Page 28 - September October 2014

Lindsay and Tom’s Railfan Guide No. 3: Rodeo, California
Location
Rodeo is located about 14 miles northeast of Oakland, CA, on the south side of San Pablo Bay. This is a very interesting stretch of coastline. The current (2012) edition of Trains’ “Hot Spots Guidebook” lists nearby Pinole as a “hotspot” for train watching along the shores of the bay (on pages 34–35) focusing on Point Pinole Regional Park and especially Pinole Shores Park. We have visited these locations and can confirm that they offer excellent train watching opportunities. However, our account here looks at a location we consider to be even better. It is to be found a bit further west around the bay at a shoreline park in the area known as Rodeo. Public access is at the end of Pacific Avenue and San Pablo Avenue. Parking is easy on San Pablo Avenue, and a short walk across a narrow bridge over the railroad tracks leads to a small park known as Lone Tree Point (Photo #1). This
Lindsay Beare and Tom Watson
daylight hours in both directions (Photo #3 – note the rare Heritage colour scheme). This is UP trackage, but the freight
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UP tank train out of Oakland heads east past Lone Tree Point, 25 March 2014 Photo Tom Watson
area has picnic benches, beach access and grassy areas. Also, at the far end, the park rises to a small bluff that is just above the roof height of the trains. Beware of the steep bluff, as the sand at the edge is very soft. The park is popular with local people. At some time in the past, camera lens-sized holes have been cut in the safety fencing along the bridge, thus providing an unobstructed view over the tracks (Photo #2).
Lone Tree Point, Rodeo CA, looking southwest, with Amtk 137 (a GE P42B) in push-pull service on a Capitol Corridor train Photo Tom Watson
Overview
The line itself is double-tracked along this section and there are many vantage points to choose from, both trackside and from various bridges, overpasses and rocky outcrops. The track is heavily used, mostly by Amtrak, running between San Jose/ Oakland and Sacramento. The California Zephyr passes here in
Amtrak rare Heritage scheme on the California Zephyr at Lone Tree Point, Rodeo, March 2014 Photo Tom Watson
trains usually take second place to Amtrak (strange but true). At Pinole, UP and BNSF come very close to each other but do not interconnect until the Richmond/Oakland area. Glimpses of BNSF trains are just visible from Lone Tree Point as they pass through the urban surroundings above the shoreline.
Railroads
BNSF
The BNSF (old ATSF) parallels the UP (old SP) from Oakland at roughly about a mile separation as far as Pinole, where they briefly come within 100 m or so. It then cuts off in a due east direction. This line then follows the John Muir Parkway (Hwy 4). This is highly scenic, but is very difficult to photograph, as the highway is of interstate standard and therefore not easy on which to stop. BNSF traffic is a various mix of intermodal, grain, manifest and coal. The line then reconnects with the UP (SP) at Port Chicago (Concord Naval Weapons Station).
UP
Various trains include oil, LPG, coal, intermodal, autoracks and manifests. Twenty to thirty trains a day (in both directions) use this line to and from Oakland and San Jose (Photo #4). The line
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Big road power at Rodeo – UP#5161, an SD70M (Tier 2) leads eight big units with an eastbound stacktrain at 5.45 pm on 25 March 2014
Photo Tom Watson
passes through Martinez Amtrak station (4 tracks) and that depot is easily accessible on all sides for photography. Look out for the SP steam locomotive (an S-12 0-6-0 numbered 1258)
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