Editing Key System (section)

== System details ==
[[File:1926 Key System map.jpg|thumb|left|1926 map of the lines prior to the construction of the Bay Bridge]]
The initial connection across the Bay to San Francisco was by ferryboat via a causeway and pier ("[[mole (architecture)|mole]]"), extending from the end of Yerba Buena Avenue in [[Oakland, California]], westward 16,000 feet (4,900&nbsp;m) to a ferry terminal near [[Yerba Buena Island]]. Filling for the causeway had been started by a short-lived narrow-gauge railroad company in the late 19th century, the [[California and Nevada Railroad]]. "Borax" Smith acquired the causeway from the California and Nevada upon its bankruptcy.

On December 4, 1924, six people were killed in a train collision on the mole. On May 6, 1933, a major fire erupted on the pier end of the mole, consuming the ferry terminal building as well as gutting the ferryboat [[Peralta (ferry)|''Peralta'']].  The pier was subsequently reconstructed further south and a new terminal building erected.<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Chamings |url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/landmark-bay-bridge-reveals-vanished-site-19257500.php |title=Mysterious Google Maps mark under Bay Bridge reveals site of Bay Area disaster |website=SFGate |date=March 19, 2024 |access-date=March 21, 2024 }}</ref>

The Key System operated a fleet of ferries between the Key Route Pier<ref>[http://collections.museumca.org/gallery.jsp?user_id=25 Exhibit Name: Trains of Oakland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060827091252/http://collections.museumca.org/gallery.jsp?user_id=25 |date=August 27, 2006 }}, Oakland Museum of California</ref> and the San Francisco Ferry Building until January 15, 1939, when a new dual track opened on the south side of the lower deck of the [[San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge]], bringing Key System trains to the then-new [[Transbay Terminal]] in San Francisco's downtown. The bridge railway and Transbay Terminal were shared with the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]]'s [[East Bay Electric Lines|Interurban Electric]] and the [[Western Pacific Railroad|Western Pacific]]'s [[Sacramento Northern]] railroads.

The Key System's first trains were composed of standard wooden railroad [[Passenger car (rail)|passenger cars]], complete with [[Clerestory#Transportation|clerestory]] roofs. Atop each of these, a pair of [[pantograph (rail)|pantographs]], invented and manufactured by the Key System's own shops, were installed to collect current from overhead wires to power a pair of electric motors on each car, one on each truck (bogie).<ref>{{harvnb|Demoro1|1985|pp=16–17}}</ref><ref>{{cite patent |url=https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00764224&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D0764224.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F0764224%2526RS%3DPN%2F0764224&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page |country=US |number=764,224 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://archive.org/stream/streetrailwayjo241904newy#page/116/mode/2up |title=Street Railway Patents |journal=The Street Railway Journal |volume=24 |number=3 |date=July 16, 1904 |page=116 |via=Archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sappers|2007|pp=369 }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Rice|Echeverria|2007|pp=13, 16}}</ref>

The design of rolling stock changed over the years. Wood gave way to steel, and, instead of doors at each end, center doors were adopted.

The later rolling stock consisted of specially designed "bridge units" for use on the new bridge, articulated cars sharing a common central truck and including central passenger entries in each car, a forerunner of the design of most light rail vehicles today. Several of these pairs were connected to make up a train. Power pickup was via [[Pantograph (rail)|pantograph]] from overhead catenary wires, except on the Bay Bridge where a third rail pickup was used. The Key's trains ran on [[600VDC|600 volt direct current]], compared to the 1200 volts used by the SP commuter trains. The cars had an enclosed operator's cab in the right front, with passenger seats extending to the very front of the vehicle, a favorite seat for many children, with dramatic views of the tracks ahead.

The exterior color of the cars was orange and silver. Interior upholstery was woven reed seat covers in one of the articulated sections, and leather in the other, the smoking section. The flooring was [[linoleum]]. During WWII, the roofs were painted gray for aerial camouflage.<ref>{{harvnb|Demoro1|1985|p=105}}</ref> After acquisition by National City Lines, all Key vehicles including the bridge units were re-painted in that company's standard colors, yellow and green.

