West Oakland station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland, California . It has two elevated side platforms and is located near the eastern end of the Transbay Tube . All main BART lines except the Orange Line stop at the station. The Oakland Wye is located to the east of the station.
120-482: By August 1965, the city of Oakland desired to call the planned station Oakland West . BART approved the name that December. The station opened on September 16, 1974 – the last station of the initial BART system to open – with the beginning of service through the Transbay Tube . The name "Oakland West" was contrary to the actual neighborhood name of "West Oakland". The efforts of neighborhood activists led BART to correct
240-454: A stovepipe , a derby , a red-laced Army cap, and another cap suited to a martial band-master. There was an 1828 French franc and a handful of the Imperial bonds that he sold to tourists at a fictitious 7% interest. Also found were fake telegrams, including one purporting to be from Tsar Alexander II of Russia congratulating Norton on his forthcoming marriage to Queen Victoria and another from
360-460: A CCJPA meeting, one with a combined tunnel for BART and regional rail, and another route with two separate tunnels. As of March 2023, a combined four-track tunnel or two separate tunnels for both BART and regular rail are no longer considered cost-effective due to reduced ridership in the Bay Area; planners will research one single tunnel dedicated to either BART service or regional rail service. CCJPA
480-624: A January," by Neil Gaiman and Shawn McManus , and is voiced by John Lithgow in the Audible audiobook version of the comic . He appeared briefly in Captain America Comics #11. There have been a number of television adaptations of the Norton story. In the June 15, 1956, episode of the western anthology series Death Valley Days , titled "Emperor Norton," Parker Garvie played the title character. In
600-580: A brief period of prosperity, Norton made a business gambit in late 1852 that played out poorly, ultimately forcing him to declare bankruptcy in 1856. Norton proclaimed himself "Emperor of these United States" in September 1859, a role he played for the rest of his life. Norton had no formal political power but was treated deferentially in San Francisco and elsewhere in California, and currency issued in his name
720-404: A central maintenance/pedestrian gallery. Each tunnel has a bore approximately 17 feet (5.2 m) in diameter, with the track centerline offset 8 inches (200 mm) towards the outside from the bore centerline. The tunnels flank a gallery which contains maintenance and control equipment in the upper gallery, including a pressurized water line for firefighting. Each tunnel has 56 doors opening into
840-427: A delay. The idea of an underwater rail tunnel traversing San Francisco Bay from Oakland point was suggested by the San Francisco eccentric Emperor Norton in a proclamation that he issued on May 12, 1872. Emperor Norton issued another proclamation on September 17, 1872, threatening to arrest the city leaders of Oakland and San Francisco for neglecting his earlier proclamation. Official consideration to
960-496: A dignified farewell. Norton's funeral on Saturday, January 10, was solemn, mournful, and large. Paying their respects were members of "all classes from capitalists to the pauper, the clergyman to the pickpocket, well-dressed ladies and those whose garb and bearing hinted of the social outcast". The next day, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, under the headline "Le Roi Est Mort," that some 10,000 people had come to view
1080-445: A gentle and kindly man, and fortunately found himself in the friendliest and most sentimental city in the world, the idea being 'let him be emperor if he wants to.' San Francisco played the game with him." The life of Emperor Norton was the inspiration for L'Empereur Smith , a Lucky Luke comic book adventure published in 1976. Norton also appears as a character in the comic book The Sandman , Vol. 2, No. 31, "Three Septembers and
1200-600: A grave site at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Colma, California . Mark Twain resided in San Francisco during part of Emperor Norton's public life, and modeled the character of the King in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on him. Robert Louis Stevenson made Norton a character in his 1892 novel, The Wrecker . Stevenson's stepdaughter Isobel Osbourne mentioned Norton in her autobiography This Life I've Loved , stating that he "was
1320-575: A jury for a case of a man accused of stealing a bar of gold from Wells, Fargo & Co. and, in August 1858, Norton ran an ad announcing his candidacy for US Congress. By 1859, Norton had become completely discontented with what he considered the inadequacies of the legal and political structures of the United States. In July 1859, he issued a brief manifesto addressed to the "Citizens of the Union". It outlined in
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#17328511819151440-516: A long combined automobile and rail tunnel, indirectly endorsing the idea of a dedicated tunnel for electric rail traffic. The Davies and Modjeski proposal was joined by twelve other proposed projects to cross the Bay in October 1921, several of which featured rail service through long tunnels. In 1947, a joint Army-Navy Commission recommended an underwater tube as a means of relieving automobile congestion on
1560-529: A man entered the Tube through the portal at Embarcadero station and remained in it for more than an hour; while transit police were searching for him, trains continued to move through the Tube at slow speeds in manual mode. Service has been disrupted on multiple occasions after trains become stuck in the Transbay Tube, which is partially attributed to aging equipment. In addition to the 1979 fire, while moving through
1680-416: A new king). It quickly became evident that Norton had died in complete poverty, contrary to rumors of wealth. Five or six dollars in small change was found on his person, and a search of his room at the boarding house on Commercial Street turned up a single gold sovereign, worth around $ 2.50. His possessions included his collection of walking sticks, his rather battered sabre, a variety of headgear, including
1800-401: A new steel liner and higher-capacity pumps would be installed to reduce the possibility of flooding the tube, as the existing pumps would not be adequate in the worst-case seismic event. Work was projected to start in the summer of 2018 and is scheduled to take more than two years to complete. Service through the tube would be reduced or eliminated during the first hour and the last three hours of
