Hi Everybody-- In the last few months I have written two historic stories that were run on Trainorders.com but also published in "The Western Railroader" ...

The first story was about the "Steam Locals" that ran from around 1860 to 1911 in the Oakland/Berkeley area of the Eastbay and operated by the Central Pacific and later on, the SP...

The second story was a complete description of SP's Oakland Pier (aka Oakland Mole) that might tell you a few things you never knew before. The MOLE story is long--so I'll run it in three parts. Enjoy !!

Ken Shattock (KRK)
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Central Pacific Steam Locals
**Eastbay Suburban Service**
by Ken Shattock
Member: PCC-R&LHS

The Central Pacific Railroad had been operating local steam-powered commute trains in the Eastbay area since the 1860's . On Sunday, January 22, 1882, passenger trains began making their runs in and out of the new Oakland Pier terminal (aka 'Oakland Mole') . Thereafter, the old "Oakland Long Wharf" structure would be used solely for freight trains and car storage.

Concurrent with the opening of service to Oakland Pier, the Central Pacific instituted two changes which affected the local steam train operations.
One of these changes involved the use of a group of seven engines built especially for Oakland's "Seventh Street Line". These engines had a distinctive "Prairie" or 2-6-2 wheel arrangement. They were designed and constructed under the supervision of Andrew Jackson Stevens, master mechanic of the Sacramento Shops, during 1881 and 1882.

Unlike any other engine used on the Eastbay local lines, these engines were essentially "double-ended", that is, they could operate equally well in either direction. Such a feature was desirable on the local lines as all engines were operated facing Oakland Pier, even on Eastward trains. This operating procedure obviated the necessity of turning engines at terminals.

The second change implemented by the Central Pacific on January 22nd, was changing the double-tracked Seventh Street line from right-hand to left-hand operation. This change was made necessary by the construction of a third track for "local trains" between Oakland Pier Tower and West Oakland and also between East Oakland and Sather. On these three-track sections, the north track was for Eastward local trains, the middle track for Westward mainline and local trains, and the south track for Eastward mainline trains.
This mode of operation of the local trains continued throughout the period of the steam locals and was not changed to right-hand operation until some thirty years later during re-construction of the Seventh Street line in anticipation of electric train service, which would replace steam-operated commute trains in the Eastbay.

Final "Steam Local" operations :
Berryman Line--Berkeley December 30, 1911
Melrose Line--East Oakland December 12, 1911
Alameda Line December 18, 1911
High Street Line May 31, 1911
14th Street Line June 19, 1911

Replacement "Electrified" commute lines operated by Southern Pacific
under the new "Oakland Alameda & Berkeley" lines banner (OA&B) had the following start-up dates :

Shattuck Avenue Line December 31, 1911
Ellsworth Street Line December 31, 1911
California Street Line January 11, 1912
Ninth Street Line February 19, 1912
18th Street Line November 1, 1914
Seventh Street Line December 13, 1911
Horseshoe Line December 19, 1911
Webster Street Line June 20, 1911
Encinal Avenue Line June 1, 1911
Lincoln Avenue Line August 1, 1911

The SP "Red Train" commute service, under the "IER" banner, lasted until July 25, 1941.
Note: Within the contents of "Interurban Electric Time Table No. 1, dated
January 15, 1939, detailed instructions were given for operating the SP trains across the San Francisco--Oakland Bay Bridge. Handling the Big Red Trains was a highly technical job demanding a thorough knowledge of hundreds of rules, regulations and operating procedures. Anyone today who has access to this rare timetable would help that person gain an appreciation of the complexity of the system .

Today, both the Central Pacific Steam Locals and the SP "Red Trains" that replaced them are long gone from the Eastbay scene for over 70+ years.

However, in this modern day World of ours, there are a handful of survivors from the past. First, there are several SP-IER "Red Train" car bodies in storage at the Western Railway Museum// Rio Vista Junction, CA operated by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association.

But most important of all is a true "gem" of a rarity. One of the original seven Central Pacific 2-6-2 "Prairie" locomotives used for the so-called
"double-ended" service on the old Steam Locals, still exists today.
Central Pacific No. 233, built at the CP Sacramento Shops in 1882.
Originally built for East Bay suburban service; It later became CP No. 1504
and then SP No. 1903. These engines featured a rear oil tank that was blended into the cab and box-like side water tanks. They ran until electrification of the Oakland lines by SP in 1911.

The Howard Terminal of Oakland owned at least two of the ex-CP tank engines and records of the time are unclear whether one engine that was sold to the "Tidewater Southern" actually went there. It may have survived into the 1940's.
No photos of the Tidewater Southern engine, ex-CP 234, have come to light, but twin sister CP 233, the last survivor of this type, is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum in unrestored condition.

Here is the overall history of this historic survivor:

Built new as Central Pacific Railroad #233 for local passenger service in Oakland. Renumbered CP1504 in 1891. Renumbered again in 1901 as SP 1903, Retired in 1911 when the commute lines were electrified. It was sold to the Brady Equipment company of Portland Oregon on August 31, 1914. Rented for use by the Portland Railway Light and Power and in 1917 by the Haskell-Carpenter Logging Company. Sold on April 2, 1917 to the Portland Cement Company. Purchased by the California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society in 1938 and transported for free by the SP to Oakland in 1941 and placed in storage. In 1952 it was restored to resemble its original appearance as CP233 and put on display at the Oakland Municipal Auditorium in their old railroad-themed "Peralta Park". Acquired from the City of Oakland by the Pacific Locomotive Association in June 1972. It was then given to the California State Railroad Museum as a gift by PLA in December,2001. It is currently stored at the CSRM "backshops" in Sacramento, CA awaiting future restoration. However, as the locomotive has what is referred to as a "lap-seam" boiler, this restoration may prove difficult.

KRK