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Re: Oakland WB/EB Main Lines At 7th Street Question
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 11-22-2020 - 17:41
> A: track 1/westbound electric
> B: track 2/eastbound electric
> C:track 3/westbound main
> D:track 4/eastbound main
> E: unknown, not covered in the SPINS
Corrected version of the above:
A: main track 1
B: main track 2
C: main track 3
D: main track 4
E: connection to electric 5 and to the Santa Fe yard from MT 4.
Keep in mind that once you passed the power crossover at 34th St traveling westbound, there were no EB and WB mains, just MT 1 through MT 4. This is because in interlocking (and CTC) there are no EB and WB tracks. Movements are authorized only by signal indication, NOT train orders nor timetable sechedule, thus, directionality is irrelevant.
Just to keep things clear, when MT 4 became the Mtz Sub EB at 34th St as you headed east, there were also "electric 5" and "electric 6" on the land side of it. These magically became Emeryville 4 and Emervyville 5 at the Emeryville yard lead.
At the time of your latest aerial pic was taken, the electric tracks between this point and 10th St were long gone. The track curving off from D to the lower right is "electric 5", a yard track and connection which ultimately lead to the private car spur and the 16th St industrial lead, which is a remnant of the SP's streetcar service to downtown Oakland. This the track in the upper left of your color view. The curved track in the far lower left (of your color view) was the Santa Fe's lead to a similar switching district, which was of course, a Santa Fe-only district.
As WAF has pointed out, MT 1 and 2 were redisgnated "freight lead 1 and 2" (sometime during the 1980s) in order to be able to move cuts of cars to them without making an air test in WO yard beforehand. As "MT 2 and 2", the words "main track" meant that air tests had to be made in WO before leaving for these tracks.
"EB electric" and "WB electric" are Melrose-Fruitvale-E Oakland things.
> B: track 2/eastbound electric
> C:track 3/westbound main
> D:track 4/eastbound main
> E: unknown, not covered in the SPINS
Corrected version of the above:
A: main track 1
B: main track 2
C: main track 3
D: main track 4
E: connection to electric 5 and to the Santa Fe yard from MT 4.
Keep in mind that once you passed the power crossover at 34th St traveling westbound, there were no EB and WB mains, just MT 1 through MT 4. This is because in interlocking (and CTC) there are no EB and WB tracks. Movements are authorized only by signal indication, NOT train orders nor timetable sechedule, thus, directionality is irrelevant.
Just to keep things clear, when MT 4 became the Mtz Sub EB at 34th St as you headed east, there were also "electric 5" and "electric 6" on the land side of it. These magically became Emeryville 4 and Emervyville 5 at the Emeryville yard lead.
At the time of your latest aerial pic was taken, the electric tracks between this point and 10th St were long gone. The track curving off from D to the lower right is "electric 5", a yard track and connection which ultimately lead to the private car spur and the 16th St industrial lead, which is a remnant of the SP's streetcar service to downtown Oakland. This the track in the upper left of your color view. The curved track in the far lower left (of your color view) was the Santa Fe's lead to a similar switching district, which was of course, a Santa Fe-only district.
As WAF has pointed out, MT 1 and 2 were redisgnated "freight lead 1 and 2" (sometime during the 1980s) in order to be able to move cuts of cars to them without making an air test in WO yard beforehand. As "MT 2 and 2", the words "main track" meant that air tests had to be made in WO before leaving for these tracks.
"EB electric" and "WB electric" are Melrose-Fruitvale-E Oakland things.
