The Bullring, now erroneously called the "Cornfield" State Park was where the engines were stored. The "links" was the south end of the Bullring (Bullring shanty was under the Broadway Bridge). The Bullring purportedly recieved the name due to the stock watering facilities that were up in that part of the yard, where they hired young men to unload, water, and reload cattle and sheep, back at the dawn of time.

The Links was so named purportedly because of the ladder of puzzle switches that made up the lead.

The place some called the cornfield was actually up around the bend toward Taylor, where the Gold Line yard is located. This was where there had purportedly been a "cornfield meet" back in the old days (as opposed to the nonsense you hear from the unknowing docents who've been fed some story about this having been a "cornfield" back in the Mission era......).

I worked the both the "River Station" which was the on duty point for the Link/Bullring, and the "Shops" for many years. Often, I'd work the Street Job or the Rat Hole, which switched Alameda Street at night (no traffic allowed after 7 am). Jobs at River Station (Links shanty)also switched spillover and local cuts from Taylor, and worked the freight houses, the mill, the downtown "River Station" team track and crane, and later, the corn syrup.

I took my buyout, with my whole "Shops" crew, and the last day we worked together was on the Mill job back in 86. Since then, one interesting job I had was to recently document what was left of existing rail operations north of J Yard, and not much is left.

Petty's book fills in a few of these holes, prior to the later freight yard period, the Bull Ring was the sight of the early round house, first passenger station, and other early steam era/coal fired facilities.

Yard jobs five day schedule/8 hour day, switching within terminals. Dumb conductors and brakemen 16/12 hour days, 7 days a week, on the "road". Basically doing the same thing for less money, and under worse conditions, with no pedrsonal life. Was this yet another good reason for me to take the money and run?