Bill Root Wrote:
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> The Santa Fe passenger station (albeit without
> tracks)lasted until Amtrak Day, May 1, 1971. The
> depot was also home to Continental Trailways
> buses, but it was torn down shortly thereafter and
> replaced by a parking structure. I haven't been by
> there in many years, but it appears from google
> earth that yet another structure has been built on
> the site. The second floor had offices, where my
> father-in-law, the late R B "Rocky" Estrada was
> Chief Boat dispatcher. Those offices were moved to
> the station in Richmond when passenger service
> ceased.
>
> The freight station at 1420 4th Street lasted
> longer, but was closed along with the agency, when
> the sales force was moved to a new site in
> Concord. The Marine Department was an expensive
> oddity and by that time Santa Fe was pushing
> piggy-back from the ramp in Richmond. The day of
> the boxcar was pretty much over. Not sure when it
> closed, but I'd say circa 1980.
>
> To answer SallyK's question, I believe Paul
> Hastings was a vice president of the Santa Fe and
> would not have worked in San Fran. He had a Santa
> Fe tug named after him in 1947. The freight agent
> in San Fran through the 60's was Tom Irwin. There
> was also a passenger agent with offices in the 44
> 4th St depot. I always thought the passenger
> station was a handsome example of Art Moderne
> architecture pretty rare in railroad stations.

San Francisco has a poor record in preserving historical and architecture buildings, as did most cities in that era.