan. 13, 1957.

L221-50-Roy Proffer Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 163423sn, (Image 12 of 38)

Another west view from Railroad Ave. during a circa 1950 excursion with MW 302.

L221-55-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 163424sn, (Image 13 of 38)

Still looking west from Railroad Ave., but now capturing the south side of East 8th St., and the Pittsburg Grammar School during a mid-1956 excursion with SN 653, WP Observation car, and Salt Lake and Utah 751.

L221-60-Dave Gumz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162133sn, (Image 14 of 38)

The next set of west views will address the small hut located between Railroad Ave. and Black Diamond St., and the extra-long catenary wire holders. This view is from the last Sunday of passenger operation on June 29, 1941, when the SN Bidwell was added to SN 1014 and SN 1005 for the occasion.

L221-65-Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 15 of 38)

SN 1014 sits at the very end of the small siding between Railroad Ave. and Black Diamond St. in 1940. The track is absent from the 1950s images, and its date of removal has not been established. The overhead arrangement for the removed track, however, remained intact until 1957.

L221-70-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 97914sn, (Image 16 of 38)

Same scene with SN 1014 as the previous image from 1940, but tilted more to the south, providing the placement of the siding relative to the Railroad Ave. intersection, the small hut, and school. The exact function of the hut is not known, and it did not appear to survive the 1940s.

L221-75-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 97915sn, (Image 17 of 38)

Finally turning to the southeast in Dec. 1940 to show how the siding allowed two passenger trains to stay clear from one another at the depot. The train on the siding is SN 1012-SN 1026. The image also introduces Atlas Cabinet Shop as occupying the north side of East 8th St.

L221-80-Sappers Collection. Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 97918sn, (Image 18 of 38)

Leave it to Paul Smith to have documented the switch for the siding located west of the hut, the photo most likely taken during one of the July 1941 ICC-mandated passenger run based on the train number designation.

L221-85-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 138445sn, (Image 19 of 38)

Now to proceed east of Railroad Ave. and start with the views to the south. Back to the last Sunday of passenger operation on June 29, 1941, when the SN Bidwell was added to SN 1014 and SN 1005, to capture a look at Pittsburg City Hall. The mechanical device behind SN 1005 will be discussed shortly.

L221-90-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162132sn, (Image 20 of 38)

Same scene as the previous image from June 29, 1941, but here the view is tilted more to the southeast to reveal in the distance another iconic structure, the New York Congregational Community Church of 1882 vintage.

L221-95-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 97923sn , (Image 21 of 38)

Now a north view circa 1920 from Cumberland St. near another Pittsburg iconic structure, Hotel Los Medanos, to view the south face of City Hall, and trains waiting at the depot. The stylish hotel was lost in a fire in 1980.

L221-100-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 159581sn, (Image 22 of 38)

Continuing with a north view from East 8th St. and Railroad Ave., circa 1950, a view of the solid wall of businesses along the latter is seen behind MW 302 on an excursion outing.

L221-105-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 23 of 38)

A northeast view of SN 1005 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 during the July 8, 1956 BAERA-sponsored excursion also shows Lanzafame Furniture, at 711 Railroad Ave., located there since 1947, but founded in Pittsburg in 1915 by local Camillo Lanzafame.

L221-110-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 54974sn, (Image 24 of 38)

This east view with SN 1005 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 from Jan. 13, 1957 records the final south-end, BAERA-sponsored excursion with electric equipment. The northeast corner of Railroad Ave. is featured.

L221-112-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85181sn, (Image 25 of 38)

Next to east views from Railroad Ave. highlighting the bus depot and an excursion train at the SN depot circa 1956-1957.

L221-115-Railroad Negative Exchange, Courtesy Charles Smiley, (Image 26 of 38)

Another excursion-related northeast image with SN 1005 from Aug. 8, 1952 showing Greyhound buses lined up as well as a cab with an ad for Los Medanos Hotel on the rear.

L221-120-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 27 of 38)

On the subject of buses, here an SN bus in an east view from 1940 with SN 1003 and boxcar behind at the SN depot awaits passengers at a time before the bus depot existed.

L221-125-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 28 of 38)

The rear of the depot had a loading platform, here seen in a west view with 1005 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 during a BAERA-sponsored July 8, 1956 excursion.

L221-130-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 80135sn, (Image 29 of 38)

Just two years earlier, during a May 2, 1954 BAERA-sponsored with MW 302, this west view documents the placement of the mechanical device, in this case a stiff-leg derrick, on the loading platform.

L221-135-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162130sn, (Image 30 of 38)

West views of the stiff-leg derrick’s hook were found in three images; SN 1001, circa 1940, upper left; and two images from the last Sunday of passenger service on June 29, 1941. Given all the possible landmark to document, which photo is best? An image showing the device in action has not been found. Ref: Tom Gray Coll., upper left; Dudley Thickens Photo, BAERA, 162131sn, upper right; Louis Bradas. Jr. Photo, BAERA 68439sn, lower.

L221-140-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, and Tom Gray, (Image 31 of 38)

Of the dozens of east views of the depot found, this one was the only one found to show a clear view of the south side of the structure. SN 1014 is seen here on June 22, 1941, but behind it are SN 1023, and a free-standing boxcar.

L221-145-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 162129sn, (Image 32 of 38)

Only one image of a bonafide freight train with an electric motor was found, upper left. SN 660, upper right, was part of the NORCAL-sponsored Oct. 24, 1954 excursion. The two lower images sans freight were taken on Sept. 17, 1949. Ref: Paul Smith Photo, BAERA 138443sn, upper left; Courtesy Charles Smiley, upper right; E.K. Muller Photos, BAERA 91049sn, lower left; BAERA 91050sn, lower right

L221-150-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives and Charles Smiley, (Image 33 of 38)

The diesel locomotive fleet varied from the 1960s, upper images, to the 1970s, lower images. John R. Williams Photo, Feb. 1966, Courtesy the Krambles-Peterson Archive, upper left; Henry Brueckman Photo, Moreau Coll., BAERA 82722sn, upper right; Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, lower left; Ted Benson Photo, June 1976, lower right.

L221-155-Multiple Contributors, (Image 34 of 38)

Or maybe having the best of both worlds, here a west view from Nov. 1971 of WP 918-A and 805-A on the SN Detour, stopped for breakfast at Pittsburg, with SN 407 in the distance.

L221-160-Ted Benson Photo, Courtesy Ted Benson, (Image 35 of 38)

A few images showing the back of the depot revealed gas storage cylinders, such as this west view from the BAERA-sponsored excursion with MW 302 on Nov. 29, 1953. This choice of image also includes the cab for the hotel, and detail of the northwest corner of East 8th St. and Railroad Ave. in the background.

L221-165-Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 36 of 38)

Inside the depot, Ted Benson documented two things; an Oakland & Antioch safe, ironic since they were always broke, Nov. 1971, left, and a SN trainman calling it a day on the Pittsburg Road Switcher, Jan. 1969, right. As Ted described it, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over”.

L221-170-Ted Benson Photos, Courtesy Ted Benson, (Image 37 of 38)

WP 2265 and a second diesel sit by the depot in this east view circa 1970. To the east is the extension that opened in 1930, its impact on the physical landscape of the surrounding neighborhood will be presented next time.

L221-175-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 38 of 38)