East Bay Electric Lines
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The East Bay Electric Lines were a unit of the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
that operated electric
interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...
-type trains in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wi ...
region of the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
. Beginning in 1862, the SP and its predecessors operated local steam-drawn ferry-train passenger service in the East Bay on an expanding system of lines, but in 1902 the
Key System The Key System (or Key Route) was a privately owned company that provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany, and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area ...
started a competing system of electric lines and ferries. The SP then drew up plans to expand and electrify its system of lines and this new service began in 1911. The trains served the cities of
Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California *George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer to ...
, Albany, Emeryville,
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
,
Alameda An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada * Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan ** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile * Alameda (Santi ...
, and
San Leandro San Leandro (Spanish for " St. Leander") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; between Oakland to the northwest, and Ashland, Castro Valley, and Hayward to the south ...
transporting commuters to and from the large
Oakland Pier The Oakland Long Wharf was an 11,000-foot railroad wharf and ferry pier along the east shore of San Francisco Bay located at the foot of Seventh Street in West Oakland. The Oakland Long Wharf was built, beginning 1868, by the Central Pacific R ...
(the "mole") and SP Alameda Pier. A fleet of ferry boats ran between these piers and the docks of the Ferry Building on the San Francisco Embarcadero. The East Bay Electric Lines became the Interurban Electric Railway (IER) in anticipation of the opening of the Bay Bridge Railway in January of 1939. This railway consisted of two tracks on the southern side of the lower deck of the
San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 in California, Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco an ...
, running from the East Bay to the
San Francisco Transbay Terminal The San Francisco Transbay Terminal was a transportation complex in San Francisco, California, United States, roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north–south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east–west by Beale Street an ...
. SP IER transbay commuter train service ended in July 1941.


History


Before electrification (1863–1911)

Prior to the formation of the East Bay Electric Lines (and later Interurban Electric Railway), commuter services by the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
and predecessor
Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete most of the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in North Americ ...
were run entirely by steam traction. The first railroad to operate suburban services in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wi ...
was the San Francisco & Alameda Railroad, which was formed on March 25, 1863. Through a series of mergers with the San Francisco, Alameda, & Stockton Railroad Company and the prior San Francisco & Alameda Railroad, the San Francisco, Oakland, & Alameda Railroad (SFO&A) was formed in June of 1871. The SFO&A would be absorbed by the
Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete most of the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in North Americ ...
in August. With the merger with the Central Pacific, trains would terminate at the
Oakland Mole The Oakland Long Wharf was an 11,000-foot railroad wharf and ferry pier along the east shore of San Francisco Bay located at the foot of Seventh Street in West Oakland. The Oakland Long Wharf was built, beginning 1868, by the Central Pacific Ra ...
(a long ferry pier into the San Francisco Bay), starting in January of 1882. Suburban commuter services by the Central Pacific would be operated in the same manner after Southern Pacific took over. In 1902 the San Francisco, Oakland, & San Jose Railway (SFO&SJ) would build a pier from Emeryville into the San Francisco Bay. The " Key System Mole" as referred to by patrons would rival the Southern Pacific's Oakland Mole for speed and general service. The SFO&SJ interurban line was faster, quicker, cleaner, and quieter than the Southern Pacific's steam operations, which paled in comparison. Between 1902 and 1911, the appeal of the SFO&SJ, and later companies San Francisco, Oakland, & San Jose Consolidated Railway and Key System, would rival the Southern Pacific's steam operated commuter operations. After management changed hands in the Southern Pacific between
Collis P. Huntington Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested ...
and
Edward H. Harriman Edward Henry Harriman (February 20, 1848 – September 9, 1909) was an American financier and railroad executive. Early life Harriman was born on February 20, 1848, in Hempstead (village), New York, Hempstead, New York, the son of Orlando Harri ...
, the decline of revenue by the rivalry would force the Southern Pacific to electrify their lines in competition in 1911.


