The Meeting of the Rails in Bay Point-Port Chicago

Bay Point-Port Chicago was where four railroads once converged, here summarized in this drawing by Bob Campbell. The drawing also emphasizes the earlier bridge for the Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Co., number 2, and the one built by the Navy to replace it, number 5, to direct munitions to ships in Suisun Bay starting in WWII.

L155-05-Robert Campbell, Sr. Drawing, Beach Coll., Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 61178, (Image 1 of 16)

For details about the bridge to the shipyard, red arrow, see the History section of this website under “Industry of the North Coast III - The Archeology of Burgess' Bridge”. The Navy built the second bridge in 1944, blue arrow, replaced the town of Port Chicago entirely by 1969, and then extensively enlarged rail operations.

L155-10-Courtesy Google and the National Archives of San Francisco, (Image 2 of 16)

A northeast view circa 1929 at Bay Point, with the railroads, left to right, the Southern Pacific (SP), the Santa Fe (SF), the Bay Point and Clayton (BPC, with string of freight cars on track), and the SN (with catenary poles.) The shipyard rail bridge is also seen, a close up follows. Ref: API 563_8_BOX 59114

L155-15-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission , (Image 3 of 16)

A detail of the northeast view circa 1929 at Bay Point showing the bridge that has never been shown to carry a single train across it, and certainly not an electric train since it had no overhead wires or third rail. Note the image also shows the connection of the the BPC with the SF west of the bridge. Ref: API 563_8_BOX 59114

L155-20-George Russell Photo, Courtesy California State Lands Commission, Detail, (Image 4 of 16)

This southwest image post Port Chicago explosion in 1944 shows only two pillars remaining of the shipyard bridge relative to the 1929 images. Note the train on the interchange track between the SP and SF, a connection that provided a path for all four railroads to the ships being loaded with munitions at this time. Ref: RG 181 NN373-91 Vol 5 A 17-25 ALAM 12002

L155-25-US Navy Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco , (Image 5 of 16)

This north view, taken just before the July 17, 1944 explosion at Port Chicago, shows the rail lines up to Main St., top right corner. The path for munitions can be traced by the red arrow, the connection between the SP and SF, and the blue arrow, the connection between the SF and SN, the latter also serving the Western Pacific (WP.) SN right-of-way, yellow arrow; SP water tower, green arrow; SP station, orange arrow; Santa Fe Station, purple arrow. Ref: RG 181 NN373-91 Box 2 ARC ID 5751983 05 25 44 NAS Ala CA

L155-30-US Navy Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco , (Image 6 of 16)

Here a northwest view post-explosion showing what has been summarized in the previous images regarding the track arrangement at Port Chicago. Note the remains of the pillar that held the north section of the shipyard bridge along the left border. Ref: RG 181 NN373-91 PC Vol 5 A 17-25ALAM 12009

L155-35-US Navy Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco, (Image 7 of 16)

For completeness, a southeast view post-explosion showing the town of Port Chicago and the rail arrangement to just east of Main St., left. As an aside, close inspection starting along the bottom of the left or east border shows a damaged SP depot to the west of the Main St. crossing and an intact SF depot to the east of the Main St. crossing. Ref: RG 181 NN373-91 Vol 5 A 17-25 ALAM 12010

L155-40-US Navy Photo, Courtesy the National Archives of San Francisco , (Image 8 of 16)

Only a single image could be found south of the curve of the SN track into Port Chicago, this June 1968 image showing a likely “bomb” train led by WP 801-D on its way to the inland Concord Naval Weapons Station. WP 801-D was former SN 303-D, leased to the WP by the SN, while the SN diesel behind it is either 301-D or 302-D, all bearing the parent WP color scheme.

L155-45-Louis L Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 115153sn, (Image 9 of 16)

John Holt took this one-of-a-kind northeast view riding an SN freight in the mid-1950s, a very detailed view of the curve and the southern flank containing Navy housing.

L155-50-John Holt Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 108299sn, (Image 10 of 16)

Next a panoramic northwest view near the SF-SN transfer track from the “End-of-an-Era” excursions on Apr. 12, 1964 featuring a repositioning SN 143.

L155-55-Tony Perles Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 85025sn, (Image 11 of 16)

WP 505 is captured transferring freight from the SF-SN interchange in this northwest view from the early 1950s. The appearance of a WP ALCO S-1 or S-2 during this time meant a train that had transported steel products or goods from Sacramento to Port Chicago using the SF right-of-way between Stockton and Port Chicago, with SN trains taking steel products via SN tracks to Pittsburg or other goods to Oakland. This was the early emergency phase of the so-called “SN Detour.”

L155-60-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 115151.7sn, (Image 12 of 16)

SN 653 moves a gondola and string of boxcars along the SN mainline in this northwest view circa 1950. The presence of the SP water tower confirms the location.

L155-65-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 13 of 16)

And speaking of the SP water tower, this color image of SN 670 in a northwest view from July 4, 1950 might have ended up an orphan if not for that SP water tower, as well as the buildings to the east with the plethora of windows.

L155-70-Al J. Thoman Photo, Courtesy Al J. Thoman, (Image 14 of 16)

This Dec. 1953 southeast needs no comment, especially when you consider what the Navy must have been delivering to this area in the 1950s. The background shows buildings in Port Chicago to the west of Main St.

L155-75-Moreau Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 100998.4sn, (Image 15 of 16)

All is quiet today at the big curve of the SN into Bay Point-Port Chicago where four railroads had once met. Note the cleared path that once connected the SN to the shipyard bridge, albeit one never used. Northeast view, 2016.

L155-80-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 16 of 16)