If you were to model a Pittsburgh version of Oakland (CA)'s Jack London Square, what do you think it'd look like?

I was on the Amtrak Coast Starlight and when we ran through Jack London Square, I wasn't really that impressed. It looked more like a dedicated right-of-way in a center median had been paved over (although there's a third track near the West side of the street). Don't get me wrong -- I'll take street running anywhere I can find it, but it really looks like a route between two points. I prefer street runs that have rail-served industries on either side (or both sides) of the street.

You can see that the street trackage did feed some industries in 1949.  I've included the zipped map.

Jan

The Sant Fe had a yard between first street and the water that was serviced by car floats.  These was a large crane with there name on it years after they discontinued the operation.  And the Western Pacific was on Third Street and then turned west and crossed the SP.  The Key System had a street car line to Moors shipyard that crossed the WP and probably ended at the SP.  The SP depot was closer to Jack London Square than the present Amtrak station.  Up by the the shipyard was the Parr Terminal which had their own railroad on the west side of the SP befor the WP crossed.  A busy place once upon a time.

you should pull old maps of pittsburg in 1800s see what mon wharf and cross bridges and rails looked like.  b&o line and p&le line.  i thought of doing parts of the city but would take years to kodel

I have seen photos of Jack London Square in the steam era.  There were several industries served by the SP in the area.

Today you will have a heavy double track mainline running through a busy tourist area that is becoming more upscale and residential.  There are fine restaurants, theaters, hotels, apartments, condos, etc., alongside the tracks.  Oakland hopes to build a new ball park for the Oakland A's alongside the tracks to keep the team from moving to the San Jose area.  There are two double ended sidings for the Amtrak station.  It is a wonderful place to watch trains and get a good meal.  I don't know how this would translate to Pittsburgh.  

Long heavy Union Pacific and Amtrak trains run down the center of the street all day long. It is dangerous for inattentive people.  I was on an Amtrak train that hit and killed a lady who walked out in front of it.  I was told that she waited for a UP train and then walked around the down pedestrian gates into the path of my Amtrak train that was coming from the opposite direction.  I speculate that she thought that once the UP train had passed that there wasn't any danger and she was impatient that the gates didn't go up and that the bells and lights didn't stop.  There is a reason to look both ways before crossing the street.

Joe

Now, my helping of crow is about finished as I realize that I blatantly forgot that the route I was on had been in operation for several decades before Amtrack, UP, and BNSF. Your best friends here will be http://maps.google.com and http://www.historicaerials.com

That said, though, for a home layout I'd still look for something that would support local freights. For example, Alameda Blvd. in Downtown Los Angeles supported street running (Southern Pacific) to service several businesses and warehouses before a couple of earthquakes wiped out several buildings (declared unsafe and torn down) and competition from trucks changed the freight dynamics in the area. The two-track street run began south at Washington Blvd and ended just north of Macy Street (now Cesar Chavez) with warehouses on the west side of the street (some with spurs running through them) and switching leads going off to the east on Commercial street to serve other industries.

This one's up in Salem, Oregon on the Portland & Western branch line.

Here's one in Gadsden, Alabama

Here's the SP run down Santa Ana Street in Anahiem. The branch used to serve a freight house, a packing house, a lumber yard and a couple of other businesses right off the street trackage. Today the businesses are either gone or have switched over to trucks.

Here's one in New Albany, Indiana served by the Indiana Railroad

I'd say this photo archive may be a good place to look as there are a few different collections which feature some of the historical railways in Pittsburgh

http://digital.library.pitt.ed...ttsburgh/collections

When I worked near Jack London square in the 80's there was always a pretty large adult bookstore there with lots of lights and guys in trench coats milling around.

Not too sure about modeling it though, never looked that appealing I thought. There were/are some produce markets a few blocks away and  the trains ran through those which was interesting mix of cars, trucks, people and trains