Electrification to reorganization (1911–1934)

In 1911 Southern Pacific embarked on a task to double track and electrify its commuter lines. When the construction of
catenary In physics and geometry, a catenary ( , ) is the curve that an idealized hanging chain or wire rope, cable assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends in a uniform gravitational field. The catenary curve has a U-like shape, ...
over the new lines was complete, Southern Pacific received a new fleet of steel interurbans from the American Car & Foundry Company in the later months of 1911. Electric service commenced on June 1, 1911 along the length of the Encinal Avenue Line to the Alameda Mole. For the first weeks, electric trains were relegated to midday service with steam trains taking over during rush-hours. When the electrification of the lines was completed, a passenger could board an East Bay Electric Lines interurban from either the Oakland or Alameda Moles, and travel to Dutton Avenue,
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...
, Albany,
Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California *George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer to ...
, and Downtown
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
. Long term plans called for extensions to
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
and San Jose (to presumably link up with Southern Pacific's other interurban subsidiary, the Peninsular Railway), which never materialized. The company invested $10million between 1909 and 1912 ($ in adjusted for inflation) upgrading the East Bay lines, though the increase in passengers failed to offset the expenditure. In addition to interurban service, streetcar service began in 1912 through various sections of the cities it served. A series of smaller streetcars by the
Pullman Car Company The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century d ...
also served these lines until 1930. Between 1912 and 1930 there was little change to the services of the East Bay Electric Lines. Southern Pacific's efforts in the 1920s to relax work rules and increase fares failed. As a result, the company sought to merge East Bay Electric Lines with the rival Key System. Employee backlash halted these plans. In 1930, all streetcar services ceased in Oakland and Berkeley as they had failed to turn a profit. An internal report by Southern Pacific management in 1933 recommended total abandonment of East Bay electric services. Due to the widespread adoption of the automobile, the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, and high labor costs, the IER was rapidly losing both money and patronage, so a franchise was granted to them for operation on the lower deck of the San Francisco Bay Bridge to the new
Transbay Terminal The San Francisco Transbay Terminal was a transportation complex in San Francisco, California, United States, roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north–south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east–west by Beale Street an ...
, in order to entice new patrons. On November 14, 1934, the East Bay Electric Lines reorganized as the Interurban Electric Railway (IER).


Bay Bridge operation to abandonment (1934–1941)

From the reorganization of the East Bay Electric Lines into the Interurban Electric Railway in 1934, the new IER had already begun plans to reroute service and maintenance facilities well before the Bay Bridge had been completed. The location of the approach to the Bay Bridge was located directly next to the
Key System The Key System (or Key Route) was a privately owned company that provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany, and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area ...
's trackage that led to the Key System Mole. So, the Interurban Electric Railway began construction of a trestle over the Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad tracks in order to access this new area. Additionally, it was agreed that the IER and Key System should share a maintenance facility in the new Bridge Yard, so work began on a new facility and yard storage area for the two lines. When completed, the new Bridge Yard would replace existing Key System tracks with a joint
Sacramento Northern The Sacramento Northern Railway (reporting mark SN) was a electric interurban railway that connected Chico in northern California with Oakland via the state capital, Sacramento. In its operation it ran directly on the streets of Oakland, Sacr ...
, Interurban Electric Railway, and Key System maintenance yard. Extra trains for Bay Bridge usage could also be stored here, but this practice was not used by the Sacramento Northern Railroad who preferred to utilize an existing yard. The Interurban Electric Railway's new route also featured a fly-over bridge over Key System / Sacramento Northern tracks. From the Bridge Yard to the new Transbay Terminal, the three interurban lines would share two tracks. This required an extensive signaling system, so all trains were retrofitted with special signaling devices that warned of speed limit and the
automatic block signaling Automatic block signaling (ABS), spelled automatic block signalling or called track circuit block (TCB ) in the UK, is a railroad communications system that consists of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of sections, ...
. Electrification on the bridge would be at 1200 volts for the Sacramento Northern and Interurban Electric Railway, so all trains were also retrofitted to run on this voltage. Beginning January of 1938, IER trains could now run across the Bay Bridge. Routes now terminated at the Transbay Terminal, but with a central stop at the 26th Street Station for transferring, instead of the usual Oakland and Alameda Moles. With the new addition of interurban service to San Francisco, patrons from Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda, and upper San Leandro could now ride into San Francisco. The IER saw a brief increase of patronage, but due to automobile competition and the fact that cars had been allowed to use the Bay Bridge since 1936, the IER could not compete. Between 1938 and 1940 the IER reduced services drastically in order to try and stay afloat, but could not. On February 26, 1940, the IER applied to the
Public Utilities Commission A public utilities commission is a quasi-governmental body that provides oversight and/or regulation of public utility, public utilities in a particular area (locality, municipality, or Administrative division, subnational division), especially in ...
to abandon services. Interurban commuter services were no longer making money. On July 26, 1941, the Interurban Electric Railway ran its last interurban, and was shut down the following day.;


