Sequoia, Canyon Post Office and General Store, and the Celebrity Wigwag

This section will examine the area to the southeast of Wilcox, including the Sequoia shelter and the wigwag signal near the Canyon Post Office and General Store. The territory is indicated by the orange dotted line in this composite image.

L47-05-USDA, AAA, Western Division Laboratories, BUT BUU-283-80, Courtesy EBMUD, (Image 1 of 25)

This southeast view shows SN 670 bringing military gear through the canyon to Oakland circa 1950. This is just south of the Wilcox grade crossing based on, from left to right, the mile 15 marker, the distinct path up the hill, the flip of the catenary wire poles to the downhill side of the track, and a tiny section of Pinehurst Road in the lower right corner.

L47-10-Dave Gumz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 59861sn, (Image 2 of 25)

Overhead aerial view of the virtually straight northwestern portion of the area to be covered first, Jul. 30, 1939. Annotated view to follow.

L47-15-USDA, AAA, Western Division Laboratories, BUT BUU-283-80, Courtesy EBMUD , (Image 3 of 25)

This annotated version of L47-15 aligns several features of L47-10 including the road up the hill, green arrow, and the location of the flip of the catenary wire poles, white arrow. The distinctive shape of the Sequoia shelter sits across the tracks from the position of the black arrow. Jul. 30, 1939.

L47-16-USDA, AAA, Western Division Laboratories, BUT BUU-283-80, Courtesy EBMUD, (Image 4 of 25)

Heading southeast, once around the bend from Wilcox, this straight section was notable for catenary poles along the uphill or eastern slope, and two block signals. May 31, 1951.

L47-17-BL Stone Photo, Courtesy Krambles-Peterson Archive, (Image 5 of 25)

During the passenger era, a complementary northwest view of the same section reveals the Sequoia shelter, located between the block signals.

L47-20-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 59246.1sn, (Image 6 of 25)

Now turned one hundred eighty degrees relative to L47-20, the north facing wall of the Sequoia shelter is highlighted here with SN 1005 picking up passengers in 1941.

L47-25-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 59251sn, (Image 7 of 25)

A closer southeast view of the Sequoia shelter with SN 1012 ready to board a passenger, May 26, 1940.

L47-30-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 8 of 25)

The last passenger train, SN 1014 as train 27, waits at the shelter on Jul. 12, 1941 in this southeast view. The block signal south of the shelter is in clear view, as are the hillside or east side catenary poles down the line.

L47-35-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 59257sn, (Image 9 of 25)

Again facing northwest, a single passenger awaits SN 1014 as train 12, Jun. 22, 1941.

L47-40-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 59252sn, (Image 10 of 25)

This next section highlights the area between the Sequoia shelter to the Canyon Post Office and General Store, and, finally, the celebrity wigwag. Annotated version follows. Jul. 30, 1939.

L47-45-USDA, AAA, Western Division Laboratories, BUT BUU-283-80, Courtesy EBMUD , (Image 11 of 25)

Arrow designations starting from the northwest, Sequoia Shelter, green; identifiable homes, white; road parallel to track eventually heading uphill to east, orange; Canyon Post Office and General Store, purple; road from store to right-of-way, blue; approximate position of wigwag signal, black.

L47-46-USDA, AAA, Western Division Laboratories, BUT BUU-283-80, Courtesy EBMUD, (Image 12 of 25)

The site of the former wigwag and environs in 2013. The wigwag is celebrity because it is featured in two commercially available SN films: Charles Smiley’s production “Electric Rails Around the Bay”, and Savage and Alter’s “Sacramento Northern”, distributed by Transit Gloria Mundi’s. Both were in association with Don Olson’s Catenary Video Productions. Next is annotated version.

L47-50-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 13 of 25)

Annotated L47-50. Arrow colors correspond to markers in L47-46. A, panoramic view to northwest and west with road from post office to right-of-way, blue; ROW north, yellow; road, white. B, foundation of wigwag, black. C, Southeast view, ROW is broken yellow arrow. D, east view of road from post office, blue. E, northwest view, eastward parallel road eventually heading uphill to east, orange; ROW, yellow.

L47-51-Stuart Swiedler Photos, (Image 14 of 25)

Now back in time to contrast 2013 findings with those from the SN passenger days. This undated northwest shows the SN Comet, providing Oakland to Sacramento service with the buffet-parlor car Moraga on the rear, the latter a constant feature of this train from the San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad years. Next for this location.

L47-55-Bert Ward Photo, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 44133sn, (Image 15 of 25)

Match the home in L47-55 with this undated northwest image of SN 1014 leading a two-car train past a building seen below the berm along the left edge of the image.

L47-60-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64869sn, (Image 16 of 25)

A similar northwest image from 1941, but here the identification of the Canyon Post Office and General Store is unequivocal.

L47-65-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 70084sn, (Image 17 of 25)

Here an east view of the Canyon Post Office and General Store, July, 5, 1941.

L47-70-Roy Covert Photo, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64902s, (Image 18 of 25)

Roy Covert, the photographer responsible for the image in L47-70, attached this note to the negative of that image from July 5, 1941.

L47-75-Roy Covert Note, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64903.1, (Image 19 of 25)

Given what has been shown so far, heading a little further to the southeast, the wigwag should come into view. This is from a set of images from the 1940 film Sacramento Northern. The road marked by the white arrow in L47-51, panel A is seen to the right.

L47-80-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy Don Olsen and BAERA, WRM Archives, 63132sn, (Image 20 of 25)

Presented here, a southeast view of SN 605 posing at the grade crossing and wigwag, June 15, 1940.

L47-85-Wilbur C Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke and Garth Groff , (Image 21 of 25)

This south view of SN 644 and MW 302 from a BAERA excursion from Nov. 29, 1953 was taken from the road parallel to the east side of the tracks, the road marked by the orange arrows in L47-51. Note the extra electrical lines at the top of the catenary poles, and the flipping of the position of the poles relative to the track proceeding south.

L47-90-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 22 of 25)

Same scene, southeast view of SN 644 and MW 302, Nov. 29, 1953, but here the wigwag signal and grade crossing sign are in full view. Note the rail fan on the easterly parallel road, and the position of the catenary poles. Greater detail of features next.

L47-95-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 23 of 25)

Closer view of the wigwag from L47-95. Note that the grade crossing sign does not correspond in position or detail to the one in place today in L47-51.

L47-100-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, Detail, (Image 24 of 25)

Now at the wigwag and facing southeast, a two-car train has just passed with SN 1025 at the rear in this undated photo. From this point to the next landmark, the SN Canyon shelter, marks the most difficult section of the right-of-way to reconstruct in the Canyon area.

L47-105-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 64869sn, (Image 25 of 25)