Hi Everybody- The date was April 4, 1954. The location was Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley, CA. The occasion was a steam-powered railfan excursion on the Southern Pacific advertised as the "Last Run Over the Old Electric Lines".
From around 1860 to 1911, the SP operated steam-powered suburban trains for commuters in the greater Eastbay communities of Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley. With the advent of Borax Smith's competing KEY SYSTEM in 1903 which was electric powered-- the SP converted all of their commute services in the Eastbay to Electric power too. Hence, the Oakland, Alameda & Berkeley Lines (OA&B), later to become the famed Interurban Electric or IER...
The IER was abandoned by July-1941. However, a LOT of trackage remained in place for many years but without overhead catenary! So the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (BAERA) ran two excursions over all of this old trackage. (1954 and 1956). It was absolutely fantastic !
The TWO scenes of the two different sides of the same train were taken of the first trip in 1954. This portion of Shattuck Avenue had two tracks for the IER (long abandoned), with two tracks to their right for the still-active Key System transbay trains.
My grandfather, Vic Shattock, (of Live Steam fame) took ME on this all day excursion. I was only SEVEN years old but will never forget the experience!
Cheers.
KRK