1920-547: A number of letters to Kamehameha V , the King of Hawaii at the time, regarding an estate in the Kingdom of Hawaii . Near the end of his reign, Kamehameha would refuse to recognize the democratic US government, instead opting to only recognize Norton as sole leader of the United States. Norton was the subject of many tales. One popular story suggested that he was the son of Emperor Napoleon III and that his claim of coming from South Africa
2040-427: A park in the micronation Molossia is named after him. There have been perennial efforts to name major public San Francisco landmarks after Emperor Norton or to enact other permanent local tributes to him. In February 2023, San Francisco Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution to add "Emperor Norton Place" as a commemorative name for the 600 block of Commercial Street. The resolution
2160-480: A patented sliding seismic joint which allows six degrees of freedom (translation along and rotation about three axes). As-designed, the joints allow movement of up to 4.25 inches (108 mm) along the tube's axis and up to 6.75 inches (171 mm) vertically or laterally. A restaurant was constructed atop the San Francisco transition structure (vent) on a pier behind the Ferry Building. The Oakland vent structure
2280-427: A persistently repeated story advanced by Robert Ernest Cowan in 1923, Norton dropped the title shortly thereafter. In fact, Norton continued to identify and sign himself "Protector of Mexico" for the rest of his life. Norton wrote many letters to Queen Victoria , including a suggestion that they marry to strengthen ties between their nations . That proved futile because the queen never responded. Norton also sent
2400-727: A ride through the Transbay Tube. Emperor Norton Joshua Abraham Norton (February 4, 1818 – January 8, 1880) was an English-born resident of San Francisco, California , who in 1859 declared himself "Emperor of these United States" in a proclamation that he signed " Norton I., Emperor of the United States ". Commonly known as Emperor Norton , he took the secondary title "Protector of Mexico" in 1866. Born in England and raised in South Africa , Norton left Cape Town in late 1845, sailing from Liverpool to Boston in early 1846 and eventually arriving in San Francisco in late 1849. After
2520-539: A sandlot rally held on April 28, 1878, Emperor Norton appeared just before the start of proceedings, stood on a small box and challenged Kearney directly, telling him and the assembled crowd to disperse and go home. Norton was unsuccessful, but the incident was widely reported in local papers over the next couple of days. Norton issued his own money in the form of scrip, or promissory notes, which were accepted from him by some restaurants in San Francisco. The notes came in denominations between fifty cents and ten dollars, and
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#17328511819152640-484: A single-file human chain, through thick smoke. By the time they reached the area of door #51, their portable air masks were starting to run low, and Lt. William Elliott began to have trouble, requiring assistance from his fellow firefighters. At 7:09 p.m., a firefighter called for help from a phone box and upon reaching a clear section of the tunnel, train No. 377 was dispatched from West Oakland in "road manual" to rescue
2760-478: Is 328 feet (100 m), measured along the tunnels' bore; sections are 48 feet (15 m) wide, 24 feet (7.3 m) high, and weigh approximately 10,000 short tons (9,100 t) each. To conform with the route, 15 tube sections were curved horizontally, 4 were curved vertically, 2 had horizontal and vertical curves, and the remaining 36 sections were straight. Each section of the Tube cost approximately US$ 1,500,000 (equivalent to $ 12,460,000 in 2023), based on
2880-482: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Transbay Tube The Transbay Tube is an underwater rail tunnel that carries Bay Area Rapid Transit 's four transbay lines under San Francisco Bay between the cities of San Francisco and Oakland in California . The tube is 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long, and attaches to twin bored tunnels. The section of rail between the nearest stations (one of which
3000-421: Is also used as a duct, moving 300,000 cubic feet per minute (8,500 m /min) of air under forced circulation. The tunnels are vented to the atmosphere at the San Francisco and Oakland ends and are vented to each other (through the upper gallery) with remotely-operated dampers 6 feet (1.8 m) long by 3 feet (0.91 m) high over every third door. Each end of the tube is secured to the vent structures with
3120-425: Is considering three possible routes, one for regional rail and two for BART extensions. During construction, the Transbay Tube was also used briefly as a shooting location for the ending of George Lucas 's film THX 1138 . The final vertical climb out to daylight was actually filmed, with the camera rotated 90°, in the incomplete (and decidedly horizontal) Transbay Tube. The scene was filmed before installation of
3240-490: Is exacerbated by the concrete enclosure and the fact that tracks are curved when the tunnel crosses beneath the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge , causing a high-pitched screeching sound. In 2015, after replacing 6,500 feet (2,000 m) and grinding down (smoothing) 3 miles (4.8 km) of rail in the tube, BART reported a reduction of noise and positive feedback from riders. Ship traffic passing through
3360-474: Is located in the middle of a Port of Oakland container yard. The Transbay Tube has required earthquake retrofitting , both on its exterior and interior. The total cost of seismic retrofits was estimated at US$ 330,000,000 (equivalent to $ 532,300,000 in 2023) in 2004. A 1991 study, commissioned at the recommendation of the Governor's Board of Inquiry in the wake of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , found
3480-464: Is underground) totals 6 miles (10 km) in length. The tube has a maximum depth of 135 feet (41 m) below sea level. Built using the immersed tube technique, the Transbay tube was constructed on land in 57 sections, transported to the site, and then submerged and fastened to the bottom – primarily by packing its sides with sand and gravel. Opened in 1974, the tunnel was the final segment of
3600-533: The President of France predicting that such a union would be disastrous to world peace. Also found were his letters to Queen Victoria and 98 shares of stock in a defunct gold mine. Initial funeral arrangements were for a pauper's coffin of simple redwood. However, members of a San Francisco businessmen's association, the Pacific Club, established a funeral fund that provided for a handsome rosewood casket and arranged
