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Re: The Mystery of the Santa Fe-SP Connection At Emeryville
Author: WAF
Date: 12-18-2020 - 18:38
OPRRMS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.
Rich, was this train also known as the "Zipper" ( not referring to 374). I have heard Alameda Super Chief, but was another called "John Stevens Zipper"
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.
Rich, was this train also known as the "Zipper" ( not referring to 374). I have heard Alameda Super Chief, but was another called "John Stevens Zipper"
