Chris Parker and I pulled into the parking lot of the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista, were happy that it was not raining and were having a fantastic day in Northern California.
Museum HistoryIn 1946, a group of like-minded individuals learned that an old Oakland streetcar that they had chartered for a day's outing was to be scrapped within a week. They immediately dug into their pockets and gathered together enough money to buy the car right there on the spot. In this spirit of philanthropy and historic preservation, the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association was created to foster interest in streetcar, interurban, and mainline electric railroad operations, and to preserve these rapidly vanishing pieces of history.
In the following years, many interurbans and streetcars were collected, as well as smaller artifacts such as photographs, corporate records, books, fare boxes and signage. By 1960, the need for a permanent site was clear. Rio Vista Junction, an actual stop on the electrically-powered Sacramento Northern main line in Solano County, was selected as the museum site, and the task of transforming 22 vacant acres into a living history museum began. In 1985, the name "Western Railway Museum" was officially adopted.
During 1993, the Union Pacific Railroad made a gift of 22 miles of right-of-way to our museum. Donations from museum members and friends enabled us to purchase the rails, ties and associated hardware. This donation was significant, not only because we can now recreate an authentic interurban trip, but also because the right-of-way was originally built as an electric interurban line: the Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern (later known as the Sacramento Northern). To date, five miles have been rehabilitated to the original standards, using drawings and schematics preserved in our own archives.
In 2001, the Museum's new 12,000 sqare foot Visitors and Archives Center opened. The new facility, designed in the mission revival style, radically changes the visitors' experience at the Museum. Visitors now park in a large paved parking lot with plenty of space for buses and RV's.
In 2004, work began on the Loring C. Jensen Memorial Car House, a fully enclosed, publicly-accessible artifact storage and display facility. The $2.5 million facility is the biggest and most-expensive project in our history to-date. It was completed and officially opened to the public on May 3, 2008. Once daily public guided tours are now given every day the Museum is open.
San Francisco Municipal Railway PCC Streetcar 1016 made its inaugural run at the Museum on Saturday July 10, 2010. It is the first car in the last streetcar order San Francisco's Municipal Railway placed with the St. Louis Car Company in 1951. It was purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in October 1982 when it came out of service, and has been preserved at the Western Railway Museum ever since.
A team of volunteers led by Museum board member David Buechler spent 4 years restoring the MUNI 1016 to its "as-built" condition. When originally purchased by MUNI, it cost just $34,940. The Museum's restoration project cost nearly as much: over $30,500 in parts and materials, with all of the labor being donated by volunteers. To make the car operable again, volunteers restored the roof, flooring, interior light fixtures and seats; refurbished the body; painted the interior and exterior of the car; and replaced all eight wheels.
After a decade in the Western Railway Museum restoration shop, Sacramento Northern interurban 1005 made its debut on Saturday, September 18, 2010. SN 1005 is a true Bay Area native. It was built by the Holman Car Company of San Francisco in 1912 for the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroad which ran from Oakland to Sacramento on the very tracks the Museum now owns and operates. The O,A&E was merged with the Northern Electric Railway to eventually form the Sacramento Northern Railway.
The car was first acquired by the parent organization of the Western Railway Museum, the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, in May 1951 when it came out of service. It was used on many excursion trips around California before the Western Railway Museum was founded in 1960. It has been preserved at the Western Railway Museum ever since.
With the investment of over $175,000 from concerned historic preservationists and 10,000 hours of donated volunteer labor (valued at $450,000) led by Museum Electric Car Superintendent David Johnston with assistance from professional restoration expert Glenn Guerra, the car has been restored to its 1934 condition.
On June 30, 2012, the Western Railway Museum opened a new segment of track for our interpretive ride on the historic Sacramento Northern right-of-way. Visitors can now take a 10-mile round trip ride all the way from the Museum, past the historic Shiloh Church and Gum Grove (site of our annual Pumpkin Festival), over Shiloh Road and all the way to Birds Landing Road.
The museum is supported by 1,200 members, 125 volunteers, admission receipts, museum store sales and tax-deductible donations from organizations, friends, visitors and members of the museum.
Our visit
The Museum building of the Western Railway Museum. I received a guest pass for the day since I was writing the story then headed out to Car Barn 1.
Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramway Board streetcar 648 built in 1930 in its own shop in Melbourne, Australia. It was brought to the United States in 1983 and was a part of the Trolley Festival operated in San Francisco. After several summers of successful operation there, the car was sold to the Western Railway Museum.
East Bay Street Railways wood-and-steel, double-end, double-truck, arch-roof streetcar 352 built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1911. It was used in streetcar service in the East Bay Area until 1948. It was heavily rebuilt over its life and has had several different corporate ownerships, but it always used in the same service area. These ownership changes resulted in many different paint schemes and names being on the car over its lifetime, but it always retained the same number. When the car was retired, it was stripped of electrical and mechanical equipment and used as a storage shed behind a house in the Berkeley hills. The car was restored in the Museum's shop to its current operating condition in 1985, using parts acquired all over the world. The car is currently in its 1931 appearance.
Key System three-truck, two-car articulated all steel interurban car 187 built by Bethlehem Steel in Wilmington, Delaware in 1936. These cars ran in trains across the Bay Bridge and in East Bay streets from 1939 to 1958. This car is currently configured in the Key System (pre-1948) appearance.
Bay Bridge service replaced ferryboat service from the East Bay to San Francisco in 1939. These units ran in trains of up to seven units on five lines in the East Bay. They are equipped with coded cab signals and speed control. Some units were built using equipment from older Key System cars. In 1936 Key System entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority to deed a portion of their equipment to the Authority in return for funds to provide cab signals, train stop equipment and other modifications for operation across the Bay Bridge. The 187 was one of these cars deeded to and passed to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1958.
San Francisco Municipal Railway PCC Car 1003 is the lone survivor of an order of five cars built by the St. Louis Car Company for the Muni in 1939. The cars were like the Muni's standard "Iron Monsters" in that they were operable from either end and configured for a two-man crew. However, they were quite different in appearance. They were "streamlined" and quite similar in appearance and operation to a PCC car. Since the San Francisco City Charter prohibited the payment of patent royalties (in this case to the President's Conference Committee, later the Transit Research Corporation), hand controllers were used instead of foot pedals, making them slightly different then the PCC.
When delivered new, it was painted in a blue and gold paint scheme to celebrate the 1939 World's Fair on Treasure Island. Officially called "C-types", the cars rode so smoothly and quietly compared to the heavy and noisy "Iron Monsters" that they soon gained the nickname of "Magic Carpets". After the war the cars were repainted to the green and cream wing scheme.
