1974

Am 426 E9

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Unknown date in Oakland in 1974

Steve Sloan's Trains : Trip Notes : 1974 : Unknown Date : Oakland

1974 | Unknown Date

Various photos, taken or thought to be taken, in Oakland in 1974, by location. Precise date not known.

Oakland, CA

West Oakland, SP

16th St. Depot

AM 426 EMD E9

E unit in Oakland
Amtrak 426, former UP E9 UP 956A, was sitting at the 16th Street Station in Oakland on number 6 while a string of refers passed by in 1974.

SP 1239 Alco S6

1239 in Oakland
According to "WAF", Southern Pacific Alco S6 1239 is pulling some passenger cars to the Oakland, CA 16th Street Station to be added to Amtrak Number 12 in May 1974. According to "OPRRMS" this is, "just west of the 16th Street depot on what was called Mainline 3. The photo looks west, and the depot is behind you."
  • Photo of SP 1239
    Analog Image, Kodachrome Slide 5.180, Scan 2010092601.8
Desert Yard

SP 1211 Alco S6

1211 in Oakland Desert Yard
Southern Pacific Alco S6 1211 in Oakland, CA, on an unknown date in May 1974. This is information from various sources, mostly "OPRRMS": The photo was taken from the West Grand Avenue overpass. The baggage car is the switchman's shanty at the east end of the Desert Yard. It replaced an earlier wooden structure. At the time of the photo, there was still an "East End" yard job at the Desert on each shift. The jobs actually went on and off duty at the west end of the Desert, but spent their entire shift working at the east end. The photo was taken from the West Grand Avenue overpass.
According to "OPRRMS", "The photo was taken from what was originally the west leg of the IER overpass. After the IER quit, the tracks on the west leg were removed and the roadbed was paved and used by vehicles until the current West Grand Avenue overpass was built. After that, vechicle access to the west leg was rerouted to the new overpass, but it could still be walked on, albeit unofficially. It's now completely gone, although you can still see where it was lopped off where it joined the east leg on the west side of the trestle. The east leg, or course, became the OT."
In late December 2013 on Facebook Tim O'Connor said, "The B&O box car is an M-61 built by ACF in 1951 and renumbered 299070 and given a subclass in 1953 (give or take). The GTW box car was built by General American in 1953 and is still wearing its original paint job. The B&O car was repainted at some time in the 1960's."
Tim O'Connor said, "That's an ignominious end for the baggage car - I think that's one of the PC&F baggage cars and would only be what, 12 years old at this date?"
Harry Wong said, "Tim - lots of those PC&F baggage cars wound up sitting on the ground as yard sheds/offices/storage IIRC. That's an excellent point on how young these cars were at the time."
Tim O'Connor said, "Interesting that Amtrak didn't get its hands on them -- They would have been some of the newest cars in the fleet!"
Harry Wong said, "Amtrak did receive a very small number of those PC&Fs IIRC. There is a photo of one in the Amtrak All-time roster book that was recently published."
Tim O'Connor said, "By the way, that blue GTW autoparts box car is headed either to a General Motors assembly plant or to a GM parts warehouse. That's because only GM used 8-door box cars."
Harry Wong said, "As for where that GTW car was going, there was a GM assembly plant in Fremont, CA, about 20 miles south of Oakland, CA. Today, that plant is still in use, but producing electric vehicles for a different manufacturer."

SP 1220 Alco S6

1220 in Oakland
Southern Pacific Alco S6 1220 is in Oakland, CA, May 1974. According to "OPRRMS", "One of the Emeryville jobs leaving the west end of the SP-to-Santa Fe transfer yard and heading towards the 16th Street Interlocking. This yard was located immediately adjacent to the Oakland Terminal overpass, and at the time was used by SP to interchange cars going to the Santa Fe. (Cars from the Santa Fe were received at Santa Fe's Emeryville Yard.) The tracks in the right background belong to the Santa Fe. The east end of the yard was at 34th Street. The yard was also used by the OT to interchange with the Santa Fe."
  • Photo of 1220
    Analog Image, Kodachrome Slide 5.147, Scan 2010092601.4

SP 3312 EMD GP9R, SP Class EF418E-1

SP 3312 in Oakland
Southern Pacific 3312, a GP9R, photographed in Oakland's Desert Yard. 35mm Panatomic-X shot in the summer of 1974.
Homestead Yard/Magnolia Tower