Lines

The East Bay Electric Lines were originally designated mainly by the names of their principal streets. They received numbers for Bay Bridge service. The most significant changes occurred as the result of the removal of the Harrison Street bridge between Oakland and Alameda in December 1923, and the agreement with the Key System in March 1933, with the Bay Bridge plans in view, to abandon duplicating lines, on the basis of which company first served each area. The Oakland 7th Street Line carried the most passengers, with the Berkeley
Shattuck Avenue Shattuck Avenue is a major city street running north–south through Berkeley and Oakland, California. At its southern end, the street branches from Telegraph Avenue in Oakland's Temescal district, then ends at Indian Rock Park in the Ber ...
Line being second. Patronage was at a maximum about 1920 and had declined by about half by the time of Bay Bridge operation. The SP seemed to prefer to have groups of their lines terminate at the same place. Three lines originally terminated at Thousand Oaks in Berkeley, two at 14th and Franklin in Oakland, and two at High Street South in Alameda. The IER had two lines terminate at Thousand Oaks and two lines at West Alameda. *Berkeley, —
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...
station at the intersection of Solano and Colusa Avenues (Colusa Wye) in Berkeley, via Colusa, Monterey, private right-of-way, California, Stanford to the upper platform of the Oakland 16th Street station, thence to Oakland Pier. Opened as a newly-built line with partial service beginning on January 3, 1912. Terminated after March 31, 1933. *Berkeley, (originally
Berkeley Branch Railroad The Berkeley Branch Railroad was a long branch line of the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) from a junction in what later became Emeryville called " Shellmound" to what soon became downtown Berkeley, adjacent to the new University of Califo ...
steam line) — Thousand Oaks station (Colusa Wye) in Berkeley, via Solano, private right-of-way, Northbrae Tunnel, Sutter, Henry, Shattuck (stopping at Berkeley Station), Adeline, Stanford to the upper platform of the Oakland 16th Street Station, thence to Oakland Pier. Electric service began on December 23, 1911. Designated Line #3 (local) and #9 (express) for Bay Bridge service, re-routed direct to the bridge with no stop at Oakland 16th Street Station. During Bay Bridge operation, the last train of the day (early morning) to leave San Francisco was extended from Thousand Oaks along the outer 9th Street Line to Albany (San Pablo Avenue) because there was no 9th Street Line service at this time; this was the last IER service when terminated in July 1941. *Berkeley,  — Thousand Oaks station (Colusa Wye) in Berkeley, via Solano, Jackson, private right-of-way, Ninth Street to private right-of-way to Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to Oakland Pier. Opened as a new line (not a converted steam service) on February 7, 1912. An extension beyond Albany to Richmond was surveyed in 1912, though never built. Designated Line #5 for Bay Bridge service, re-routed direct to the bridge with no stop at Oakland 16th Street Station. Terminated July 1941. *Berkeley, Ellsworth Street Line — Ellsworth and Allston Way in Berkeley, via Ellsworth to Woolsey, Adeline, Stanford to the upper platform of the Oakland 16th Street Station, thence to Oakland Pier. A spur of the Berkeley Branch, electric service began on January 3, 1912. Line shortened one block to Bancroft Way in 1931. Terminated after March 31, 1933. *Oakland, 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line (originally
San Francisco and Oakland Railroad The San Francisco and Oakland Railroad (SF&O) was built in 1862 to provide ferry-train service from a San Francisco ferry terminal connecting with railroad service through Oakland to San Antonio. In 1868 Central Pacific Railroad decided that Oakl ...
steam line) — Dutton Avenue and Bancroft in San Leandro, through the neighborhoods of Eastmont (with freight service to the Chevrolet plant that became
Eastmont Town Center Eastmont Town Center is a shopping mall and social services hub located on bounded by Foothill Boulevard, Bancroft Avenue, 73rd Avenue, and Church Street, in the Frick neighborhood of East Oakland. The mall opened in phases between 1966 and 1 ...
decades later), Havenscourt, and
Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
, via Bancroft, Almond Street, then private right-of-way to 90th Avenue, then Blanche Street to 82nd Avenue, then private right-of-way to Ritchie Avenue, then Beck Street to 73rd Avenue, then private right-of-way to Church Street, then Beck Street to 64th Avenue, then private right-of-way to Seminary Avenue, then Bond Street to private right-of-way leading through
Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...