In 1954, the city's two-man ordnance was repealed and the cars were converted to one-man operation. Since the hand-operated controller made handling fares difficult in its one-man configuration, operators had to be specially trained on a limited class of equipment, the Magic Carpets became relegated to rush-hour service. The Muni found replacements in the form of second-hand PCCs from the St. Louis Public Service Company in 1957. Car 1003 was purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in February 1959 and has been restored back to its double-end configuration with the 1939 blue and gold paint scheme.
San Francisco Municipal Railway double-end, double-truck, arch-roof streetcar 178 built by Bethlehem Ship Building in San Francisco in 1923. It spent its entire service life on the streets of San Francisco. When new, it was painted gray with a terra-cotta color roof and tuscan red sash. In 1941, this gave way to a blue and yellow paint scheme, the California State colors. Lastly in the early 1950s. it was painted in a green and cream paint scheme developed by then Muni General Manager Charles D. Miller.
178 was built with enclosed end sections but retained the open platforms: a pantograph style gate for the entrance, a sliding, wire mesh gate for the exit, and a wire mesh right front side "window". Always operated by a two-man crew, the passengers entered at the rear, paid their fare, and moved forward to exit via the front. The pantograph gates had fold down planks to provide additional seating when the gate was at the front end of the car and closed.
Post-World War II improvements included replacement of the pantograph entrance gates with air-operated doors salvaged from scrapped Market Street Railway cars. These were installed for safety reasons within the Twin Peaks Tunnel. Glass was substituted in place of the wire mesh window. Eclipse fenders were replaced with underfloor life guard type fenders obtained from scrapped Key System streetcars.
The Bay Area Electric Railway Association purchased 178 from the Muni in February 1959 and moved it to Marysville, California, for storage on a Sacramento Northern spur for occasional operation on the electrified trackage in the Marysville-Yuba City area. It was moved to Rio Vista Junction in August 1964 to join the rest of the BAERA collection. 178 returned to San Francisco in 1982 to be part of the Trolley Festival on Market Street while the City rebuilt its cable car lines. In 1983 the 178 returned to the Western Railway Museum and still operates today.
San Francisco Municipal Railway light rail vehicle 1258 built by Boeing-Vertol in 1974. With the end of the Vietnam War, the United States government had to come up with new ways to keep its defense contractors employed. One way was to design a Standard Light Rail Vehicle for the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, intended to replace the tired PCC cars. In 1973, Boeing-Vertol began designing the SLRV for the San Francisco Municipal Railway, and the Muni ordered 100, which were numbered 1200-1299. The first revenue run of these new cars was in 1979.
In 1975 the Muni took on a whole new look with a new logo and color scheme designed by Walter Landor & Associates. The new logo became known as the "Muni Worm". Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority also ordered SLRVs. However, the T didn't care for the cars' performance, so they cancelled the second part of the order and the Muni ended up taking them. These were identical to the Muni SLRV except they had 2-1 seating and were numbered 1300-1329. They entered service in 1983. All 130 of these LRVs were plagued with many problems and were difficult to maintain. Most cars averaged only 2,000 miles between failures.
In 1995 the first of the current fleet of Breda cars arrived and this was the beginning of the end for the Boeing-Vertol LRVs. Between 1996 and 2002 the Boeing cars were retired and scrapped. On May 20, 2002 the Western Railway Museum acquired the 1258 from Muni and it is only one of two Boeing-Vertol SLRVs to be preserved in railway museums.
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City {Crandic} lightweight, single-end, double-truck, arch-roof, steel interurban coach 111 built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1930 for the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad.
The car's design speed was 75 miles per hour. During actual testing, General Electric equipped cars attained an actual speed of 79.8 miles per hour. The C&LE built these cars to try and reverse passenger ridership lost. This was unsuccessful and they discontinued passenger service in 1938. Six of these cars were sold to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad for $2,000.00 each. They were refurbished and went into service in Iowa in 1939.
A number of changes were made over the years. The high-backed leather passenger seats were replaced with low-back tubular steel frame seats, the field taps were removed slowing the car to a top speed of less than 70 mph top speed and reverse controls was added to accommodate a revere move to the fairgrounds. The aluminum siding was replaced with stainless steel but the additional weight of this heaver material has caused some carbody distress. Crandic discontinued passenger service in 1953 and 111 was sold to a private collector. After being stored in Kansas for many years, the car was given to the Association and arrived at the Museum in March 1973.
Key System double-truck, double-end, arch-roof, lightweight, steel streetcar 987 built in the Emeryville Shop in 1927. This series of cars was the first modern low-floor flush platform cars of this size to run in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has been several different configurations over its career. It was a two-man car with double folding doors on both sides of both platforms. For a while it had couplers and could run in multiple units with other cars.
In 1930 the first car numbered 987 was hit by a train in Oakland and damaged beyond repair. Since that car was pledged to secure bonds, car 899 was re-numbered 987 to take its place as security for the bonds. As currently configured, it is set up as a one-man car with the left hand doors disabled, but still in place. When the Association acquired the car in 1948, it had no place to store the car so it was shipped to the Portland Traction Company where it ran as PTC 4011 until it discontinued operation in 1958. Then it was returned to California and was stored at Colusa until the Western Railway Museum was established. Car 987 was moved to Rio Vista Junction in November 1960 and was the second car to arrive.
Sacramento Northern single truck, double-end, arch roof Birney Safety Car 62 built by the American Car Company in St. Louis in 1920 as San Diego Electric Railway Company 301. San Diego was dissatisfied with the car and sold it to the Sacramento Northern Railroad in 1923. The car operated on the Sacramento Northern streetcar lines in Chico, Marysville and Sacramento.
At first it was painted like the interurban cars in dark olive green with gold lettering and a black roof. But this was quickly changed to the cream with blue doors and window sash that was used until the end of service. This change to lighter colors was usually to make the streetcars easier to see at night when automobile traffic became significant. The last SN streetcar operation was in Chico, and that was discontinued in 1947.
This car was acquired by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association directly out of service from the Sacramento Northern Railway in 1947. All the equipment is original to the car. The car was used for excursions on various California electric railroads prior to coming to the Museum in August 1964. Car 62 is the only Birney car to ever operate in San Francisco.
Blackpool double-end, double-truck, center entrance, open top streetcar 226 built by English Electric Preston Works in 1934 and was unique to Blackpool, England, and was known as a Boat Car. 226 and its sister cars saw regular use carrying tourists on the round town Circular and the famous Promenade routes. The Circular route ended with World War II but resumed in 1957, ending for good in 1961 when the Blackpool town routes started to be discontinued.