3720-458: The Transbay Tube , and there have been efforts since the 1930s to name the Bay Bridge after Emperor Norton or at least to add "Emperor Norton Bridge" as an honorary name for the bridge. Norton spent most of the day inspecting the streets, spending time in parks and libraries, and paying visits to newspaper offices and old friends in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. In the evenings, he often
West Oakland station - Misplaced Pages Continue
3840-493: The US$ 90,000,000 (equivalent to $ 747,770,000 in 2023) construction contract. The steel shell is 5 ⁄ 8 inch (16 mm) thick, and has just enough strength to support its own weight and resist hoop stresses; an external consultant, Professor Ralph Brazelton Peck , convinced project engineer Tom Kuesel that thin shells were adequate because the soil loads would naturally form an arch. The tube consists of two tunnels and
3960-418: The 100th anniversary of the death of "the one and only Emperor of the United States." The Emperor Norton Trust , founded and based in San Francisco from 2013 to 2019, and originally known as The Emperor's Bridge Campaign, is a Boston-based non-profit that engages in research, education, and advocacy to advance the legacy of Emperor Norton. Emperor Norton is considered a patron saint of Discordianism , and
4080-524: The Bay can damage the anodes used in the Tube's cathodic protection system when dropping anchor. Since the anodes protrude from the filled trench surrounding the Tube, they are more vulnerable to damage. Marine traffic is restricted from dropping anchors when over the Tube, but BART conducts routine inspections for anode damage. The Tube was closed briefly on January 31, 2014, after a drifting freighter dropped anchor near it at 8:45 a.m. to maintain position. The Coast Guard notified BART officials
4200-408: The Bay floor. The route was deliberately chosen to avoid bedrock as much as possible so the tube was free to flex, avoiding concentrated bending stresses. Design concepts and route alignment were completed by July 1960. A 1961 report estimated the cost of the Transbay Tube at US$ 132,720,000 (equivalent to $ 1,353,210,000 in 2023). Construction was started on the tube in 1965, and the structure
4320-523: The Bay's bottom. Once the section was in place, divers connected the section with the sections that had already been placed underwater, the bulkheads between placed sections were removed and a protective layer of sand and gravel was packed against the sides. Cathodic protection was provided to resist corrosive action from the Bay's salt water. The project cost approximately $ 180 million in 1970 (equivalent to $ 1.09 billion in 2023 ), with $ 90 million of that cost being spent on construction,
4440-727: The Commander-in-Chief of our Armies, immediately upon receipt of this, our Decree, to proceed with a suitable force and clear the Halls of Congress. Norton's orders were ignored by Army and Congress. A decree in July 1860 ordered the dissolution of the republic in favor of a temporary monarchy. Norton issued a mandate in 1862 ordering both the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches to publicly ordain him as "Emperor," hoping to resolve
4560-805: The February 27, 1966, episode of the western television series Bonanza , titled "The Emperor Norton," Sam Jaffe played the title role. The episode also featured William Challee as Sam Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain. In the December 18, 1956, episode of Broken Arrow season 1, episode 11, titled "The Conspirators," Florenz Ames played the "Emperor Norton." Since 1974, the Imperial Council of San Francisco has been conducting an annual pilgrimage to Norton's grave in Colma, California, just outside San Francisco. In January 1980, ceremonies were conducted in San Francisco to honor
4680-597: The Port of Oakland. A 2010 paper concluded the distance the tube would rise due to liquefaction was limited based on model testing of potential liquefaction mechanisms, and questioned the justification for the compaction effort. On the interior of the tube, BART began a major retrofitting initiative in March 2013, which involved installing heavy steel plates at various locations inside the tube that most needed strengthening, to protect them from sideways movement in an earthquake. A vehicle
4800-419: The Transbay Tube, with the operator reporting thick smoke coming from his train. The collector shoe assemblies on the number five and six cars of No. 117 had broken after striking the line switchbox cover which had fallen off No. 363 and jammed into the cover of the third rail. The NTSB later concluded the resulting electrical arcing between the train and the energized third rail ignited components on
4920-450: The Tube were stopped in place while the inspection was conducted. Trains were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes, with normal service resuming around 1 p.m. In April 2017, the derrick barge Vengeance , which was working for BART performing Tube anode maintenance, capsized and sank at night during a late winter storm. The barge came to rest atop the fill overlaying the Transbay Tube, but did not disrupt transit operations. The primary concern
West Oakland station - Misplaced Pages Continue
5040-590: The Tube, and another faulty brake forced a train to stop in the Tube in April 2017. According to a 2010 survey by the San Francisco Chronicle , the Transbay Tube is the noisiest part of the BART system, with sound pressure levels inside the train reaching 100 decibels (comparable to a jackhammer). The noise, which according to BART "has been compared to banshees , screech owls , or Doctor Who 's TARDIS run amok"
5160-455: The Tube, a train split and was automatically stopped after a coupler failed in March 2010. Two maintenance vehicles collided within the Tube in September 2014, damaging a section of track and forcing BART traffic to rely on a single track. In January 2015, a train was forced to stop in the Tube after the brake inadvertently engaged on a car. A train in December 2016 was forced to switch to manual mode and proceed at reduced speed after stopping in
5280-508: The Union to assemble in Musical Hall, of this city, on the 1st day of February next, then and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and abroad, in our stability and integrity. The paper printed the letter in that evening's edition, for humorous effect, and thus began Norton's whimsical 20-year "reign" over
