San Francisco & San Jose Railroad

Mission neighbors seek to convert old Southern Pacific right of way into greenway. If there’s a way to preserve the rails as a part of San Francisco’s old railroad history, I would love that. https://missionlocal.org//sf-neighbors-organize-to-create/

Mission neighbors seek to convert old Southern Pacific right of way into greenway. If there’s a way to preserve the rails as a part of San Francisco’s old railroad history, I would love that. https://missionlocal.org//sf-neighbors-organize-to-create/

University Ave. Depot, ca 1895. #PaloAlto #Caltrain #SouthernPacific #TBT

This is the locomotive Union, or SFSJRR #8, built in #SanFrancisco for the @SFSJRailroad by Union Iron Works. #Caltrain #TBT

Last week we lost a member of the Caltrain family. Long time railroad man and transit advocate Art Lloyd died following a life of work in transportation. We will miss him greatly.

#TBT Blog - Rise and Fall of the Bayshore Roundhouse (with photos).

Throwing it back to 1954 as a Southern Pacific locomotive turns a bend in Brisbane, CA during the waning days of steam power. #TBT

Happy Golden Spike Day.

A great collection of photos of the Southern Pacific depot at 3rd and Townsend (via official Caltrain). https://www.facebook.com/caltrain/posts/1185576254785858

Redwood City Station in the 1930s. #TBT Caltrain

The old 3rd and Townsend Depot in San Francisco in an aerial photograph from the San Francisco Public Library archive. #Caltrain #TBT Caltrain

1951 - A Southern Pacific steam train puffs past the old El Palo Alto tree in #PaloAlto. The tree has been a historical landmark since the first Spanish explorers came through the area in 1769. It's still there, despite the soot from the steam era that nearly put the old Redwood Tree down. El Palo Alto is on several historic lists and is estimated to be 1070 years old. #Caltrain #SouthernPacific #TBT

A Southern Pacific locomotive sits on the turntable at Bayshore Roundhouse in this undated picture. #TBT #Caltrain Caltrain

A staff member in engineering sent us these images of the Paul Ave station's final days. Service was stopped at Paul Ave in 2005. The sign from Paul Ave lives in his office now at HQ while the shelter was razed in 2009. It's said that some bold thieves attempted to steal the TVM machine, although they were not successful. #Caltrain #TBT

We dug up this Peninsula Commute #SouthernPacific schedule from August, 1945. The war in the Pacific and in Europe was winding down and "The Greatest Generation" was returning home. Once they arrived they turned to cars rather than trains and the beginning of a downward trend in train ridership began. The dip in ridership peaked in the 70s and 80s but the dream of open freeway lanes has collapsed and trains are again back in vogue for the daily commuter.