francisco

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  1. Ethanol Cans

    Ethanol Cans

    UP 6055 leads a long string of empty ethanol cans eastbound along the San Francisco Bay. The mid-afternoon light wasn't the greatest, but I've long wanted to get a shot of a freight train at this spot. Beggars can't be choosers.
  2. Two Crossings in One

    Two Crossings in One

    The South City Switcher rumbles across 3rd Street in San Francisco. Not only is it running down a street itself, it's also crossing a diamond on the street running stretch of MUNI's T-Third Street line.
  3. Taste the Rainbow

    Taste the Rainbow

    Several of MUNI's historic PCC fleet bask in the sunlight at the Mission Bay maintenance facility. Car 1008 in the foreground is part of MUNI's original fleet and is a likely candidate for restoration. It can operate under its own power but is in bad shape.
  4. A Pretty Pair

    A Pretty Pair

    San Francisco Belt's Alco S2's gleam in the sunlight of a fine October day.
  5. PCC Tail Light

    PCC Tail Light

    The amber tail light of a San Francisco MUNI PCC car glows as it pauses at a street corner.
  6. CZ Varnish at Bayshore

    CZ Varnish at Bayshore

    The old California Zephyr dome "Silver Solarium" trails on the rear end of a SP 2472 steam special in December of 2002. The dome observation looked great with the matching train of stainless steel coaches as they roll past Bayshore, California.
  7. Waterfowl and tunnel motors

    Waterfowl and tunnel motors

    The UP Roseville to San Jose manifest creeps around the curve at Alviso, California in May of 2001. Two ducks fly overhead as this is the bottom of San Francisco Bay.
  8. A Sort of Homecoming

    A Sort of Homecoming

    SP's headquarters were located at 1 Market Street in San Francisco. It seems only appropriate, then, that ex-SP equipment can still be found working the last remaining industries in the city that still ship by rail. Here's the South City Switcher running down Quint St. in the heart of SF's...
  9. Pacifics in the sunshine

    Pacifics in the sunshine

    SP 2472 and SP 2467 pose in the sunshine at Hunters Point shipyard in January of 2003. This would be the last grand event of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum in San Francisco, California before moving to Niles Canyon.
  10. Why settle for one Pacific?

    Why settle for one Pacific?

    A rarity. Two identical Southern Pacific 4-6-2's are steamed up at the Golden Gate Railroad Museum in January of 2003. This would be the last steam event held at the San Francisco, California location. The 2472 has moved to Niles Canyon, and the 2467 is housed inside the railroad museum in...
  11. C&NW cars on CalTrain

    C&NW cars on CalTrain

    A set of ex-Chicago & Northwestern gallery cars pull up to the San Antonio stop in Mountain View, California in June of 2001. These old C&NW gallery cars pinch hit for CalTrain's own coaches. CalTrain's gallery cars were being rebuilt by Alstom during that year.
  12. No longer a man's job

    No longer a man's job

    This was unheard of in the Southern Pacific's days of commuter trains. A female CalTrain conductor validates tickets inside one of the old Chicago & Northwestern gallery cars in June of 2001. Lots of women are now serving aboard the commuter trains as conductors or assistant conductors. Even...
  13. I Like Mondays

    I Like Mondays

    With 98 weekday runs to choose from, a little railfanning on the way to work is hard to pass up.
  14. 4-axle Only Territory

    4-axle Only Territory

    Four geeps on the South City Switcher squeal their way through the tight curve between Arthur St. and Quint St. This and several other curves along the route restrict this job to 4-axle units.
  15. Bullet on the Broadway

    Bullet on the Broadway

    A baby bullet express races south at 79 mph. The quadruple track mainline at Bayshore is reminiscent of Pennsylvania's "broadway of steel."
  16. San Francisco Belt Railroad #23

    San Francisco Belt Railroad #23

    Unbeknown to most people, San Francisco has a small terminal switching operation out of one of its piers. The San Francisco Belt used to switch piers all up and down the Embarcadero waterfront district, but today its primary operation is switching the "dirty dirt" waste transloading...
  17. Junkyard Alley After a Rainstorm

    Junkyard Alley After a Rainstorm

    The South City Switcher reflects off of muddy puddles as it rolls through Junkyard Alley following a rainstorm the day before.
  18. Passing Circosta Iron

    Passing Circosta Iron

    The South City Switcher rolls past a gritty scrap company as it passes through the area I like to call Junkyard Alley.
  19. Intersection of 3rd & Carroll

    Intersection of 3rd & Carroll

    The South City Switcher disrupts traffic at the intersection of 3rd and Carroll as they deliver a cut of reefers to a local produce warehouse. It was a nice surprise to see the old Grande unit in the lead this day.
  20. Switching Oyster Point Industrial Park

    Switching Oyster Point Industrial Park

    The South City Switcher pulls a cut of empty reefers out of an industry in the Oyster Point Industrial Park in South SF while a Genentech shuttle bus looks on. What the photo doesn't show is that as the train blew for the crossing, the bus driver reciprocated with honks from his own horn. The...


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