=== Transbay rail lines ===
[[File:1941 Key System map.jpg|thumb|1941 Key System map with a detail of the Transbay Terminal]]
{{Key System|collapse=y}}
Until the Bay Bridge railway began operation, Key commuter trains had no letter designation.<ref name=Demoro189-190 /> They were generally referred to by the principal street or district they served, though the Key System did not have any formal naming scheme outside of letter designations.<ref name=Demoro189-190 />
{| class=wikitable
!Line
!Name
!Notes
|-
|style="text-align:center"|A
|[[Downtown Oakland]]
|Was extended to 105th Avenue [[East Oakland, Oakland, California|East Oakland]] to near the [[San Leandro, California|San Leandro]] border on the East Bay Transit Company tracks along 14th Street in March 1941. Less than two weeks later in early April, the line was rerouted on its outer end over former Interurban Electric Railway trackage along Bond Street to Havenscourt.<ref name=Demoro104 /> Cut back to 12th and Oak in Oakland on October 29, 1950.<ref name=Demoro126>{{harvnb|Demoro1|1985|p=126}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[B (AC Transit)|B]]
|Lakeshore and Trestle Glen
|Originally ran through a Key hotel, the [[Key Route Inn]] at Grand and Broadway in Oakland; the Inn burned down in the 1930s.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[C (AC Transit)|C]]
|Piedmont
|Via 40th Street and [[Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, California|Piedmont Avenue]]; alongside Pleasant Valley and Arroyo avenues; and between York Drive and Ricardo Avenue to terminus at Oakland Avenue. Originally terminated at Piedmont Avenue; extended to Oakland Avenue on November&nbsp;21, 1924.
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[E (AC Transit)#History|E]]
|Claremont
|Ran directly to the [[Claremont Resort|Claremont Hotel]], terminating on a track between the two tennis courts; the tennis courts survive to this day
|-
|style="text-align:center"|[[F (AC Transit)|F]]
|Berkeley / Adeline Street
|Extended on former Southern Pacific interurban tracks on [[Shattuck Avenue]] beyond Dwight Way and through the SP's [[Northbrae Tunnel]], terminating at [[Solano Avenue]] and The Alameda
|-
|style="text-align:center"|G
|[[Westbrae, Berkeley, California|Westbrae]] Shuttle
|A streetcar shuttle providing a connection at University Avenue with the H transbay train. Replaced with bus service on July 26, 1941.<ref name=Demoro104>{{harvnb|Demoro1|1985|p=104}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|H
|Monterey Avenue
|Originally known as the Sacramento Street Line, the original line ran up Hopkins, but was switched to the SP's old tracks up Monterey after 1933. Replaced with bus service on July 26, 1941.<ref name=Demoro104 />
|-
|style="text-align:center"|K
|College Avenue
|Streetcar shuttle providing a connection at Alcatraz Avenue and Adeline Street with the F transbay train. This line ran extra cars and was heavily used on football game days as its terminus was only a few blocks away from UC's Memorial Stadium. Replaced with bus service on September 30, 1946.<ref>{{harvnb|Demoro1|1985|pp=122}}</ref>
|-
|}
D was reserved for a proposed line into [[Montclair, Oakland|Montclair]] alongside the [[Sacramento Northern]] interurban railway.<ref name=Demoro189-190>{{harvnb|Demoro2|1985|pp=189–190}}</ref> Shortly after opening of the Bay Bridge to train traffic, the Key System continued to use its pier for special service trains for ferry service to the 1939 [[Golden Gate International Exposition]] on Treasure Island{{nbsp}}— these were given the special designation "X". The service was discontinued at the end of the first year of the Exposition and not revived for the 1940 season.<ref>{{harvnb|Demoro2|1985|pp=100–103}}</ref>

On September 13, 1942, a stop was opened at Yerba Buena Island to serve expanded wartime needs on adjacent Treasure Island.<ref>{{harvnb|Demoro1|1985|pp=111}}</ref>  It remained after the war until the end of all rail service on the Key System.

