Union Pacific plans to demolish last bit of transcontinental history
(The following appeared on the Examiner website on September 27, 2010.)
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. Set the Way-Back Machine to 1874, when the transcontinental railway was still new and the Central Pacific Railway had arrived in Oakland, CA. They built a paint shop to refurbish rolling stock and its un-reinforced brick structure somehow survived major earthquakes.
The building has been through many changes and survived to this date as a diesel locomotive running repair facility, meaning light repairs and servicing. Now, the UP finds this an inconvenient structure, seismically unsound, uneconomical to repair and plans to demolish it.
Since its an industrial facility, close to I-880, one would think it has few friends. But thats not true. Oakland Heritage Alliance, Golden Gate Railroad Museum and others would like to see it survive. But thats probably not to be. The UP plans to demolish the structure by the end of the month and is asserting its federal rights (under the Surface Transportation Board) to trump states rights.
The legal issues are convoluted and those who wish to save the building are running fast out of time. While its easy to paint the UP as bad guys in this story, they did give notice of the impending demolition and offered a tour of the facility (September 23) prior to the planned demolition. The railroad was open to ideas about relocation and museum use, but moving a brick building on a months notice is virtually impossible, assuming funding could be found.
The railroad provided notice of its intent to erase an important and perhaps the last surviving structure of the first transcontinental railroad, but it did so in such a manner that preservationists could barely respond. In 2001 the structure, with its segmented-arched windows, and graceful style, was approved as an Oakland Landmark. For the next few days, drivers on I-880 and BART riders can view the brick building that was once instrumental to the first transcontinental railroad.