5400-604: The United States and Mexico" in 1861. In 1862, the French Empire invaded Mexico after the latter was unable to pay war reparations following the disastrous Reform War . Two years later, in 1864, Napoleon III , then Emperor of the French , installed the Habsburg Maximilian I as his puppet ruler. Norton had stopped calling himself "Emperor" of Mexico and added the secondary title "Protector of Mexico" by early 1866. According to
5520-577: The United States. Norton issued numerous decrees on matters of state, including a decree on October 12, 1859, to formally abolish the United States Congress. In this same decree, Norton repeated his order that all interested parties assemble at Musical Hall in San Francisco in February 1860 to "remedy the evil complained of." In an imperial decree issued in January 1860, Norton summoned the Army to depose
5640-431: The agency responsible for Capitol Corridor commuter rail service, began planning to conduct a feasibility study to narrow the possible alignment options for the proposed second crossing. The study would continue to consider standard-gauge railway options in order to allow connections to Caltrain, CHSR, Capitol Corridor, and potentially other rail services. In September 2022, two alternative routes were unveiled at
5760-399: The anchor appeared to be close to the Tube at 11:55 a.m., based on the ship's position, leading to a suspension of Tube service for approximately 20 minutes while inspections were conducted. No damage was found, and the Tube was reopened at 12:15 p.m. Harbor pilots later noted the ship had anchored 1,200 feet (370 m) southwest of the Tube. Two trains that had been passing through
5880-496: The black-owned and -operated Pacific Appeal as his "imperial organ." Between September 1870 and May 1875, the Appeal published some 250 proclamations over the signature of Norton I. Historians and researchers who have studied Norton closely generally regard those proclamations as being authentic. On the evening of Thursday, January 8, 1880, Norton collapsed on the corner of California Street and Dupont Street (now Grant Avenue), across
6000-448: The blaze. The forty passengers and two BART employees aboard the stricken train were rescued by another train passing in the opposite direction. Poor communication and coordination had hampered the response, and the lessons learned during the fire played a key role in developing National Fire Protection Association transit industry guidelines (NFPA 130, Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems ). The cause of
6120-527: The broadest terms the national crisis as Norton saw it and suggested the imperative for action to address this crisis at the most basic level. The manifesto ran as a paid ad in the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin . Two months later, on September 17, 1859, Norton hand-delivered the following letter declaring himself "Emperor of these United States" to the offices of the Bulletin : At
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#17328511819156240-465: The car, causing air tanks and suspension airbags to explode on the fifth and sixth cars. Central operations shut down power to the third rail, but restored it 40 seconds later in an effort to uncouple the lead portion of the train from the burning cars. This was unsuccessful, and vent fans were turned on at 6:08 p.m. to attempt to clear the smoke, and the third rail was again powered down at 6:15 p.m. A BART line supervisor who had been riding on
6360-437: The city's merchants capitalized on his notoriety by selling souvenirs bearing his image. He died January 8, 1880. Norton was the basis for characters created by Mark Twain , Robert Louis Stevenson , Christopher Moore , Morris / René Goscinny , Selma Lagerlöf , Neil Gaiman , Mircea Cărtărescu and Charles Bukowski . Norton's parents were John Norton (1794–1848) and Sarah Norden (1796–1846), who were English Jews . John
6480-405: The control cables had failed in the eastbound tunnel due to the spread of the fire. BART proposed new evacuation plans to the San Francisco and Oakland fire chiefs by February, but BART service through the Transbay Tube did not resume until April 1979, with California Public Utilities Commissioner Richard D. Gravelle warning "the patrons of BART who utilize its services should be fully aware that
6600-507: The coordination between BART central dispatch and the two cities' respective fire departments. San Francisco called BART central back at 6:19 p.m., but were advised that Oakland had already responded. Meanwhile, Oakland called San Francisco at 6:32 p.m. to advise them a train was on fire in the tunnel, so San Francisco dispatched a team to wait at Embarcadero at 6:36 p.m., but the San Francisco units did not proceed until 7:52 p.m. and did not arrive until 8:15 p.m. because of
6720-444: The course of his rounds, he took note of the condition of the sidewalks and cable cars, the state of repair of public property, and the appearance of police officers. He also often had conversations on the issues of the day with those he encountered. Norton caricaturist Edward Jump started a rumor that two noted stray dogs, named Bummer and Lazarus , were Norton's pets. Norton ate at free-lunch counters where he shared his meals with
6840-605: The difficulty in obtaining information from either Oakland or BART. The fire initially was declared under control at 10:45 p.m., although the fires were not yet fully extinguished; a final declaration of control was made at 1:31 a.m. on January 18. Later that day, at approximately 6 p.m., Oakland firefighters responded to flare-up in the gutted train at BART's storage yard. BART would spend US$ 1,100,000 (equivalent to $ 4,620,000 in 2023) in tube repairs and safety improvements on top of losing US$ 1,000,000 (equivalent to $ 4,200,000 in 2023) in revenue due to
6960-412: The dogs, although he did not, in fact, own them. Special officer Armand Barbier was part of a local auxiliary force whose members were called "policemen," although they were private security guards paid by neighborhood residents and business owners. He arrested Norton in 1867 to commit him to involuntary treatment for a mental disorder. The arrest outraged many citizens and sparked scathing editorials in
7080-562: The eastbound tunnel which drew smoke from the westbound tunnel through the open doors (west #44 and #45) into the gallery and the eastbound tunnel (through open eastbound door #43), completely filling the 670 ft-long (200 m) gallery between doors #43 and #45. By this time, 10 more firefighters and a lieutenant had responded, entering the gallery through the Oakland vent structure; having encountered smoke on their walk in, they had donned portable air masks with 30-minute supplies, they reached