Four of the class were scrapped in 1968 but the other eight survived and were renumbered 600-607. 226 became 601, a number which it carried from 1968 to 1971, when it was withdrawn for sale to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association. It arrived in San Francisco in October 1971, intended to run on that city's Market Street, as part of British Week celebration but a dock strike prevented the tram's unloading in time for the celebration. When 226 was finally unloaded, it went straight to its new home, the Western Railway Museum. Number 226 did see Market Street service in 1983 as a participant in the Trolley Festival. It was returned the Western Railway Museum in 1985 after San Francisco's MUNI had purchased from Blackpool its own boat car, 228 which had not been used in Blackpool since 1978, when it returned from Philadelphia after the 1976 Bicentennial.
They are always popular cars (unless it rains) and are all in original condition, the only major modification was the fitting of windscreens in 1959.
San Francisco Municipal Railway PCC car 1153 built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1946 as St. Louis Public Service Company 1742. In the mid-to-late 1950's, the Muni was looking to replace all remaining "Iron Monster" type cars with modern cars. Since the major street car builders were no longer building PCC cars, the Muni was forced to look for second-hand equipment from American cities which were closing down their streetcar lines.
69 cars were eventually obtained through lease arrangements with the St. Louis Public Service Company which refurbished the cars, repainted them and installed back-up controllers salvaged from scraped Chicago Transit Authority PCC cars before shipment to Muni. SLPS 1746 entered service in San Francisco in 1957, repainted and renumbered as Muni 1153. In the late 1960's/early 1970's, Muni wanted to simplify the green and cream wing color scheme to save on labor costs, so it experimented, finally settling on the scheme the 1153 currently has. Car 1153 was replaced by the Boeing-Vertol Light Rail Vehicles in the early 1980s and was purchased by the Western Railway Museum in October 1982 and currently awaits restoration.
Western Pacific tank car 1025 built by American Car and Foundry in 1912. On May 4, 1950, it was converted into a maintenance-of-way water car, number WPMW 1582. The final service for this car on the Western Pacific was as the bilge water car for the ferry Las Plumas in Oakland. The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association traded its' tank car, GATX 79840, to the Western Pacific for car 1582.
Central California Traction Company 70 ton switcher 30 built by General Electric in 1947.
Napa Valley Route steel, double-ended, double-truck, arch-roof box motor 100 built by the McGuire Cummings Manufacturing Company in 1922. It replaced a wooden box motor of the same number. Electrical and mechanical equipment were removed from the wooden car to outfit the new steel car. The San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway was reorganized into the San Francisco and Napa Valley Railroad in 1935, but the car was always lettered "Napa Valley Route".
The San Francisco and Napa Valley Railroad was one of the few AC electric railroads in the West. Car 100 ran on the Napa Valley Route until the end of electrification on May 5, 1942 and was sold in 1943 and stripped of its electrical equipment. The car went to The Pacific Lumber Company at Scotia, California, where it was in train service on this company's railroad. After service at TPLCo, it went to a private collector and was acquired by the Museum in November 1983.
Central California Traction Company flat car 1017 built by Holman in 1910.
Southern Pacific Harriman-style steel commuter coach 2093 built by the Pullman Car Company in 1924.
Southern Pacific Harrima-style steel commuter coach 2113 built by the Pullman Car Company in 1924.
Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad double-end, double-truck wooden combination baggage and interurban car with clerestory roof 63 built by the Holman Car Company in San Francisco in 1904. It ran between Petaluma, Sebastopol and Santa Rosa with a branch to Forestville. Passenger service on the railroad ended in 1932 and this car was dismantled. The car body was used as part of a house in the hills west of Fairfield until it was acquired by the Association in August 1967 and moved to the Museum on November 27, 1967. Members of the Association tore down the house to get the carbody out of it.
The car was restored to an operating car at the Museum. Trucks and traction motors were salvaged from Yakima Valley box motor 301.
Sacramento Northern double-end, double-truck, arch-roof, steel interurban coach 1019 built by Hall Scott Motor Company in 1913 as a control trailer for the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroad, which ran between Oakland and Sacramento. In 1915, car 1019 was motorized using new equipment purchased from Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.
In January 1920, the railroad reorganized as the San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad. In 1928 the Sacramento Northern Railroad, formerly the Northern Electric, merged with the SF-S to form the Sacramento Northern Railway. In February 1929, car 1019 was probably repainted into the SNRy paint scheme at Chico then in 1938, cab signals and automatic train stop equipment was installed to allow this car to operate over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The Sacramento Northern discontinued passenger service in 1940 and in October 1941, car 1019 became maintenance car MW 301. Due to wartime power shortages, it was equipped with footboards and used as a switch engine. In November 1947, MW 301 had the electrical equipment removed and was rebuilt into MW 81, a kitchen-dining car. It was acquired by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in October 1972.
Sacramento Northern box car 2314 built by Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Company in 1918 as Western Pacific 17083. It was re-numbered WP 317083 in 1940 and restricted to online moves only because the arch bar side frames had not been changed to Andrews side frames prior to the AAR prohibition of arch bar side frames in interchange starting in 1941.
The Sacramento Northern series 2301 to 2327 were transferred from the Western Pacific to the Sacramento Northern in 1947. SN 2314 was converted to AB brake in November 1947 at the Chico shops. The car received Andrew cast steel side frames by the time it was in service on the Sacramento Northern. The car was removed from revenue service and transferred to work equipment service in June 1964 and had its number changed to SN 02314. It was retired in January 1975 and sold to Tracy Rail Car on April 23, 1975. They removed the couplers, trucks and brakes and delivered the car to the Shideler turkey farm in Manteca. The Museum acquired the car from Richard E. Shideler, Superintendent of Cars for Western Pacific Railroad, when his father passed.
SCCX tank car 662 built by Standard Tank Car in 1923 for the Shell Company of California and was built to haul petroleum products in Martinez, California.
Sacramento Northern parlour-observation car "Bidwell" built by the railroad in 1914 but originally constructed by the Northern Electric Railway in its Mulberry Shops in Chico, California, from wreck-damaged coach 202, and intended for through parlor service on the connecting OA&E to the 1914 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. The 202, in turn, had been built by Niles Car and Manufacturing Company in 1906.
Constructed as a full parlor-observation and named in honor of General John Bidwell, founder of the City of Chico, a pantry and dining compartment were installed in the early 1920's. The "Bidwell" was used thereafter mostly as the relief parlor-diner. The SN discontinued parlor-diner service in 1938 and after a few fan trips, one over the Bay Bridge, the car was retired and dismantled in 1941, with the body being moved to the town of Wheatland, California, where it served as a dwelling until acquired by the Association.
Salt Lake and Garfield classic open, cross-bench, interurban trailer 306 assembled by the railroad in 1922 from steel framework built by the American Bridge Company of Chicago. The carbody hardware was salvaged from the original open cars built by the St. Charles Car Company in 1893. This car spent its entire career serving the Saltair amusement park and dance pavilion. The pavilion was located on piles in the Great Salt Lake about one half mile from shore. The trains ran on a trestle from the shore to the pavilion.
