The Pittsburg Power Plant, Competition and Two More Trestles

Just beyond what is today Pittsburg’s western city border, Western Pacific 2001 and 2009 on the “SN Detour” westbound for Port Chicago pass the Pacific, Gas and Electric power station in June 1976, northeast view. No image of a SN electric motor passing the plant has been found. Sadly, no other similar photo from the post-electric period has been found.

L203-05-Ted Benson Photo, Courtesy Ted Benson , (Image 1 of 27)

The plant’s origins go back to 1954, and counting smokestacks is a relatively good way to determine an approximate date of a photo. The original plant ran on oil, an opportunity for SN to increase business. The railroad tracks are still prominent throughout the grounds.

L203-10-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 2 of 27)

As was true for the other industries in the Pittsburg area, the SN was denied sole rights to the power plant, payback time for the Santa Fe after the SN encroached on the former’s joint deal with the Southern Pacific, SP, at US Steel. However, this meant that the Santa Fe needed to extend a long spur to the north of its mainline.

L203-15-Western Pacific Circular 167-e, Courtesy Bruce Eldridge, (Image 3 of 27)

A west view from 2016 at the entry of NRG at West 10th St. shows the Santa Fe crossbuck signaling the presence of the spur.

L203-20-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 4 of 27)

This north-oriented aerial from 1965 shows the full length of the Santa Fe spur to the power plant. The violet arrow marks the Santa Fe-SP interchange, the orange arrow indicates the origin of the Santa Fe spur to the area, and the Santa Fe-SN crossing is marked by the green arrow. Ref: RG 77 NRHS Acc Number 077-99-01 Box 13, Folder 1, 0531, 1965

L203-25-Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco, (Image 5 of 27)

Given that the Santa Fe spur crossed directly over the SN mainline, the agreement of 1953 between the railroads placed heavy emphasis on the obligations of the Santa Fe short of requiring a tower. No remains of the actual crossing can be appreciated in the 2016 west view east of the crossing, just the odd gate and evidence for the SN’s prior existence to the west.

L203-30-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38640, l, and Stuart Swiedler Photo, r , (Image 6 of 27)

Images of the Santa Fe spur, looking north, left panel, or south, right panel from 10th St. in 2016. The plant no longer receives regular service, but the track here is intact.

L203-35-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 7 of 27)

Two more views from 2016, a northwest view of the gate at the crossing, left panel, and an east view along the former SN right-of-way, right panel. No images of the intact active crossing have been found.

L203-40-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 8 of 27)

North of the crossing, the Santa Fe sent two tracks into the plant as seen along the right edge of the right panel, a south view from 2016. What remains of the SN-Santa Fe spur crossing is in the foreground, and the spur from the SN mainline disappears at the fence. The left panel is a north view from 2016 of the SN spur crossing the eastern-most Santa Fe track.

L203-45-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 9 of 27)

No image of the functional spur crossing has been found. Shown here is the proposed arrangement of the SN and Santa Fe spurs from 1953, consistent with what was seen in 2016. Why the Santa Fe had two entries into the plant versus the single SN track has not been uncovered, but it is possible that the unique eastern branch of the Santa Fe could have been used for plant construction purposes.

L203-50-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38640, (Image 10 of 27)

The maintenance of the crossing was the source of friction between the railroads as indicated by these documents from the 1960s.

L203-55-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38640, (Image 11 of 27)

The SN right-of-way east of the crossing runs along the current irregular western border of Pittsburg. The water by the side of the abandoned right-of-way in this east view from 2016 should be a clue of what structure was there in the past.

L203-60-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 12 of 27)

Based on this comparison of north-oriented aerial views, the pooled water marks the spot of Trestle 2, gone with the entry of the power plant after the creek below it was encased in a culvert, still visible if you take a look. Removing this barrier allowed the SN to add the spur on firm ground to the power plant.

L203-65-Courtesy Google, (Image 13 of 27)

Addison Laflin’s camera captured a full train of rail fans on the NorCal-sponsored excursion with MW 302 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on Sept. 25, 1949, just west of Trestle 2, southeast view.

L203-70-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79663sn, (Image 14 of 27)

A detail of the Trestle 2 from the previous image, a southeast view from Sept. 25, 1949.

L203-75-Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79663sn, Detail, (Image 15 of 27)

Shots of MW 302 on Trestle 2 were common in the collections of participants on the BAERA-sponsored trip of Sept 12, 1948, east view.

L203-80-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 16 of 27)

Jerry Graham’s similar east view of MW 302 from Sept. 12, 1948 documented something additional. See the next detail ...

L203-85-J.G. Graham, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 88311sn, (Image 17 of 27)

In the distance to the east is a box car on a SN spur. East view from Sept. 12, 1948.

L203-90-J.G. Graham, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 88311sn, Detail, (Image 18 of 27)

Back to the north-oriented aerial from 1965 to look at this spur track more closely. Ref: RG 77 NRHS Acc Number 077-99-01 Box 13, Folder 1, 0531, 1965

L203-95-USDA Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco , (Image 19 of 27)

Starting at the SN-Santa Fe crossing, green arrow, heading east is the SN spur track to the power plant, red arrow, and further east, the spur track in question, blue arrow, with a box car in view. Ref: Ref: RG 77 NRHS Acc Number 077-99-01 Box 13, Folder 1, 0531, 1965

L203-100-USDA Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco , (Image 20 of 27)

Sometimes having something at your feet is harder to see relative to an aerial. With only one shot at access, it happens, and getting to this spot would be difficult. The aerial from 2018 shows the ties for the short spur.

L203-102-USDA Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco and Google Maps, (Image 21 of 27)

Reviewing possible candidates for this SN-only spur track from L203-15, a phone directory check, and reading these correspondences, the spur would have been to the team track at Diablo Beverage Co.

L203-105-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38562 , (Image 22 of 27)

Follow-up to the original correspondences with Diablo Beverage Co.

L203-110-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 38562, (Image 23 of 27)

Now for an explanation for the last item on the list. A repeat of the 1930s east aerial by George Russell, showing Trestle 2 in the foreground, and an area of fresh ballast at the crack in the glass plate negative. Ref: API 628_3_BOX 95124

L203-115-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, (Image 24 of 27)

Fortunately, Russell took several other images a few years prior to the last one shown starting with this north view of the western edge of the Pittsburg border. Ref: API 578_28_BOX 72

L203-120-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, (Image 25 of 27)

Next a southwest view, circa 1929. A detail follows. Ref: API 628_5_BOX 93

L203-125-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, (Image 26 of 27)

The red arrow points to Trestle 3, the creek coming in at an angle that is different from Trestle 2, and within the border of housing development. Particular thanks to NRG employees Larry Ray for supervision along the right-of-way, and Greg Ho for the trip through the power plant, and to Steve Lane for sharing the opportunity. The tour has arrived at Pittsburg, the next stop on the SN right-of-way.

L203-130-George Russell Photo, Courtesy the California State Lands Commission, (Image 27 of 27)