There seems to be a grand misconcepcion about the operation of the "Bridge Railway" on the SFOBB and how it operated in conjunction with vewhicular traffic. Why ? I don't know. I think most of you are simply playing guessing games!

First off, Tom Moungovan is absolutely CORRECT about Erich Thomsen's 0-4-0 STEAM engine running on the Bay Bridge. I have film of it somewhere. After the current had been shut off when the trains quit running in April-1958 and all of the catenary had been taken down in "Bridge Yard", the members of BAERA used the steam engine to screw-around in the Bridge Yard, shuttle Key Units around and have a very grand time. Then it was run up on the Bridge proper but had to turn back because of water problems.

TWO tracks graced the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. THREE traffic lanes graced the North side of the lower deck. There was a traffic signal head (3-lights) that was hung horizontally over EACH of the three lanes about 250 feet apart, all the way across the bridge. The Toll Sergeant at the Toll Plaza controlled them. TWO green lamps and ONE red lamp for the Westbound morning commute. Same thing for Eastbound afternoon commute. It was NOT really a "suicide" passing lane, unless you possibly got a yellow lamp during mid-day, in each direction. You were controlled by traffic lights. It had to be this way or you would have had a free-for-all!

The Southern Pacific and Sacramento Northern trains were powered on the Bridge Railway by 1200 volts of direct current. The no-load voltage from the substations was 1325 volts DC. The SP and SN cars used overhead catenary distribution thruout.

The Key System trains used outside third rail at 600 volts DC from Bridge Yard to the East Bay terminal in San Francisco (Transbay terminal)..

After July 12, 1941 the overhead catenary was removed from the Bay Bridge except for that which graced the SF Terminal loop trackage, and placed in storage. The SP and SN cars quit the passenger carrying business.

Note: After the two-year run of the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in 1940, the Key System made plans to eventually remove its "Key Pier" from the Bay waters. It was all removed by 1942..
In late 1942, construction started on the "Richmond Shipyard Railway" which used antique elevated cars from New York's Manhattan Railway. There was ninety of these cars. They operated on 600 volts direct current from overhead catenary. The line ran from Emeryville to the FOUR different shipyard areas in Richmond. The cars were fitted with pilots and pantographs from ex-SP-IER cars.. The catenary trolley wire used came from the Key Pier, the Bay Bridge wire that was still in storage, and from the abandonment of Key's "H" and "G"-lines, and various SP-IER lines around the Eastbay in 1941.. Questions, folks ?? Do NOT be afraid to ask!

Cheers.
KRK