Trains of the open bench cars were operated between two of the Salt Lake, Garfield and Western closed motorcars, which were powered from a 1500-volt DC trolley wire. As the lake receded, traffic to Saltair declined and these cars were towed by 44 ton diesels after the electric operation was discontinued. By 1959, only four of the cars still existed, two of whichs were donated to the Sons of the Utah Pioneers and were displayed for many years in the town of Corrine. Eventually these two survivors found their way to the small town of Heber where they were put on display at a small tourist railroad. In June 1993 car 306 was moved to the Western Railway Museum.
Key System Railroad shop switcher 1215 built by the railroad in 1899 and rebuilt in 1926. It was probably built from parts salvaged from other cars. It was used to tow cars around the shops, and was moved to the Museum in April 1963.
The Insley Building. Next we were given a tour of the Restoration Shop.
Portland Traction Company lightweight, double-truck, steel suburban car 4001 built by the G.C. Kuhlman Car Company in 1926. It is currently painted in the blue and cream livery in use by Portland Traction at the time of the car's arrival at that operation. The car features twenty leather covered walkover seats and minimal mahogany wood trim around the windows. It is typical of the construction used in the electric railway industry from about the end of World War One to the beginning of the streamlined era in about 1930. The car was powered from an overhead trolley wire carrying 600 volts of direct current.
At this time Kuhlman was a subsidiary of the J. G. Brill Company of Philadelphia. Car 4001 was built for the Interstate Public Service Company as their 262 for use on its suburban lines in the Louisville, Jeffersonville and New Albany area. These cities are located in Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky along the Ohio River. In 1929 a new municipal highway bridge opened across the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville. This afforded bus competition a shorter route than the Interstate Public Service suburban operation and it was discontinued. The Indianapolis interurban continued using this route. Indiana Public Service cars 261 to 266 had specially reinforced end bumpers for additional protection for use on routes where standard interurban cars were also used. These cars proved not to be well suited for mainline service and were little used after the 1929 abandonment of the suburban operation. Reorganization resulted in Interstate Public Service Company becoming part of the Indiana Railroad in March 1931.
The Terre Haute Traction and Light Company became part of the Indiana Railroad in July 1931 and the six Kuhlman cars were transferred to Terre Haute for use on city lines in 1936. The cars went to Anderson shop for minor changes, repainting and were renumbered to Indiana Railroad 200 to 205. Terre Haute was the largest city property operated by the Indiana Railroad. It was exclusively Birney car operated until the arrival of the Jeffersonville cars. The cars were transferred to Terre Haute from Jeffersonville in two three-car trains. They were used on the South Seventh Street line in Terre Haute.
In December 1938 an agreement was signed with National City Lines for the purchase of the Terre Haute city lines. NCL was interested only in bus operation and all streetcar service was discontinued on June 3, 1939. The six Jeffersonville cars were sent back to Scottsburg Shop for storage. The cars were sold to Portland Traction Company, which was part of Portland Electric Power Company in 1940. The six cars were shipped to Portland, Oregon on flat cars. The traction orange paint of the Indiana Railroad gave way to Portland Traction’s Blue and Cream paint scheme and the cars were renumbered to 4000 to 4005.
They went into service on the Oregon City and Gresham routes in 1940. That same year car 4000 was involved in a wreck with one of Portland Traction's large wooden interurban cars and it was scrapped. The remaining five cars remained in service until the end of passenger operation in 1958. By then the cars had been repainted in to Portland Traction’s cream and maroon paint scheme. Two of these cars survive today. The 4001 is at the Western Railway Museum and the 4003 is at the Illinois Railway Museum. Car 4001 arrived at the Western Railway Museum in November 1960 and was the museum's first car.
This car is in for wreck repair.
Sacramento Northern 65 ton steeple cab 654 built by General Electric in 1930. By time it was delivered, the Sacramento Northern Railroad and San Francisco-Sacramento merger had already taken place and it was delivered as SN 654. At some point it received the trucks from SN 670, which was the former Tidewater Southern motor 106 that SN purchased secondhand. Evidence uncovered at the Museum indicates that 654 was involved in an accident serious enough at some point in its life to require the replacement of one entire side sill. It was in service on the Sacramento Northern until the end of electric operation in 1965.
Power unit truck.
Sacrmento Northern 44 ton switcher 146 built by General Electric in 1946 in for some heavy work. It was one of seven 44 ton locomotives purchased by the Sacramento Northern after the California Public Utilities Commission adopted regulations making the continued operation of the third rail north of Sacramento no longer feasible. The reason to purchase 44 ton locomotives was the 90,000-pound rule in the 1937 labor contract with enginemen. This clause permitted railroads to operate locomotives below this weight without a fireman.
The locomotive was retired by the Sacramento Northern on September 21, 1971 and sold to Chrome Crankshaft, a locomotive broker then was re-sold to the Northwest Oklahoma Railroad where it became their number 1 in 1974. Northwest Oklahoma Railroad sold 146 to the Feather River Railroad Society in 1996. Locomotive 146 was acquired by the Western Railway Museum from the Feather River Railroad Society on May 9, 2005.
I then went outside.
Spokane, Seattle & Seattle baggage cart.
Museum view.
Muni maintenance-of-way motor unit 0305A built by Marmon and used for the construction of the Muni Metro subway. When in use, it had a platform on the roof for working on the overhead wires in the subway. It is used by the museum as a shop switcher.
Canadian National speeder 194-17 built by Fairmont.
United States Navy 45 ton switcher 65-00404 built by Porter in 1942.
Muni cable car 20. Note the rubber tires.
Kennecott Copper steeplecab electric 407, nee 7, built by General Electric in 1947. The line it ran on was the 16-mile railroad hauling ore in 90 car trains between the open pit at Bingham Canyon, Utah and copper ore concentrators at Arthur and Magna and the smelter at Garfield.
Two views of Car Barn 1. Next we walked to Car Barn 3.
Key System steel, double-truck, steeplecab 1001 built by the Oakland Terminal Railroad in 1910. This locomotive went through several different ownership name changes, but spent its entire service life on the same track. It switched cars from the Bay Bridge through Oakland up Adeline Street in Berkeley. It was acquired by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association directly out of service in 1958.
East Bay Transit Company wrecker 1011 built by Oakland Traction Company in 1906 with a steel underframe and wood carbody. One end has an open platform for carrying a spare truck. It is a double-truck, double-ended car with an unusual roofline due to a change in roof style. It was built with a clerestory roof, but the clerestory was removed sometime before 1920. A pantograph was installed for service on the Bay Bridge. The most notable feature of this car is that it is a two-motor car, one motor per truck. Both trucks have the wheel sets connected together with side rods.
