See also the Railroad section of our Historical Photos for the history of the railroads through the valley.

The Old Railroad Bridge over the Arroyo
 

This bridge was built in 1925 for the Central Pacific / Southern Pacific Railroad, which is where the original tracks through Livermore were laid for the transcontinental railroad by the Central Pacific.  These tracks were pulled up when the SP abandoned the route in 1984.  This bridge is the most noticeable remainder of those tracks, which ran a little south of what is now Railroad Ave, probably right through what is now Bakers Square, Orchard Supply, and Safeway, and then just north of the Railroad station on L Street.  The tracks had been realigned in 1976 though downtown Livermore to be along side the Western Pacific line, now owned by Union pacific.  That realignment began just east of here, so this bridge was still used at that time.  The tracks along Stanley Blvd closest to the road are the old Central Pacific/Southern Pacific alignment that would have run across this bridge.  Those tracks are often used for rail car storage.

The tracks that are currently used are on the Western Pacific route which merged with the Union Pacific in 1982.  The Southern Pacific was acquired by the Union Pacific in 1996 after the tracks through the valley had been abandoned.

Looking across the bridge toward the west.
 

Underneath the bridge showing its wooden construction and the date.

Looking across the bridge to the east.  An old signal wire pole can be seen on the right.
 

From the old railroad bridge, looking north toward the bridge for the current tracks.
 

Looking east on the existing tracks.  The bridge goes over Murrietta Blvd.
 

Looking west as the tracks curve and head toward Pleasanton.  This bridge is over the Arroyo Mocho and the bike trail.
 

Existing tracks with the bridge over the Arroyo Mocho to the left.  The bike trail is on the far right, to the right of the fence, then follows the fence across the picture at about the middle vertically.