Where’s Walden? Main Street to the Canal

A two-car passenger train led by SN 1012 cruises by the Walden flag stop on its run from Concord to central Walnut Creek on July 7, 1940. This north view perfectly captures the agricultural setting of this area at that time.

L89-05-Charles Savage Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 10001sn, (Image 1 of 30)

Now at the same spot seventeen years later, 1957, this north view of SN 652 highlights the transformation of the area by a freeway, billboard ads and suburban dwellings.

L89-10-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 77501sn, (Image 2 of 30)

A north oblique aerial view from Feb. 13, 1958 provides the area of interest, from the Main Street-SN grade crossing, lower right, to the SN crossing of the Contra Costa Canal along the top border, left. Matching the background details of L89-10 with this image provides the answer as to the location of the SN Walden flag stop.

L89-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5845-9 Detail, (Image 3 of 30)

The Walden SN flag stop and shelter at Walden Way in 1940 is marked by the yellow arrow. By 1968, the road ended to the east at the BART test track, green arrow, the latter beginning at Parkside Dr., red arrow. The shift of the right-of-way between the SN versus BART straightened the route. Today, the location of the shelter would be at the freeway on-ramp.

L89-20-Courtesy Contra Costa Historical Society, 13565 , (Image 4 of 30)

The term Waldon appeared earlier than Walden in BOE maps of the 1920s at the railway crossing at Walden Way. Train timetables from 1913-40 did not include either flag stop. The term Waldon had been used more recently as a census-designated place denoting the area to the north centered at the BART Pleasant Hill-Contra Costa Centre Station.

L89-25-Courtesy California Board of Equalization, 862-7-3C, (Image 5 of 30)

Walden appeared in later maps. Andy Smith of Walnut Creek Planning found the earliest reference to the name from a 1917 subdivision created by the Burdick Land Company. In addition to the road, today the name is attached to the park bordered by Oak Dr., the Contra Costa Canal Trail and the Iron Horse Regional Trail.

L89-30-California State Railroad Museum, CS07003M, and California Board of Equalization, 862-7-3C, (Image 6 of 30)

Railway timetables from 1913-40 did not include either flag stop by name. This southwest view of SN 1014 from June 22, 1941, one week prior to the end of passenger train service, shows two passengers at the shelter. With the exception of a few power poles in the background, the preponderance of walnut trees mask any sign of adjacent Main Street.

L89-35-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 60297sn, (Image 7 of 30)

SN 1010 and trailer approach the Walden shelter in 1941 in this southwest view providing a view of the shelter’s interior western wall.

L89-40-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 79832sn, (Image 8 of 30)

This detail from L89-40 from 1941 shows an unusual looking building to the southwest that in a mountain setting could be taken for a lookout tower. The location of this structure relative to Main St. has not been determined.

L89-45-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 79832sn Detail, (Image 9 of 30)

Now to two north views. The shelter with SN 1005 making its approach from Concord, left, is from July 14, 1940, while a comparative view from 1951, right, shows homes that form the west border of Highway 680 by the end of that decade. Ref: left, Vielbaum Coll., Courtesy Western Railway Museum Archives, 132778sn

L89-50-Wilbur C. Whittaker Photo, BAERA, George Krambles Photo, Courtesy Peterson-Krambles Archive , (Image 10 of 30)

The little shelter at Walden Way, indicated in the 1940 aerial by the black arrow, did not survive long after the abandonment of passenger rail service in 1941, as development took its course prior to the construction I-680 presented here from Feb. 2, 1952.

L89-55-Courtesy Contra Costa County Hitorical Society and Copyright California Department of Transpo, (Image 11 of 30)

A detail from the Feb. 2, 1952 aerial in L89-55 showing the Walden Way intersection with no trace of the shelter. No one would have guessed that this site would be transformed to an on-ramp to the freeway.

L89-60-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 2477-21 Detail , (Image 12 of 30)

This map of Walnut Creek from 1952 provides three additional applications of the name Walden in Walnut Creek, orange boxes. The black arrow marks the SN-Walden Way grade crossing, and the blue box marks the future site of Walden Park. UC Call # G4364_W17_G46_1952_C6_sheet2_

L89-65-CCC Title Company, Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkele, (Image 13 of 30)

The same map from 1960, now with the new freeway added as well as the change in the name of the road crossed by the SN as Walden Rd. For some unknown reason, this map labels Kazebeer St. as Kazabeer St.

