A number of military bases in San Francisco hosted rail operations in years past. Most also rostered their own motive power ranging from small industrial steam locomotives, small diesel electrics and even to a few with large eight-wheel switch engines.
Crissy Army Air Field
Former airstrip located along the City’s northern shore, downhill of the Presidio.
| No. | Type/Model | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 | Steam 0-6-0T | Porter c/n 7460 Aug 1942 | Sold, Hyman-Michaels (D), Los Angeles, CA Sold, FC Occidental de Mexico #1, Culican, Sinaloa, Mexico |
Fort Mason
Major dock and warehouse operation. Long since converted to civilian use, but the tracks remain intact and visible in the pavement.
| No. | Type/Model | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7427 | Diesel-electric B-B 45 ton, off-center cab | GE c/n 13165 Oct 1941 | Built for Quartermaster Corps – USA #4546 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA #7427 USATC #7427 Fort Mason To US Air Force #7427 Sold, Phillips Petroleum Corp #7427, Bartlesville OK Texas Tank Car Works, San Angelo TX Hollis and Eastern RR #7427 Hollis OK Railroad Maint. & Const. Co Irving TX |
| 7428 | Diesel-electric B-B 45 ton, off-center cab | GE c/n 13166 Oct 1941 | Built for Quartermaster Corps – USA #4547 Pacific Overseas Air Services, Alameda CA Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA #7428 Port of Olympia #5, Olympia WA Canadian Forest Products #95, later #300 Jefferson Lake Sulphur, Ft St John, BC Canada West Coast Transmission Co, Taylor BC Canada |
| 7429 | Diesel-electric B-B 45 ton, off-center cab | GE c/n 13167 Nov 1941 | Built for Quartermaster Corps – USA #4548 Pacific Overseas Air Services, Alameda CA Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA #7429 Port of Olympia #4, Olympia WA Conestoga Equipment Co (D) Consolidated Rock products (Conrock)#1833, Irwindale CA |
| 7467 | Diesel-electric B-B VO-1000 | Baldwin c/n 67738 Jul 1943 | Arnold Army Air Force Engineering Center, #7467, Tullahoma, TN Holabird Depot #7467, Baltimore MD Fort Mason #7467, San Francisco, CA Oakland Army Base #7467, Oakland CA Tennessee Valley Authority, TN Tennessee Valley RR Museum, Chattanooga TN |
| 7654 | B 20 ton | Whitcomb c/n 13179 Mar 1940 | Built for Quartermaster Corps – USA #2022 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA #7654 Alaska Railroad #60 Structural Metals Co, Seguin, TX |
| 7661 | B 20 ton | Whitcomb c/n 13185 Sep 1940 | Built for Quartermaster Corps – USA #2029 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA #7661 Levert – St JohnPlantation #4, St Martinville, LA |
Presidio of San Francisco
Large base with several warehouses connected to spur lines from the State Belt.
| No. | Type/Model | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V-1800 | Diesel-electric B-B VO-1000 | Baldwin c/n 71740 Apr 1945 | US Army #V1800, Oakland CA US Army #V1800, Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco CA The Pacific Lumber Co. #104, Scotia, CA Keota-Washington Transportation #104, Iowa Falls, IA |
| 7453 | B-B | Baldwin c/n 64407 Jun 1942 | Ft Wingate Ammunition Depot #7453, Ft Wingate NM Oakland Army Base #7453, Oakland CA Corps of Engineers #7453, Caven Point NJ US Army #7453, Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco CA Benicia Arsenal #7453, Benicia CA M Lummis & Co (D) Richmond CA Dulien Steel Product (D) Solano Steel, Oroville CA Associated Metals #7453 |
| 7461 | B-B | Baldwin c/n 64436 Nov 1942 | Umatilla Ordnance Depot #7461, Hermiston OR US Army #7461, Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco CA Holabird Depot #7461, Baltimore MD Patapsco & Black River #358, Baltimore MD, later #141 |
Hunter’s Point
Naval shipyard. Served by the U. S. Navy Drydock Railroad, which operated about 5 miles of track extending from the shipyard to a connection with the Southern Pacific.
| No. | Type/Model | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Steam 0-4-0ST | Davenport c/n 1599 Jun 1917 | Transfered from USN Mare Island Naval Shipyard #4. For sale 1/47 via War Assets Admin., Stockton General Depot, Calif. |
| 8 | Diesel-electric B-B 45 ton | GE c/n 12933 Nov 1940, #65-00404 | Transferred from USN Bremerton Naval Yard #8. Transferred to USN Torrance Naval Storage Depot, Torrance, Calif. #L-2; Assigned USN #65-00404 ca. 1949-50 |
| 18 | Diesel-electric B-B 50 ton | GE c/n 15291 Jun 1942, #65-00420 | New, and present April 1960. |
| 19 | Steam 2-6-2T 65 ton | Baldwin c/n 57013 Sep 1923 | Purchased from Coos Bay Lumber Co. #19, Marsfield, Ore.; orig. Clear Lake Lbr. Co. #7. Transferred as surplus to Richmond, Calif. 10/23/47, later sent to Stockton, Calif. for dispositon. |
| ? | Diesel-electric B-B 50 ton | Porter c/n 7561 Jun 1943 | New |
| ? | Battery-electric B 25 ton, steeple-cab | Atlas c/n 1280 Sep 1945 | Complete history not known, as 4wh steeple cab battery loco, with batteries in end hoods. Built for US Navy Supply Depot #1, Ft Mifflin, Pa.; to US Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, N.J. (here 8/29); to US Naval Air Station, Moffett Field, Sunnyvale, Calif.; at Hunters Point at some period. For sale at a scrap yard in San Jose, Calif. 1962 |
| ? | Diesel-electric B-B 80 ton | Whitcomb c/n 60637 Sep 1945 | Built for Navy Supply Depot, Bayonne, N.J. Trans. to Naval Amm. Depot, Bremerton, Wash.; to Naval Ship Yard,, Hunters Point. after WWII; then USN #65-00421; to Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, Calif. 6/72; sold 9/73 Simon & Sons, Tacoma, Wash. |
| 11 | Diesel-electric B-B 80 ton | Whitcomb c/n 60681 Nov 1945 | Built for Naval Shipyard #11, Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif.; trans. to NSY #11, Hunters Point. Still here 10/65. To General Services Admin. for disposition. |
| 5377 | Battery-Electric B E-9000(?) | U.S. Navy | X |