Re: The Mystery of the Santa Fe-SP Connection At Emeryville
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 12-18-2020 - 15:04
> As to the USGS map I see what you're saying but it actually is correctly drawn.
You've never provided a date for that map. However, the trackage layout in question it is not correct for either the 1930s or the 1970s.
> The track to the south of that is a single track running into the Key underpass of the SP.
The double track which is shown ending over to the right at the word "station" are/were the Key System's main transbay trunk lines. Where they extend into the city streets of to the right is not shown (C, E, and F lines). The connection from the A and B lines is not shown correctly. As such they saw hundreds of train movements per day, so they were never connected to the Santa Fe as shown by the map. What the USGS has failed to do is removed the Key System tracks from the map.
On the north side of the Key System, there were two Santa Fe tracks which stub-ended NEXT to the underpass. The west leg of the wye connected to the track nearest the Key System, while the east leg connected to the next one to the north. Abandonment and tearing out of the Key System had no direct effects on these Santa Fe tracks.
> In the 1965 aerial photo you can see this track in the underpass.
That's very odd, because the (Key System's) tracks in the underpass were removed before then. The underpass has been used for motor vehicle access to the EBMUD sewage treatment plant ever since (the SP's 4 track bridge over it was rebuilt in the 1980s, the Santa Fe's single track and roadway bridge was not). Where is that aerial photo?
> I don't see any connection between this OTR/Key track and the Santa Fe on the map.
There was a trailing crossover to the WB Key System main track from the southernmost Santa Fe track which was opposite the east wye switch. This was probably for use in interchange between the Key and AT&SF. However, in the 1930s, the Key System spun off its freight operations as the OT, which was owned jointly by a combination of SP/WP/AT&SF, and undoubtedly the interchange location changed to avoid the Key Systems transbay services entirely.
> So map seems to be correct but let me know in I misunderstood you.
If you have a copy of Harre Demoro's Key Route, Part I, look at fold out map #2.