It was used as a wrecker on the Key System until electric rail operation ended in 1958. It was equipped with tools, blocking, tackle and other supplies needed at the site of a derailment or other accident. The long open platform at one end of the car is where a spare truck can be carried so a damaged truck could be replaced. The 1011 is currently painted in the yellow, cream and black paint color scheme of the East Bay Transit Company, which was a division of the Key System from 1936 to 1942. This car was acquired by the Museum in 1958.
Central California Traction Company electric box motor 7 built by J.G. Brill and Company in 1936 and supplied as a body to the Washington Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway to replace its original box motor 1, which had been destroyed in a fire. The first 1's electrical equipment was salvaged and installed on the new body by the WB&A.
The WB&A used the box motor for express service in conjunction with the Southeastern Express Company, whose swastika logo is still just barely visible on the sides of the car, under the CCT's yellow paint. When the WB&A discontinued most of its passenger service, it sold 1 to the Boston Iron and Metal Company of Baltimore, Maryland. The CCT then bought 1 from Boston Iron and Metal and used it for about 12 years. Upon discontinuance of electric operation in Sacramento, it sold the car to the M.C. Davidson scrapyard in Stockton. In 1967, Levin Metals purchased Davidson's operations, after which Levin donated 7 to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association.
San Diego MTA light rail vehicle 1018 built by Siemens Duewag of Germany in 1981 for the San Diego Metropolitan Transportation District's brand new light rail line which was being constructed on the San Diego, Arizona and Eastern Railway between San Diego and San Ysidro. They were part of the second order of post-Boeing SLRV cars to be placed in service in the United States. The overwhelming success of the San Ysidro line inspired the revival of interest in urban "light rail vehicles" in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central and South America.
San Francisco Municipal Railway PCC car 1016 built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1951. It is the first car in the Muni's 1016 to 1040 series, which was the last order of PCC cars built in the country. An all-electric, single-ended true PCC car, it was built as a two-man car with a conductor's station opposite the center doors. Muni desired double-end cars similar to the 1001-1015 streamlined cars, but with both St. Louis Car Company and Pullman-Standard winding down their street car manufacturing businesses, it had to accept a standard model similar to other PCCs built after World War II. The car was converted to one-man operation with front entrance in 1954.
Car 1016 was used on a Bay Area Electric Railroad Association excursion over the Muni lines in San Francisco on October 25, 1951 to celebrate the arrival of the new series of cars. It was replaced by the Boeing-Vertol Light Rail Vehicles in the early 1980s and purchased by the Western Railway Museum in October 1982. In 2010 after a five-year restoration, 1016 was restored to its original 1951 two man configuration.
Key System wooden, double-end, double-truck, arch-roof, coach 1201 built by Carter Brothers Car Company in 1895 as California Railway 21, to be pulled by steam locomotives for operation between Oakland and San Jose. The car was acquired by the San Jose and Oakland Terminal Railway in 1915 and was motorized and converted by the Key System into a line car with a telescoping tower. The Key System cut baggage doors in the sides on diagonal ends, which is an unusual arrangement. It was used by the Key System to maintain their trolley wire until the end of electric operation in 1958. The Museum acquired the car that year.
Pacific Electric arch-roof, double-end, double-truck, steel coach 457 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911 as Southern Pacific 332. It features a smoking compartment. The car was built with large square windows in the front and rear and was painted dark olive green. The cars were repainted to Southern Pacific's distinctive red starting in 1912 to improve their visibility in poor weather and at night. The cars received round porthole style end windows, reportedly to improve crew safety. The car had 3 and 2 seating and were very light for the number of passengers they carried.
It was built for the Southern Pacific Red car operation in the East Bay and ran there as a "Red Car" until 1941. Southern Pacific's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley East Bay service was reorganized into the Interurban Electric Railway on November 14, 1934. With the construction of the Bay Bridge, the ferry service was discontinued and the trains ran directly into San Francisco. In 1936 Key System, Sacramento Northern and Southern Pacific entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority to deed a portion of their equipment to the Authority in return for funds to adapt their equipment for cab signals, train stop, automatic car couplers and high gates for operation across the Bay Bridge.
The 332 was one of these cars deeded to and ownership passed to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1941. For several reasons the operation across the Bridge did not prove to be profitable. The last Red Train service in the East Bay was discontinued due to increasing financial loses on July 26, 1941.
At the beginning of World War II, it became United States Maritime Commission 332, operating on the Pacific Electric in Southern California. At the end of the war, PE purchased the car in 1947 and it became PE 4637. The car was rebuilt by the PE and became 457. The PE passenger service was sold to the Metropolitan Coach Lines in 1953 and the car retained its 457 number at that time. In 1958, MCL sold its holdings to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority and the car became MTA 1707. It was retired in 1960, the electrical and mechanical equipment was stripped at a scrap yard on Terminal Island. The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association purchased the car from the scrap yard and moved it to the Western Railway Museum on a flatcar.
Sacramento Northern double-end, double-truck, arch-roof, wooden interurban 1005 built by Holman in 1912 for the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroad. It is a combination car with a main compartment, smoking compartment, baggage room and toilet. The ends of the car have steel sheeting over the wood siding.
The car was equipped with trolley poles for operation on the OA and E and a pantograph for operation on the Key System. It ran on both 1,200 volts and 600-volt systems. The voltage on the Sacramento Northern was later raised to 1,500 volts so third rail shoes were added to the car after the merger of the Sacramento Northern Railroad and the San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad so it could run north of Sacramento. The car went through the typical electric railroad reorganizations, but only operated on two different systems.
On the SN system it ran as Oakland, Antioch and Eastern 1005 until 1920, then San Francisco–Sacramento Railroad 1005 until 1928, and finally the Sacramento Northern 1005 until 1941. In 1936 Sacramento Northern entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority to deed a portion of their equipment to the Authority in return for funds to adapt their equipment for coded cab signals, speed control for operation across the Bay Bridge. The 1005 was one of these cars deeded to and passed on to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1941.
With the beginning of World War Two, the Key System was in need of additional equipment and purchased several of the retired SN cars, including 1005. The SN third rail shoes were replaced with Key System third rail shoes for service on the Bay Bridge at the Key System's 600 volt third rail voltage. The 1005 ran on the Key System's F line as Key System 495 until June 1949, when the Key took it out of service. The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association purchased the car from the Key System in May 1951 and restored it to its SN appearance for fan trip service.
There were many of modifications made to the car by the Key System and then when retired, the car was stripped for parts by the Key System making returning it to service a large project. The car was damaged in switching accidents in April 1953 and again in June 1962. After spending time at Western Pacific's Jeffries Shops where the railroad determined that the damage was to extensive to repair, 1005 was delivered to the Western Railway Museum in February 1964. The most recent restoration effort has reversed most of the modifications done to the car since 1934, repaired damage done in both switching accidents, and reversed deterioration done by years of out of door storage. The Sacramento Northern did not have a car house and the car spent its entire life outdoors.