7200-614: The elected officials of the US Congress: WHEREAS, a body of men calling themselves the National Congress are now in session in Washington City , in violation of our Imperial edict of the 12th of October last, declaring the said Congress abolished; WHEREAS, it is necessary for the repose of our Empire that the said decree should be strictly complied with; NOW, THEREFORE, we do hereby Order and Direct Major-General Scott ,
7320-517: The electrical cable underneath the coupler to the damaged cars. Critically, nine minutes elapsed between the time that power was restored and when the line supervisor informed BART central they were unable to uncouple the cars, which allowed the fire to grow. On the other hand, the low passenger count and the presence of a line supervisor allowed the passengers to evacuate into the lead car quickly. Dispatching No. 111 with over 1,000 passengers onboard could have resulted in an even larger disaster if
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#17328511819157440-554: The emperor's body in advance of the 2 p.m. funeral. Notwithstanding the later legend of a "two-mile-long cortege," the Chronicle reported in the same article that people lined the streets for only the first block or two. The emperor's casket was attended by "only three carriages," with no mourners on foot, and there were "about thirty people" at the burial service in the Masonic Cemetery . In 1934, Norton's remains were transferred to
7560-556: The existing Transbay Tube. The proposed four-bore tunnel would emerge at the Salesforce Transit Center to provide connecting service to Caltrain and the planned California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) system. The second Tube would provide two tracks for BART trains, and two tracks for conventional/high-speed rail (the BART system and conventional U.S. rail use different and incompatible rail gauges and operate under different sets of safety regulations). In 2018, BART and CCJPA,
7680-527: The few surviving ones are collector's items that routinely sell for more than $ 10,000 at auction. Throughout his reign, Norton commented on the policies and actions of foreign governments, issuing proclamations and sending letters to foreign leaders in attempts to establish congenial and fruitful relations with them and their countries and, if he felt it necessary, to cajole better behavior. Responding to instability in Mexico, Norton expanded his title to "Emperor of
7800-408: The fire was traced to a damaged third rail collector shoe that caused electrical arcing on Train No. 117. Earlier that day, ten-car Train No. 363 had made an emergency stop in the Transbay Tube while traveling towards San Francisco at approximately 4:30 p.m., reporting smoke and a possible fire. Troubleshooting without an external inspection revealed No. 363 had broken derail bars on
7920-401: The fire. No. 900 sustained heat damage to the first car, and all ten cars sustained smoke damage. The tunnel sustained heat damage in the vicinity of the fire; portions of the ceiling concrete had spalled and exposed the reinforcing steel, overhead cables were destroyed, and the steel handrail between doors #43 and #44 had been warped by the heat. The shutdown of power to the third rail
8040-414: The firefighters; the train operator moved with passengers on board because she assumed the cause of the delay had been resolved. After the rescue train returned to West Oakland at approximately 8:10 p.m., the firefighters were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Elliott had exhausted his oxygen supply, and died of smoke inhalation and cyanide poisoning. The response was delayed in part because of
8160-410: The full speed of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), carrying approximately 100 passengers including BART officials, dignitaries and reporters. The tunnel is set in a trench 60 feet (18 m) wide with a gravel foundation 2 feet (0.61 m) deep. Lasers were used to guide the dredging of the trench and the laying of the gravel foundation, maintaining route accuracy of within 3 inches (76 mm) for
8280-400: The gallery between doors #44 and #45 just as No. 111 departed, rapidly filling the gallery with thick smoke. The tunnel exit doors are locked from the gallery side and require a key to open; with smoke filling the gallery, the keyholes were obscured and the firefighters were unable to evacuate to the eastbound tunnel. The firefighters began to make their way eastward in the gallery as
8400-526: The gallery between the tunnels, and the rest forced by the smoke to return to No. 900. However, the group in the gallery had left the door (westbound tunnel exit door #44) open to the tunnel for the others to follow; the returning policeman opened a second door (west #45) while setting up a maintenance telephone to communicate with central dispatch, but was forced by the smoke to abandon that position, leaving that door open as well. Train No. 111, with over 1,000 passengers on board, had been holding at
8520-528: The gallery via west door #42; they boarded the rescue train (No. 111) through door #43. After the rescued passengers boarded No. 111, firefighters searched No. 117 for any remaining passengers, informing central dispatch at 6:59 p.m. that all passengers had been evacuated. Dispatchers commanded No. 111 to proceed in automatic operation mode to West Oakland to transfer passengers to hospitals. The train quickly accelerated to its top speed of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) creating pressure in
8640-508: The idea was first given in October 1920 by Major General George Washington Goethals , the builder of the Panama Canal . The alignment of Goethals's proposed tube, from the foot of Market St. to the Oakland mole , was almost exactly the same as today's Transbay Tube. His proposal called for building on bay mud, which anticipated some of the seismic design aspects of the finished Transbay Tube, and
8760-503: The instant order [to reopen service] does not in any way provide a guarantee of safe service." Both the Oakland and San Francisco fire departments criticized BART officials for failing to relinquish control of the emergency situation to the fire departments. As a precaution, BART's emergency plans dictate that trains stop during an earthquake , except for trains in the Transbay Tube or the Berkeley Hills Tunnel , which proceed to
8880-408: The last San Francisco stop, Embarcadero . At 6:21 p.m., No. 111 moved in automatic mode into the eastbound tunnel, stopping with its rearmost car at eastbound tunnel exit door #43, adjacent to the stricken No. 117. The passengers from No. 117 had been led through the train and out the operator's compartment window in the lead car, then along the smoke-filled westbound tunnel into
