I thought that I would post some photos of the San Leandro Depot that I took on December 23, 2019. NH Joe
The Depot was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1898 to serve the farming community of San Leandro. It is located on Orchard Avenue in Thrasher Park. The Depot was moved into Thrasher Park by the SLHRS in 1988 and fully restored. A large John Armstrong designed HO layout was built inside. Construction on the G&O garden railroad started in 2008.
This is a photo of the Depot's front. This side was facing the Souther Pacific mainline between Oakland and San Jose. The original Depot had a freight house next to it. The freight house was torn down before the SLHRS acquired the building.
Here is a front view. The SLHRS is replacing the porch front steps.
Here is a view of the other side.
This is a view taken from across Orchard Avenue. Note the operational train order signal.
Here is another view taken from the Orchard Avenue side of the building. The G&O children's display is directly behind the black iron gates. The 80 foot wood fence on the right side of the photo is scheduled for replacement in 2020. The large light yellow building with a gray roof at the far end of the G&O is an abandoned Delmonte Foods warehouse. The gray building at to the right of the fence is a private home.
Here is another view of the back of the Depot showing the G&O display and the Delmonte Foods warehouse.
Here is a closer view of the working train order signal. The arms can be moved by levers inside the Depot office. Restoring the signal to working condition and installing it was a long and challenging project. The Delmonte Foods warehouse can be seen on the far side of the Depot. Food processing was a big business in San Leandro for many years. The city holds an annual Cherry Festival to celebrate its agricultural past.