Oakland Antioch & Eastern double-end, double-truck, arch-roof, steel interurban control trailer coach 1020 built by Hall Scott Motor Car Company in 1913 for the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroad, which ran between Oakland and Sacramento.
Although the car was a trailer, it came equipped with controls. In 1915, car 1020 was motorized using new equipment purchased from Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. In January 1920, the OA and E was reorganized as the San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad. In 1928 the Sacramento Northern Railroad, formerly the Northern Electric, merged with the SF-S to form the Sacramento Northern Railway. Car 1020 was repainted in the Sacramento Northern Railway paint scheme at Chico shortly after the merger. In 1938, cab signals and automatic train stop were installed to allow operation over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The Sacramento Northern discontinued passenger service in 1940 and in October 1941, 1020 became maintenance car MW 302. Car 1020 is the last passenger motor on the Sacramento Northern and was frequently used on excursions. Its electrical equipment was removed in 1956 and given to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in October 1962 by the Sacramento Northern to compensate the Association for damaged done to car 1005 in a switching accident.
Southern Pacific steel, electrically-propelled, suburban car 600 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911 for "Red Car" suburban electric railway operation in the East Bay. It features a coach section and baggage room and was originally equipped with a lavatory, but that was removed when the longer lines to Richmond and San Jose were never built. It has distinctive porthole style windows on the ends. The car has 3 and 2 seating and open platforms with screen gates that were manually operated from the step plates between the cars.
Car 600 was one of the prototype cars for the system. Along with cars 300 and 400, it was in the first official electrically-operated train on the Southern Pacific East Bay system, running from the ferry piers in Alameda and Oakland on several lines going south as far as San Leandro and north to Albany. The car was built with large square windows in the front and rear and was painted dark olive green. The cars were repainted to Southern Pacific's distinctive red starting in 1912 to improve their visibility in poor weather and at night. The cars received round porthole style end windows, reportedly to improve crew safety.
The ownership of these cars was assigned to several different Southern Pacific subsidiaries; this car was owned by South Pacific Coast and carried these reporting marks on the side of the car until the Interurban Electric Railway took over. Southern Pacific's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley East Bay service was reorganized into the Interurban Electric Railway on November 14, 1934. With the construction of the Bay Bridge, the ferry service was discontinued and the trains ran directly into San Francisco. In 1936 Southern Pacific entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority to deed a portion of their equipment to the Authority in return for funds to adapt their equipment for coded cab signals, speed control, automatic car couplers and high gates for operation across the Bay Bridge.
The 600 was one of these cars deeded to and ownership passed to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1941. For several reasons the operation across the Bridge did not prove to be profitable. The last Red Train service in the East Bay was discontinued due to increasing financial loses on July 26, 1941. This car sat unused until the start of the World War II, at which time it was stripped of its electrical equipment and sent to Utah for use on military installations there. After the war the car became surplus and the body was sold and used as a shed. It was purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association and moved to the Western Railway Museum.
Salt Lake & Utah Railroad steel, parlor-observation, interurban car built by Niles Car Company in 1914. When it was acquired by the Association, it was set up as a coach with green plush walkover seating. The furniture currently in the car is from Western Pacific parlor car 652. Between 1916 and 1946 this car ran on the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad between Salt Lake City and Payson, Utah, by way of Provo. SL&U was an electric railroad powered by a 1500-volt DC overhead trolley. This car was one of the last cars built by Niles and one of only a few steel cars they built. This car was purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in 1949 and was moved to California, where it was used on excursions on the Sacramento Northern. It had back up controls added after it arrived on the Sacramento Northern. The car was moved to the Museum in November 1962.
Southern Pacific steel, electrically-propelled, suburban coach 358 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911 for "Red Car" suburban electric railway operation in the East Bay. It features a coach section and baggage room and was originally equipped with a lavatory, but that was removed when the longer lines to Richmond and San Jose were never built. It has distinctive porthole style windows on the ends. The car has 3 and 2 seating and open platforms with screen gates that were manually operated from the step plates between the cars.
Car 358 was rebuilt into a full coach from car 613 in 1938 and ran in the East Bay from the ferry piers in Alameda and Oakland on several lines going south as far as San Leandro and north to Albany. The car was built with large square windows in the front and rear and was painted dark olive green. The cars were repainted to Southern Pacific's distinctive red starting in 1912 to improve their visibility in poor weather and at night. The cars received round porthole style end windows, reportedly to improve crew safety.
The ownership of these cars was assigned to several different Southern Pacific subsidiaries; this car was owned by South Pacific Coast and carried these reporting marks on the side of the car until the Interurban Electric Railway took over. Southern Pacific's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley East Bay service was reorganized into the Interurban Electric Railway on November 14, 1934. With the construction of the Bay Bridge, the ferry service was discontinued and the trains ran directly into San Francisco. In 1936 Southern Pacific entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority to deed a portion of their equipment to the Authority in return for funds to adapt their equipment for coded cab signals, speed control, automatic car couplers and high gates for operation across the Bay Bridge.
The 600 was one of these cars deeded to and ownership passed to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1941. For several reasons the operation across the Bridge did not prove to be profitable. The last Red Train service in the East Bay was discontinued due to increasing financial loses on July 26, 1941. This car sat unused until the start of the World War II, at which time it was stripped of its electrical equipment and sent to Utah for use on military installations there. After the war the car became surplus and the body was sold and used as a shed. It was purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association and moved to the Western Railway Museum.
Central California Traction 40 foot wooden box car 3001 built by the Mount Vernon Car Company in December 1920 and retired in 1965.
Southern Pacific steel, electrically-propelled, suburban car 602 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911 with a coach section and baggage room. The car was originally equipped with a lavatory, but it was removed when the longer lines to Richmond and San Jose were never built. It has distinctive porthole style windows on the ends. The car has 3 and 2 seating and open platforms with screen gates that were manually operated from the step plates between the cars.
It was built for "Red Car" suburban electric railway operation in the East Bay and ran from the ferry piers in Alameda and Oakland on several lines going south as far as San Leandro and north to Albany. The car was built with large square windows in the front and rear and was painted dark olive green. The cars were repainted to Southern Pacific's distinctive red starting in 1912 to improve their visibility in poor weather and at night. The cars received round porthole style end windows, reportedly to improve crew safety. The ownership of these cars was assigned to several different Southern Pacific subsidiaries. This car was owned by South Pacific Coast and carried these reporting marks on the side of the car until the Interurban Electric Railway took over.
