>The SP/IER line ran all along Stanford (as in Leland J, one of the CP/SP founders), from the present UP (ex-SP) mainline, gently curving onto Adeline (definitely look at a street map!), then continuing up Adeline to its gentle joining up to Shattuck. It continued along Shattuck to what was the original SP Berkeley depot, located downtown on that triangular-shaped block bounded by Shattuck, Center, and Berkeley Square.

The electric lines were always separate from the [steam] main lines starting at Oakland Pier (the [steam] main lines are still there, although not the Pier). The line continued north, crossing University Ave, on Shattuck Ave to Vine, where it shifted west onto Henry St, jogged further west to Sutter St. at Rose St, went through Northbrae Tunnel at Del Norte (now automobiles) and down Solano where it connected to the 9th St. line about two blocks west of San Pablo Ave. At it's south end, the 9th St line joined the Shattuck Ave line at Shellmound Tower, which was literally about a block and 1/2 off the west end of the pavement of Stanford Ave. The current [UP] location for Shellmound is now 67th St., just south of the Ashby Ave underpass, about 3/4 miles north of where Shellmound Tower used to be.

The California St line came off Stanford Ave at California Jct. just east of the Key/Santa Fe diamonds, continued north on California onto Monterey, Colusa, and formed a wye at Thousand Oaks (Colusa and Solano), but this was abandoned in 1933. After this, the Shattuck Ave line ended on one leg of this wye, and the Key System took over the part on Monterey as the outer end of the H line, discontinuing service on Hopkins St. between Monterey and Sutter St.(the Key's line on Hopkins went to within 500 feet of the Del Norte portal of Northbrae Tunnel) .

>The Key System ran from Oakland,

Emeryville

>I believe along the entire length of Adeline,

Only that part of Adeline north of 40th St. South of 40th St there weren't even streetcars.

>Thus, at one time, along portions of Adeline & Shattuck, there were 4 parallel tracks, as both Key & SP were double-tracked!

On Adeline, only between Alcatraz and Shattuck, where the Key's transbay line joined the Shattuck Ave streetcar line and terminated at University Ave. In 1933 the transbay line between between Alcatraz and University was abandoned, although the Shattuck Ave streetcar line continued to operate until 1948. The transbay trains used a portion of the streetcar tracks from Adeline and Shattuck to Ward & Shattuck between 1941 and 1958. To the end of the red electrics (1941), there were 6 tracks for about two blocks beginning at Alcatraz and Adeline (2 Key streetcar tracks, 2 SP electric tracks, and 2 Key transbay tracks).

>There used to be an informative plaque at the northeast corner of Adeline & Ashby, briefly describing operations there.

Streetcars on Ashby/Hillegas/Russel went away in 1928. The Key transbay trains on Adeline stopped going north of Alcatraz in 1933 and didn't resume until after the red electrics were abandonded in 1941.

>As to Lowell, I believe David is correct -- this was part of Santa Fe's mainline into "Oakland" (actually, Emeryville, at a depot just west of San Pablo at about 40th)

Borax Smith bought the California and Nevada (narrow gauge) in order to secure the tideland rights for his Key Route pier (now the approach to the Bay Bridge). He sold the rest of the line to the Spreckels interests, which they used to extend their line up the Valley into Emeryville (it became Santa Fe shortly before 1900). For several blocks both the Key (2 tracks) and the Santa Fe (one track) went up the middle of Sacramento St.

The Santa Fe depot in Emeryville was on the west side of San Pablo Ave, about 1/2 block north of and parallel to the Key's tracks between 40th & San Pablo and the subway under the SP (which is still in use by EBMUD). The current shopping center (Office depot, Home depot, and the condos) are built on what used to be the Key shops. The new street is the old Santa Fe r/w. Until about 15-20 years ago, 40th St never actually crossed San Pablo, although the Key's timetables always showed a station named "40th & San Pablo". The short section of Key r/w which lines up with Yerba Buena Ave., between Adeline and San Pablo, is still there but fenced off as a parking lot.