Key System Mole

Last updated

Key System Mole
Architect and engineer (1933) (14781438192).jpg
The Mole in 1933, recently rebuilt after a fire
General information
Location Oakland, California
Coordinates 37°48′56″N122°20′42″W / 37.8155°N 122.3451°W / 37.8155; -122.3451
Elevation Sea level
Owned by Key System
Operated by Key System
Sacramento Northern Railway
Tracks9
Construction
Architect Walter J. Mathews (first Ferry Terminal)
Other information
StatusPartially demolished
History
OpenedOctober 26, 1903 (1903-10-26)
ClosedOctober 29, 1939 (1939-10-29)
Rebuilt1908–1916, 1933
Electrified Overhead line,  600 V DC
Services
Preceding station Key System Following station
TerminusA Hollis Street
towards Oak & 12th
B Hollis Street
towards Underhill
C Hollis Street
towards Oakland Avenue
E Hollis Street
towards Claremont
F Hollis Street
towards Alcatraz Avenue
H Hollis Street
towards Monterey & Colusa
San Francisco Ferry Building
Terminus
Connection to San Francisco via Ferry Terminus
Preceding station Sacramento Northern Railway Following station
TerminusMain Line Oakland
toward Chico
Location
Key System Mole

The Key System Mole was an interurban train and ferry pier on the San Francisco Bay. It served as an interchange point in the East Bay for Key System passengers traveling to and from San Francisco. It opened to passenger service in 1903 and was upgraded several times until 1933 when it was partially destroyed by a fire. Passenger service ended in 1939, and segments of the structure were partially reused in construction of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.

Contents

History

Opening, popularity, and expansion

The troubled California & Nevada Railroad had begun construction of a ferry pier in Oakland, but its plans were never realized. Francis Marion "Borax" Smith purchased the railroad in order to gain access to its right of way and waterfront operations, as well as use the abandoned pier as a starting point for his own passenger mole. [1]

Transbay service began on October 26, 1903. [2] The original station building was designed by Walter J. Mathews and featured three tracks with one ferry slip. [3] Switches were initially operated track-side until February 20, 1905 when a tower was installed. [4]

As demand for the service greatly exceeded expectations, the terminal was enlarged several times beginning very shortly after opening. [5] Six tracks were in use by July 1907 with two more being constructed. [6] The hasty building methods employed during construction were also becoming apparent at this time. The original approach trestle was built with supports very far apart and potentially reused part of the original California & Nevada Railroad structure; this was replaced with landfill in 1908. By 1916, most of the trestle bridge had been replaced with causeway, except a 3,800-foot (1,200 m) section connecting to the ferry terminal. [7] The rebuilt approach to the ferry terminal was designed to allow for construction of a loop at a future time. [8] Three ferry slips were operating by the 1920s. [9]

Postcard featuring the ferry slips at the terminal building, c. 1915-1930 Key Route Pier white border postcard.jpg
Postcard featuring the ferry slips at the terminal building, c. 1915–1930

The Oakland, Antioch & Eastern Railway began running interurban cars from Sacramento to the mole starting in September 1913. [10] This railway would go on to be consolidated into the Sacramento Northern Railway, offering services as far north as Chico and Oroville. [11]

On December 4, 1924, one train collided with a stationary train at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), killing six people and injuring 45 more. [12] [13]

The Key System expanded their maintenance facility along the causeway in 1930 with the construction of the Bridge Yard building. [14]

Destruction and rebuild before bridge service

In May 1933, an explosion and the ensuing fire destroyed the station building, 500 yards (460 m) of pier, the ferry Peralta , and 14 cars. [12] [15] The cause of the fire remains a mystery. [9] The Key System received a $1.1-million insurance settlement for the disaster ($25.9 million in 2023 adjusted for inflation). [9] With bridge construction looming, the pier and station were rebuilt as cheaply as possible to maintain service. A temporary steel structure served as the new station building. [16] The line and station were rebuilt slightly to the south to accommodate bridge construction. [12]

