Re: (rshsdepot) Stockton (CA) Depots in the news

["Paul S. Luchter" <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>]

Sounds like three old stations discussed-SP, WP and ATSF...

Paul
- -----Original Message-----
From: Jim Dent <james.dent_@_itochu.com>
To: RSHS List <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 6:00 PM
Subject: (rshsdepot) Stockton (CA) Depots in the news


>From the Altamont Press Newsline...
>
>Stockton Depots in the news
>
>Two existing and one future Stockton train station have made the news
>recently. First, the historic former Southern Pacific two-story brick
>station located between Weber and Channel Streets in downtown Stockton has
>had its ownership transferred from the Union Pacific Railroad to the San
>Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, operators of the Altamont Commuter
Express
>(ACE) service between Stockton and the Bay Area.
>
>Details of the transfer, which occurred in late July are not available, but
>the building is currently being fenced off and a security firm has been
>hired to provide 24-hour, seven-day a week protection. Asbestos and lead
>paint inspection will soon begin in the building, which has been abandoned
>for many years and its only tenants have been some of the city's more
>undesirable residents. It will be renovated for use by passengers, in
>addition to becoming ACE's headquarters building, which now is located in
>leased space at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport.
>
>The renovation is expected to be completed by 2003 and may include space
>available for lease to other transit agencies. Currently, three ACE trains
>depart Monday through Friday, from platform shelters adjacent to the
>station, which also serves Amtrak's daily Sacramento to Bakersfield San
>Joaquin.
>
>At the same time, Caltrans has proposed plans for a new $7 million Amtrak
>station to be built at a site located on Burlington Northern Santa Fe
>Railway's former Santa Fe mainline adjacent to Stagecoach Road (between
>Farmington and Mariposa Roads) in southeast Stockton.
>
>Discussions for a new Amtrak station began in 1991 and city officials were
>hoping that it would be built at a downtown Stockton site in order to
anchor
>the city's ongoing urban revitalization project. Operations wise, the ideal
>site would be at the crossing of the former WP, SP and Santa Fe mainlines
>adjacent to Hazelton Avenue, but for a variety of reasons, this site is not
>feasible.
>
>Currently, Amtrak's Emeryville to Bakersfield San Joaquins use the former
>Santa Fe depot located on San Joaquin street in south Stockton. Neither
this
>station, nor the current ACE (and former SP) station is a good location for
>an "all in one" facility, due to the number of back-up moves that would be
>required at an already extremely congested interlocking, that until
>recently, was controlled by BNSF's Stockton Tower. Control of this crossing
>is now the responsibility of BNSF dispatchers in Southern California. The
>proposal for the new Amtrak facility is scheduled to come before the
>Stockton City Council in September.
>
>The former Western Pacific depot located between Weber and Main Streets on
>the now abandoned WP mainline, has been sold to a Bay Area demolition
>company. However, the firm, Complete Deconstruction, Inc. has no plans to
>tear the building down and in fact, announced that it will restore the
>93-year old structure to its historic look when it served such trains as
the
>Exposition Flyer and California Zephyr. CDI purchased the adobe
>mission-style depot for $190,000 from the Stockton Police Youth Activities
>group which has been using the structure for almost 30 years, ever since it
>was closed after the discontinuance of the Zephyr in 1970.
>
>CDI is primarily a recycling business that purchases old buildings and
>salvages useable materials before they are torn down. They have been
looking
>for a few historic buildings in San Joaquin County for use as an office and
>apparently the WP depot fit the bill. Plans call for the building to be
>replastered, receive a new roof and restoration of the windows and doors,
>"while keeping the historic feel to the place."
>
>When work is completed in 60-90 days, CDI plans to operate a recycling
>operation out of one portion of the building, with the additional space to
>be filled by a barbecue restaurant with one year. -Stockton Record, Ken
>Meeker
>
>
>

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #141
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