L89-70-Dept Public Works, Courtesy Planning Division, City of Walnut Creek, (Image 14 of 30)

Beginning with this detail from the north oblique aerial view from Feb. 13, 1958, a ground-based tour of the area during the transitional period of the late 1950s to the mid-1960s between the SN-Main St. grade crossing and the Contra Costa Canal will begin starting just north of Main St. at Pine St., red arrow.

L89-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5845-9 Detail copy, (Image 15 of 30)

A north view at the intersection of Pine St. is a transition moment in time, Apr. 1965. The SN right-of-way has been abandoned and cleared, left, there is an unpaved road toward Parkside Dr. to be mentioned shortly, and Lawrence Way has not yet been constructed.

L89-80-Louis L. Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 89861sn , (Image 16 of 30)

Now viewed to the south on Jan. 12, 1960, the next two grade crossings after Main St. are seen. Kazebeer St. is in the foreground sans rail crossing signal, and Parkside Dr. is in the background with the signal.

L89-85-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7226-3, Detail , (Image 17 of 30)

The rear end of an SN freight is seen crossing Parkside Dr. in 1957. A decade later this would be the southern end of the second phase of the BART test track. The road paralleling the SN from Main St. Walden Way had been called Allan Ave. By 1960, Jones Rd. had been extended from Walden Rd. to this intersection.

L89-90-Louis L Stein Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives 79822sn, (Image 18 of 30)

Sometime around 1940, this southeast view was taken from near the previous spot, documenting the presence of the 200k gallon water tank that sat upon the hill until about 1964. The hill behind the train was astutely noted by Andy Smith of Walnut Creek Planning as the site of the future post office to be located at N. Broadway and Central Rd.

L89-95-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, (Image 19 of 30)

This 1939 vs. 2020 north-oriented aerial comparison provides the general placement of the photographer in the previous image, left, and where that would be in 2020, right. Ref: 1939 USDA, Western Division Aerial, 07/25/1939, Panel BUU-280-61

L89-100-Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society and Google Earth , (Image 20 of 30)

Next, the date is July 4, 1964, and the last train documented to cross Main St. is shown. Note the Texaco station at 2330 N Main St., and Pete Robinson Chevron across the road at 2329.

L89-105-Victor B. Dubrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 71843sn, (Image 21 of 30)

Now viewed to the north, a view of the intersection of Jones Rd. with Kazebeer St. on Nov 1, 1961.

L89-110-Herrington-Olson Photo 9-39647, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 144725sn, (Image 22 of 30)

The last documented train passes Kazebeer St. on July 4, 1964 in this northwest view.

L89-115-Victor B Dubrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 71844sn, (Image 23 of 30)

Another north view from Nov. 1, 1961, just to the north of the previous image, provides more detail along the east flank of Jones Rd. Following along adjacent to the west side of the train track provides documentation of a city limit sign for Walnut Creek.

L89-120-Herrington-Olson Photo 9-39646, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 144724sn, (Image 24 of 30)

A complementary south view from Nov. 1, 1961 to the previous image viewed down Jones Rd.

L89-125-Herrington-Olson Photo 9-39648 Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 144726sn , (Image 25 of 30)

Continuing north, here in a south view from Jan 12, 1960, the Walden Rd. Grade crossing can be appreciated in the foreground.

L89-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 7226-3 , (Image 26 of 30)

The Walden Rd.-SN locale served for images of the slowly moving trains led by SN 143 for the End-of-an-Era celebration, Apr. 12, 1964, the last excursion rides on the south end of the SN. North view, left, south view, right.

L89-135-Tom Bradas, l, Tony Perles, r, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 81975sn and 79023sn , (Image 27 of 30)

A north oblique aerial view from Feb. 13, 1958 provides the last section for this update, the area between Walden Rd. and the Contra Costa Canal.

L89-140-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 5845-10 Detail, (Image 28 of 30)

An End-of-an-Era excursion Apr. 12, 1964, SN 143 and cars run adjacent to the scales area, having passed the Walden Rd. crossing. Note that the large water tank on the hill shown previously is no longer present.

L89-145-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 29 of 30)

SN 143 has finally reached the Costa Contra Canal, just past the first pole shifted to the west or left of the right-of-way, or the dirt path just at the first Southern Pacific passenger car. Northeast view, Apr. 12, 1964.

L89-150-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray, (Image 30 of 30)