San Francisco Trains

San Francisco Trains We are the group that is restoring San Francisco's only surviving steam locomotive, and rebuilding the historic Bayshore Roundhouse in Brisbane, CA

San Francisco artifact uncovered! Found by the new Warriors stadium, construction workers uncovered and excavated this...
10/26/2018

San Francisco artifact uncovered! Found by the new Warriors stadium, construction workers uncovered and excavated this boiler. Is it a narrow gauge engine boiler, tossed into scrap pile by a SF company that made boilers? Please share your speculations and knowledge.

Thanks to our friends at the Niles Canyon Railway for passing along rare State Belt Railroad Blue Flags! From one collec...
10/05/2018

Thanks to our friends at the Niles Canyon Railway for passing along rare State Belt Railroad Blue Flags! From one collection to another, here they are on the State Belt 4 boiler for display. They are cotton cloth, about 18" square, QUITE dirty from years of use. They are attached to the wooden handles with evenly spaced brads. The hooks on the handles look to be about the spacing of steps on a box car. We may find out more, let us know if you have any more insight.

03/08/2018

Our donate button is live now. Support your local steam locomotive!

Despite being a cold windy day at Bayshore, we made a hella pile of chips milling out the spring pockets on a drive box....
02/19/2018

Despite being a cold windy day at Bayshore, we made a hella pile of chips milling out the spring pockets on a drive box. Thats a 1.5" indexable carbide cutter running slower (about 800 rpm) than its rated speed because its plowing thru weld. The worn out pockets were built up/filled in back at CSRM in SAC. Now that we have our own milling machine at Bayshore the work can be completed onsite.

Makin' chips! Running a 1/4" x3" test cut on the Van Norman mill and making sure the generator can keep up. No problems...
06/17/2017

Makin' chips! Running a 1/4" x3" test cut on the Van Norman mill and making sure the generator can keep up. No problems! Genny running at 40% load with the mill spindle turning 50 rpm feed 3/8" per minute. Bayshore shops live.

06/04/2017

Several people have asked about our hours of operation. FB does not have a box to select "by appointment only". The State Belt #4 is available for viewing and touching, please message us and we will find time to show you our work. The roundhouse interior is not part of the tour, that is privately owned and fenced off pending resolution of a development agreement with the city of Brisbane.

Tools...tools that will allow us to continue repairs right at bayshore! Donations of machine tools, a customized 40' con...
04/23/2017

Tools...tools that will allow us to continue repairs right at bayshore! Donations of machine tools, a customized 40' container and moving costs all came together after a rainy winter that held up almost all work. The Van Norman #26 mill is seen here in its new home after being donated by a gentleman in Burlingame. Not seen but also in the container are a Smiths shaper, South Bend 18" swing lathe (11 feet long!) and a beautiful antique but 100% functional drill press. After the container delivery we painted the interior white and used LED shop light. All worthy of a proper locomotive repair plant at former SP shops Bayshore, Brisbane CA

Putting the #4 running gear back into order has been a long process. Every aspect of those three axles and the interfac...
12/31/2016

Putting the #4 running gear back into order has been a long process. Every aspect of those three axles and the interface with with frame had a variance and keeping track of it all was daunting. A version of the system with all its flaws was done in solid works. These are screen shots from the program. What you can't see here is each parts dimension is exactly replicated in the model. The actual dia. of each axle, the actual fit of the tire on the wheel center, the hub liner thickness, the newly turned journal height in the box. The final pieces to be fitted are the shoes and wedges which are the bronze colored pieces. We left a couple of items out so you can see them. Those pieces will determine the final alignment of the driving wheels.

11/01/2016

Volunteers Kyle and Tom made a platform around the steam dome to allow safe access when climbing into the boiler. The silver uprights and cross arms are unistrut and give a safe hold on the way in and out. That can be removed with three nuts and the tent goes back over for the winter. We also wired up four fans to circulate air inside while working. Evan is inside where scale needs to be removed for further examination.

Thanks to all who attended the event and took time to learn about our steam engine restoration and the Bayshore Roundhou...
08/03/2016

Thanks to all who attended the event and took time to learn about our steam engine restoration and the Bayshore Roundhouse. Special thanks to our cooks, donations of food and new barbecue grill. To our supporter Abbey Party Rents for chairs, tables and canopies; and to Universal Paragon Company for the use of this space where the State Belt #4 Restoration continues.

07/26/2016

105 years ago today, the State Belt #4 was approaching San Francisco, possibly already loaded onto the barge that would take it across the bay from Richmond, CA to arrive July 27, 1911. To commemorate this event we're having casual barbecue and fund raiser this Sunday, July 31st, from 1PM to 4 PM. Space is LIMITED at our Bayshore site in Brisbane, CA $25, please RSVP by Thursday to info (at) verreos (dotcom) or message this site.

Here are some pictures from the locomotive drive box repairs we are doing in Sacramento. Currently 5 of the 6 boxes --w...
05/21/2016

Here are some pictures from the locomotive drive box repairs we are doing in Sacramento. Currently 5 of the 6 boxes --which are the wheel bearings and side to side side thrust bearings--are mostly machined to the finale dimension. Big shout out to the California State RR Museum for letting us use the machine tools at the shop to accomplish this work.

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223 Mariposa Street
Brisbane, CA
94005

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