and along the SP main line tracks through Fruitvale to 7th Street, then 7th to Oakland Pier. Almond, Blanche, Beck, Bond (as far as Fremont Way) and the private rights-of-ways connecting them are all now part of Bancroft Avenue, while the next private right-of-way is now Bancroft Way. Originally, regular trains operated only as far as Havenscourt and Beck, with a Suburban Connection train meeting every other train and operating to Dutton Avenue. Electric service began on December 30, 1911. Trains initially operated as far as 55th Avenue. Full electric service to Melrose began on December 13, 1912. Starting in February 1924 all trains operated to Dutton Avenue, but the last few cars of each outbound train were removed at Seminary Avenue, then added to the front of the next inbound train. During rush hour an additional express train operated via Alameda Pier and the Lincoln Avenue line, stopping only at Park Street North (Alameda), crossing the Fruitvale Bridge, joining the 7th Street line east of Fruitvale Station, and making limited stops to the end of the line. Designated Line #2 (local) and #7 (express) for Bay Bridge service, and re-routed via the upper platform of the Oakland 16th Street Station. Starting in March 1939, all cars operated through to Dutton Avenue. Terminated March 1941. *Alameda, (originally
South Pacific Coast Railroad The South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPC) was a Narrow-gauge railway, narrow gauge steam railroad running between Santa Cruz, California, and Alameda, California, Alameda, with a ferry connection in Alameda to San Francisco, California, San Franci ...
steam line) — High Street South, via Encinal, Central, Main, private right-of-way to Alameda Pier. This was the inaugural electrified Southern Pacific line in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wi ...
, starting service on June 1, 1911. Outbound trains arriving at High Street South became inbound Lincoln Avenue trains. Designated Line #4 eastbound and #6 westbound for Bay Bridge service, starting at West Alameda, via private right-of-way, Main, Central, Encinal, Fernside, private right-of-way, Fruitvale Bridge, private right-of-way alongside Fruitvale Avenue to junction with 7th Street line at Fruitvale Station. Terminated after January 17, 1941. *Alameda, Lincoln Avenue Line (originally San Francisco and Alameda Railroad steam line) — High Street South, via Fernside, private right-of-way to Alameda Station at Park Street, then Lincoln to 5th Street, then private right-of-way to 4th Street, Pacific, Main, private right-of-way to Alameda Pier. Outbound trains arriving at High Street South became inbound Encinal Avenue trains. Designated Line #6 eastbound and #4 westbound for Bay Bridge service, starting at West Alameda, via private right-of-way to Main, then Pacific to 4th Street, then private right-of-way to 5th Street, LincolnIER car on Lincoln Ave. line at Bay St. station.
/ref> to Alameda Station, private right-of-way, Fruitvale Bridge, private right-of-way alongside Fruitvale Avenue to junction with 7th Street line at Fruitvale Station. Terminated after January 17, 1941. *Alameda via Fruitvale (Horseshoe) Line (originally
Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete most of the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in North Americ ...
steam line) — Alameda Pier (or other Alameda location on Lincoln Avenue line) to Oakland Pier via Fruitvale Bridge. An important purpose of this line was to give Alameda residents access to main-line trains at Oakland Pier. Terminated, January 1939. *Oakland,  — 14th and Franklin Station, via Franklin to 20th, 20th (alternating with 21st) to West Street, then via diagonal private right-of-way to 18th Street, 18th to the upper platform of the Oakland 16th Street Station, thence to Oakland Pier. Service began in March 1912. In 1926, starting at Webster and 2nd Street via Webster to 20th to Franklin and as before. Terminated after March 31, 1933. *Oakland via Alameda Pier Line (originally
South Pacific Coast Railroad The South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPC) was a Narrow-gauge railway, narrow gauge steam railroad running between Santa Cruz, California, and Alameda, California, Alameda, with a ferry connection in Alameda to San Francisco, California, San Franci ...
steam line) — 14th and Franklin Station, via Webster, Harrison Street bridge, to private right-of-way to Alameda Pier. Electric service along Webster began on June 29, 1911. Terminated after December 26, 1923. *Crosstown Streetcar Line — Oakland 16th Street Station, via 18th Street, then via diagonal private right-of-way to West Street to 20th (alternating with 21st) to Franklin, through 14th and Franklin Station to Webster Street to Harrison Street bridge to private right-of-way to Mastick (Alameda) to 8th to Central to Encinal to Fernside to private right-of-way to Lincoln to Mastick and back. Alternate cars went around the Alameda loop in the opposite direction. Some service was to 14th and Franklin only. In December 1923, all service was cut back to the 14th and Franklin station. Terminated March 1926. * Mail trains — Starting in December 1923, mail trains, usually consisting of one
box motor A box motor, in railroad terminology, is a self-propelled boxcar, normally powered by electricity and running on an interurban railway or a streetcar line. Many box motors were converted from passenger cars on the systems that ran them, with the s ...
, loaded sacked mail several times a day at Oakland Pier and delivered it to Oakland 16th Street Station and to Berkeley Station. Mail from Oakland Pier was also delivered to Alameda Station, using trains of cars being sent from Oakland Pier to the Alameda Shops for maintenance and repair. Terminated November 1938.


