Chabot Canyon to Lake Temescal - East Bay Hills Project

In 1974, Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society President Charlie Siebenthal set out between Oakland and Moraga to document the former SN right-of-way. Relative to the pre-abandonment southeast aerial from June 19, 1956, left, the new Highway 24-Highway 13 interchange shown here from Oct. 7, 1975, right, and BART would make his task more challenging.

L179-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, left, 4975-1, right, C5492-2, (Image 1 of 35)

Charlie’s images begin in Chabot Canyon. The SN facilities at 40th and Shafter were gone, and Shafter Ave. revealed little except for some marks in the pavement. This west oblique from June 21, 1967 showing the progress on Highway 24 and BART documents that the right-of-way had been cleared into the canyon. Proceed to the annotated version next.

L179-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 13947-2 , (Image 2 of 35)

The solid orange line added to this west oblique from June 21, 1967 marks the path of the SN from College Ave. until the beginning of the private right-of-way at Ross St. The broken line follows the route into the canyon. The berm and overpass at Chabot Elementary School had been removed just after abandonment, Rockridge Curve is now Reata Pl., and the open ditch is the new culvert for Temescal Creek.

L179-11-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 13947-2, (Image 3 of 35)

Although approaches from the east or west were possible, following the SN route from the west, Charlie would have had to gain access to the first irrefutable remains of the SN’s existence by climbing the paved entrance to the EBMUD facility from the intersection of Chabot Rd. and Golden Gate Ave.

L179-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 13947-2, (Image 4 of 35)

From the bottom of the hill, Charlie would have seen the remains of the abutment for the SN overpass at the EBMUD entrance; this landmark would remain for another 25 years or so. A west view of the abutment from the mid-1950s shows two freight motors, SN 661 and SN 660, in the lead, and one of the SN 650 series units at the rear.

L179-20-John Harder Photo, Courtesy Ray Raineri and John Harder , (Image 5 of 35)

Now up the hill and on the paved path constructed by BART, Charlie looked back to the west and documented the overpass support with the right-of-way on the slightly elevated berm running north of the path.

L179-25-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 6 of 35)

Turning to the east, his walk on the path continued to the fenced-in BART tunnel portal. Following just to the right or south of the utility poles is the overgrown SN right-of-way.

L179-30-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 7 of 35)

Charlie managed to get around the BART blockade by taking this path north of the SN right-of-way.

L179-35-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 8 of 35)

A quick reminder of Chabot Canyon during this period, here in a northeast view from Oct. 7, 1975.

L179-40-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-11 , (Image 9 of 35)

A detail from L179-40, a northeast view from Oct. 7, 1975, shows the area covered so far by Charlie.

L179-45-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-11, Detail , (Image 10 of 35)

Charlie would have eventually crossed Roble Rd. This east view from March of 1959 was taken from a California Public Works, Division of Highways, District IV folder showing the SN right-of-way from Roble Rd. that was sold by the railway as 111 Roble Rd. to Leo R. Pedemont.

L179-50-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Binder 5476, (Image 11 of 35)

From Roble Rd., this east view down Temescal Cut from Aug. 25, 1949 shows two relics of the pre-Highway 24 construction; the Broadway Tunnel and Overpass and the Landvale Rd. elevated structure just behind.

L179-55-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68830sn, (Image 12 of 35)

Charlie took two east views down Temescal Cut, the black arrows point to the top of the most southerly power transmission towers to the south. With near completion of the new Highway 24-Highway 13 interchange, the Landvale Rd. elevated structure and the west end of the SN Broadway Tunnel were obliterated.

L179-60-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 13 of 35)

A second detail from L179-40, a northeast view from Oct. 7, 1975, shows the area from Roble Rd. along the left margin, to the now truncated Chabot Rd. as a cul-de-sac and the truncated SN right-of-way.

L179-65-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-11 , (Image 14 of 35)

Next a southeast view from Oct. 7, 1975 featuring Lake Temescal and the just completed Highway 13-Highway 24 interchange. The foreground provides another angle of the truncated Chabot Rd. and railway right-of-way. A detail of the foreground follows.

