The Alameda Belt Line

The Alameda Belt Line served various industries on the Alameda side of the Oakland Estuary. It was originally owned by the City of Alameda which owned no engines and had to look to the Southern Pacific to perform the switching work. In 1926 the Western Pacific and Santa Fe got together and purchased the line from the City, though the Southern Pacific continued to do the switching until 1928 at which time an enginehouse was constructed and two Santa Fe 0-6-0s, 2036 ond 2039, were bought and numbered 1 and 2. Later a third engine, Santa Fe 2045, was purchased becoming ABL No. 3, and aII three served until the close of the WWII when diesel power took over. Western Pacific engines were used occasionally on the ABL when its own engines were being shopped, but no ABL engines were ever known to be used on the Western Pacific.