9000-402: The loss of tube service. Train No. 363 sustained damage to its second, fifth, sixth, eight, and ninth cars. The line switch box cover was missing from the fifth car, and the sixth and eighth cars had broken derail bars. No. 117 had smoke damage to the interior of its first three cars; the fourth car was damaged by smoke and fire, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh cars were destroyed in
9120-413: The lower gallery, spaced approximately 330 feet (100 m) apart, numbered consecutively from the San Francisco side of the tube. The doors are locked from the gallery side and can be opened inwards (toward the gallery) from the tunnel through emergency hardware. Between doors, the tunnel has narrow 2.5-foot (0.76 m) wide walkways adjacent to the gallery space. The upper section of the gallery space
9240-653: The many disputes that had resulted in the Civil War . Norton then turned his attention to other matters, both political and social. In a proclamation dated August 12, 1869, and published in the San Francisco Daily Herald , he declared the abolition of the Democratic and Republican parties, explaining that he was "desirous of allaying the dissensions of party strife now existing within our realm." The failure to treat Norton's adopted home city with appropriate respect
9360-613: The name to West Oakland around 1987. In 1990, West Oakland was proposed as a station for the Capitols service to replace the damaged 16th Street station . It was again proposed in 1992 as an intermodal station including Amtrak and buses as part of the replacement of the Cypress Street Viaduct . Seismic retrofitting of the station took place in 2009–2011. West Oakland was the first BART station to be retrofitted with new fare gates intended to reduce fare evasion. Installation of
9480-457: The nearest station. The lines are then inspected for damage, and resume normal operation if no damage is found. The largest to date was the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . During the 1989 earthquake, a train passing through the Tube was ordered to stop, although the operator reported no apparent motion. After inspection, the tube was found to be safe, and was reopened just six hours later, with regular service resuming system-wide twelve hours after
9600-446: The new gates took place from December 11–28, 2023. In February 2019, the city approved plans for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project to replace parking lots surrounding the station. The BART Board of Directors approved the plans in June 2020. The development is to be mixed-use with 762 housing units, 75,000 square feet (7,000 m) of retail, and 382,460 square feet (35,532 m) of office space. The private developer lost
9720-476: The newspapers, including the Daily Alta , which wrote "that he had shed no blood; robbed no one; and despoiled no country; which is more than can be said of his fellows in that line." Police Chief Patrick Crowley ordered Norton released and issued a formal apology on behalf of the police force, and Norton granted an Imperial Pardon to Barbier. Police officers of San Francisco thereafter saluted Norton as he passed in
9840-478: The north side of the station serve AC Transit routes 29, 62, and 800 , as well as Flixbus , Greyhound , and Megabus intercity bus service. [REDACTED] Media related to West Oakland station at Wikimedia Commons This article relating to rapid transit systems in San Francisco is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Alameda County, California train station-related article
9960-497: The number six and eight cars, and an engaged parking brake on the number nine car. After clearing the derail bar circuits and manually releasing the parking brake, No. 363 was cleared to proceed, and upon reaching the end of the line in Daly City, was taken out of service for inspection. A line switchbox cover had fallen off No. 363 and was resting on the third rail, which was not seen by following trains until it jammed against
10080-586: The original BART system to open. All BART lines except the Orange Line operate through the Transbay Tube, making it one of the busiest sections of the system in terms of passenger and train traffic. During peak commute times, over 28,000 passengers per hour travel through the tunnel with headways as short as 2.5 minutes. BART trains can reach their highest speeds in the tube, up to 80 miles per hour (129 km/h), although trains typically operate at 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) unless trying to recover from
10200-403: The originally-projected completion date, after clearing California Public Utilities Commission concerns regarding the automated dispatch system. The first test run was performed by a train under automatic control on August 10, 1973. Train No. 222 ran from West Oakland to Montgomery Street in seven minutes at 68 to 70 miles per hour (109 to 113 km/h) and returned in six minutes at
10320-420: The peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay , Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of San Francisco, California, declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these United States; and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested, do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different States of
10440-425: The property in foreclosure in October 2023. As of 2024, BART indicates "significant market, local support, and/or implementation barriers" that must be overcome to allow TOD on a separate parcel isolated from the main development. That second phase would not begin until at least the mid-2030s. The station has a busway on its south side, which serves AC Transit bus routes 14, 29, 36, and 62. Bus stops on 7th Street on
10560-517: The quake. Many area highways were damaged by the event, and with the Bay Bridge closed for a month due to a section of the upper deck falling onto the lower deck on a truss section of the east span, the Transbay Tube was the only passable direct way between San Francisco and Oakland. In October 2012 and August 2013, pedestrians entered the Tube through the Embarcadero station, prompting shutdowns and delays in Transbay service. In late December 2016,
10680-400: The reeking pavement, in the darkness of a moonless night, under the dripping rain ... Norton I, by the grace of God, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, departed this life." Two days later, the San Francisco Chronicle led its article on Norton's funeral with the headline "Le Roi Est Mort." (lit. "The King is dead", and the first half of the traditional proclamation of
