John,

Thanks for posting your meanderings around Oakland and Emeryville. Most large cities have lots of abandoned right-of-way still visible. On my last trip to EMY in August 2008, I noticed some of the same old r-o-w in the are you show above. One thing you might do to help your exploration would be view the target area in your favorite mapping program. Be sure to use the satellite view from which you can see curved r-o-w and follow it from mainline to oblivion. Mapping programs (I prefer Google Maps) allow you to toggle the labels (street names) on and off. You can also toggle between satellite view and map view which can sometimes be helpful. And to those who would like to see what John saw, Google has their "street view" in which you can drag the little gold human icon onto the map and your screen switches to "street view". You can access "street view" if after you drag the icon, the streets highlight BLUE.

In your #2 photo above, notice the strangely textured pavement. My guess would be that area held rails, and as I peruse the aerial view, it appears that Lowell Street had rails down the center. If you notice the building on west side of Lowell between 60th & 61st St. it probably had a loading track along its east elevation. As you view south along Lowell, other buildings had about the same setback from the CL of the street. Evidence of other loading track? Probably. As I follow Lowell south to Adeline and 53rd, I really can't tell what happens to the r-o-w. I see that a track might have been installed along the east (back )side of the buildings that front Adeline. Further south from here in the aerial view, you can see buildings have filled the curving r-o-w cut across 40th, Adeline and most likely continued down Peralta.

I shall now dream about my one day off during which I will neither mow my lawn nor sail my boat before the deluge.

Richard Elgenson, out.