Southern Pacific's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley East Bay service was reorganized into the Interurban Electric Railway on November 14, 1934. With the construction of the Bay Bridge, the ferry service was discontinued and the trains ran directly into San Francisco. In 1936 Southern Pacific entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority to deed a portion of their equipment to the Authority in return for funds to adapt their equipment for coded cab signals, speed control, automatic car couplers, and high gates for operation across the Bay Bridge. The 602 was one of these cars deeded to and ownership passed to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1941. For several reasons the operation across the Bridge did not prove to be profitable. The last Red Train service in the East Bay was discontinued due to increasing financial loses on July 26, 1941.
This car sat unused until the start of the World War II, at which time it was stripped of its electrical equipment and sent to Utah for use on military installations there. After the war the car became surplus and the body was sold and used as a shed. It was purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association and moved to the Western Railway Museum.
Denver and Rio Grande Western wooden box car 63383 built by American Car and Foundry in 1909 then rebuilt in 1926 with Murphy steel ends. It was retired and sold to the Unitd States Navy in 1944, probably to replace equipment destroyed in the Concord Naval Weapons Station explosion that occurred at Port Chicago, California on July 17, 1944.
Kennecott Copper 75 ton steeplecab electric switcher 700 built by General Electric in 1926 for the Utah Copper Company, who acquired it as a prototype for use in their Bingham Canyon copper pit mine. 700 proved to be superior to both competing steam and diesel locomotive types, and in time it was joined by 64 other locomotives of this class. It was retired in August 1984 when the copper pit converted to conveyor belts for moving copper ore, and was donated to the Western Railway Museum. The carbody was painted black while under Utah Copper Company ownership and yellow with black trim after Bingham Canyon became part of the Kennecott Copper Corporation; Utah Copper Company became part of the Kennecott Copper Company in 1936.
Oregon Electric Railroad wooden parlour-observation car "Champoeg" built by Niles Car Manufacturing in 1910. The Oregon Electric ran 122 miles from Portland to Eugene down the east side of the Willamette Valley. Car "Champoeg" was placed in service on October 15, 1912 operating in three-car limited trains.
The trip from Portland to Eugene took about four hours with the cars running around 45 miles per hour. Passenger service ended on May 13, 1933 and Oregon Electric sold "Champoeg" to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in British Columbia. The electrical equipment was stripped and the car was renamed "Bridge River" which served as a business or officer's car. In 1956, the PGE sold "Bridge River" to the Willamette Valley Electric Railway Association and it was moved to Glenwood, Oregon where it deteriorated badly until it was acquired by the Western Railway Museum and moved to Rio Vista Junction in 1974.
Sacramento Northern arch-roof, double-end, double-truck, wooden box motor 602s built by the Holman Car Company in 1911 for the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroad. The car was built with a clerestory roof then rebuilt in 1914 to an arch in order to better harmonize with the other OA&E equipment. It went through all the South End ownership changes, always retaining its 602 number, until it was retired from revenue service in 1948 and became SNMW 83. Car 602 appeared to be little used over its lifetime on the Sacramento Northern.
San Francisco and Napa Valley Route steel, arch-roof, combination car 63 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1933. It has enclosed platforms on both ends and the passenger section is divided into a smoking compartment, a main passenger compartment and a toilet compartment. The San Francisco and Napa Valley Railroad was one of the few AC electric railroads in the West.
On January 22, 1932, the car house and substation of the San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway burned in a fire ignited by an employee working on a bus inside the building. Motorcars 40, 51 and 60 and the substation were destroyed. The company decided to rebuild as an electric railroad and ordered two new steel conventional interurban-style car bodies from the St Louis Car Company. Numbered 62 and 63, these were equipped by the Napa Valley Route with trucks, motors and controls from retired Niles cars. The San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway was reorganized into the San Francisco and Napa Valley Railroad in 1935 but the car was always lettered "Napa Valley Route".
Passenger service was discontinued in September 1937, which made for a very short career for these cars. Napa Valley 62 and 63 are regarded as the last conventional interurban cars to be built in the United States.
Central California Traction wooden caboose 19 built by Haskell and Barker in 1910 as Western Pacific 20017. It was sold to the Central California Traction Company in April 1948 and completed its railroad service as CCT 19. It was acquired by the Museum in January 1966.
Pacific Fruit Express 30 ton wooden ventilated refrigerator car 74583 built by Standard Steel Car Company in 1922 as PFE 20420. The car was rebuilt in 1941 and re-numbered 74583.
Key System three-truck, two-car articulated all steel interurban car 182 built by Bethlehem Shipyard in 1937, designed and built to run over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It has an arched roof and large fixed windows. These cars ran in trains across the Bay Bridge and in East Bay streets from 1939 to 1958.
This car is currently configured in the early Pacific City Lines (post-1948) appearance. Later the roofs were painted a light brown to help hide dirt on the roof. Bay Bridge service replaced ferry boat service from the East Bay to San Francisco in 1939. These units ran in trains of up to seven units on five lines in the East Bay and are equipped with coded cab signals and speed control. Some units were built using equipment from older Key System cars. In 1936 Key System entered into an agreement with the California Toll Bridge Authority in return for funds to provide cab signals, train stop equipment and other modifications for operation across the Bay Bridge. The 182 was one of these cars deeded to and passed to the Authority on abandonment of service in 1958.
Sacramento Northern 65 ton steeplecab switcher 652 built by General Electric in 1928 as Sacramento Northern 1052 and was re-numbered after the Sacramento Northern Railroad and San Francisco-Sacramento merger. It was retained by the Sacramento Northern Railway until the end of electric operation in 1965. Near the end of electric operation the locomotive was used as a source of spare parts to keep 653 and 654 operational.
Key System all-wood, clerestory-roof, New York Elevated car 563 built by Gilbert Car Company in 1887 as Manhattan Railway 889. It has transverse seating in the center and longitudinal seating at the ends of the car. The car was electrified in 1903 and has MU control with a cab and master controller at both ends of the car.
It ran on the Richmond Shipyard Railway during World War II and was acquired from the New York City Elevated system at the beginning of the War, where it ran on the Second Avenue Elevated in Manhattan pulled by small steam locomotives. The Manhattan Railway converted their El system from steam to electric third rail traction during the period of 1901 to 1903. Car 889 was equipped with electric propulsion equipment as one of 855 cars that received the new Sprague Multiple Control system at that time. Paint samples from the car indicate that it was painted dark red on the Manhattan Railway and olive green after it was consolidated into the Interborough Rapid Transit.
