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San Francisco Bay Ferryboats
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 10:33 pm    Post subject: San Francisco Bay Ferryboats Reply with quote

Back in the day, both New York and San Francisco were, without a doubt, the "undisputed double-ended ferryboat capital of the United States".

Like the ferries of New York harbor, many SF Bay boats connected with both main line steam trains and electric suburban commuter trains.

San Francisco's ferries closely resembled their New York counterparts, but were, also, clearly different.

In New York, at terminals with upper deck loading, the upper deck loading aprons faced the boat; in San Francisco, however, the upper deck ramps were lowered port and starboard.

At SP's busy and cavernous Oakland Pier terminal (the site is now buried under a vast container terminal, today), the lower deck ramps led to the mainline trains; the upper deck ramps led to the electric multiple-unit commuter trains, which were then locally known as the "Red Electrics".

Also, unlike New York ferries, the SF boats were not furnished with folding scissor gates; instead, sliding gates were used, which slid back and forth via grooves in the deck.

The last walking beam, sidewheel ferries in New York Harbor vanished in 1948 (the SIRT's Perth Amboy-Tottenville line)

The "EUREKA" (an SP boat that originally operated between the Ferry Building and Sausalito, connecting there with the NWP's commuter trains) was the last sidewheeler in operation on the Bay, and ran until a damaged walking beam forced her into retirement in the 1950's.

KEY SYSTEM ferries connected with KEY electric trains at the Key ferry pier until 1939, when the KEY trains (along with the "Red Electrics") were rerouted over the lower level of the Bay Bridge to the new Transbay Terminal.

The SP, which was, for many years, the operator of the world's largest ferryboat fleet, also operated a number of auto ferries, that later fell victim to the new Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.

Though double-ended ferry operation still continues today on the famed Staten Island Ferry, the last double-enders on the Bay made thier last runs between Oakland Pier and the Ferry Building.

Though there are, of course, ferries in San Francisco, these are modern, single-ended vessels, that more resemble excursion craft than traditional ferryboats.

Yes, many decades ago, the waters of San Francisco Bay was richly alive with the melodious sounds of steam whistles, diesel horns, and, of course, foghorns.........

"NYO"


Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:43 pm; edited 2 times in total
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is an excellent historical site, dedicated to San Francisco's ferryboats, past, present, and future........

http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ferry/

(courtesy; cable car guy)
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

See also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferries_of_San_Francisco_Bay
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is history of the famous "EUREKA"; as mentioned previously, she once carried commuters between the NWP's electric commuter trains at Sausalito and the Ferry Building; after the NWP abandoned its electric trains and ferries in 1941, the "EUREKA" went on to service the SP's Oakland Pier route for many years........

https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/eureka-history.htm
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The grand and historic Ferry Building; until the late 1930's, all Trans-Bay rail/ferry commuters funneled through the vast, lofty, echoing corridors of this magnificent building, which, when constructed, was the busiest transportation hub in the world

The last commuters to pass through the Ferry Building were the NWP's riders, who saw their electric trains and their ferries abandoned in 1941.

The last SP boats, operating to Oakland Pier, made their final crossings in 1958.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Ferry_Building
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Recalling the SP's and NWP's huge and magnificent "STEEL ELECTRICS" of San Francisco Bay, which, in later years, migrated up the coast to Washington........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Electric-class_ferry
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The legendary "KALAKALA" started life as the KEY SYSTEM's turbo-electric commuter ferry "PERALTA"; in 1933, she was destroyed, along with the KEY ferry pier, in a massive blaze.

Her gutted remains were later transformed into the ultra-streamlined, ultra-modern "KALAKALA", easily the most distinctive ferry in the world.

For many years after retirement, she rapidly fell from grace and became a shrimp processing plant; in later years, several unsuccessful attempts were made to restore this magnificent, unique vessel, but alas, she eventually fell victim to the torch........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Kalakala


Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:40 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The Forgotten Sisters".......

http://www.evergreenfleet.com/forgottensisters.html
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 1:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In January, 1938, almost all commuter ferry traffic ended in the East Bay, when the SP's "Red Electrics" and the KEY trains were rerouted from Oakland Mole and the KEY ferry pier to the new Transbay terminal (via the Bay Bridge)

The trains of the SACREMENTO NORTHERN, which also used the KEY pier, were likewise rerouted into the Transbay Terminal.

The SP boats now only carried passengers bound for main line connections.

In 1941, the very last vestiges of ferry commutation on the Bay ended when the NWP abandoned its electric train system, as well as the ferryboats which connected with the trains at Sausalito.

With the massive throngs of rush hour commuters now gone, many concessions in the Ferry Building either closed or re-located.

The ending of ferry commuter traffic also hurt quite a few businesses on Market Street.

Over the ensuing years, most of the Ferry Building's slips were de-activated and eventually removed; the distinctive "Y"-shaped gangways that led to the upper decks of the boats were also sealed off.

In 1958, the last SP boat ran between the Ferry Building and Oakland Pier, thus forever ending the era of double-ended ferries on San Francisco Bay.........

