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Re: Oakland 16th St. Station Open Day
Author: smitty195
Date: 07-27-2011 - 11:57
Dr Zarkhoff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.
What you are describing is pretty much what I remember, including the interior layout. I could have sworn those were portable buildings, but apparently my memory is not correct. Is it possible that they put on a new brown exterior to spruce it up? For some reason, I can still clearly see the front of that building and until now, I would have sworn it was a trailer. The first time I would have used it would probably have been in late 1989/early 1990, and I went back several times after that.
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.
What you are describing is pretty much what I remember, including the interior layout. I could have sworn those were portable buildings, but apparently my memory is not correct. Is it possible that they put on a new brown exterior to spruce it up? For some reason, I can still clearly see the front of that building and until now, I would have sworn it was a trailer. The first time I would have used it would probably have been in late 1989/early 1990, and I went back several times after that.