Equipment


Catenary equipment and substations

Electrification of the approximately of trackage began in early 1911, using No. 0000 grooved copper trolley wire, messenger wires, and hanging loop catenary. Electrification was at 1200 volts
direct current Direct current (DC) is one-directional electric current, flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor (material), conductor such as a wire, but can also flow throug ...
, which allowed for higher speeds, faster acceleration, and less power loss. Substations located at the Tidal Canal (along Fruitvale Avenue),
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...
, and West Oakland converted 1320 volt
alternating current Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time, in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in w ...
into 1200 volts direct current. Catenary cross-arms were of a simple construction, using a center iron pole (painted black) and trolley cross-arms at either of length to hold the catenary wiring. There were different methods of the application of the towers to hold the catenary in certain settings on the lines. The East Bay Electric Lines had trackage over a series of estuaries and rivers, including the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...
, which meant that due to the limitations of the infrastructure over these bodies of water the usual method of center-pole and cross-arm located in between the double-track was given up, in favor of tall iron poles in a lattice-formation that held up the catenary. Additionally, this style of catenary construction was applied on the four track segment of track that paralleled the
Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...
's mainline via Oakland.


Car shops

In order to maintain its fleet of electric locomotives, the East Bay Electric Lines and later Interurban Electric Railway had two shops, the Alameda Shops and the Bridge Yard. The Alameda Shops were located at West Alameda, on the
Oakland Estuary The Oakland Estuary is the strait in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, separating the cities of Oakland, California, Oakland and Alameda, California, Alameda and the Alameda (island), Alameda Island from the East Bay mainland. On its weste ...
, and the Bridge Yard was the general maintenance yard for the Interurban Electric Railway and Key System just before the Bay Bridge.


Interurbans


American Car & Foundry Company interurbans

To provide faster transportation on its commuter lines, Southern Pacific purchased steel interurbans from the American Car & Foundry Company (AC&FC). The first group of cars arrived in 1911 from the AC&FC and consisted of 40 powered
passenger coaches A passenger railroad car or passenger car (American English), also called a passenger carriage, passenger coach (British English and International Union of Railways), or passenger bogie (Indian English) is a railroad car that is designed to ca ...
(motors), 25 powered combination baggage-passenger cars (combos), and 50 unpowered passenger coaches (trailers), some with train controls and some without. They had large rectangular end windows, which proved to be a liability for train crews in accidents. Eventually, these rectangular end windows would be replaced with circular windows, reminiscent of portholes and similar to the
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...
's MP54 electric suburbans. The circular windows however would not be applied to trailers, or trains that lacked train controls. The first steel cars were long, and were moderately heavy as they weighed 1562 pounds per running foot (2324.5 kilograms per running meter). However, they were light when measuring weight per passenger due to their high capacity of seating. The large seating of the interurbans (which sat 2 to 3 people per seat) allowed for a general capacity of 116 patrons. When first acquired by the AC&FC, the interurbans were painted an olive green, which was standard among most passenger cars of the time. Eventually the interurbans were repainted a bright red, which led to many patrons calling the interurbans the "Big Red Cars". The color remained until abandonment. After abandonment of electric service in the East Bay, most of the interurban cars went to the Pacific Electric, though some were deeded by the California Toll Booth Authority and used in
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
and
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
during
World War 2 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisin ...
. Most were retired when
Pacific Electric The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned Public transport, mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electr ...
ceased service in 1961, though some remain preserved in museums such as the
Western Railway Museum The Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California is located on California State Route 12, Highway 12 between Rio Vista, California, Rio Vista and Suisun, California, Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of the Sacrament ...
,
Southern California Railway Museum The Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM, reporting mark OERX), formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before movin ...
, and
Travel Town Museum Travel Town Museum is a railway museum dedicated on December 14, 1952, and located in the northwest corner of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California's Griffith Park. The history of railroad transportation in the western United States fr ...
.


