Chasing the "Long Street Job" in Oakland

I've wondered for years if any train ran on the old Western Pacific right-of-way adjacent to BART at the Oakland Coliseum. Once I found out about Union Pacific's Long Street Job, I had to come down and record its action, despite being in a somewhat tough neighborhood.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Union
• Pacific
• Oakland
• Sub
• Long
• Street
• Job
• Coliseum
• GP38-2
• Western
• Melrose

[fixierider97]

are you aware of the schedule of this train and how often it runs? One more thing is where does it get the cars from? Thanks!

[cchan006]

@fixierider97: The job originates in West Oakland Yard, and switches at East Oakland Yard, too, so it gets cars from either yard. As for its current schedule, it seems to head to and from Melrose (F010) around dusk and later, but I do not know exactly which days it runs.

[fixierider97]

do you know if they still run this local job?

[cchan006]

@fixierider97: Yup, this job still runs, without the coil cars, and less predictable schedule. The job will request the dispatcher to flag the signal at CP Melrose (F010) in both directions, so it's usually easy to know when they are out and about.

[cchan006]

@espeeboy: Yeah! Thanks always for very accurate information, and a bit of railfan craziness.

[espeeboy]

@cchan006 And now you know that said "conductor" on the radio on the Long Street Job is actually the engineer!!! ;)

[Aero203]

i heard and saw this train while waiting for up 2010. this is where i caught it. And yes its hella ghetto.

[fixierider97]

@cchan006 awesome!

[cchan006]

I also miss the conductor that worked with him. He was pretty funny on the radio.

[espeeboy]

Hey Engineer Sievers - best (ex-SP) RR'er of the Roseville Division (and greater Bay Area)! Too bad UP forced him into extra board house arrest this last year. FYI, this job used to use the parallel ex-SP landside drill track right next to the ex-WP Oakland Sub Main alongside San Leandro BLVD. IIRC, UP dug up the old rickety drill track in early 2008 adding in all new switches off the ribbon rail mainline track to serve the (few) remaining industrial spurs in East Oakland.