East Bay Electric Lines

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The East Bay Electric Lines was a division of the Southern Pacific Railroad which operated a system of electric interurban-type trains (technically, suburban) in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area starting in 1911. Some of the trains ran on tracks formerly served by SP (originally Central Pacific) local steam trains. New lines were also constructed. The trains served the cities of Berkeley, Albany, Oakland, and Alameda, transporting commuters to and from the large Oakland Pier (the "mole") of the Southern Pacific. A fleet of ferry boats ran between the pier and the docks of the Ferry Building on the San Francisco Embarcadero. The East Bay Electric Lines became the "Interurban Electric Railway" (IER) upon completion of tracks on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. Southern Pacific ended its transbay commuter train service in July, 1941.

The rival Key System assumed rights to some of the trackage and overhead wires of the defunct IER/SP routes. These included: portions of the Shattuck Avenue line in Berkeley from about Derby Street to just short of the intersection of Solano and The Alameda, including the Northbrae Tunnel for the Key's F-line; portions of the Dutton Avenue line through East Oakland for the Key's A-line; and portions of the California Street line in Berkeley from about Ada and California Street, up Monterey to Colusa Avenue for the Key's H-line.

The large, heavy cars used by the SP for its commuter trains were at first painted in standard railroad olive green, but were soon painted a bright red and became known as the "big red trains". They were also known for their distinctive round windshields, or "owl-eyes", which were added for safety reasons at the same time the cars were painted red. The cars were all marked with the name "Southern Pacific" until Bay Bridge service began at which time, many were re-tagged "Interurban Electric", although some of the cars continued to bear the name "Southern Pacific" until the termination of service in 1941.

After service ended in 1941, some of the cars were transferred to the Pacific Electric in southern California where they were in use until that system ceased operations in 1961. A few of the cars have been preserved and can be seen at the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista, California and at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in southern California.

[edit] Lines

The East Bay Electric Lines were originally designated simply by the names of their principal street routes. They received numbers for Bay Bridge service.

• California Street Line - Starting at Colusa Wye (Thousand Oaks station) at the intersection of Solano and Colusa in Berkeley, via Colusa, Monterey, California, Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to the Oakland Pier. Terminated 1933.

• Shattuck Avenue Line - Starting at Colusa Wye (Thousand Oaks station) in Berkeley, via Solano, Northbrae Tunnel, Sutter, Henry, Shattuck, Adeline, Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to the Oakland Pier. Designated Line # 3 (local) and # 9 (express) for Bay Bridge service, re-routed direct to bridge with no stop at 16th Street Station. Terminated July, 1941.

• Ninth Street Line - Starting at Colusa Wye (Thousand Oaks station) in Berkeley, via Solano, Madison, private right-of-way to Ninth Street, via Ninth Street to private right-of-way to Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to the Oakland Pier. Designated Line # 5 for Bay Bridge service, re-routed direct to bridge with no stop at 16th Street Station. Terminated July, 1941.

• Ellsworth Street Line - Starting at Ellsworth and Allston Way in Berkeley, then via Ellsworth to Woolsey, Shattuck, Adeline, Stanford to the upper platform of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, thence to the Oakland Pier. Terminated 1933.

• Dutton Avenue Line - Dutton Avenue in Oakland, Bancroft, ?, then 7th Street to the Oakland Pier. Designated Line # 2 (local) and # 7 (express) for Bay Bridge service. Terminated July, 1941.

• Alameda Lines - Encinal and Lincoln Avenues. Via Encinal designated Line #4 eastbound and # 6 westbound for Bay Bridge service. Via Lincoln Avenue designated #6 eastbound and # 4 westbound for Bay Bridge Service. Terminated July, 1941.

• Horseshoe Line - Alameda Pier to Oakland Pier via Fruitvale Bridge. Terminated 1939.

• 18th Street Line - Downtown Oakland via 18th Street, ?, 7th Street to Oakland Pier. Terminated 1933.

[edit] See also

• The Key System; another transbay commuter rail system that served the East Bay during the same era.

[edit] References

Red Trains in the East Bay: The History of the Southern Pacific Transbay Train and Ferry System, Robert S. Ford, 1977, Interurbans Books