Richmond, CA train transport depot

[israndy]

I kept hearing about it, cars being taken from the factory and then put on trains to make their way across country. I thought I saw photos of a ton of Tesla parked near a drive-on ship, but I think those are not cars going on the trains. I was just at our local dog rescue in Richmond and as I drove home with two Chinese Crested's I saw ahead of me:

I had to follow it and a couple of blocks later it pulled into Selland Auto Transport:

Google Maps

They had a bunch of Teslas in various states of undress:

Not a crazy full parking lot but it is interesting that they take the covers off the cars after driving 30 miles from Fremont to Richmond. Guess they are well protected on the train except from graffiti paint.

-Randy

 

[ebmcs03]

Cool. Ya why take off the covers??

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Electrek ran a story this past weekend on this, based off someone on Reddit's observations.

Massive Tesla Model 3 shipment spotted in transit ahead of critical end of the quarter


It appears Tesla has been using a parking lot across the street from the terminal, and that's the one in the story above.

gMaps link (you can even see Teslas in Satellite view)

 

[smartypnz]

And I always thought the one in Benicia was the depot used.

 

[israndy]

Guess they are not storing Tesla's anymore. This is what the lot in Richmond, CA looked like in the Electrek article:

And this is what the lot looks like today

I took the pic from the opposite side of the lot as I didn't have a computer to check the original photo.

I went by the train depot just up the street (the one this thread is about) and they have cleverly positioned a car train in front of the Tesla parking lot, you can see the tracks in front of the lot in this photo from earlier in this thread:

But as I was trying to figure out how to get a good photo of that lot I saw another train arrive and two trucks full of Tesla's pull into the grounds:



-Randy

 

[ℬête Noire]

I'm now deeply concerned that in visiting this message board my name may have been added to an FBI list of 'Known Associates Of Tesla Stalkers'.

 

[thewishmaster]

View attachment 316976
-Randy

Oh look, another Performance model being sent off on the bottom right

 

[israndy]

Great catch

-Randy

 

[israndy]

Actually looks like it was 3 performance models

-Randy

 

[ℬête Noire]

Actually looks like it was 3 performance models

Agreed, I have heard of no way to factory order w/20" wheels and those are definitely not 19". Nice spot.

 

[chronopc]

Actually looks like it was 3 performance models

View attachment 317572

-Randy

Can anyone make out the white interior or red calipers?

 

[Park2670]

Nice catch and thanks for posting them for us!

 

[suwaneedad]

What's odd to me is why the rail that is part of the property at the factory isn't used. Seems like a ton of excess effort/cost/damage potential to load the cars for a 30mi drive to a rail depot, when there are rail lines on-property at Fremont. At the volume levels currently, seems like driving them from test track to rail car would be far more efficient and reduce damage risk in transport.

 

[b_ack51]

The white interior gives them away as well. At least on two of them

 

[b_ack51]

Not sure why I cannot edit my earlier post from mobile but the cAlipers are red as well.

 

[ℬête Noire]

Can anyone make out the white interior or red calipers?

Scan to coord 400,1500
Zoom in.

Zoom in.

Enhance!

Yup, there they are.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Here on the East Coast, I was asked to perform my trade-in eval today.

No VIN yet, but as soon as you see any Midnight Silver Metallic P (non-upgrade, so it may be hard to tell from a distance), let us know!!

 

[a.void]

no wrap on transports makes me very sad

 

[ℬête Noire]

no wrap on transports makes me very sad

The ones without any protective wrap at all are the floor demos, so that doesn't bother me as much.

 

[kengchang]

What's odd to me is why the rail that is part of the property at the factory isn't used. Seems like a ton of excess effort/cost/damage potential to load the cars for a 30mi drive to a rail depot, when there are rail lines on-property at Fremont. At the volume levels currently, seems like driving them from test track to rail car would be far more efficient and reduce damage risk in transport.