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Re: Oakland 16th St. Station Open Day
Author: Dr Zarkhoff
Date: 07-27-2011 - 09:48
>After the earthquake when the building was condemned, but before the Jack London station was built, where did Amtrak passengers go to wait for their train in Oakland?
As we keep trying to tell you, it was the former Western Division headquarters building. The move could be made so quickly because it had been sitting unoccupied for several years, except for the Special Agents (by this time the Western Div had been merged with the Sacramento Div). It formed the north border of the old depot's parking lot which remained in use (and where, by the way, the SP's red electric streetcar loop is showing through the pavement). Thus, you had to turn right as you walked towards the track from the parking lot. The building was used as a temporary Oakland depot for several years, until OKJ was built. The ticket clerks continued to use the safe and baggage room in the old building for a few months until similar facilities could be set up in the WD building.
Yes, the Western Div building may have resembled "trailers", but it was a classic example of post-war, 1950s flat-roof, concrete slab construction and lasted from c1959 until at least 10-15 years ago (it was built to get the Division offices out of Oakland Pier so the pier's trainshed could be torn down -- by that time, the only reason the the pier buildings remained standing upright was by force of habit). The area which had been egineering dep't office cubicles and other clerical staff was cleared out for use as a waiting room. Not part of the public watiing area, there was also a conference room, where I attended firemen's classes in the mid 1970s. The traveling public entered and exited via one door in the middle of the wall track side, and the ticket counter was across the opposite end of this waiting room, towards the left side. Behind the ticket counter, at the Wood St end of the building, was the vacant former superintendent's office and the Special Agents' offices.
Emy built its station beacuse Oak got bogged down in extensive political jawboning over it's new station, which was actually fairly nice until they built that multi-story parking structure just west of it, blocking the sun.
As we keep trying to tell you, it was the former Western Division headquarters building. The move could be made so quickly because it had been sitting unoccupied for several years, except for the Special Agents (by this time the Western Div had been merged with the Sacramento Div). It formed the north border of the old depot's parking lot which remained in use (and where, by the way, the SP's red electric streetcar loop is showing through the pavement). Thus, you had to turn right as you walked towards the track from the parking lot. The building was used as a temporary Oakland depot for several years, until OKJ was built. The ticket clerks continued to use the safe and baggage room in the old building for a few months until similar facilities could be set up in the WD building.
Yes, the Western Div building may have resembled "trailers", but it was a classic example of post-war, 1950s flat-roof, concrete slab construction and lasted from c1959 until at least 10-15 years ago (it was built to get the Division offices out of Oakland Pier so the pier's trainshed could be torn down -- by that time, the only reason the the pier buildings remained standing upright was by force of habit). The area which had been egineering dep't office cubicles and other clerical staff was cleared out for use as a waiting room. Not part of the public watiing area, there was also a conference room, where I attended firemen's classes in the mid 1970s. The traveling public entered and exited via one door in the middle of the wall track side, and the ticket counter was across the opposite end of this waiting room, towards the left side. Behind the ticket counter, at the Wood St end of the building, was the vacant former superintendent's office and the Special Agents' offices.
Emy built its station beacuse Oak got bogged down in extensive political jawboning over it's new station, which was actually fairly nice until they built that multi-story parking structure just west of it, blocking the sun.