"NYO"
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some of the fortunate few historic ferryboats that once crossed San Francisco Bay, that have survived into the present (some of these historic vessels have, sadly, since been scrapped)

http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ferry/html/preserved.html

(courtesy: the cable car guy)

*A number of historic photos are also on this page.


Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:25 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is an excellent selection of photos showing the KEY trains and the Ferry Pier, which saw its last commuter service in 1939.

It should be noted that the ferry terminal seen here (as well as the trainsheds) were the steel replacements for the original 1903-era terminal that was destroyed by a massive fire in 1933.

The KEY ferry pier, due to the shallow waters and mudflats, was built quite a distance away from the shore, which added to its overall uniqueness. (the distance between the shore and the terminal itself is quite evident in the photos)

Prior to the huge 1933 fire, a stub of the original trestle approach to the terminal remained and was used to store trains in-between rush hours; this was, in fact, the only such off-shore storage "yard" for commuter equipment......

http://www.keyrailpix.org/gallery2/v/keyrailmain/album07/
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like the Hudson River, San Francisco Bay was once crowded with any of a number of railroad-operated ferryboats.

The railroads included:

SOUTHERN PACIFIC (largest ferry fleet in the world)

KEY SYSTEM

NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC

SANTA FE

CENTRAL PACIFIC

WESTERN PACIFIC

The SP, KEY, and NWP operated electric commuter trains, which also provided much traffic for these railroads, prior to the rerouting of the trains over the lower level of the Bay Bridge in 1939.

The closest New York came to having its own "Ferry Building" was the "Union Ferry Terminal" at the foot of W. 23rd St.; in its heyday, it was served by trans-Hudson ferries of the DL&W, ERIE, PRR, and the CNJ.

Like the Ferry Building, it also had a soaring clock tower; the last boats to serve this massive, multi-slip facility were the DL&W's, in late 1946.

"NYO"
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What later became known as the famed "KEY SYSTEM" began operating electric trains and ferries in 1903; like the NWP, it began electric suburban service not long after the turn of the 20th century.

While the NWP trains utilized third rail, the "KEY" trains used overhead wires.

In 1911, the SP began electrifying its network of suburban lines out of Oakland Pier; their trains later become known as the "Red Electrics".

In 1929, the NWP purchased a number of modern, owl-eyed cars, similar to those on the SP, to supplement their fleet of ancient, open-platform MU's.

After the NWP and SP ended electric suburban services in 1941, the NWP's newest cars, along with some from the SP, went to the PE, where they became the famous "Blimps", lasting in service until 1961.

Interestingly, both the SP and NWP electrics (excluding the NWP's old wooden cars) were equipped with sliding metal mesh vestibule gates, instead of doors.

The "KEY" ferry pier was enlarged over the years; this included a new trestle approach and the addition of more terminal tracks.

Until the re-routing over the Bridge in 1939, the SACRAMENTO NORTHERN's trains also used the "KEY" pier.

As previously mentioned, this terminal was destroyed by fire in 1933 (the ferryboat "PERALTA" was also destroyed in this blaze) and replaced with a new, fireproof facility, which had a short service life, only serving commuter electrics and ferryboats until early 1939.......

"NYO"
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Though the Staten Island boats have had snack counters for decades, and some of the Hudson River railroad ferries served coffee and donuts, many of the ferries on San Francisco Bay had full-service restaurants, serving delicious meals in minutes to hungry commuters, particularly on the morning rush hour trips.

The ferryboat menus offered good, filling foods (at prices that were quite economical, even for the time) as well as coffee, tea, and other beverages.

The most famous of the ferryboat food services could be found on the ""KEY" boats, operated by the National Service Company.

The chefs were as highly trained and skilled as any on shore; three "KEY" offerings had almost legendary status; these were "KEY ROUTE HASH", "KEY ROUTE APPLE PIE" (with a scoop of ice cream), and "KEY ROUTE COFFEE", which used a bend that was only used by the National Service Company, and not available anywhere else but on the boats.

On the big SP boats, in addition to restaurant facilities, buffet counters allowed commuters to enjoy coffee and donuts while standing up; later in the day, and, later, during the PM rush hours, hot dogs, sandwiches, coffee, and cold beverages were available.

Many boats also had large newsstands; with so many newspapers being published in both San Francisco and Oakland, along with the vast selection of magazines then available, it is no surprise that these newsstands were quite busy during the rush hours.......

"NYO"
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When the very last rail/ferry commuters passed through the Ferry Building in 1941, the ferry waiting rooms on the upper level were converted into lofty display areas for the varied exhibits of the California Bureau of Mines; the Bureau also had extensive office space on this level.

Over the years, with the only ferry passengers passing through the lofty terminal were those connecting with SP's mainline trains at Oakland Pier, passenger facilities were reduced to virtually a bare minimum.

By 1958, when the SP abandoned ferry service to Oakland Pier, most of the ferry slips had been removed, and the "Y"-shaped upper deck gangways (those that remained) had been sealed off and only used for offices and storage space.........

"NYO"


Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Fri Apr 03, 2020 12:24 am; edited 1 time in total
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