Abandoned Places In Northern California: Bayshore Roundhouse

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.

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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More to Explore

More abandoned places in California

Chris Muras | January 09, 2023

Are there any abandoned cities in California?

As people surged west in hopes of finding gold, small towns sprung up like weeds in many parts of California. There are said to be over 300 abandoned ghost towns in California for that reason. As soon as a mine became unprofitable miners and their families would move on to a new location and a new town would grow around them. Here are nine of these abandoned cities in California:

1. Bodie
2. Auburn
3. Coloma
4. Susanville
5. Old Shasta
6. French Gulch
7. Coulterville
8. Placerville
9. Angels Camp

Read about the fascinating history of these abandoned cities in California. Some of them and still functioning in some small capacity, while others have been completely left to nature.

What is "urbexing"?

Urbexing is short for urban exploration. It is the term given to the exploration of abandoned places. Also called UE for short, urbexing generally is referred to the exploring of derelict buildings and structures in an urban location. It is typically illegal to explore abandoned buildings as someone generally owns the property still and it is considered trespassing.

What are some abandoned places in Northern California?

Old mining towns are not the only places in California that have been abandoned. From old farms, houses, boats, and trains, there are numerous things and locations that have been left to weather time's passing. Here is a list of a few abandoned places in Northern California:

Abandoned TeePee Woodchip burner, Anderson, CA
Old rusted cars, Bodie, CA
Abandoned house, Moss Beach, CA
Old fishing boat, Point Reyes, CA
Abandoned train cars, Richfield, CA
Abandoned bridge, Sacramento River Canyon, CA
Rusty gas pump, Castella, CA
Old house boat, Bodega Bay, CA

Be sure to read the full article and see photos of these 17 abandoned places in California. In some ways, there is something hauntingly beautiful about the way time works its leathered hands over these things we once valued.

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Featured Addresses

Bayshore Roundhouse, Brisbane, CA 94005, USA

A Roundhouse Was Built And Left To Decay In The Middle Of One Of Northern California's Largest Cities

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