There were over 200 roundhouses built in California during the rail industry’s golden age. You may be wondering, "What is a roundhouse?" A roundhouse is a large building constructed in the shape of a partial circle. The structure was used for stabling and servicing steam engines. There are a number of unique abandoned places in Northern California like these. And only a few of these abandoned railroad roundhouses are still (partially) standing to this day, like the Bayshore Roundhouse near San Francisco. Long abandoned and left to decay, what remains of this old roundhouse is an eerie sight.
Please note that the Bayshore Roundhouse is on private property and investigating it is considered trespassing! The following information about this historic destination is for entertainment purposes only.
Built sometime between 1907 and 1910 by the Southern Pacific Railroad, what remains of the Bayshore Roundhouse is a sullen reminder that change is constant. The decaying brick roundhouse is one of the only ones left standing in all of California...
Despite decades of abandonment (and graffiti), you can still make out much of what the roundhouse used to look like. Used to service steam engines (which could only run forward), roundhouses typically included a large turntable to help load the engined in headfirst.
It's hard to imagine a day when trains were the main and most reliable form of transportation, but it really wasn't that long ago. The Southern Pacific Railroad served the Western United States from 1865 all the way to 1996.
Founded in San Francisco, the Bay Area was a major hub for the Southern Pacific. As a result, the Bayshore Roundhouse was very busy! The roundhouse facilities included store buildings, a freight yard, an icing facility (for box cars carrying produce), and a hospital to support roundhouse employees.
Speaking of employees, the Bayshore Roundhouse had an estimated 3,000 of them. Unfortunately, the rise of diesel engines meant that the use of steam engines was getting rarer, and that meant there was no use for roundhouses. By 1958, the Bayshore Roundhouse was basically obsolete.
The roundhouse remained open to service diesel engines but closed for good in 1982. A fire demolished half of the roundhouse in 2001. However, much of the brick still stands.
A few of the old buildings are still in use today by industrial companies, but much of the Bayshore Roundhouse has been completely left to the elements. Only time will tell how much longer this unique destination will be standing.
While some might see these abandoned places in Northern California as areas that should be demolished to start fresh, others see a beautiful combination of history and modern art. There is still something mesmerizing about seeing these skeletal structures that were once a vital part of our society.
Did you know about this abandoned roundhouse in Northern California? It’s amazing that this place is still standing at all! What do you feel when you see these pictures of an abandoned railroad in California?
See more photos of the Bayshore Roundhouse in San Francisco and read its story in this article.
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