WAF Wrote:
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> Tie Pile Lead was at the east end of the Homestead
> off of the 70 lead, right?

I'm aware of the photo you're asking about and where it's been posted, but I can't respond there myself. Feel free to do so based on the following response. It's not necessary to give me any credit.

You are correct.

The photo is at the Homestead end of West Oakland Yard, with the old Adeline Street overpass overhead. In the photo, the 1123 is on the 70 Lead and is making a rear-end double over of a pig train (probably an outbound Cal P train such as 378 or the BAX) on either the Tie Pile Lead or the Pig Lead, both of which connected to the 70 Lead at the Homestead end of the yard. The Pig Lead provided access to the east end of some of the old Packer tracks and to the SP to WP interchange tracks, while the Tie Pile Lead accessed some of the same Packer tracks and the east end of the Tie Pile and the RIP tracks. At the time of the photo, the Tie Pile Lead connected to the 70 Lead at both the Homestead and West Oakland ends of the yard. The exact location where the locomotive is standing is basically unchanged today, although the Tie Pile tracks were removed by Union Pacific when it reconfigured the intermodal facility to its current configuration. In the photo, the low stand "V" switch visible on the left is the lead going to the WP to SP interchange tracks. The SP to WP interchange tracks are around the curve to the left and not visible in this photo. The pot signal governs movements on the 70 Lead entering the Interlocking at Magnolia. As an aside, the "large barrel headlight" is actually a Mars Signal Light. There was one on each end of the locomotive. They would illuminate when turned on, but not oscillate, likely due to broken belts in the drive. Both lights were eventually removed and discarded.

The lower photo with the Alco shows the First Trick "Fruitvale Job" switching the Del Monte cannery that was just west of Fruitvale Avenue, between the Nimitz Freeway and the mainline. It was one of the yard jobs that worked out of East Oakland Yard. The Fruitvale Station shopping center now stands on the cannery site.