An evening view of a ferry arriving at the terminal, 1933 Architect and engineer (1933) (14595281487) (cropped).jpg
An evening view of a ferry arriving at the terminal, 1933

Initial concepts to build a bridge between Oakland and San Francisco included a design to extend the Key System Mole to San Francisco. [12] Final plans for the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge included building the Oakland approach adjacent to the mole. After the fire, the California Toll Bridge Authority filed to condemn and acquire part of the causeway as well as the property of the former terminal. [17] Transbay service was transferred to the bridge on January 15, 1939, though Key System cars and ferries continued to run to serve the Golden Gate International Exposition until the season's closing on October 29. [18] (Ferry service from the East Bay was not resumed the following year, and was replaced with buses.)

Eventual fate

The Mole was almost entirely dismantled over the following decades. The steel structure which served as the station building after 1933 was sold and moved to Oakland, where it served as part of a steel company's processing plant into the 1980s. [16] 600,000 board feet of timber was salvaged from the pier for reuse in construction of the Shipyard Railway. [19] [20] The Bridge Yard building was restored by the California Department of Transportation in the late 2010s and serves as an events space. [14] Portions of the causeway exist as landfill approaching the Bay Bridge.

Design

The Mole as seen from the Key System's underpass of the Southern Pacific mainline c. 1907-1915. While this underpass still exists, land reclamation has moved the bayshore further west. Key Route Pier postcard.jpg
The Mole as seen from the Key System's underpass of the Southern Pacific mainline c. 1907–1915. While this underpass still exists, land reclamation has moved the bayshore further west.

The original wooden trestle extended 17,000 feet (5,200 m) into the Bay. [6] After being rebuilt between 1906 and 1916, the trestle segment had been shortened to 3,800 feet (1,200 m), [7] the rest being built up with landfill to become a causeway.

The Mole's precarious length and ferry slips were the inspiration for the "Key System" moniker; W. F. Kelly, the railroad's first manager, believed their depiction on maps resembled the shaft and teeth of a key. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key System</span> Former local electric railway service in the East Bay

The Key System was a privately owned company that provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany, and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when it was sold to a newly formed public agency, AC Transit. The Key System consisted of local streetcar and bus lines in the East Bay, and commuter rail and bus lines connecting the East Bay to San Francisco by a ferry pier on San Francisco Bay, later via the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. At its height during the 1940s, the Key System had over 66 miles (106 km) of track. The local streetcars were discontinued in 1948 and the commuter trains to San Francisco were discontinued in 1958. The Key System's territory is today served by BART and AC Transit bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Transbay Terminal</span> Former transit terminal in San Francisco, CA, USA

The San Francisco Transbay Terminal was a transportation complex in San Francisco, California, United States, roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north–south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east–west by Beale Street and 2nd Street in the South of Market area of the city. It opened on January 14, 1939 as a train station and was converted into a bus depot in 1959. The terminal mainly served San Francisco's downtown and Financial District, as transportation from surrounding communities of the Bay Area terminated there such as: Golden Gate Transit buses from Marin County, AC Transit buses from the East Bay, and SamTrans buses from San Mateo County. Long-distance buses from beyond the Bay Area such as Greyhound and Amtrak Thruway also served the terminal. Several bus lines of the San Francisco Municipal Railway connected with the terminal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Ferry Building</span> Ferry terminal in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay, a food hall and an office building. It is located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California and is served by Golden Gate Ferry and San Francisco Bay Ferry routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shipyard Railway</span> Former railway line in California, US

The Shipyard Railway was an electric commuter rail/interurban line that served workers at the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California, United States, during World War II. It was funded by the United States Maritime Commission and was built and operated by the Key System, which already operated similar lines in the East Bay. The line ran from a pair of stations on the Emeryville/Oakland border – where transfer could be made to other Key System lines – northwest through Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond to the shipyards. It operated partially on city streets and partially on a dedicated right-of-way paralleling the Southern Pacific Railroad mainline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bay Electric Lines</span> Former railway lines in the San Francisco Bay Area

