Western Railroad Discussion > 1st NWP Freight to Santa Rosa on new SMART track .

The Northwestern Pacific Railroad usually runs Tuesday and Thursday, giving SMART contractors Stacy-Witeback-Herzog the opportunity to remove the legacy NWP tracks and replace it with FRA class 5, 79 mile an hour track with concrete ties and welded rail. The SMART contractor started construction just south of the Santa Rosa in April and has now completed about 12 miles of new track to Willowbrook Farms at Ely Road, about 3 miles north of Petaluma. The main-line between Willowbrook and Santa Rosa has been out of service since last summer. This has allowed the Contractors to have gaps over over a mile between the end of the new track and the beginning of the old main line track in which to rebuild the ROW with new rail and ties. This past week with the completion of the replacement of the crossing at Ely Road, the contractor was able to connect at grade, the new SMART track built south from Santa Rosa to the old main line at Ely Road. The unit rail train and 4 cars of concrete ties with interchanged on Sunday morning from California Northern at Lombard to the NWP. The train was switched at Schellville with the ties cars up front. Since the rail was going to dumped in the southerly direction, the train was wyed at Ignacio so that the rail could be off-loaded with the train moving south from Santa Rosa. Previous rail trains came were unloaded in the northerly direction. Sundays move necessitated the use of all three NWP engines, the #1922 GP-9, #2009 Gen-set, and the ex ATSF GP-7. Leaving Schellville, the #2009 and the ATSF #1322 were on the point and the #1922 trailing. After being wyed at Ingacio, the 1922 was leading, the #2009 and the ATSF, #1322 shoving on the rear from Ignacio to Santa Rosa. The #1922 was cut-off on the siding at Santa Rosa and the rail train was shoved northward from the station to Guernville Road. After the rail train was tied down, the two units set out the concrete ties in the contractors yard in front the the beautifully restored 100 year old stone NWP station. The #1922 returned light to Schellville


The first shot shows the train going around the south leg of the Ignacio wye and onto the San Rafael Branch to turn the train.
The 2nd photo shows the #1922 which trailed the rail train leaving Schellville ready to assume the head of the train after clearing the south leg of the wye.
The 3rd image shows the NWP Conductor lining the welded rail train onto the mainline ready for the northbound trip. The shadow of the GP-9 looms in the foreground.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/12 12:48 by weather.

---

---

---

This project still amazes me, I'm more than happy to eat my words for having doubts about it...

First image shows the rear end of northbound ribbon rail train clearing Ely Road north of Petaluma as it transitions from jointed rain to new SMART track.

Second shot has the #NWP #1922 easing up Petaluma Hill grade at 15 mph restricted speed on the newly laid track.

With the #2009 and ATSF #1322 shoving on the rear, the last photo shows the rear-end of the rail train moving northward passed the historic NWP station in Santa Rosa. Mike Pechner Photos.

---

---

---

Gonna have to plan a trip out there to see those 579 MPH trains! =)

This is really an amazing thing to see take place. With so many regions talking about doing such a thing, it's actually HAPPENING here.

Thanks for posting the photos. When I lived in SR in the 1970s I would catch NWP action when I could. At that time the NWP used to run to Sebastopol and Graton, where, I believe, Korbel had a warehouse. I'm glad to see the reconstruction.

That photo of the SR station makes it look like it's out in the country and not in downtown. Beautiful!

(BTW, the station figures prominently in the final minutes of Hitchcock's movie Shadow of a Doubt, one of my favorites.)

Thanks for posting the pictures, I don't have a chance to get up to that area anymore so it's great to see the construction progress.

Dave

Thanks for keeping us updated Mike. Always appreciated. Keeping fingers crossed for northward to Ukiah....B

Too bad SMART doesn't have the funds to finish the system let alone operate. With a projected ridership of 5000/day by 2030 - 2035 for a 70 mile system, SMART will fall short.

EMD2024 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gonna have to plan a trip out there to see those
> 579 MPH trains! =)

I think with proper quotation, this would say, "class 5" track good for "79 MPH" or even 5/79,,,,,8>)

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

SDNRPE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Too bad SMART doesn't have the funds to finish the
> system let alone operate. With a projected
> ridership of 5000/day by 2030 - 2035 for a 70 mile
> system, SMART will fall short.


Seems to me that it will be like TRIMET WES Commuter Rail up here in Oregon. To get to downtown Portland you have to change trains in Beaverton but WES is still pretty popular. You don't see empty trains.