Editing Key System (section)

=== 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 />
|}