UP 3271, EMD SD40-2

UP 3271 in Oakland
1974 brand new "roach," Union Pacific (UP) SD40-2 3271, is near Magnolia Tower, in Oakland, CA with Cotton Belt EF636-C06 class SD45T-2 9165.
Wye

SP 3694 EMD GP9, SP Class EF418-8

SP 3694 in Oakland
Southern Pacific 3694 is a Southern Pacific GP9, Class EF418-8, waiting for a train on the West Oakland Wye, under the BART tracks on an unknown date in June 1974.
  • Photo of SP 3694 in Oakland
    Analog Photo Kodachrome Slide 2.5-1040, Scan 2014.5.25.1.5-ph
Jack London Square

SP 3604 EMD GP9, SP Class EF418-7

SP 3604 in Oakland, CA
Southern Pacific GP9 3604 leads GP9R 3749 in Oakland, CA on an unknown date in June 1974. According to OPRRMS, "The train is eastbound (southbound), just about to cross Market Street, between Magnolia Tower and Jack London Square. The building in the right background is gone, but the other one in the left background is still there, converted to small business and lofts/work spaces. The 3604 was unique for having a replacement Leslie S3 horn. It's visible in this photo. The unit likely acquired it from the UP during the time SP and UP had a run-thru operation between Roseville and North Platte/Council Bluffs during the early 1960's. Both railroads suppplied GP9's."

SP 9505 EMD SD45X, SP Class EF642-2

SP 9505 in Oakland in demo paint
In January 2020 Ken Rattenne posted this photo I took in the 70s from his collection: Southern Pacific SD45X No. 9505 leads a freight in Oakland CA in May of 1974. The unit's EMD demo number has been replaced by SP's and soon will be repainted in SP colors.
West Oakland Diesel Shop

SP 4000 ALCo RS32/DL-721, SP Class AF420-1

SP 4000 in Oakland
Southern Pacific DL721/RS32 4000 with the 4002 at the West Oakland Diesel Shop on an unrecorded date in June 1974.

Western Pacific Yard

UP 2887 GE U30C

UP 2887 at Night in Oakland
On an unrecorded date in 1974 Union Pacific (UP) 2887 is laying over in the Western Pacific West Oakland Yard.
  • Shot on 35mm 2475 recording film at ISO 3000 using a Nikormat FTN and a Honeywell Strobonar flash with a 50mm f2 lens exposed at 1/60 @ f2.
    Taken with the coarsest grain highest speed film then available.:
    From Photo Album 1001.1.21.1, Scan 2018020901ph.2

WP 608 EMC NW2

WP NW2 608 in Oakland
A side shot of Western Pacific (WP) NW2 608 in Oakland, CA on an unrecorded date in the late summer of 1974.

WP 704 EMD GP7, WP Class RS-62

WP 704 in Oakland
Western Pacific (WP) 704 is sitting in the WP power pool just off Adeline Street, in Oakland, CA, in the summer of 1974. Note the old Adeline Street bridge in the background.

WP 3526 EMD GP40

WP GP40 3526 in Oakland
Western Pacific (WP) GP40 3526 is in the old Oakland power pool awaiting a call to duty. This is the other end of a set with WP 2262. This was taken on an unrecorded date in late summer 1974.

WP 3533 EMD GP40

3533 in Oakland
In the Western Pacific (WP) West Oakland Power Pool, in the summer of 1974, WP GP40 3533 sits waiting for work.

WP 2262 GE U23B

WP 2262 in Oakland
Western Pacific (WP) U23B 2262 is in the old Oakland power pool awaiting a call to duty. This is the other end of a set with WP GP40 3526. This was taken on an unrecorded date in late summer 1974.

WP 1503, EMD SW1500

WP 1503 in Oakland
Western Pacific (WP) 1503 is sitting in the WP power pool just off Adeline Street, in Oakland, CA, in the summer 1974

WP 2002, EMD GP20, WP Class RS-64

WP 2002 in Oakland
In the summer 1974, Western Pacific (WP) 2002 is in West Oakland. CA.

WP 2257, GE U23B

WP 2257 in Oakland
Western Pacific (WP) U23B 2257 is in the power pool in Oakland, CA on an unrecorded summer 1974.

WP 3514, EMD GP40, WP Class RS-68

WP 3514 in Oakland
In the summer 1974, Western Pacific (WP) 3514 is in West Oakland. CA.

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