Relax. Many of the Bay’s hottest railfanning spots can be found in a single road trip, loosely following Interstate 80 on its eastward journey to Sacramento. The state capital is only 90 short miles away, so whether you’re planning a solo railfan outing, or looking to incorporate a few “detours” into a family trip, here’s a virtual travel planner that will get you to the hot spots listed above, plus a few extra.
Oakland – Jack London Square
Let’s start our trip in Oakland (just a hop across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco), with a visit to Jack London Square.
Once known as the “other city” on the Bay, Oakland has undergone a virtual makeover thanks to the Bay Area’s technology boom. The Square has visibly benefited from that renaissance, with a redevelopment effort that has brought Barnes and Noble bookstores, restaurants, theaters, and a picturesque harbor to the area.
But the prime railfan attraction is Union Pacific’s Coast Line (technically the Niles Subdivision at this point), which threads all the action by running down the center of Embarcadero West.
Immediately south of Jack London Square is Amtrak’s Oakland station, which replaced the earthquake-damaged 16th Street station in the mid-1990s. Today, Oakland hosts Amtrak’s flagship Coast Starlight on its route between Los Angeles and Seattle, plus the popular San Joaquin trains to Bakersfield, and Capitol Corridor trains between San Jose, Sacramento, and Auburn, in addition to UP’s assorted freight action.
So take a few hours to visit the shops, grab lunch at the Spaghetti Factory, and keep a camera handy – you never know what’s going to stop traffic next.
Pinole
Odds are you’ve seen this classic photo location in the pages of TRAINS.
At Pinole, Union Pacific’s Martinez Subdivision (SP’s former “Cal-P” main line) and BNSF’s Stockton Subdivision draw within shouting distance of each other along San Pablo Bay.
The Martinez Sub is Union Pacific’s principal gateway to the San Francisco Bay Area from the east, hosting both transcontinental traffic via the former Overland Route and southbound traffic from the Pacific Northwest. The “Cal-P” nickname refers to California Pacific, a predecessor railroad that was absorbed by Central Pacific in 1879.
Union Pacific freight action is steady also. The freight parade includes intermodal hotshots heading in and out of the burgeoning Port of Oakland, daily transfer jobs between Roseville and San Jose, and the occasional coal train.
UP’s motive power has plenty of variety. Winged SD70Ms from EMD and AC6000CWs from General Electric make frequent appearances, with new SD70ACes and Evolution Series locomotives joining the ranks, plus aging units from merger partners Southern Pacific, Rio Grande, and Chicago & North Western.
With all the Cal-P action, it’s easy to overlook BNSF’s Stockton Subdivision, which passes through Pinole on a higher shelf than the UP line. The Stockton Sub is BNSF’s gateway to the Bay Area, ending at nearby Richmond, several miles shy of the Oakland ports. Richmond-bound trains leave the railway’s transcontinental route at Barstow, Calif., and travel through the Tehachapis and up the Central Valley through Stockton before reaching the Bay Area. Intermodal hotshots are the main attraction, led by the railway’s Warbonnet and Heritage-painted GE locomotives.
With a little creative thought and some serendipitous timing, trains on both lines can be photographed in a single shot.
Franklin Canyon and Martinez
Past Pinole, take the Highway 4 exit toward Stockton, and you’ll quickly see BNSF’s Stockton Sub on your right. Within a mile, the main line crosses the highway and begins winding through the hills of Franklin Canyon’s west side. The entire length of the canyon is less than 10 miles – divided by 5,596-foot Tunnel 3 – but the west and east slopes of the canyon offer radically different settings to photograph BNSF.
Illustrated in most photos by Christie and Collier sidings, the west side consists of grassy hills (which turn a gorgeous green in the winter and spring months), although highway expansion has marred several photo locations. A stop at Christie Road will take you down a thin road that reaches Tunnel 3’s west portal, with several good photo spots to be found.
Returning to eastbound Highway 4, take the Port Costa exit and follow Franklin Canyon road through the canyon’s more rugged east side. An old cantilever-style signal tower still stands at Glen Frazer, and with a little exploring, many great views can be found of sweeping curves through wooded hills, culminating with the spectacular Muir Trestle at Martinez.