The A, B, C, E and F lines were the last Key System rail lines. Train service ended on April 20, 1958, replaced by buses using the same letter designations. AC Transit preserved the letter-designated routes when it took over the Key System two years later, and are still in use; AC Transit's B, C, E, F, G and H lines follow roughly the corresponding Key routes and neighborhoods.

=== East Bay Street Railways ===
[[File:1911 Key System map.jpg|thumb|left|1911 map showing the various streetcar and commuter train lines that would later become the Key System]]
The Key System's streetcars operated as a separate division under the name "{{visible anchor|Oakland Traction Company}}", later changed to "East Bay Street Railways. Ltd", and finally to "East Bay Transit Co.", reflecting the increasing use of buses. Initially a separate company, it was formed by the merger of six local street railroads.{{sfn|Walker|1978|p=7}}

The numbering of the streetcar lines changed several times over the years. The Key System's streetcars operated out of several carbarns. The Central Carhouse was on the east side of [[Lake Merritt]] on Third Avenue. The Western Carhouse was located at 51st and Telegraph Avenue in the [[Temescal, Oakland, California|Temescal]] District of Oakland. The Elmhurst Carhouse was in the east Oakland district of [[Elmhurst, Oakland, California|Elmhurst]], on East 14th (International Blvd.) between 94th and 96th Avenues. The Northern Carhouse was in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] where today's [[AC Transit]] has a bus yard. In the early years of operation, these were supplemented by a number of smaller carbarns scattered throughout the East Bay area, many of them inherited from the pre-Key companies acquired by "Borax" Smith. The Key streetcars were originally painted dark green and cream white, then orange. They were re-painted in the green and yellow scheme of National City Lines after NCL acquired the Key System.<ref>{{harvnb|Sappers|2007}}{{page needed|date=November 2023}}</ref>

The Key System had ordered 40 [[Trolleybus|trolley coaches]] from [[ACF-Brill]] in 1945 to convert the East Bay trolley lines. The new NCL management canceled the Key's trackless program in 1946 before wire changes were made, and diverted the order (some units of which had already been painted for the Key and delivered to Oakland) to its own [[Los Angeles Railway|Los Angeles Transit Lines]], where they ran until 1963.<ref>{{harvnb|Walker|1977}}{{page needed|date=November 2023}}</ref> The last Key streetcars ran on November 28, 1948, replaced by buses.<ref>{{harvnb|Sappers|2007|pp=123–25}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trolleys Go; Key Begins Zonal Fares |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-trolleys-go-key-begins/137159030/ |access-date=21 December 2023 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=November 28, 1948 |location=Oakland, California |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/137159252/ 8], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-trolleys-go-fares-raise/137159170/ 23]}}</ref>

