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Re: The Mystery of the Santa Fe-SP Connection At Emeryville
Author: OPRRMS
Date: 12-18-2020 - 16:18
Thanks for your input, Bill. It brings back a lot of memories.
The SP yard job you mentioned was Job 543 that went on duty Monday thru Friday at 11 PM at the Homestead (at the Adeline Street end of the West Oakland yard). It was a true transfer job, very high seniority, and lasted until Santa Fe obtained trackage rights on SP in place of the Oakland District.
It was known as the "Super Chief" because it moved right along at the highest rate of speed possible. The faster you got the work done, the more "spot time" at Emeryville you got.
543's first order of business was to take all the interchange cars from the Homestead to the Alameda Belt Line's yard, set them out, and pick up all the interchange cars from the ABL. An agreement had been worked out whereby ABL would block them with Santa Fe cars on the headend, then SP cars, then WP, and all the air hoses were laced.
The crew would call Fruitvale Tower on the radio when they were leaving the ABL so the operator could alert the Fruitvale Bridge tender that the train was coming. It was not unusual for the "Super Chief" to have 50 or more cars, nearly all of which were loads; when that happened, you had to really make a run for the grade going up the Alameda Main next to Fruitvale Avenue to keep from stalling and having to double the hill.
While in Alameda, the crew would sound the locomotive horn only in case of dire emergency, as there was a longstanding city ordinance stating there was a train curfew in effect from 10 PM to 6 AM.
Next, Magnolia Tower would have you lined into the 50 Lead at the Homestead, and the Homestead Yardmaster would instruct the Homestead Herder to have you lined into the appropriate receiving track.
At the west end of the yard, the Glass House Herder would make a cut behind the Santa Fe cars, then West Oakland Interlock and 16th Street Tower would send you into the "Santa Fe" so you could set out all your remaining cars in the Wood Street yard.
From there, you'd run Light Engine on the Santa Fe's track to their Emeryville yard, tie onto the ATSF-to-SP interchange cars, and "go to beans" as you've described in your comment.
After beans, you'd take the train back to West Oakland and tie up at the Homestead. If the crew wasn't in their vehicles and heading by 6 AM, something had gone seriously wrong.
The SP yard job you mentioned was Job 543 that went on duty Monday thru Friday at 11 PM at the Homestead (at the Adeline Street end of the West Oakland yard). It was a true transfer job, very high seniority, and lasted until Santa Fe obtained trackage rights on SP in place of the Oakland District.
It was known as the "Super Chief" because it moved right along at the highest rate of speed possible. The faster you got the work done, the more "spot time" at Emeryville you got.
543's first order of business was to take all the interchange cars from the Homestead to the Alameda Belt Line's yard, set them out, and pick up all the interchange cars from the ABL. An agreement had been worked out whereby ABL would block them with Santa Fe cars on the headend, then SP cars, then WP, and all the air hoses were laced.
The crew would call Fruitvale Tower on the radio when they were leaving the ABL so the operator could alert the Fruitvale Bridge tender that the train was coming. It was not unusual for the "Super Chief" to have 50 or more cars, nearly all of which were loads; when that happened, you had to really make a run for the grade going up the Alameda Main next to Fruitvale Avenue to keep from stalling and having to double the hill.
While in Alameda, the crew would sound the locomotive horn only in case of dire emergency, as there was a longstanding city ordinance stating there was a train curfew in effect from 10 PM to 6 AM.
Next, Magnolia Tower would have you lined into the 50 Lead at the Homestead, and the Homestead Yardmaster would instruct the Homestead Herder to have you lined into the appropriate receiving track.
At the west end of the yard, the Glass House Herder would make a cut behind the Santa Fe cars, then West Oakland Interlock and 16th Street Tower would send you into the "Santa Fe" so you could set out all your remaining cars in the Wood Street yard.
From there, you'd run Light Engine on the Santa Fe's track to their Emeryville yard, tie onto the ATSF-to-SP interchange cars, and "go to beans" as you've described in your comment.
After beans, you'd take the train back to West Oakland and tie up at the Homestead. If the crew wasn't in their vehicles and heading by 6 AM, something had gone seriously wrong.