10800-686: The remainder going towards laying rails, electrification, ventilation and train control systems. The western terminus of the Tube directly connects to the downtown Market Street subway near the Ferry Building , north of the Bay Bridge. The tube crosses under the western span of the Bay Bridge between the San Francisco Peninsula and Yerba Buena Island , and emerges in Oakland along 7th Street, west of Interstate 880 . The tube has 57 sections; each section ranges from 273 to 336 feet (83 to 102 m) long. The average length of each section
10920-461: The seismic joints would "likely remain intact and functional after the next earthquake." However, settling of the tube within its trench and the Loma Prieta quake had reduced the allowable movement of the seismic joints to as little as 1.5 inches (38 mm). The 1991 study was followed by a more detailed BART Seismic Vulnerability Study , published in 2002, which concluded the fill packed around
11040-469: The service day. On January 17, 1979, at approximately 6 p.m., an electrical fire broke out on a San Francisco-bound seven-car train (Train No. 117) as it was passing through the tube. One firefighter (Lt. William Elliott, 50, of the Oakland Fire Department ) was killed by smoke and toxic fume inhalation (generated from burning plastic materials) during the effort to extinguish
11160-489: The ship Sunbeam from Liverpool on March 12, 1846. At various times, Norton claimed to have arrived in San Francisco aboard a ship from Rio de Janeiro in November 1849. He had success in commodities markets and in real estate speculation, and by late 1852, he was one of the more prosperous, respected citizens of the city. His misspeculation in buying and selling rice led to his bankruptcy in 1856. In September 1857, he served on
11280-716: The ship set sail in February 1820. Raised and educated in Grahamstown , Joshua Norton moved to Port Elizabeth in 1839. Here, with money from his father, Norton went into business with his brother-in-law, Henry Benjamin Kisch. The business failed after 18 months, and Norton was employed as an auctioneer in Port Elizabeth as late as 1843. Sometime in 1843 or 1844, Norton moved to Cape Town, where he joined his father's business. Joshua Norton left Cape Town in late 1845 and arrived in Boston via
11400-599: The street from Old Saint Mary's Cathedral , while on his way to a debate at the California Academy of Sciences . His collapse was immediately noticed, and "the police officer on the beat hastened for a carriage to convey him to the City Receiving Hospital," according to the next day's obituary in the San Francisco Morning Call . Norton died before a carriage could arrive. The Call reported: "On
11520-436: The street. Norton did receive some tokens of recognition for his position. The 1870 U.S. census lists Joshua Norton as 50 years old and residing at 624 Commercial Street, with his occupation listed as "Emperor." It also notes that he was insane. (However, the U.S. Census instructions state "The fact of idiocy will be better determined by the common consent of the neighborhood, than by attempting to apply any scientific measure to
11640-424: The sum of twenty-five dollars. Norton is said to have issued instructions to form a League of Nations, he explicitly forbade any form of conflict between religions or their sects, and he issued several decrees calling for the construction of a suspension bridge or tunnel connecting Oakland and San Francisco. Long after his death, similar structures were built in the form of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and
11760-514: The then-ten-year-old Bay Bridge . The recommendation was issued in a report undertaken to determine the feasibility of the Reber Plan . Seismic studies commenced in 1959, including boring and testing programs in 1960 and 1964, and the installation of an earthquake recording system on the Bay floor. The tube's route was modified after preliminary surveys were unable to identify a continuous bedrock profile, requiring more precise boring and probing of
11880-426: The third rail coverboard, breaking the collector shoe on No. 117, which caused a short circuit and electrical arcing. The train following No. 363 was dispatched to run in "road manual" mode, where the train is controlled by the onboard operator, rather than by the computerized central control system. That train reported seeing derail bar debris between the tracks near where No. 363 had stopped, but that
12000-413: The track supports, with Robert Duvall 's character using exposed reinforcing bars as a ladder. The television adaptation of Terry Brooks 's Shannara series of books, The Shannara Chronicles , is partly set in the Bay Area, and part of the journey/quest routes the protagonists through the Transbay Tube. One of the early sections of the video game Dead Space features a sound sample taken from
12120-416: The tracks were clear and available for service. The train immediately following also ran in "road manual," but subsequent trains were dispatched through the tube in automatic mode, including seven-car No. 117, the tenth train to enter the westbound tube after No. 363; No. 117 had 40 passengers onboard. No. 117 came to an emergency stop at 6:06 p.m., about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) into
12240-521: The train helped gather passengers in the lead car, including one blind passenger. BART central dispatch attempted to call the Oakland Fire Department, but unintentionally called San Francisco instead at 6:09 p.m. The Oakland Fire Department responded to the West Oakland station, where nine firefighters and two BART policemen boarded Train No. 900 running in "road manual." No. 900
12360-495: The trench and 1.8 inches (46 mm) for the foundation. Construction of the trench required dredging 5,600,000 cubic yards (4,300,000 m ) of material from the Bay. The structure is made of 57 individual sections that were built on land at the Bethlehem Steel shipyard on Pier 70 and towed out into the bay by a large catamaran barge . After the steel shell was completed, water-tight bulkheads were fitted and concrete
12480-477: The tube might be prone to soil liquefaction during an intense earthquake, which could allow the buoyant hollow tube to break loose from its anchorages or cause movement that would exceed the capacity of the sliding seismic joints. Retrofitting work required the fill to be compacted, to make it denser and less prone to liquefaction. Compaction started in Summer 2006 at the east end of the tube, on property belonging to
12600-408: The two bores of the tube early midweek (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays), resulting in delays of 15–20 minutes. The work, originally estimated to last approximately 14 months, was completed by December 2013, after only 8 months of construction. In December 2016, BART awarded a US$ 267,000,000 (equivalent to $ 338,970,000 in 2023) contract to perform further seismic retrofitting. In this phase,