The Second Avenue El was built in the 1870s and was demolished in 1942. At this time the car became surplus and was shipped to the Bay Area for operation of the Shipyard Railway that ran between Oakland and the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond. This railroad was built and operated by the Key System under contract with the United States Maritime Commission. When it arrived in Oakland it was equipped with pilots salvaged from Southern Pacific Red cars. This car was run paired with car 561 as it had no pantograph and received its power by way of a buss jumper line between the cars. On the Shipyard Railway the cars were painted gray. After about 18 months of operation, the Key applied five inch yellow strips to the sides and front end of the car. The Shipyard Railway began operation in January 1943 and was closed at the end of the war in September 1945.
The Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society purchased car 561 and 563 and ran them on an excursion over the Key System's line in 1946. The car was repainted yellow with black trim and numbered 889 for a 1949 excursion. The car was stored in the Key System yard at 40th and San Pablo until 1960, at which time it were moved to Rio Vista Junction. It was given to BAERA shortly there after.
Key System all-wood, clerestory-roof, New York Elevated car 561 built by Gilbert Car Company in 1887 as Manhattan Railway 889. It has transverse seating in the center and longitudinal seating at the ends of the car. The car was electrified in 1903 and has MU control with a cab and master controller at both ends of the car.
It ran on the Richmond Shipyard Railway during World War II and was acquired from the New York City Elevated system at the beginning of the War, where it ran on the Second Avenue Elevated in Manhattan pulled by small steam locomotives. The Manhattan Railway converted their El system from steam to electric third rail traction during the period of 1901 to 1903. Car 889 was equipped with electric propulsion equipment as one of 855 cars that received the new Sprague Multiple Control system at that time. Paint samples from the car indicate that it was painted dark red on the Manhattan Railway and olive green after it was consolidated into the Interborough Rapid Transit.
The Second Avenue El was built in the 1870s and was demolished in 1942. At this time the car became surplus and was shipped to the Bay Area for operation of the Shipyard Railway that ran between Oakland and the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond. This railroad was built and operated by the Key System under contract with the United States Maritime Commission. When it arrived in Oakland it was equipped with pilots salvaged from Southern Pacific Red cars. This car was run paired with car 561 as it had no pantograph and received its power by way of a buss jumper line between the cars. On the Shipyard Railway the cars were painted gray. After about 18 months of operation, the Key applied five inch yellow strips to the sides and front end of the car. The Shipyard Railway began operation in January 1943 and was closed at the end of the war in September 1945.
The Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society purchased car 561 and 563 and ran them on an excursion over the Key System's line in 1946. The car was repainted yellow with black trim and numbered 889 for a 1949 excursion. The car was stored in the Key System yard at 40th and San Pablo until 1960, at which time it were moved to Rio Vista Junction. It was given to BAERA shortly there after.
Pullman heavyweight eight-section-buffet-observation car "Circumnavigators Club" built the company in 1917 as 16-section sleeping car "Brady". It was then rebuilt into the current configuration and released to service on October 28, 1932 as "Circumnagavigators Club". The car was intended for service between St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul on trains operated by jointly by the Wabash and Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroads. Ice air conditioning was added to the car on April 26, 1934. The color of the exterior of the car was changed from Pullman color (dark green) to two tone gray on August 30, 1954. The Pullman Company retired the car from service and sold it on October 1, 1965.
Sacramento Northern outside-braced, steel underframe, wooden caboose 1632 built by Pullman Company in 1916 as Western Pacific boxcar 154516. The Western Pacific needed cabooses with steel underframes to meet new California Railroad Commission requirement adopted in the mid-1930s and rebuilt steel underframes boxcars into cabooses at its Jeffries Shops in South Sacramento to meet this requirement. Boxcar 15451 was rebuilt into caboose Western Pacific 607 in 1937.
The Western Pacific started replacing its wooden cabooses with steel cars in the 1950's and 607 became surplus. It was sold to the Sacramento Northern on June 28, 1956 and electric lighting was installed in March 1964. Caboose 1632 worked on the Sacramento Northern until October 1973, at which time it was the last surviving cupola caboose on the railroad. It was transferred back to the Western Pacific and became the caboose on the Oroville derrick outfit train, the only wooden caboose on the Western Pacific for many years. It was numbered WPMW 37-9 while in the derrick outfit. It was donated to the Feather River Railroad Society of Portola, California by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1984, and acquired by the Western Railway Museum on May 9, 2005.
Central California Traction 36 foot wooden box car 2001 built by the Holman Company in 1910. It was retired in April 1963 and acquired by the Western Railway Museum at the time.
Western Pacific heavyweight buffet-lounge car-sunroom 653 built by Pullman in 1913 as a 16-section sleeping car "Holton" and was released for service in February 1913. The "Holton" was part of a 20-car series built for the "San Francisco Overland Limited". In May 1931 the Pullman Company rebuilt the car into a buffet lounge car with sunroom for the Western Pacific as their number 653. The WP leased the car from Pullman for five years then in September 1936, purchased the car, using it on the "Exposition Flyer".
Oakland Eastern & Antioch Railway wooden flat car 2002 built by the Holman Company in 1913.
Southern Pacific sugar beet gondola 358973 built by the General American Transportation Corporationin 1949 and used on the West Coast for decades to move beets to Betteravia. It was donated to the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum in 2018.
Western Pacific steel baggage car 128 built by Pressed Steel Car Company in 1924. It was retired in 1959.
Sacramento Northern wooden box car 2136 built by the Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company in 1923. The car retired in 1973 and preserved by the Pacific Coast Chapter of Railway and Locomotive Historical Society which gave it to the California State Railway Museum in 1978. When the CSRM no longer could store this car, it was donated the Western Railway Museum in 2008. This is the only remaining boxcar that was built new for Sacramento Northern Railroad.
Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac outside-braced wooden box car 2289 built by the Pressed Steel Company in 1916 and was intended for bulk grain service. This car was sold to the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad where it was numbered 28080 in 1939. They retired the car and sold it to Hyman Michaels Company, who sold it to the United States Navy in 1944, probably to replace equipment destroyed in the Concord Naval Weapons Station explosion that occurred at Port Chicago, California on July 17, 1944.
Salt Lake, Garfield and Western 44 ton switcher DS-2, nee New York, Ontario and Western Railroad 105 built by General Electric in 1942. It was later bought by Salt Lake, Garfield and Western and numbered DS-2. With these locomotives the railroad was able to discontinue electric operation. The locomotives handled freight and occasional passenger service until they were retired in the 1990's and DS-2 was acquired by the Western Railway Museum from the Feather River Railroad Society on May 9, 2005.
Western Pacific 4-6-0 94 built by Alco-Brooks in 1909. After retirement, it was donated to the San Francisco Maritime Museum Association in Oakland then leased to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association at Rio Vista in 1978 and once the lease was up in 1985, donated to them.
Another view of Western Pacific 94.
Trolley model.
Our tour group in Car Barn 3.
View of the ground map of the Western Railway Museum.
Museum scene. Now we would ride the train.
| Click here for Part 2 of this story |