Date: 01/20/05 Nostalgic PLA Equipment Move
Part 4 - Escape From West Oakland Author: espeeboyFinally, at just past 8AM, it was
time for this train to move. Move as
in get out of Oakland which for some of this museum equipment was
indeed a big deal in sitting around the Oakand Army base for years and
decades! Engineer Lou and crew are seen on board ready to go with full
SP lights aglow. I wonder where Howard is hiding?
Love this shot because minus
the new I-880/80 freeway interchange and
backside of a big rig in the background, this shot could almost be from
40-50 years ago! This was about the only angle on this train to block
the out of place passenger cars and out of era stuff.
After
finally touching UP rails in
West Oakland's Desert Yard, crew is
closing that switch back up. Really, when was the last time you saw a
guy working a little elbow grease hand spiking a rail in front of a
caboose?!?
SP5472 is once again in familiar
SP surroundings passing under the Oakland-SF BART ROW approaching the
Diesel shop lead.
Hey, there's Howard!
The
first official meet - well
sorta. Train stopped short of an
outbound fresh UP West Oakland RCL crew. Hey any meet with an Remote
Control Locomotive doesn't really count as one right? ;)
The
Yardmaster threw a curveball
for some of us railfans expecting to see
this train run through to Maggie via the Homestead Yard. Trian is shown
backing out of West Oakland via 401 track onto main #1.
After
the back-up move, the PLA
Relocation trian has finally touched
mainline rails! Train is moving at decent speed of maybe 20 mph.
Still coming around the corner. ("The corner" is this spot
on the newer post-Loma Prieta Earthquake
relocation double track main by West Oakland where trains switch
between DS62 and DS58 territory)
A little soggy in west Oakland. EMD 567 Doppler effect? Check!
Pacing
action alongside the I-880
onramp. Howard is seen again as the official stow-away riding in his
Black Widow geep.
Passing
by the old Amtrak (leased)
coachyard at the left with the
western CP Kirkham lead to the new Amtrak facility to the right.