Dorenda’s Curve and Sweet Adeline

This section starts at the northeast corner of the Olivera Rd.-Port Chicago Highway intersection with this north view from 2016 showing the walking path and the railing over the BART cut in this densely populated suburban community.

L140-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo , (Image 1 of 21)

Turn back the clock to circa 1940, and the same north view shows open country. If you were traveling on the SN from other parts, you would have let the conductor know you were heading for Adeline.

L140-10-LL Bonney Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 102824sn, (Image 2 of 21)

Looking back toward Concord circa 1940, it was also open country, particularly in this southwest view of SN 1005 and trailer. The origins of Adeline may be found in the multi-authored volume “History of Concord, Its Progress and Promises”.

L140-15-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 102808sn, (Image 3 of 21)

This south view of a two-car train circa 1940 shows a portion of John Olivera’s ranch to the left or east of the shelter. It is written that Olivera asked that the Oakland and Antioch Railway stop at this spot and name the shelter after his wife, Adeline Williams, in return for granting right-of-way through his property.

L140-20-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 102822sn, (Image 4 of 21)

This Board of Equalization map documents that Olivera granted the railway right-of-way in 1910. It also shows the name of the southerly neighboring train destination, Dorenda, the discussion of which will follow.

L140-25-Courtesy California Board of Equalization 862-7-5B, Detail, (Image 5 of 21)

No records be found dating back to May 1911 documenting that Dorenda ever served as a passenger stop. This document from 1915 and others not shown that followed in time located Dorenda about one mile from the Concord depot, placing it on today’s map at about the intersection of the Port Chicago Highway and N. 6th St. What the railway called Dorenda was a freight-only location complete with a spur.

L140-30-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 6 of 21)

This 1920s Board of Equalization map agrees with the placement of Dorenda. The “History of Concord, Its Progress and Promises” notes that Concord rancher and Oakland and Antioch Railway board member Adolphus William “AW” Maltby had a daughter Dorinda, for whom other sources presume the location was named for. In some railway documents, it is spelled Doronda.

L140-35-Courtesy California Board of Equalization 862-7-4N, Detail , (Image 7 of 21)

Maltby allowed the railway passage through his property in June 1911, orange box. His mansion was located at the end of Bonifacio St, today part of the site of the First Baptist Church. Based on several records, the railway had a spur at Dorenda, and the map shows spurs both at Bacon St. and Dorenda, but no images have been found that support their existence. Perfect locations for Maltby to ship his wheat harvest.

L140-36-Courtesy California Board of Equalization 862-7-4N, Detail, (Image 8 of 21)

AW Maltby died in 1919. By 1935 in this north view, the Bacon Street school shelter is in place, and following the curve north there are no structures associated with Dorenda. As the curve straightens, the Olivera ranch buildings come into view, but the resolution is just not good enough to visualize the Adeline shelter.

L140-40-Courtesy Western Railway Museum Archives, 98603sn, (Image 9 of 21)

This north view post-WW II shows housing creeping up to the curve on the west, and Eniwetok Village extending up the east flank. The Bacon St. shelter is absent as will be discussed later, but the Olivera ranch buildings are still surrounded by open fields.

L140-45-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 81979cv, (Image 10 of 21)

By 1956, development from the south almost reached the Olivera ranch as seen in this north view. Ref: brk00017183_24a

L140-50-Clyde Sunderland Photo, Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 11 of 21)

To complete the pictorial journey through time to the BART era, there is no sign at all of any ranch in this north view from Mar. 3, 1969.

L140-55-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 15606-37, Detail , (Image 12 of 21)

Now for ground photos of the area of interest. Here, portions of Mt. Diablo High School can be seen as SN 1011 enters Dorenda’s curve, southwest view, May 28, 1940.

L140-60-Wilbur Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke, (Image 13 of 21)

A two-car train composed of combo SN 1005 and SN 1023 ride Dorenda’s curve in this south view from June 8, 1941. Although the presence of Mt. Diablo in the background marks the scene, match the tree on the right edge of this photo with the same one in the previous photo L140-60 if you have any doubts.

L140-65-Sappers Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 102826sn, (Image 14 of 21)

Documenting freight traffic in this area became popular after WW II when freights routinely ran during daylight hours. SN 654 enters Dorenda’s curve from the north circa 1948. The right margin shows Ohmer Hill, the subject of a future update.

L140-70-Roger Heller Photo NN-128, From the collection of the Moraga Historical Society, Moraga, CA, (Image 15 of 21)

The 1950s produced many fine photos of the juxtaposition of the SN freight-only operation to the housing boom in north Concord. SN 653 with freight rounds the curve heading to Oakland in this ca. 1950 north view.

L140-75-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 16 of 21)

With less than a week to go before the end of electric service and the abandonment of track west of Lafayette, EK Muller waited south of High School Ave., now St., for SN 652 to make the curve, northwest view, Feb. 25, 1957.

L140-80-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79011sn, (Image 17 of 21)

Here SN 652 has arrived, northwest view, Feb. 25, 1957.

L140-85-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 79012sn, (Image 18 of 21)

By not being part of this circa 1956-57 excursion, Tom Gray was able to photograph SN 1005 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 as they headed to Adeline. The sign for “Lee” on the west side of the Port Chicago Highway could not be matched with any telephone book entries of the period.

L140-90-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 19 of 21)

On the excursion note, SN 143 leads the trailers on the curve in this north view from the End-of-an-Era celebration, Apr. 12, 1964.

L140-95-Courtesy Charles Smiley, (Image 20 of 21)

In connection with 1964, this panoramic northeast view from Feb. 21, 1964 shows the construction of Highway 242 across the left border, the site of the former Glenbrook Middle School, built in 1955, in the center, and the Port Chicago Highway and SN heading along the right border. The SN route may be followed along the top past Clyde to the border of Port Chicago, upper left corner.

L140-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 10412, Detail, (Image 21 of 21)