Afternoons in particular are a great time to catch westbound fleets of trains in Franklin Canyon, although mornings can be counted on for at least 3-4 movements.
Motive power in the canyon is dominated by Heritage II and newer “swoosh” GEs, although red and silver Dash 9s and SD75Ms also make frequent appearances. BNSF’s classy Heritage I scheme is a regular sight too, most commonly worn by Dash-9 and SD40-2 power. Units in Santa Fe blue and BN green round out the picture, usually on models such as SD40-2s, GP50s, GP60s, and rebuilt GP30s and GP35s.
Upon reaching the Muir Trestle, turn left at Alhambra Boulevard and follow it into downtown Martinez, rejoining the Cal-P main line. (Just down the street from BNSF’s Muir Trestle in Martinez is Bella Roma Pizza, which boasts an LGB model train that runs over the heads of restaurant patrons, and live pipe organ performances!)
Leaving Martinez on eastbound Interstate 680, cross the Sacramento River on the Benicia Bridge. The Cal-P also crosses the river on the railroad’s massive Suisun Bay Bridge. Just before the toll booths on the Benicia side, look to the right and you’ll see a great pull-off spot for catching photos of afternoon northbound trains.
Suisun, Davis, and the California Northern
It’s time to leave the Bay Area behind, but a stop or two still remain on the road to Sacramento.
About 20 miles past Benicia is the town of Suisun, one of two places where the Cal-P connects with one of California’s most colorful regional railroads – the California Northern. Using GP15 locomotives dressed in a dazzling green and cream paint scheme, plus a pair of SD40s, the Cal Northern operates several ex-Southern Pacific branches, and connects with the Cal-P main line at both Suisun and at Davis, near Sacramento.
Cal Northern trains can also be found on weekdays serving the nearby Budweiser plant at Fairfield.
A second connection comes at Davis, which is worth a visit just to see the gorgeous ex-SP passenger depot and old Davis Tower, both subjects of an excellent preservation effort. The station is busier than ever, serving the aforementioned California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, and Capitol Corridor trains. The tower is closed, but still makes a great photographic prop.
Both the depot and tower lie in the middle of the wye that connects the Cal Northern’s Woodland Subdivision with the Cal-P. Weekdays are best to catch the local interchanging cars with UP, especially in late afternoon (although schedules vary).
Sacramento
The former Southern Pacific shops may be gone and Elvas Tower may be closed, but the Capital City is still worth a visit by the railfan for a single reason: the California State Railroad Museum.
On weekends from April through September, the museum’s Sacramento Southern Railroad offers six-mile rides behind UP No. 4466, an 0-6-0 switcher built in 1920. Trains also operate on selected fall weekends and during special events held year-round.
Hungry for some contemporary Sacramento railroad action? Union Pacific is now the dominant player in town, although BNSF Inside Gateway trains are also a frequent sight, exercising trackage rights on UP to Keddie (in the Feather River Canyon), and east to Roseville and points beyond. A few miles east of the museum, Elvas Tower, which closed in 2000, silently guards the junction of UP’s Fresno and Martinez Subdivisions, providing ringside seats for an impressive parade of western railroading. As always, be sure to stay off of railroad property, and practice safe railfanning.
So whether it’s a Capitol Corridor train gliding along San Pablo Bay, a trio of BNSF GEs rolling through Glen Frazer, or a California Northern GP15 navigating the wye at Davis Tower, Bay Area railroading can keep even the most die-hard fan busy … as long as you know the territory.
Listening in:
Union Pacific
180.800 – Martinez Subdivision (Dispatcher 62, West Sacramento-Oakland/10th St.)
160.740 – Niles Sub and Coast Sub (Dispatcher 58, Oakland/10th St.-North Salinas via Jack London Square)
BNSF
160.560 – Stockton Sub (Port Dispatcher DS-115, Bixler-Richmond)
California Northern
161.385 – Road Channel
Actually, trains still run through JLS very frequently.
This is a very interesting article, but needs to be updated. I don't believe any trains go through Jack London Square any longer, the green and white Cal Northern engines are long gone and Elvas Tower is also long gone. Besides, the old SP shops are still there and are owned by the CSRM. Otherwise, great article!