L179-70-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-2 , (Image 15 of 35)

A detail from a southeast view from Oct. 7, 1975 provides another angle of the truncated Chabot Rd. and railway in the foreground.

L179-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-2, Detail , (Image 16 of 35)

An east oblique of the end of Temescal Cut from Oct. 7, 1975.

L179-80-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-12 , (Image 17 of 35)

A detail from an easterly oblique of the end of Temescal Cut from Oct. 7, 1975 confirming the absence of any tunnels for either Chabot Rd. or the SN right-of-way that had existed previously.

L179-85-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-12, Detail, (Image 18 of 35)

Once along Lake Temescal, the view back to the north in this circa 1940 image of SN 1014 and trailer reveals the tunnels for Chabot Rd. and the SN right-of-way over which Broadway crossed.

L179-90-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 52061sn , (Image 19 of 35)

With the portion of the right-of-way route buried under Highway 24, Charlie would have crossed over or under the freeway to Lake Temescal. There he found the last vestige of the SN tunnel to Chabot Canyon, north view.

L179-95-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 20 of 35)

Next to assess whether what Charlie saw at the portal survived the completion of the freeway. First, a west view from on Oct. 7, 1975. A detail follows ...

L179-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-1 , (Image 21 of 35)

From this west view detail of the previous image from Oct. 7, 1975, many potential irregularities in the area of the portal can be seen. More views to come.

L179-105-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-1, Detail, (Image 22 of 35)

Next, a east view of the lake from Oct. 7, 1975.

L179-110-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-3 , (Image 23 of 35)

This detail from the previous east view of the lake from Oct. 7, 1975 shows one potential portion of the remains of the tunnel portal marked by the orange arrow. This would correspond to the top of rim of concrete below the metal railing seen in L179-95.

L179-115-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-3, Detail , (Image 24 of 35)

This southeast view of the same area on Oct. 7, 1975 supports the previous findings from L179-115. An annotated version with the approximate SN route follows ...

L179-120-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-12, Detail, (Image 25 of 35)

The southeast view of the previous image from Oct. 7, 1975 and area of still present SN right-of-way, solid orange line, and projected route based on many images, broken orange line.

L179-121-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-12, Detail, (Image 26 of 35)

This southeast view from Oct. 7, 1975 is less convincing that the top rim of tunnel survived the freeway completion.

L179-125-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-2, Detail , (Image 27 of 35)

This northeast view from Oct. 7, 1975 might have been the definitive angle to assess any remaining tunnel structure, but the resolution and angle fall short.

L179-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-4, Detail, (Image 28 of 35)

Continuing along Lake Temescal, Charlie stopped in the section created by blasting away at the surround rocks, and took a northwest view toward Highway 24.

L179-135-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 29 of 35)

Further along the tracks to the southeast at the time of abandonment, and facing to the northwest, details of the two-track arrangement and the proximity to the Pacific Gas and Electric facility take center stage.

L179-140-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 30 of 35)

Charlie’s northwest view perfectly captures the changes brought about by the realignment of Highway 13 once the tracks were removed. Still intact is the climb that the SN followed along the lake to Broadway Terrace.

L179-145-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 31 of 35)

Back to the southeast view from Oct. 7, 1975 featuring Lake Temescal and the just completed Highway 13-Highway 24 interchange to summarize the area just reviewed.

L179-150-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-2, Detail, (Image 32 of 35)

For the final portion of Charlie’s travels for this update, he next would have crossed the Highway 13 off-ramp at Broadway Terrace as seen in this circa 1956-1957 west view of SN 1005 and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on excursion.

L179-155-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 33 of 35)

He chose the best angle possible to document where the rails had crossed the off-ramp.

L179-160-Charlie Siebenthal Photo, Courtesy Charlie Siebenthal, (Image 34 of 35)

We have now followed Charlie to the off-ramp of Highway 13 at Broadway Terrace, the latter seen in the left lower corner of this northwest view from Oct. 7, 1975.

L179-165-Copyright California Department of Transportation, C5492-4, Detail , (Image 35 of 35)