Two 40th Streets For the Road

An east view down 40th St. at the Broadway intersection in 2018 yields nothing unusual except that the continuation of the road across the intersection is split such that the one to the far left is called 40th Way, and the four-lane, two-way street to the right is called 40th St. How did this come to be?

L165-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 1 of 29)

Key System Transbay electric service was abandoned on Apr. 20 of 1958. A sense of history overruled John Harder’s grief as he took this image documenting a transition moment in time. The exact date is not known, but Ron Hook noted it should be after Nov. 1, 1960 when AC Transit took over the Key buses and placed an AC Transit emblem on them.

L165-10-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 2 of 29)

Appreciating the absence of what is today called 40th St. is explained by the cut used by the Key C line as it made its way between Broadway and 40th St. to the Piedmont Ave. station. In this east view, San Francisco-bound unit 104 from Aug. 20, 1943 makes its way under Cerrito Ave. How did this cut come into being will be presented in the next series of images.

L165-15-Wilbur C Whittaker Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 3 of 29)

According to Harre Demoro’s “The Key Route”, the 40th St.-Piedmont line began service in 1904. These two west images toward Broadway are presented to create an imperfect panorama showing the excavation of the cut.

L165-20-Louis L. Stein Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 17396ks, r, 17398ks, , (Image 4 of 29)

Next a west view from 1904 from the east end of the completed cut where Howe St. is today. The name of the railway on the sign is consistent with this date and would be changed in 1908 to the San Francisco, Oakland & San Jose Consolidated Railway.

L165-25-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 20414ks , (Image 5 of 29)

Three details from aerials are presented related to placement of Highway 580 in Oakland, contract work most likely from the lens of Clyde Sunderland. First, a northeast-oriented vertical aerial from July 10, 1951 featuring Broadway down the middle, with the cut and Piedmont Ave. station to the right, east, and the SN operations at 40th and Shafter to the left, west.

L165-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 2218-12, Detail , (Image 6 of 29)

This north oblique from Apr. 8, 1953 starts with Broadway along the left, west, and proceeds to the right, east, with Howe St. next, and the Piedmont Ave. station ending with Piedmont Ave. along the right edge, east.

L165-32-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3300-36, Detail , (Image 7 of 29)

This detail from a south view oblique aerial from Apr. 8, 1953 shows the area around the cut in detail. The shed of the Key Piedmont Ave. station is to the left. From there, the track heads to the southwest in a curve crossing Howe St. and entering the cut. After passing under the Cerrito Ave. overpass, a gentle curve to the northwest crosses Broadway and continues west. Again, the original 40th St., today’s 40th Way, resided north of the cut and connected Broadway to Howe St.

L165-35-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3300-37 , (Image 8 of 29)

Before removing the Key System set of tracks from 40th St. and the single track in the cut, public works images were taken on May 16, 1958. Four of these images relevant to the topic at hand are presented, starting with this east view down 40th St. taken just west of the Broadway intersection. Ref: 40th Street C-568 roll 2-OCS084

L165-40-Frank E. Johnson Photo, Public Works, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oak. City Plan. Dept, (Image 9 of 29)

Another east view from May 16, 1958 pointed slightly south from the previous image from 40th Street, May 16, 1958. Ref: 40th Street C-568 roll 2-OCS084

L165-45-Frank Johnson Photo, Public Works, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oak. City Plan. Dept., (Image 10 of 29)

Next a west view down the original 40th St., now 40th Way, again on May 16, 1958. The split of the single track from the cut into two tracks on 40th St. can be seen in the distance on the west side of the intersection with Broadway. Also, the area once occupied by the terminal of the Sacramento Northern on the north side of 40th St. in the distance is clear of any structures.

