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Re: Some Questions About SP Passenger Service In The San Joaquin Valley
Author: Mike T.
Date: 12-16-2009 - 15:54
agentatascadero Wrote:
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> I believe the San Joaquin Valley Oakland to LA
> trains always ran via Martinez, and it most likely
> was to facilitate transfers between these trains
> and those of the Overland and Shasta routes. I
> don't any but local passenger trains ran via
> Altamont, and even these runs probably did not
> make it through the Great Depression, and all
> those "train-offs". I have faint memories of the
> Train Departure Board inside Oakland Pier, taken
> sometime in the '20s, listing trains via Altamont,
> and a number of other long since discontinued
> routes. I hope there is a real historian lurking
> someplace near who might offer some facts. AA
Yes, old photos of the A&D board at Oakland Mole show a fair number of trains operating via Altamont. Remember that until 1930, trains via the Cal-P had to cross the Carquinez Strait via train ferries, the Solano and Contra Costa, so running via Altamont was not that much slower than via the Cal-P.
I believe John Signor's Western Division book says that SP discontinued passenger service over Altamont about 1940. I'm at work and not certain about this, but the Altamont trains in the book are 3 or 4 car locals, not major through trains.
As others have pointed out, routing a train via Altamont was probably NOT faster than routing it via the Mococco Line from Oakland to Tracy. I don't think there were any Stockton-San Jose direct passenger trains until ACE started up, as the South Bay Area was not a major population center back in the day. The Mococco is flat, Altamont is a hill.
Hope this helps.
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> I believe the San Joaquin Valley Oakland to LA
> trains always ran via Martinez, and it most likely
> was to facilitate transfers between these trains
> and those of the Overland and Shasta routes. I
> don't any but local passenger trains ran via
> Altamont, and even these runs probably did not
> make it through the Great Depression, and all
> those "train-offs". I have faint memories of the
> Train Departure Board inside Oakland Pier, taken
> sometime in the '20s, listing trains via Altamont,
> and a number of other long since discontinued
> routes. I hope there is a real historian lurking
> someplace near who might offer some facts. AA
Yes, old photos of the A&D board at Oakland Mole show a fair number of trains operating via Altamont. Remember that until 1930, trains via the Cal-P had to cross the Carquinez Strait via train ferries, the Solano and Contra Costa, so running via Altamont was not that much slower than via the Cal-P.
I believe John Signor's Western Division book says that SP discontinued passenger service over Altamont about 1940. I'm at work and not certain about this, but the Altamont trains in the book are 3 or 4 car locals, not major through trains.
As others have pointed out, routing a train via Altamont was probably NOT faster than routing it via the Mococco Line from Oakland to Tracy. I don't think there were any Stockton-San Jose direct passenger trains until ACE started up, as the South Bay Area was not a major population center back in the day. The Mococco is flat, Altamont is a hill.
Hope this helps.
