Western Railroad Discussion > CFNR Napa Jct. Wind Blade Train

Union Pacific delivered an SMKSUW unit wind blade train to the California Northern interchange at Suisun-Fairfield, CA last night at 22:00 and a CFNR crew utilizing the UP1574-UP1612 forwarded it over Creston Hill this morning to Napa Jct. Approximately 30 blades on 60 89' flats--certainly one of the longest trains CFNR has ever dragged over the hill.

On arrival at Napa Jct. the crew pulled down the Vallejo main and then shoved up the lower(south) leg of the wye to the Lombard yard. Shown in three photos being staged on two tracks at Lombard.

Crew reported over the radio they are consigned to SMUD(Sacramento Municipal Utility District). SMUD is currently expanding their Montezuma Hills wind farm(the Shiloh III project) but it seems odd they would come "over the hill" from where that is taking place. Are they destined for placement elsewhere?

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Today's Cal Northern westbound unit wind blade train behind two UP N. Little Rock-overhauled SD40-2's is seen approaching and crossing the Chadbourne Road grade crossing in Fairfield, CA.

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The train begins its big charge into the mist up on Creston Hill. One load-bearing and one idler 89' flat per blade made for a long train.

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Where is the horn on #1612? I can clearly see the one on #1574.

If the wind farm is out near Rio Vista, why not deliver on the old SN branch off of Canon, head east, and store near the Western Railway Museum for delivery. They're right there next to Highway 12. It might have to go in smaller train sets, but it seems doable.

...And in case you missed the post, here is where the blades originated, first photo right at the Vestas gates east of Windsor, CO, being pulled out by ex-ATSF GWR Geeps, second photo climbing up Oklahoma Hill out of Windsor and the Cache La Poudre River valley (with the Vestas plant in the background) toward Officer Junction, then Johnstown, and Milliken, where it will get a UP crew. Great shots! Nice to see where they went. === === = === JLH

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An article in the Sacramento Business Journal updated this past May reports on components for the Shiloh III project arriving at the Port of Sacramento with wind blades arrving separately from a storage site in Woodland(a good distance from American Canyon). The construction timeline seems consistent with the arrival of today's train.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/04/25/windmill-parts-port-of-west-sacramento.html

Today's train is seen coming down off Creston Hill into Napa Jct. and will stop in about 15 carlengths to begin its shove up the south leg of the wye on to the Schellville main. A rare sight on the rusty rails of the old Vallejo main.

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Fantastic art!! Thank you.

Norm O.

The Western Railway Museum was approched by windmill blade people some time ago about using the SN track from Canon on the Union Pacific down to Birds Landing-Molina area for staging the Shiloh project blades. However museum management turn down the request to use the Sacramento Northern branch due to poor track conditions. I don't think that SN branch would support 2 UP SD-40s on 60lb rail pulling a 60 car train???? Perhaps the blade people are going to barge the blades from Napa,CA down the Napa River over to the Montezuma Slough for unloading. The Slough is less than a mile from the Shiloh Windmill Project....

The museum's old SN mainline rolls right by the Shiloh wind farm--I'm sure CCT box motor #7 would be up to the task.

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Can anyone decode the symbol SMKSUW? The windmill blades went Milliken, CO (Great Western RR) to Suisin-Fairfield (Cal. Northern) on UP. Altamont Press says S= Special, M= ?, KS= Kansas City, UW= Wattis, UT on Utah Ry.

mapboy

mapboy Wrote:
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> Can anyone decode the symbol SMKSUW? The windmill
> blades went Milliken, CO (Great Western RR) to
> Suisin-Fairfield (Cal. Northern) on UP. Altamont
> Press says S= Special, M= ?, KS= Kansas City, UW=
> Wattis, UT on Utah Ry.
>
> mapboy

Possibly S=special MK=Milliken SU= Suisun City and W=windmill... That would follow the UP standard.

portlander Wrote:
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> mapboy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Can anyone decode the symbol SMKSUW? The
> windmill
> > blades went Milliken, CO (Great Western RR) to
> > Suisin-Fairfield (Cal. Northern) on UP.
> Altamont
> > Press says S= Special, M= ?, KS= Kansas City,
> UW=
> > Wattis, UT on Utah Ry.
> >
> > mapboy
>
> Possibly S=special MK=Milliken SU= Suisun City
> and W=windmill... That would follow the UP
> standard.

Thanks! Now that you spelled it out, it looks obvious!

mapboy