Western Railroad Discussion > NWP hauls SMART welded rail train to Petaluma on Tues.

The first of four quarter mile long ribbon rail trains for SMART arrived in Petaluma yesterday. The UP handled to train from Colorado to Cordelia where California Northern Crews moved the train with two U.P. GEVO's on the point over the hill to Lombard where the Northwestern Pacific picked the train up around 1:45 pm. The GEVO's were cut-off at the Kendall Jackson spur west of Lombard and the The NWP #1922 and #2009 coupled on and pulled the train to Schellville yard where and additional seven cars were added to the head end. S.P. caboose 1971 was added to the rear and the whole consist headed for Petaluma. The first picture shows the train with U.P. power headed up Creston Hill west of Cordelia. The second shot shows the train draped along Fairville curve near Sears Point. Finally, shot 3, shows the rail train roaring through Novato, a City that limits train size to 15 cars by a consent decree signed by the City and the railroad. Submitted by Mike Pechner

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weather Wrote:
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> Finally, shot 3, shows the rail train
> roaring through Novato, a City that limits train
> size to 15 cars by a consent decree signed by the
> City and the railroad.

I wonder if any one in the city noticed this 38 car train well exceeded their 15 car limit? Not that they could have done anything to cut it down to 15 cars though, since the rail portion of the train was 30 cars long in itself.

Why are some cities SO STUPID when it comes to trains and lengths and whistle blowing and ....

Wow, welded rail coming soon. Maybe a visiting steam locomotive. That would be awesome.

iliketrains Wrote: Why are some cities SO STUPID when it comes to trains and lengths and whistle blowing and ....

Reply: My wife is on a city council, and she could sure tell you some stories.

Airports don't seem to be bothered as much as the railroads do.

One possible remedy to this is to make certain all public officials get educated about the $$$ benefit of railroads to their community.

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

I didn't know that NWP has a caboose.

As for the train length, my guess is that it only applied to general freight trains of the NWP, not SMART. And seeing how this is SMART related, NO-Vato prob can't say spit.

Jamie Miller

What warped thinking on the City of Novato's part. Do they want more trucks on US 101 spewing 4 times the diesel fumes per ton mile? What special interest group prevailed? Those in favor of increasing the rate of global warming?

Stan Praisewater

sagehen Wrote:
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> What warped thinking on the City of Novato's part.
> Do they want more trucks on US 101 spewing 4
> times the diesel fumes per ton mile? What special
> interest group prevailed? Those in favor of
> increasing the rate of global warming?
>
> Stan Praisewater

Probably the NIMBY's who don't like waiting at grade crossings.

In the 3rd. pic., why is the crossing lights pointed up in the sky? Is that so the airplanes can tell, when a train is going across the street? upkpfan

New "quiet zone" signals. also part of the decree!

ble692 Wrote:
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Are the ribbon rail cars connected by couplers or draw-bars? If the latter, I suspect the railroad could argue it was a single articulated car.

Greg

> weather Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Finally, shot 3, shows the rail train
> > roaring through Novato, a City that limits
> train
> > size to 15 cars by a consent decree signed by
> the
> > City and the railroad.
>
> I wonder if any one in the city noticed this 38
> car train well exceeded their 15 car limit? Not
> that they could have done anything to cut it down
> to 15 cars though, since the rail portion of the
> train was 30 cars long in itself.

Greg Ramsey
Las Vegas, NV

How can a town enforce a law that interferes with interstate commerce? Federal preemption and all that.

> Are the ribbon rail cars connected by couplers or
> draw-bars? If the latter, I suspect the railroad
> could argue it was a single articulated car.
>
> Greg

They should have defined it by footage, not by cars!

mapboy