Layout running track in middle of a city street

I designed a corner module set based on Santa Ana Street and Olive in Anahiem, CA. There were warehouses and a couple of packing houses on Santa Ana Street, and a lumber yard on the corner (still there, but serviced by trucks now.) The area has been redeveloped over the years, so many of the warehouses are also gone.

Here are some others from other parts of the US:

Median street running like this one would be easier to implement in a modeling context because you don't have to bury track in the pavement. Vermont Avenue between Redondo Beach Blvd. and Gardena Blvd. in Gardena, California and old Alameda Street running through Compton and Los Angeles are other examples.

Another one which gets a lot of YouTube coverage is "Jack London Square" in Oakland. It's a three-track paved right-of-way with [I believe] a lane or two of vehicle traffic. Good for train watching, but not something I'd want to model as it's not much more than a very wide alley for trains. Historically, it was quite different because you had multiple roads traveling through the area.

Check out www.historicaerials.com once you track down the areas and you can see older coverage. On YouTube, search "Street Trackage" or "Railroad Street Running" and you should get some good hits.

I have a Pentrex VHS titled Street Running that I picked up for short money recently.Locations include Modesto CA, Erie PA, Brooklyn NY, Chicago IL, Oakland CA, Augusta GA, La Grange KY, Michigan City IN, W. Brownsville PA, Santa Cruze CA, S. Antonio TX, and New Albany IN.

Lew Schneider

Ironton Ohio has "Railroad Street" where the DT&I used to come down, cross the 12 streets (Ironton is only 1 mile wide) and follow the N&W tracks running along the Ohio side of the Ohio river. The street is a mixture of residential houses and some businesses as the tracks get close to the river.  The houses have 45 degree parking in front with room for two way car traffic plus the train.

The tracks are mostly gone now, if you look close at the Google image you can just make them out at the 4th and Railroad and 3rd and Railroad intersections. The N&W tracks are still active (CSX now, right?) with long coal trains coming in and out of West Virginia. The DT&I hauled "pig iron" (think manhole covers) and then later cars as it was owned by Henry Ford for nearly 10 years.

The Amtrak Main Line goes right through down town Ashland VA, including by Randolph Macon College.  Its a little strange going down "Main Street" in a train:

All these photos were extracted from the web:

If you're looking for something a little older:

Jerry

Hi All,

I don't have any photos available.  The UP north south mainline runs through the Jack London Square area in Oakland, CA.  This multi-track main line railroading right in the middle of the busy street.  The route is also used by Amtrak trains including the Coast Starlight.

The Jack London square area was once an industrial waterfront.  It is now a tourist and residential area with hotels, condos, movie theaters, fine restaurants, etc.

The old Western Pacific mainline used to run down 3rd street in Oakland.  Third Street  is about one block over from Jack London Square.  The CZ used to load passengers in the middle of 3rd Street.  UP used this mainline until it took over the SP and started to use the SP's Jack London Square route.  The tracks were taken up on 3rd Street some years ago.

Joe

I don't have any photos at the moment but in one of the retail areas of Bethel Park the T tracks run on their own right-of-way in between two streets. A few miles away in downtown Bridgeville either the Wheeling and Lake Erie or the Ohio Central runs across Station street, then runs on a right-of-way between Railroad street and a parking lot for the Bridgeville Historical Society.