Views from the Canyon Road SN Overpass

Once you become familiarized with “Where was the Canyon Road SN Overpass?”, you will appreciate the views from this structure. Starting with west views, SN 653 leads the WP open car and Salt Lake and Utah 751 on a BAERA-sponsored fan trip, June 17, 1956.

L108-05-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 1 of 11)

Six years earlier, Tom Gray caught a similar west view of the last passenger train to use the ferry Ramon on its way toward Sacramento. This time it was MW 302 pulling SLU 751 on a BAERA-sponsored fan trip, July 4, 1950.

L108-10-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 2 of 11)

On the subject of “lasts”, SN 1014 leads a three-car train toward central Moraga in this west view from the overpass of the last Sunday of bona fide passenger service on the south end of the SN, June 29, 1941.

L108-15-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 3 of 11)

The position of Canyon Rd. relative to the SN was part of the reason for the high walls of the pit approaching the overpass from the west. Very few images capture an east view as well as this detail from a Cheney image from 1913.

L108-20-Eston Cheney Photo V-57, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 27166sn, Detail, (Image 4 of 11)

This west view of an Oakland-bound freight with SN 670 bringing up the rear, circa 1952, is a reminder that Canyon Road was to the north or right of the pit during the SN days, while today the road sits to the south of what has not been filled in of the SN path.

L108-25-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 55882.8sn, (Image 5 of 11)

To be complete, this west view, circa 1950, of sister motors SN 605 and 606 leading a freight to the overpass getting a better view of that north wall.

L108-30-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 6 of 11)

Here a comparison of a west view post-SN abandonment in 1957, left, with Canyon Rd. to the right, or north, versus a matching view from 2013 with Canyon Rd. now to the left, or south. Absent an overpass, the latter view was only possible due to the addition of fill to the old right-of-way.

L108-35-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 77091sn, (Image 7 of 11)

EK Muller’s lens had also documented an east view from the overpass, here in living color circa 1950. Note the block signals along the small straight section of track.

L108-40-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 81319sn, (Image 8 of 11)

SN 606 is seen in this east view from the overpass pushing a freight filling the frame in 1948.

L108-45-Roger Heller Photo, from the collection of the Moraga Historical Society, Moraga, CA, NN-4 , (Image 9 of 11)

Just in case you are wondering if it was common to catch a train from both sides of the overpass, this east view with SN 661, circa 1952, is the image that preceded the west view seen in L108-25. Study this one a bit before comparing to the next image ...

L108-50-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 55882.7sn , (Image 10 of 11)

Turn back the dial twelve years to a similar east view from May 26, 1940 of SN 1006 leading a three-car train to the overpass. In the distance is the Valle Vista shelter, part of the next sequence in the review of this area.

L108-55-Wilbur C Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke and Garth Groff , (Image 11 of 11)