Wow I've got to thank Ken for sending me this photo! I've spent a great deal of time in this very spot trying to imagine what it was like. The few photos I saw of the area were close-ups of the portal, so I never really knew what the whole area looked like. For those that haven't been here (e-mail me and I'll give you directions), it's hard to believe this all fit in the space. Also with the exception of a few cable stays (see following photos), there is NO trace of anything left... portal included.

it's amazing how fast almost all traces of the railway vanished after it was shut down. the right-of-way in the contra costa area was either overgrown or built upon; if you didn't know that there used to be trains running through there you'd never guess. this tunnel was an exception. in the early 60''s some of us kids used to pass this site riding our bikes to the east bay; there was a small hole at the base of the wall that closed off the tunnel. we'd peer inside, talk about someday mounting an exploratory expedition with flashlights (and 22's at least; who knew what might be lurking in there...) no-one i knew ever got up the courage to try it, though. in later years the entrance was buried under dirt; a slope reaching nearly to the guardrail visible above. ( see photos "cable 1" , "cable 2" )