====Lines====
{| class=wikitable
!Line
!Name
!Notes
|-
| 1 
| Oakland–105th Avenue
| Line south of Oakland established by the [[Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward Electric Railway]].
|-
| 2
| San Pablo
| Cut back to Ashby in 1933 with the start of the [[AC Transit Route 72|72 bus line]].<ref name=Bus1933>{{cite news |title=Bus Service To Richmond Will Start Tomorrow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-bus-service-to-richmond/139070041/ |access-date=31 January 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=November 6, 1933 |location=Oakland, California |page=14}}</ref>
|-
| 3
| Grove
|-
| 4
| Shattuck
|-
| 5
| Telegraph
| Former [[Oakland Railroad Company]] route.
|-
| 6 
| College
| Abandoned September 30, 1946.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pylons on Broadway |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-post-enquirer/135173568/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |newspaper=The Oakland Post Enquirer |date=September 13, 1946 |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
|-
| 7
| Arlington
|
|-
| 8
| Elmhurst
| <ref name=Bus1933 />
|-
| 9
| 
| Discontinued 1933.<ref name=OT12041967>{{cite news |title='East End' Express Route Brings Rejoicing in Alameda |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-east-end-express-route/136687043/ |access-date=12 December 2023 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=December 4, 1967 |location=Oakland, California |page=23}}</ref>
|-
| 10
| Piedmont–Hopkins
| Designated as the A line before 1928.<ref name=Uniform1928>{{cite news |title=Key Adopts Uniform Car Line Marks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-key-adopts-uniform-car-l/160879178/ |access-date=14 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=June 19, 1928 |location=Oakland, California |page=22}}</ref>
|-
| 11
| Oakland–38th Avenue
| Designated as the B line before 1928.<ref name=Uniform1928 />
|-
| 12
| Grand
| Designated as the C line before 1928.<ref name=Uniform1928 />
|-
| 14
| East 18th
| Designated as the H line before 1928.<ref>{{cite news |title=Key Changes Last Line to Numeral |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-key-changes-last-line-to/160879370/ |access-date=14 December 2024 |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=June 29, 1928 |location=Oakland, California |page=9}}</ref>
|- 
| 15
| 38th Avenue
| Abandoned March 31, 1946.<ref>{{cite news |title=Set 38th Ave. Motor Coaches |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-post-enquirer/135173684/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |newspaper=The Oakland Post Enquirer |date=March 26, 1946 |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
|-
| 16
| Lakeshore-Park Boulevard
| Assigned the numeral 13 in 1928, but changed to 16 due to [[Triskaidekaphobia|backlash over the original number]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Hoodoo No. '13' Banned as Key Symbol of Cars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-hoodoo-no-13-banned-a/160879045/ |access-date=14 December 2024 |work=Oakland Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=July 5, 1928 |location=Oakland, California |page=21}}</ref>
|-
| 22
| Fruitvale Avenue
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked>{{cite news |title=10 Key Lines to be Marked by Numbers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-post-enquirer-10-key-lines-t/160878898/ |access-date=14 December 2024 |via=Newspapers.com |newspaper=The Oakland Post Enquirer |date=January 1, 1929 |location=Oakland, California |page=9}}</ref>
|-
| 23
| 23rd Avenue
| Line established by the [[Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward Electric Railway]]. Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|-
| 24
| Dwight Way
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|-
| 25
| Park Avenue
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|-
| 26
| Ninetieth Avenue
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|-
| 27
| Cemetery
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|-
| 32
| 40th Street
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|- 
| 33
| Sacramento Street
| Given number designation in 1929.<ref name=10Marked />
|}

=== Related rail systems ===
*The Key System organized its freight business in 1929 as the Key Terminal Railway, Ltd. In 1938, the name was changed to the Oakland Terminal Rail''road'', Ltd. In 1943 the Oakland Terminal Railroad was jointly purchased by the [[Western Pacific Railroad]] and the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] and is now known as the [[Oakland Terminal Railway]].
*The [[East Shore and Suburban Railway]] (E&SR) was a formerly independent unit of the Key System which ran streetcar trains in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]], [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]], and [[El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California|El Cerrito]]. Service to Oakland required a transfer to Oakland Traction Company trains at the County Line station and service to San Francisco required an additional transfer.
*See also the [[East Bay Electric Lines]]; another transbay commuter rail system operated by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]] in the East Bay until 1941.
*See also the [[Sacramento Northern]] Railroad, an interurban system running from Chico through Sacramento to Oakland which also used some of the Key System's trackage as well as the Key System's ferry pier, and later ran to the Transbay Terminal until 1941.

=== Other properties ===
From the beginning, the Key System had been conceived as a dual real estate and transportation system. [["Borax" Smith]] and his partner [[Frank C. Havens]] first established a company called the "Realty Syndicate" which acquired large tracts of undeveloped land throughout the East Bay. The Realty Syndicate also built two large hotels, each served by a San Francisco-bound train, the [[Claremont Resort|Claremont]] and the [[Key Route Inn]], and a popular amusement park in Oakland called [[Idora Park]]. Streetcar lines were also routed to serve all these properties, thereby enhancing their value. In its early years, the Key System was actually a subsidiary of the Realty Syndicate.  Berkeley's numerous paths, lanes, walks and steps, were put in place in many of the newly developed neighborhoods, often in the middle of a city block, so that commuters could walk more directly to the new train system. Berkeley's pathways are still maintained by local groups.