The West Oakland Yards are a rail yard facility in West Oakland, Oakland, California, in the United States. Formerly a major facility for the Southern Pacific Railroad, the yards have been operated by Union Pacific Railroad since 1996.

Aerial view of the West Oakland Yards in December 2022

Under SP, the yards were home to a variety of railroad facilities, including a signal shop[1] and a creosoting plant.[2]

SP was said to "dominate" West Oakland with its "massive switching and maintenance yards, roundhouses, car assembly and repair shops, creosoting plant, and shipyards".[3]


37°49′05″N 122°17′53″W / 37.818°N 122.298°W / 37.818; -122.298

References edit

  1. ^ "Diversified Signal Shop on Southern Pacific". The Signalman's Journal. 40 (11): 324–326. November 1959 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Kelly, R. E. (January 1926). "S. P. Constructs New Creosoting Plant". Railway Review Monthly: 3–9 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Self, Robert O. (2005-08-28). American Babylon: Race and the Struggle for Postwar Oakland. Princeton University Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-691-12486-5.