The East Bay Electric Lines were a unit of the Southern Pacific Railroad that operated electric interurban-type trains in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning in 1862, the SP and its predecessors operated local steam-drawn ferry-train passenger service in the East Bay on an expanding system of lines, but in 1902 the Key System started a competing system of electric lines and ferries. The SP then drew up plans to expand and electrify its system of lines and this new service began in 1911. The trains served the cities of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro transporting commuters to and from the large Oakland Pier and SP Alameda Pier. A fleet of ferry boats ran between these piers and the docks of the Ferry Building on the San Francisco Embarcadero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento Northern Railway</span> Former electric railway in California

The Sacramento Northern Railway was a 183-mile (295 km) electric interurban railway that connected Chico in northern California with Oakland via the state capital, Sacramento. In its operation it ran directly on the streets of Oakland, Sacramento, Yuba City, Chico, and Woodland. This involved multiple car trains making sharp turns at street corners and obeying traffic signals. Once in open country, SN's passenger trains ran at fairly fast speeds. With its shorter route and lower fares, the SN provided strong competition to the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific Railroad for passenger business and freight business between those two cities. North of Sacramento, both passenger and freight business was less due to the small town agricultural nature of the region and due to competition from the paralleling Southern Pacific Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Long Wharf</span> Former rail-ferry pier in California

The Oakland Long Wharf was an 11,000-foot railroad wharf and ferry pier along the east shore of San Francisco Bay located at the foot of Seventh Street in West Oakland. The Oakland Long Wharf was built, beginning 1868, by the Central Pacific Railroad on what was previously Oakland Point. Beginning November 8, 1869, it served as the west coast terminus of the First transcontinental railroad. In the 1880s, Southern Pacific Railroad took over the CPRR, extending it and creating a new ferry terminal building with the official station name Oakland Pier. The entire structure became commonly and popularly called the Oakland Mole. Portions of the Wharf lasted until the 1960s. The site is now part of the facilities of the Port of Oakland, while passenger train service operates at the nearby Jack London Square/Dellums Station and another nearby station in Emeryville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Street station (Oakland)</span> Former train station in the Prescott neighborhood of Oakland, California

16th Street station is a former Southern Pacific Railroad station in the Prescott neighborhood of Oakland, California, United States. The Beaux-Arts building was designed by architect Jarvis Hunt, a preeminent railroad station architect, and opened in 1912. The station has not been served by trains since 1994.

The Berkeley Branch Railroad was a 3.84-mile (6.18 km) long branch line of the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) from a junction in what later became Emeryville called "Shellmound" to what soon became downtown Berkeley, adjacent to the new University of California campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferries of San Francisco Bay</span>

San Francisco Bay in California has been served by ferries of all types for over 150 years. John Reed established a sailboat ferry service in 1826. Although the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge led to the decline in the importance of most ferries, some are still in use today for both commuters and tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alameda Mole</span> Former passenger ferry and train pier in California

The Alameda Mole was a transit and transportation facility in Alameda, California for ferries landing in the East Bay of San Francisco from 1878 to the 1930s. It was located on the west end of Alameda, and later became part of the Alameda Naval Air Station. It was one of four neighboring moles. The others were the Oakland Mole, the WP Mole, and the Key System Mole. The purpose of the mole was to extend tracks of rail-based transportation lines beyond the shallow mud flats along the shore of the East Bay into water deep enough to accommodate the passenger and rail ferries to San Francisco.

The San Francisco and Oakland Railroad (SF&O) was built in 1862 to provide ferry-train service from a San Francisco ferry terminal connecting with railroad service through Oakland to San Antonio. In 1868 Central Pacific Railroad decided that Oakland would be the west coast terminus of the First transcontinental railroad and bought SF&O. Beginning November 8, 1869, part of the SF&O line served as the westernmost portion of the transcontinental railroad. It subsequently was absorbed into the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). The track in Oakland was electrified in 1911 and extended across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 1939. Service was abandoned in 1941.

