Hey OPB--
It is NOT just a "good story" as you put it.. It was the gospel truth....
BART didn't exist in those days. You guys remember the old SP-IER crossing at 5th Avenue in East Oakland that had the "wig-wag" on the pole in the center of the street--
right near the old City of Oakland CORP Yard ?? The WP mainline crossed nearby.
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. It was perfect. We also rode thru Yerba Buena Yard in Emeryville on the Key System and OTR trackage.. This included Poplar and Louise Streets in West Oakland.. There were other great spots as well...

The sprint on "X"- Street (SN-CCT line) in Sacramento was done using an old 1960
Ford Econoline van.. It was perfect for the job as well.
You **DO NOT** have to touch the steering wheel whatsoever.. Only use your FEET on the brake and gas pedals... The vehicle will have a slight sway as though you are riding a real train.
If you come to a "facing-point switch", the vehicle will automatically follow the divirging route (without derailing) ... By this time you are splitting a gut because you are laughing so hard...

"McNitting" should be added to other rail activities such as "Speeders" ..
But YES-- be extremely careful in the area you choose to "McNitt" upon...

And lastly, I am not sure where the name "McNitting" comes from.. Several years ago, when I was very involved with other Bay Area discussion boards (Frank Caron's "BayArea" site, and the "Key Route Group" site, I made mention of my exploits on 3rd St and X-street in Sacto..
Someone on the Group came back and said the practice was called "McNitting", named after some individual "back when" but I can't remember who !!!

And so, Ole Pole Burner, as "Art Baker" used to say on TV years ago :
"You Asked For It" !!!

Cheers.
KRK




OldPoleBurner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > 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.)
>
> How's this for a McNitt ??
>
> Are you sure it was 5th Avenue, which is more than
> 1200 ft East of the end of 3rd St (at Oak), and
> also on the other side of the Lake Merritt
> Estuary. You surely would have hung up on the
> undecked bridge, or gone in the drink. The
> hooosgow surely would have been next!
>
> Now on the other hand, the Fallon St crossing is a
> mere 250 ft east off the end of 3rd street. Of
> course, before the mid eighties, you might still
> have hung up on the SP crossing between Oak and
> Fallon!
>
> But oh never-mind - it's a good story anyhow.