L165-50-Frank Johnson Photo, Public Works, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oak. City Plan. Dept., (Image 11 of 29)

Finally, a west view of the cut itself, May 16, 1958. Ref: 40th Street C-568 roll 2-OCS084

L165-55-Frank Johnson Photo, Public Works, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oak. City Plan. Dept., (Image 12 of 29)

Before embarking on a trip through the cut, views to the south and west of the intersection will be reviewed. First, this south view down Broadway from Nov. 27, 1918 at the 40th St. intersection with an approaching Broadway streetcar is presented. A detail follows next. Ref: Vernon Sappers Collection

L165-60-Eston Cheney Photo A-2789, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 115111ks , (Image 13 of 29)

From the onset, the Key System management took care to ensure that collisions were avoided between the Broadway streetcar and what was called the Piedmont line, before the change to the designation C line in 1936-1937, by placing a manned hut at the intersection. South view from Nov. 27, 1918. Ref: Vernon Sappers Collection

L165-65-Eston Cheney Photo A-2789, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 115111ks Detail, (Image 14 of 29)

Next a series of west views from the intersection. An approaching Piedmont line train seen in this west view from Dec. 1, 1915 has passed the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern terminal on 40th St. to the north or right. Note the track leaving the Piedmont line from the cut allowing transfer between that line and the Broadway streetcar.

L165-70-Cheney Photo A-829, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 17395ks , (Image 15 of 29)

The same west view, but the date is now May 1936, and the facilities seen to the north or right on 40th St. in the background now belong to the Sacramento Northern Railway.

L165-75-Ted Wurm Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 17401ks, (Image 16 of 29)

Now for a trip from 40th St. and Broadway through the cut starting with a number of images by John Harder or from his collection. Hop on Key System Unit 112 in this west view, appreciating it is 1946 and the streetcar rails on Broadway are still in use.

L165-80-Leon Bonney Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 17 of 29)

This train with unit 164 at the rear has already crossed the intersection as it heads to San Francisco in this west view from 1956. Drivers welcome the space created by the moving train as they head east, as two students wait for the traffic signal to change.

L165-85-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 18 of 29)

Now facing east, unit 183 blocks the entire intersection as it has left the cut heading for San Francisco in this east view from Sept. 29, 1956.

L165-90-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 19 of 29)

A southeast view from 1953 features Key System unit 118 at the intersection and provides a closer look at the southeast corner and the bare wall of the cut.

L165-95-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 20 of 29)

Key unit 183 is about to emerge from the cut at Broadway on Aug. 29, 1956 in this east view.

L165-100-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 21 of 29)

Now facing west, unit 123 can be seen entering the cut in the mid-1950s.

L165-105-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 22 of 29)

A panoramic west view taken from the Cerrito Ave. overpass features Piedmont-bound unit 159 in Feb. 1954.

L165-115-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 23 of 29)

This southeast view of San Francisco-bound 117 keeps both the Cerrito Ave. overpass and foreground ads in perfect focus in the mid-1950s. John Harder noted that those ads were a favorite target of photographers of the cut.

L165-120-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 24 of 29)

Now to the east side of the Cerrito Ave. overpass facing the east and Howe St. This image taken from the overpass by EK Muller on Apr. 15, 1958 captures unit 131 leading a two-car train to San Francisco.

L165-125-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 114142ks, (Image 25 of 29)

Arriving at the east end of the cut, unit 182 is guided more to the northeast as it sets to cross Howe St., west view, 1949.

L165-130-Tom Gray, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 80384ks, (Image 26 of 29)

Unit 118 blocks the north view up Howe St. after departing the 40th and Piedmont Ave. station. The cut may be gone, but the homes in this picture remain unchanged.

L165-135-Key System Photo, Courtesy John Harder , (Image 27 of 29)

Back to a west view, unit 152 makes its way across Howe St. to the small and short private right-of-way on Apr. 5, 1957 completing the trip through the cut. Having now completed the journey, it is easy to appreciate how the cut was a sine qua non of the Key System.

L165-140-Vic DuBrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 72091ks, (Image 28 of 29)

Now back to where it all started, a side-by-side east view of the transition moment from 1958 and what we see in 2018. Special thanks to John Harder for bringing this moment to light by generously providing the images and stories that went with them 60 years after the event, to Betty Marvin and Gail Lombardi for the public works images, and to CALTRANS for the very special aerial image.

L165-145-John Harder Photo, Courtesy John Harder, l, Stuart Swiedler Photo, r , (Image 29 of 29)