Interesting Facts About Centerville Depot Railroad
• In 1909 Centerville received it’s first steam-powered passenger train. However more than a year later following the complaints made by several local citizens about the boxcar serving the depot, the property was purchased and relocated to make room for a full-sized depot.
• In 1910 and at the height of popularity in rail travel the Centerville depot was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad as an adaption of its “One Story Combination Depot No. 23.”
• Over the next three decades Centerville would serve passenger trains between Santa Cruz, Oakland, Stockton, San Jose, and Redwood City. Between 1910 and through to the early 1920s, the Centerville depot besides serving local residents and tourists, would also host at least two to three trains transporting milk and cream to dairies located in Oakland and Santa Jose.
• During World War II and up until 1958 Centerville depot served as a Railway Express and freight agency for the transportation of crops from the Williams package shed formerly located at the current site of the depot.
• In 1961 more than fifty years after it’s first opening the Centerville depot was retired by Southern Pacific where over the next three decades the building was used to house an electronics store and toy store, a furniture store as well as a spice store. In 1991 due to its non occupancy and state of deterioration the building was boarded up and commissioned out of use.
• Following the 1991 petition to reinstate the Amtrak service the city of Fremont again began it’s passenger service to the Centerville depot in 1993. And after its procurement and planned restoration of the depot in December of that year the Centerville depot is today the only “No.23”- style depot hosting rail passenger service.
Centerville RailCam
Click on the link below and watch a live video overlooking the train tracks of the Fremont/Centerville Depot.
RailCam Note: The train shown in the video and across from the camera depending on its route when it arrives at Newark is either heading towards Oakland or San Jose while the train viewed heading the opposite direction and fronting the OIC Photo Spot Cam, is heading towards Oakland, Sacramento.
View Centerville RailCam.