12720-451: The weakness of the mind or will." ) During the 1860s and 1870s, there were occasional anti-Chinese demonstrations in the poorer districts of San Francisco, and riots took place, sometimes resulting in fatalities. Starting in the late 1870s, those riots were fomented at rallies on Sunday afternoons at the sandlots across from City Hall. The rallies were led by Denis Kearney , a leader of the anti-Chinese Workingmen's Party of California . At
12840-527: Was a farmer and merchant, and Sarah was a daughter of Abraham Norden and a sister of Benjamin Norden, a successful merchant. The family lived in the Kentish town of Deptford, England — today part of London — before moving to South Africa in early 1820 as part of a government-backed colonial scheme whose participants came to be known as the 1820 Settlers . There is not a birth record for Norton. But, most likely he
12960-510: Was a ruse to prevent persecution. Rumors also circulated that Norton was supremely wealthy and was feigning poverty because he was miserly. Starting a few years after Norton declared himself emperor, local newspapers, notably the Daily Alta California , began to print fictitious decrees. It is believed that newspaper editors themselves drafted the fake proclamations to suit their own agendas. Weary of that, in December 1870 Norton named
13080-555: Was based solely on the guess that Norton's landlady offered to the coroner at the inquest following his death. In a 1923 essay published by the California Historical Society, Robert Ernest Cowan claimed that Norton was born on February 4, 1819. However, the passenger lists for the La Belle Alliance , the ship that carried Norton and his family from England to South Africa, list him as having been two years old when
13200-557: Was born in Deptford. A substantial body of evidence points to February 4, 1818, as his birth date. Obituaries published in 1880, following Norton's death, offered conflicting information about his date of birth. The second of two obituaries in the San Francisco Chronicle , "following the best information obtainable," cited the silver plate on his coffin which said he was "aged about 65," suggesting that 1815 as year of his birth. Norton's biographer, William Drury, points out that "about 65"
13320-431: Was cited as a possible contributing factor because No. 117 was unable to move in road manual for forty seconds. In addition, the operator and line supervisor aboard No. 117 were unable to uncouple the damaged cars using the existing on-board controls because of an apparent short in the train control circuit; to uncouple the car and isolate the short, someone would have had to leave the train and manually disconnect
13440-443: Was completed after the final section was lowered on April 3, 1969. BART sold commemorative bronzed aluminum coins to mark the placement of the final section. Prior to being fitted out, the tube was opened for visitors to walk through a small portion on November 9, 1969. The tracks and electrification needed for the trains were finished in 1973, and the tube was opened to service on September 16, 1974, five years after
13560-407: Was custom-built to handle the 4-short-ton (3.6 t), 2.5-inch (64 mm) thick plates; once hoisted in place, the plates were bolted to the existing concrete walls and welded together, end-to-end. The contract for US$ 7,735,000 (equivalent to $ 10,265,000 in 2023) was awarded to California Engineering Contractors for installation. In order to complete this work during 2013, BART closed one of
13680-415: Was estimated to cost up to US$ 50,000,000 (equivalent to $ 854,100,000 in 2023). A competing bridge-and-tunnel proposal was advanced in July 1921 by J. Vipond Davies and Ralph Modjeski , closer to the alignment of a proposed Southern Crossing , between Mission Rock and Potrero Point in San Francisco due east to Alameda . Davies and Modjeski were critical of the ventilation issues that would arise from
13800-450: Was forced to stop at approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) into the tube to remove an auxiliary box cover and a derail bar from the track, and eventually stopped approximately 200 feet (61 m) behind No. 117, where the train operator reported the third rail was damaged and the rear car was on fire with heavy black smoke. Upon reaching No. 117, the responders became separated, with one policeman and seven firefighters proceeding into
13920-432: Was honored in some of the establishments he frequented. Some considered Norton to be insane or eccentric, but residents of San Francisco and the city's larger Northern California orbit enjoyed his imperial presence and took note of his frequent newspaper proclamations. Norton received free ferry and train passage and a variety of favors, such as help with rent and free meals, from well-placed friends and sympathizers. Some of
14040-412: Was poured to form the 2.3-foot (0.70 m)-thick interior walls and track bed. They were then floated into place (positioned above where they were to sit), and the barge was tethered to the Bay floor, acting as a temporary tension leg platform. The section was ballasted with 500 short tons (450 t) of gravel before being lowered into a trench packed with soft soil, mud, and gravel for leveling along
14160-541: Was seen at political gatherings or at theatrical or musical performances. He wore an elaborate blue uniform with gold-plated epaulettes, at some time given to him secondhand by officers of the United States Army post at the Presidio of San Francisco . He embellished that with a variety of accoutrements, including a beaver hat decorated with a peacock or ostrich feathers and a rosette, a walking stick, and an umbrella. In
14280-417: Was the potential leakage of diesel fuel, and divers had stopped the leak within a day. In 2007, as BART celebrated the 50th anniversary of its creation, it announced its plans for the next 50 years. Determining the current tunnel will be at its operational capacity by the year 2030, the agency has plans which include a new separate Transbay Tube beneath San Francisco Bay that would run parallel to and south of
14400-482: Was the subject of a particularly stern edict that often is cited as having been written by Norton in 1872, although evidence is elusive for the authorship, date, or source of this decree: Whoever after due and proper warning shall be heard to utter the abominable word "Frisco", which has no linguistic or other warrant, shall be deemed guilty of a High Misdemeanor, and shall pay into the Imperial Treasury as penalty
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