How many bridges are there across the Union Pacific tracks in San Luis Obispo today?
One at Mill Street, two if you include the pedestrian Jennifer Street bridge.
The railroad seems to prefer forcing automotive traffic under their right of way as at Highland, Monterey, Johnson and Tank Farm. Only Marsh, Orcutt and Cal Poly have grade level crossings.
Extra Credit, how many road/railroad bridges were there in 1941?
Three, Mill Street, Phillips Lane and Fairview (near the present day Johnson underpass.)
We may have talked about this subject before. A software crash a year ago wiped out a few hundred Photos From the Vault comments and at least one posting but as far as I can tell this photo has never been published.
The onetime Southern Pacific railroad is now Union Pacific.
The photo was made six days after the story was published Dec. 20, 1966 and does not appear to have run in the paper that year.
The Phillips Lane Railroad bridge had come to the end of the road in 1966.
©The Tribune
Too costly to repair
Phillips Lane bridge doomed
The number of bridges over Southern pacific Railroad tracks in San Luis Obispo was reuced to one Monday night when the City Council gave the S-P permission to raze the Phillips Lane span.
Cost of repairing or rebuilding the old wooden bridge was deemed prohibitive by the council, which was told that a rebuilding job would run more than $20,000 and a new structure would cost upwards of $50,000.
The bridge was weakened and finally collapsed on one end during the city’s recent heavy rains. S-P officials, who have been pushing the city to move one way or another. They believe the bridge, as it now stands, constitutes a hazard to its traffic.
The loss of Phillips Lane overpass is of minor significance inasmuch as a completely new bridge was completed this year at Mill Street, only a block away. This was done at railroad expense.
The S-P agreed Monday night to take care of the dcemolition of the Phillips bridge and to notify the Public Utilities Commission of its action.
Origin of the bridge admittedly is clouded, but city officials believe it was constructed by the railroad when the tracks were installed.
Now that those pesky trestles are out of the way there appears to be plenty of room for a bike path.
Related posts:
- Pacific Coast Railroad Bridge, Avila Beach 1966
- Southern Pacific builds Stenner Creek Bridge, Cuesta Grade construction on the Coast Line
- Southern Pacific’s Lark overnight passanger train
- Life sized Lionel Train, Southern Pacific engine at Monterey St.
- Reflections on Southern Pacific Engine 4449, star of the Pacific Daylight route
I love when you run the old SP photos and stories! Thanks so much!!!
Thank you for the additional information about the bridge. I had no idea that the bridge was so old or that the SP owned it. Looking at a modern map, however, I can discern no reason for building the bridge where it is, unless there were railroad staff that lived in the Phillips Lane area where French Hospital now has its parking lot, but which I knew to be a lush grassy field with several pepper trees scattered about. I know that the train master’s house was located just behind the 1940′s water tower and was painted red for the longest time, but he could have just walked across the tracks without much effort. Was the bridge ever used for wagons, rather than just foot traffic? The photos all show just the side of it, without giving much data on how wide it was. Anyway, the footings still exist.
One small detail. The article said that the Mill Street Bridge was just a block away. I’m thinking that it was a lot farther away than that.
This Phillips Lane is one block up from Mill Street and is now a cul de sac. No mention on how long the bridge had been in use, but historically this part of town was also an extension of the occupants of China Town. Unearthed shards of plates and pottery distinctively chinese, as well as the occasional opium pipe have been unearthed in the neighborhood.
To Steven Lester:
You’ve got your locations confused. As Mark says, this is the Phillips Street bridge, which was 1 block NW of the Mill Street RR over-crossing. The Fairview Street bridge that you’re thinking of connected Fairview and Penny Lane. It was in use before the Johnson Ave under-crossing was built.
You are right. I did. I found on Google Maps where the bridge had been, and with street view I could see that the old crossing is protected on both sides with a white wooden fence to indicate its location. I never knew about this bit of history until now! Thanks to everybody.
Thanks everyone for the questions and and answers. I haven’t said it for a while, the community spirit that is part of Photos From the Vault is what makes the project worthwhile. I had no idea that Chinese artifacts had been found in this neighborhood.