Nussel Snouts Wrote:
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> 1954 Plymouth taxi, 1951 Chevrolet styleline
> deluxe coupe and red 1960 Pontiac.

How many of you have ever attempted to drive your Car (or truck, jeep) on railroad tracks and have such a perfect wheelbase that you could sail along without touching the steering wheel ??... Just using your feet for the Gas and Brake pedals ...

This was usually done where the tracks run down the center of a PAVED street..
BUT, what happens when the PAVEMENT runs out and you now have "protruding tracks" on railroad ties ??? Ever been in this situation in your crazy youth ??


As I mentioned in the article above, WP's line on Third Street in Oakland was GREAT as well as the WP mainline beyond, heading down toward East Oakland...
Note:
"Third Street was one of the great stretches of street trackage to perfect the art of "McNittin"... (driving your car down the street on the tracks without letting any air out, and then possibly continuing onward after the pavement ran out, as I did and wound up at 5th Avenue near BART.)"

"We started our drive around 3rd & Adeline Streets. Contined thru town, crossed over Oak and Fallon and rode on TOP of the bare rails all the way to 5th Avenue.. By then, we had to go to the bathroom because we were laughing so damn hard.
The practice of "McNitting" is an ART that you come by and have to perfect. I am one of the BEST in this ART...
BUT, you have to have the correct vehicle with the correct wheelbase. The WP trip on 3rd Street was made in an old 1954 Mercury."


Where does the term "McNitting" come from to describe this crazy pastime ?? No one is really sure, however, my good friend "Jim Baker" in Whittier, CA and OERM fame has a partial explanation:

"Jim Baker wrote:

> To all!
> To the best of my knowledge, the term used for driving
> an auto on the rails was termed " McNitting " named
> after a San Francisco railfan who was active in
> railfanning in the 1950's and '60's.
> A great place to McNitt was on the abandoned 40 line
> right-of way of the SF Muni!
>
> I tried it once on the ex-PE Newport line in Long
> Beach for a few blocks. I had a 1956 Cheverolet Bel
> Air Coupe. (Yellow and Pea Green!)
>
> Jim Baker, Whittier, CA"

In closing, remember this fact:
With an older vehicle with the proper wheelbase, you DO NOT need to partially deflate your tires... All sidings and spurs with "facing point switches" will direct your vehicle in the direction the switch is set for, without "derailing" and bouncing off the rails onto the ground.

BE SAFE and NOT STUPID!! Don't try this on Sherman Hill or Cajon Pass...
I was a teenager with a friend in that famed ('54 Merc) and suddenly found myself on the WP/ Cal-Zephyr mainline with no nearby paved street to escape to...
When we peeked out from behind the old City of Oakland CORP Yard buildings at 5th Avenue in East Oakland, we blew the HORN and the traffic waited.
We turned the wheel and headed on up to East 10th Street... You should have seen the looks on some of the motorists' faces .... ..

I do NOT advocate trying this yourself. I wanted to tell the overall story because after telling the same story years ago, people came forward with the "McNitting" name so I figured it had to be an old, regular crazy occurance by some folks...

"RamosMan" has had run-ins with UPRR folks, EspeeBoy has had his share of high-speed driving antics to capture a prized photo-op. "KRK" was in that same boat once upon a time. I was a "McNitter" and proud of it and one of the best too.
Ah, where did that "age of Youth" ever escape to ???

Hope you guys enjoyed the story !!
Cheers..

KRK