A few comments and clarifications:

As some have already stated, the "normal" route for 11/14 between Newark and Elmhurst is via Baumberg and Mulford. The "normal" route for the CC trains is via Niles and Decoto because of the stops at Centerville (Fremont) and Hayward, neither of which 11/14 make. Whether 11/14 actually runs via Mulford on any given day is up to the DS and depends on 11/14's lateness, delays which could occur to any CC trains, and what the locals are doing on the Mulford line.

>1203am: Track warrant issued for reverse movement from Niles Jct. to Shinn.

Which is not very far. Gilroy-San Jose-Newark-Niles Jct-Elmhurst-OKJ-Sac-Duns-Kfs and onward is all CTC. How can a track warrant be issued in non-TWC territory?

>As of 0240, it was heading into the Oakland yard (presumably to pick up a P-42). I've never really understood why this stuff takes so long. 5 1/2 hours late because one truck on one locomotive had a minor derailment with no injuries and no damage to anything except the lead unit? Why does that take 5 1/2 hours? And no, I'm not armchair judging here---I'm just asking why something that seems fairly straightforward takes so much time. It's not like the rail line is super busy between those two points (the derailment site and Oakland) on a late Saturday night/Sunday morning, so they're not waiting for traffic. And I know they have to "inspect" and do an air test and all that good stuff---but it's routine---there's nothing out of the ordinary going on is there? So why five and a half hours?

The short answer to this is the modern-day bureaucratic red tape involved and that today's manager's don't have the skill set and moxie to get the job done in a timely fashion.

>from Niles Jct./Shinn to Newark, and to run around the south wye there.

Last time I was at either place, there was only one wye at each location. The connection at Newark which enabled you could go directly from Mulford to Redwood Jct has been gone for at least 12-15 years.

>Then EITHER run long-hood forward at reduced speed to Oakland,

The only reason to run at reduced speed "backwards" with a P-32 is the lack of ditchlights on the rear.

>I believe the standard route for passenger traffic is to get off the Mulford onto the old Dumbarton, making a "right" east to service the Fremont depot, then making a "left" at Niles Junction and using the "Oakland Sub" (UP's name) to Oakland via Hayward. I think the ACE trains go straight (to and from Altamont)onto the old WP from Niles Jct. Just looked at Google maps and there seems to be a single diamond in the Niles Jct. array, but not for the "left" onto the Oaland Sub. from Dumbarton (San Jose).

The RR slang term "Dumbarton [Line]" refers to the SP's Redwood Jct-Newark-Niles Jct-Niles-Sunol-Tracy line, which was abandoned between Niles and Midway in 1985. Since then PLA as built its track on the R/W between Niles and Sunol.

Niles and Niles Jct are two separate locations. Niles is on the former SP, not on the former WP. Niles Jct was on both and still is. The SP siding "Shinn" and the WP siding "Fremont" were parallel to each other and about 1000' apart. Shinn siding has been replaced with Two Main Track CTC. Neither the former SP nor WP tracks have been moved any closer together at this location.

The Oakland Sub is the former WP line between Oakland and over the Altamont to Stockton. Most of it between Melrose and Fremont (just west of Niles Jct.) has been out of service for years.

[North] Elmhurst-Niles Jct-Newark-San Jose-Watsonville Jct-Slainas-[North] San Luis Obispo is the Coast Subdivision. San Jose - Niles Jct via Milpitas and Warm Springs is the Milpitas Industrial Lead.

All of these subdivisions and industrial leads had different configurations and names under the SP.

Personally, I suspect the lead locomotive to have picked the right-hand point of one of two power switches: the one between the Coast Sub and the Milpitas Industrial Lead or the next one, which is between the Coast Sub and the Oakland Sub (to Stockton).