Bayshore ROUNDHOUSE - San Francisco Trains

© San Francisco Trains | 223 Mariposa Street Brisbane, California 94005 U.S.A. | www.sanfranciscotrains.org | e-mail: cris@sanfranciscotrains.org

The Future

• ConstructedbytheSouthernPacific,The Bayshore Railroad,wasthemostexpensivepieceofrailroadinitstime.Fivetunnels,fillsandtrestlesbroughtthecosttoonemilliondollarspermile.Theroutesaved2-½milesfromtheoriginal1864railroutetothewestsideofSanBrunoMountain.Thenewlevelgradesavedfuelandtheneedforhelperenginesonthe2percentgradefromSanFranciscotoDalyCity.

• Originallydesignedasa40-stallRoundhouse,only17stallswerebuiltundercover,theremainingoutdoortrackswerecalled"Whisker"tracks.

• From1911to1958theRoundhouse,railyard,trackcrewsandshopsemployedasmanyas3,000people.DuringWorldWarIIwomenandmenworkedtheheavymachineryandquartersfor“MexicanNationals”werebuiltnexttotheRoundhouse.

• In1941theturntablewasextendedto110feettohandlethelargeststeamenginesontheline.SteelwassalvagedfromthePajaroRiverbridgetomakethisimprovement.

• Advancementsandimprovementstorailtransportationweredesignedandengineeredatthisshop.Bayshoremechanicalcrewscreateda5percentimprovementinlocomotiveefficiencybycrosscounterbalancingthedriversofsteamengines.

• SouthernPacificemployeeshadclubs,gardens,sportsteamsfromthedifferentdivisions.TheBayshoreshopswerepartofthe“CoastDivision”

• FollowingtheendofSteampowerin1958,theRoundhousewasusedforstablingdiesellocomotives.• Theworkforcewasgraduallyreducedandtheshopbuildingsclosed.ThelastdayofworkatBayshorewasMonday,October

25,1982.• In1989theBayshoreyardsweresold.InOctober2001afirestartedononesideoftheRoundhouse,butwascontainedby

thequickactionoftheBrisbaneFireDepartmentandBrisbanePublicWorksDepartment.

Historical Timeline

Following the closing of the Bayshore Shops, the Roundhouse has been vandalized. Photo above shows

graffiti on the east wall of the 17-stall Southern Pacific Bayshore Roundhouse. All that remains of the Bayshore

Shops is the abandoned roundhouse and the tender shop.

Birds' eye view of Roundhouse taken on a rainy day in October 2007 showing the damage of the 2001 fire which burned away half of the roof. Today the

Roundhouse sits abandoned on the empty land that was once the Southern Pacific Bayshore Railyard

on the southern end of San Francisco.

Today

Men standing in front of bricks for the Roundhouse

Survey Team

Men pulling rail tracks out of landfill following 1906 earthquake on the north point of

Visitacion Point Cut July 2, 1906

WithSpecialThankstoGoldenGateRailroadMuseum,RalphDomeniciCollection,andWilsonImages|© San Francisco Trains|PhotosandDrawing:CourtesyofCaliforniaStateRailroadMuseum

Taking a lead from preservation projects around the globe, volunteers have started the nomination for historic registry, enlisting the support of the property owner, local businesses and citizens to provide a dignified future for Brisbane's historical gem — the Bayshore Roundhouse.

Yesterday

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Bayshore ROUNDHOUSE

© San Francisco Trains | 223 Mariposa Street Brisbane, California 94005 U.S.A. | www.sanfranciscotrains.org | e-mail: cris@sanfranciscotrains.org

Bayshore ROUNDHOUSE

Driving log piles to the bedrock during the Age of Steam

• Builtbetween1907and1910.

• A roundhouse is abuilding for stablinganddaily servicingof railroadsteamengines.Aturntableisusedtoputtheenginesheadfirstintothebuilding,andthenturntheenginessotheywouldrunforwardontheirnextassignment.

• Mainline steam engineswere designed to primarily pull trains facingforward.

• Roundhouse,railyardandshopsemployed3,000people.

• TransportationadvancesintheageofsteamattheBayshoreRoundhouseweresignificant.

• Replacingsteamengineswithdiesels inthe1940sto1950smeanttheroundhouses and turntables were no longer needed.Diesel engines did not need asmuchmaintenance as steam engines and could run ineitherdirection.

• TheBayshoreRoundhouse is the last standing brick roundhouse inCalifornia.Atonetimetherewereover200roundhousesinCalifornia,includingthreeontheSanFranciscoPeninsulaalone.

FACTS

The First Bayshore Turntable

The locomotive back shops (left) and car shops (right) were located just to the north of the Roundhouse. Straight ahead, due west is the Cow Palace arena. The back shops were behind the Roundhouse and handled heavy repairs.

In the center are the transfer pit and transfer table for moving cars and locomotives from one stall to another.

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© San Francisco Trains223MariposaStreetBrisbane,California94005U.S.A.IRS501c3Non-ProfitI.D.:20-5166823

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inBrisbane, California