Old Ironsides is the original northern terminus of the first part of the VTA Light Rail that opened from here in Santa Clara to Civic Center on December 11, 1987. Service was extended west to Mountain View on December 20, 1999 as well as east one stop along Tasman Drive to Baypoint. The one-stop extension to Baypoint meant that from 1999 until August 1, 2005, when a new branch from downtown to San Jose Diridon and later Winchester — the current service pattern — service operated only from Mountain View to Baypoint with Old Ironside getting no direct service to downtown San Jose.
The station still was clearly once a terminus. The station consists of a single island platform in the middle of Tasman Drive with one entrance from the crosswalk of Old Ironsides Drive and runs east. At the other end of the platform (where there isn't another entrance) is a small white building with a blue roof between the tracks. This building I assume is a crew layover and restroom facility. The rest of the platform has two 1980's blocky canopy structures with a blue canopy structure and windscreens around the benches. The canopy is held up by columns with mosaic tile including Old Ironside written in brown along the top of these columns.
All Photos taken on 18 January, 2014
Reamwood