Pullman Company interurbans

Beginning in 1913, East Bay Electric commissioned the famous
Pullman Car Company The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century d ...
to produce a series of interurbans, similar to that of the American Car & Foundry Company's style construction. The style consisted of 10 motors, 4 combination cars, and 2 powered express-baggage cars (commonly known as box motors). These differed from the AC&FC's style because these new interurbans all featured the safer rounded windows in the front and backs in the original construction, and seated only 111 passengers. After the abandonment of the East Bay Electric, all of these interurbans were sent to the
Pacific Electric The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned Public transport, mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electr ...
for conversion into the famous "Blimps" or "Red Cars". All were retired by 1953.


St. Louis Car Company interurbans

In addition to the AC&FC and Pullman built interurbans, the Southern Pacific commissioned the St. Louis Car Company to produce more interurbans. These cars were identical to their predecessors, bearing the rounded windows at the front and backs. Only six motors were produced. These cars seated only 108 patrons. All were scrapped.


Streetcars

The East Bay Electric Lines also operated a series of more suburban local services, which were served by a series of
streetcars A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
, smaller and slower than the interurbans.


Pullman Company streetcars

The only company to manufacture streetcars for the East Bay Electric Lines was the Pullman car company. Twenty were manufactured, all featuring center-bay doors for boarding on low-platforms. The streetcars were meant for more local service, which also means they had a lower passenger seating limit, only 86 patrons. In 1913 it was found that they had too many streetcars for the low demand of the line, so ten cars were sent to the Pacific Electric for operation there. However, two cars were brought back in 1919 due to a need for more streetcar services. In 1926, because of declining patronage, the streetcars were sent to rival Key System for operation on the subsidiary East Bay Street Railways (EBSR). However, the EBSR was converting to one-man operation, which means that the motorman acts as the conductor too, and the streetcars were built for the traditional two man operation (meaning there would have been a motorman and a conductor). This led to their downfall, and in 1933 all were scrapped.


Operating practices and improvements

The usual operating practice was that the number of powered cars in a train was at least one more than the number of trailers. Trailers, with or without train controls, were always placed in the middle of trains; train controls on trailers were mainly used in assembling or disassembling trains. As ridership declined and trains became shorter, trailers were primarily used only during rush hour. Combos were used to carry checked baggage to and from main-line trains at Oakland Pier and to deliver bundled newspapers. They were usually put on the end of the train toward Oakland Pier, and most commonly on the 7th St Line as far as Havenscourt or Seminary Avenue. When plans for longer routes were not implemented, 21 of the ACF combos were changed to motors at the time they received their round end windows in the 1920s. Due to the heavy grades on the Bay Bridge, 10 trailers were changed to motors in 1938 when all the passenger-carrying cars were modified with automatic train control and other safety equipment for bridge operation. The California Toll Bridge Authority (TBA) funded these changes and received title to 58 cars in return. All cars carried the name "Southern Pacific Lines" until Bay Bridge service began, when the IER-owned cars were repainted with "Interurban Electric Railway Company". Unlike most street railways, work rules dictating operations for employees were of a more restrictive type usually applied to mainline steam railroads, a situation which endured even with electric service.