The San Francisco and Alameda Railroad (SF&A) was a short-lived railroad company in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. The railroad line opened 1864–1865 from Alameda Terminal on Alameda Island to Hayward, California, with ferry service between Alameda Terminal and San Francisco started in 1864. After being bankrupted by the 1868 Hayward earthquake, it was acquired by a subsidiary of the Central Pacific Railroad in August 1869. Part of the SF&A line between Alameda Terminal and San Leandro served as a portion of the First transcontinental railroad starting in September 1869, while the southern section was abandoned in 1873.

The Western Pacific Railroad (1862–1870) was formed in 1862 to build a railroad from Sacramento, California, to the San Francisco Bay, the westernmost portion of the First transcontinental railroad. After the completion of the railroad from Sacramento to Alameda Terminal on September 6, 1869, and then the Oakland Pier on November 8, 1869, which was the Pacific coast terminus of the transcontinental railroad, the Western Pacific Railroad was absorbed in 1870 into the Central Pacific Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northbrae Tunnel</span> Road tunnel in Berkeley, California, US

The Northbrae Tunnel, also referred to as the Solano Avenue Tunnel, was built as a commuter electric railroad tunnel in the northern part of Berkeley, California, and was later converted to street use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline</span>

Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline is a park located in Oakland, California along the shore of San Francisco Bay at the foot of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It is part of the East Bay Regional Parks District. The park opened on October 21, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F (AC Transit)</span> Bus service in Oakland and San Leandro, California

The F is a bus service operated by AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the operator's many transbay routes, which are intended to provide riders a long-distance service across the San Francisco Bay between the East Bay and San Francisco. The service is descendant of the foundational Key System streetcar and ferry line that operated prior to the formation of AC Transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E (AC Transit)</span> Bus service in Oakland and San Leandro, California

The E is a bus service operated by AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the operator's many transbay routes, which are intended to provide riders a long-distance service across the San Francisco Bay between the East Bay and San Francisco. The service is descendant of a Key System streetcar and ferry line that operated prior to the formation of AC Transit. The line is noted for its role in the development of the Claremont Hotel.

The C was a bus service operated by AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the operator's many transbay routes, which are intended to provide riders a long-distance service across the San Francisco Bay between the East Bay and San Francisco. The service was descendant of a Key System streetcar and ferry line that operated prior to the formation of AC Transit. The line was suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The B was a bus service operated by AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the operator's many transbay routes, which are intended to provide riders a long-distance service across the San Francisco Bay between the East Bay and San Francisco. The service was descendant of a Key System streetcar and ferry line that operated prior to the formation of AC Transit. The line was suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 14.
  2. ↑ "Key Route is a great success". The Berkeley Gazette. October 28, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved November 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  3. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 21.
  4. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 28.
  5. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 37.
  6. 1 2 "Key Route Interlocking Plants". The Street Railway Journal. XXX (2): 57. July 13, 1906.
  7. 1 2 Demoro1 1985, pp. 51–52.
  8. ↑ Demoro1 1985, pp. 51.
  9. 1 2 3 Demoro1 1985, p. 75.
  10. ↑ Jungmeyer, Jack (September 3, 1913). "O.A.&E. First Train Runs Over New Road". The Sacramento Star. Sacramento, California. pp. 1, 3 . Retrieved May 20, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  11. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 46.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Chamings, Andrew (March 19, 2024). "Mysterious Google Maps mark under Bay Bridge reveals site of Bay Area disaster". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  13. ↑ "6 Die in Key Crash". The San Francisco Bulletin. San Francisco, California. December 4, 1924. pp. 1–2, 14 – via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  14. 1 2 Sisto, Carrie (October 22, 2020). "East Bay's new shoreline park opens more than 50 years after conception". Hoodline. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  15. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 74.
  16. 1 2 Demoro1 1985, p. 77.
  17. ↑ Demoro1 1985, pp. 75–76.
  18. ↑ Demoro1 1985, pp. 100–103.
  19. ↑ "Road Cost $1,600,000". Oakland Tribune. January 17, 1943. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  20. ↑ Demoro1 1985, pp. 112–113.
  21. ↑ Demoro1 1985, p. 12.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.