Searching For The Old South Pacific Coast RR Pier

[TFN5459]

Yeah the old SPC is pretty much run by the UP now as far South as tracks will go which is Vasona Jct north of Los Gatos. The Big Trees Pacific runs the Olympia to Santa Cruz portion. As for Drawbridge in Alviso theres a rumor that the Pacific Locomotive Association is going to extend their NCRY trackae to Drawbridge west from Niles

[Amiduffer]

@TFN5459 So the plans to reuse the bridge are going forward? The west end looked pretty bad when I went out there.

[hikemike23]

i live here

[J3110M4N14]

@hikemike23 same here

[Amiduffer]

From what I saw, the condition of the bridge is very poor, but considering its age (100 years), that's normal. The fact that the swing section is welded in the open position would indicate that most of it is going to have to be replaced.

[fxfole]

Thanks for posting.

I was told by one of the Don Edward's rangers that he wood pipe was used to pump salt brime from one evaporation pond to another.  The wood could actually survive the salt brime better than metal or clay pipe.

[Amiduffer]

Ah! Mystery cleared up. Thanks.

[wyliesdiesels1]

I believe you are a little mistaken on your history If you do some research on the net you will find that this bridge had nothing 2 do with the SPC This bridge was built and owned by SP as a cutoff bridge to get freight across the bay quicker Check out the page on Wikipedia about this bridge The SPC did have a steamboat but it went from San Francisco to Alameda From there the SPC took people down the EB through Alviso 2 Santa Clara and beyond I believe there was an SPC bridge in Alviso though

[Amiduffer]

You're right about the SP and I did research the bridge after this trip. The SPC started at Dumbarton point, but extended up to Alameda, since their ferry, the Newark wasn't fast enough. The SPC bridges were over the island Drawbridge just north of Alviso, and just east of this pier, there used to be a bridge there over one of the sloughs, heading into Newark, but is completely gone.

[cchan006]

Thanks for sharing your research and doing great field work! I enjoyed your folksy documentary.

[Amiduffer]

Thanks! I didn't know I was doing this "folksy" style, but, if you like it, I'll try and make more.

[GwenAYF]

Except for my generation of cousins who moved to the LA area in the 1950s (aerospace) and later, I know only what I've read in history about the places you are locating. We're East Texans and further east. Grandfather worked for the Southern Pacific in Houston -a hot box tender. Very interesting Thanks. Gen

[Amiduffer]

This side of things is pretty obscure, historically. People in general can barely wrap their heads around history thats a couple of decades old, and I'm digging up stuff that goes back more than a century.

[GP9railfan]

Excellent job! More please! I love old RR historical sites, & exploring around too. That mainline with the swing bridge still looks pretty decent. What's the full story with the damage on the other end?

[Amiduffer]

Burned down, and the UP doesn't want to spend the money to fix it. It would shorten the time to get across, but, the accountants say no.

[GP9railfan]

I don't see why not. For every $0.01 Union Pacific spends on operating costs, they make around $1.00 profit on average. I say rebuild that thing ASAP to help get the economy moving again! Government is going to be paying for most of the bill with the stimulus/infrastructure rebuild plan anyways.

[Amiduffer]

Whoops! What a mistake. Caltrain bought it a few years ago, and it looks like they are going to fix it up with a commuter line to be finished by 2012.

[GP9railfan]

Nice!

[ockteby]

When I lived in Ventura, Ca in 1964 one of the LA TV stations KNXT had a reporter named Ralph Story and he called his program Ralph Storys. He did videos like yours showing unusual forgotten facts and places in and around LA. This was my favorite TV program, Drew and I have the same feelings about your videos. Wish yours was in HD,

Frank

[Amiduffer]

Not until I can afford a better video camera. Glad you're enjoying these trips. A visit to a ghost town is coming up as soon as I can locate a few 19th century newspaper articles. There's also some old mines/ghost towns nearby that look like fun places to visit.

[3CoolKats]

Thanks for the little waterfront adventure. Were those two big Hetch Hetchy water pipes at 3:57 which were running into the water still in service? I remember ages ago watching a documentary of the building of the Hetch Hetchy dam which flooded a really pristine area. It's hard not to have mixed emotions about dams. They're pretty much a necessary evil.

[Amiduffer]

Yes, the HH is still in use, although, they look like they need serious rebuilding. 90 years is pretty old for this kind of infrastructure, but, its characteristic of water systems all over the country. The only sane replacement is Nuclear desalination. The entire central valley is seriously drawing down the aquifers.