Aftermath


Lines


Revival of lines for Key System

The rival
Key System The Key System (or Key Route) was a privately owned company that provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany, and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area ...
assumed rights to some of the trackage and overhead wires of abandoned IER/SP routes. This had first occurred due to the 1933 consolidation. In March 1933, the abandoned California Street line in Berkeley from about Ada and California Streets, up Monterey Avenue to Colusa Avenue, was used for the Key's Sacramento Street Line (H line) until abandonment in July 1941. In April 1941, a portion of the abandoned 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line in East Oakland, from East 14th Street to Havenscourt Boulevard, was used to extend the Key's 12th Street Line (A Line) until October 1950, when this line was cut back to 12th and Oak Streets. In August 1941, a portion of the Shattuck Avenue line in Berkeley, from about Dwight Way to the south end of the Northbrae Tunnel was used to extend the Key's Shattuck Ave Line ( F Line). In December 1942, the F Line was extended through the tunnel to the intersection of Solano Avenue and The Alameda. The F Line was abandoned in April 1958. Key System streetcars also used the IER Shattuck Avenue tracks from Parker Street to University Avenue until abandonment in November 1948. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the Key System used a portion of the 7th Street, Dutton Avenue Line tracks in Oakland on 7th Street, from Broadway to Pine Street, for streetcar service to a shipyard and most of the 9th Street track of the 9th Street Line for the Richmond Shipyard Railway. Tracks on 7th Street west of Broadway were additionally reactivated under Key System cars to serve the ship yards in Oakland.


Freight service

SP freight service continued over parts of the 9th Street, Shattuck Avenue, 7th Street and Lincoln Avenue Lines. An excursion train pulled by a steam locomotive was operated over this track in April 1954, by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association. By 1960, all except the part from the 9th Street Line had been abandoned.


Infrastructure remnants

Few pieces of infrastructure of the old electric service remain. The Northbrae Tunnel, which runs between Sutter Street and Solano Avenue underneath the Fountain Roundabout, is one of the most physical remains of the SP/IER. The tunnel once was a main artery for the SP interurbans into
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...
, and was used by
Key System The Key System (or Key Route) was a privately owned company that provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany, and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area ...
well after abandonment of SP electric service. Additionally, the elevated platforms of the IER still exist at Southern Pacific's 16th Street Station in
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
. Although interurban service ceased to the elevated platforms in 1941, the platforms were never torn down and still remain today as a visible reminder of former IER service. However, both approach trestles to the elevated platform were demolished during abandonment. The trestle that crosses the Southern Pacific mainline however still exists, partially. The northbound portion of the trestle was formerly in use by the Oakland Terminal Railway, a Key System subsidiary meant to handle freight. Sections of the trestle have been cut down, such as large sections of the former double-tracked bridge, which was downgraded to single-track during the sixties and seventies, after switching motions were no longer required on the bridge. The southbound portion of the trestle was converted to a road after abandonment, and does not exist anymore aside from a 280 foot long section. Since 2011, the Oakland Terminal Railway has no longer used the trestle for a variety of reasons, most notably being a 4%
grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...
and weight limits. A lack of customers caused the line to cease using the trestle. Since then there is no track access on either side, leaving it isolated from the national rail network. Aside from the Northbrae Tunnel, 16th Street Station, and trestle, nothing else too visible remains. The Emeryville Greenway between 9th Street and Stanford Avenue is a section of former IER right of way that serviced the interurban line to Thousand Oaks.


Equipment

After the SP streetcar line was abandoned in 1926, all 12 cars were sold to the Key System. After IER service ended, the TBA separated its 58 cars from the SP's 89 cars. In 1942, the TBA sold 6 motors for scrap in January and the remaining 52 cars to the Houston Shop Corp., which shipped them via the SP to Houston. One of the TBA trailers was wrecked in transit, so the SP replaced it with one of its trailers. The SP sent the 2 box motors to the PE, in March and April used 5 trailers for buildings in West Oakland, and stored their remaining 81 cars until they were requisitioned in July and September by the
United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The co ...
for use in transporting workers to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
shipyards: 20 trailers to a line in the
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, area and 61 cars to the PE in
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
where some of them were in use until that system ceased operations in 1961. A few of the cars have been preserved:


Ridership


See also

*
List of California street railroads The following street railway, street, interurban, or other electric railways operated in California. East Bay *Alameda, Oakland and Piedmont Railroad *Broadway, Berkeley and Piedmont Street Railroad *Brooklyn and Fruitvale Railroad *Claremont ...
* List of interurban railways *The
Key System The Key System (or Key Route) was a privately owned company that provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany, and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area ...
; another transbay commuter rail system that served the East Bay during the same era.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * Reprinted as *


Further reading

* * Issue No. 318. Reissued, combined with Issue No. 199, as * *


External links

{{SFBAtransit Defunct California railroads Southern Pacific Railroad subsidiaries Passenger rail transportation in California Electric railways in California Interurban railways in California Public transportation in Alameda County, California Rail transportation in Oakland, California History of Oakland, California 1911 establishments in California 1941 disestablishments in California 1200 V DC railway electrification