Western Railroad Discussion > NWP Working The Railplow In Petaluma

This week the SMART railroad construction work has the NWP running the railplow south of Haystack Bridge in Petaluma. Here are some views of the work and the Haystack area which as you can see is seeing some very heavy grading and drilling.

1 looking north toward 101. At present the rails run just this side of the black plastic fencing. The new approach to Haystack is the graded area next to the marsh. 101 runs over the ROW here, and there is a huge freeway widening project underway here.
2 A view from Lakeville Highway looking down the north approach to Haystack. Bridge is closed as the railplow works south of the bridge.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/14 00:16 by sliderslider.

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Some views from north of bridge of the augur or drill and the railplow train working south of the bridge.

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The rail plow train working down by Landing Way south of Haystack.

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1922 idles next to a old utility pole in first pic and in second pic the railplow train is being shoved back to Park Siding where the conduit reel car will be refilled. After spotting them, the plow will head back across Haystack to work the rest of the day.

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Any word yet on a bridge replacement?

Looks like they are burying cable, not plowing anything per se. A good way to make a few extra $$

OTOH, i am just so pissed off at the political game playing with this project. All the money for new everything
(typical of fed money that has to make jobs in any project) and no money for what shud be the most important part of the project...the connection to the ferry. How INCREDIBLY stupid, IMHO. And the dolts in charge of smart are trying their best to limit freight usage of the NWP, which, they might want to note in there little minds, is the only money making part of the whole operation. And it produces more jobs.

I rode the South Shore years ago from South Bend to Mich city on stick rail at 80 mph, and it was a good smooth ride. Not that I'm advocating using stick rail, but money could have been saved on the row construction, so that the train could actually go somewhere useful, like the ferry terminal.

but I digress.

ps. when the progressives like myself think youre wasting money, you really have to be incompetent. Maybe its Cal Trans people doing this. They live in their own little world made entirely of concrete and asphalt.

pps Of my soapbox now

yeah the old BNSF Galveston Causeway Bridge bascule lift span, only twenty years old, was purchased by SMART and is being rehabbed and put together at Mare Island.

Good imaging sliderslider - well done.

Michael McInerney
Marion, South Australia,

As I recall, the first railroad in the area was the Petaluma and Haystack.

sliderslider Wrote:
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> yeah the old BNSF Galveston Causeway Bridge
> bascule lift span, only twenty years old, was
> purchased by SMART and is being rehabbed and put
> together at Mare Island.


Im not saying EVERYTHING they've done is wasteful. But, IMHO, for the light traffic of DMU's and 3 local freights a week,
they could have rehabbed the wood tie roadbed that was there, used the ribbon rail that was there, and especially gone with low level platforms.
How much traffic are they dreaming will show up, that they need high level platforms and gantlet tracks. What a waste of money IMHO. Especially when its money that COULD have been used to get the MF train to the ferry terminal.

pdt Wrote:
>
> Im not saying EVERYTHING they've done is wasteful.
> But, IMHO, for the light traffic of DMU's and 3
> local freights a week,
> they could have rehabbed the wood tie roadbed that
> was there, used the ribbon rail that was there,
> and especially gone with low level platforms.
> How much traffic are they dreaming will show up,
> that they need high level platforms and gantlet
> tracks. What a waste of money IMHO. Especially
> when its money that COULD have been used to get
> the MF train to the ferry terminal.

Dick Spotswood local columnist for the IJ wrote recently that the high level platforms and the required gantlet tracks were a terrible and very costly mistake by the previous (fired/kicked out) SMART management team. Weather mentioned that some of 136lb CWR that was installed during previous projects (101 widening, flood control, NWP stuff) will be kept in places. I believe the wood ties that are reusable are being collected by the NCRA/NWP for reuse on their line further north but I might not be correct. Also, at Park Siding, the lead to Hunts and BEhrens, and Burdell Siding, the old main line that SMART replcaed was reused for the NWP's sidings there.

Spotswood said the high level platforms and gantlets cost SMART 250k/station above cost of regular platforms.

The one thing about not going to Larkspur is that a shuttle bus system to Larkspur ferry from San Rafael downtown station will almost be faster than walking across Larkspur Landing--assuming they have money to run it rather than forcing riders to rely on GG Transit buses.

Interesting stuff...!! Thanks for sharing.

pdt Wrote:
> Im not saying EVERYTHING they've done is wasteful.
> But, IMHO, for the light traffic of DMU's and 3
> local freights a week,
> they could have rehabbed the wood tie roadbed that
> was there, used the ribbon rail that was there,
> and especially gone with low level platforms.
> How much traffic are they dreaming will show up,
> that they need high level platforms and gantlet
> tracks. What a waste of money IMHO. Especially
> when its money that COULD have been used to get
> the MF train to the ferry terminal.

Couldn't agree more with this sentiment. I know the former PR man for SMART and used to regularly give him grief that the first transcon was built in less time than this project is going to take. And then there's the issue of removing sidings from businesses that could really use them, Lagunitas Brewing for one. What's the point of upgrading a rail line and then removing the business spurs? Not what I thought I was buying.

cgarch
Santa Rosa, CA

cgarch Wrote:
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What's the point of
> upgrading a rail line and then removing the
> business spurs? Not what I thought I was buying.
>
> cgarch
> Santa Rosa, CA

In a symbol: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

or the lack of. SMART is running on financial fumes, failing to get the TIGER grant for extending the line to Larkspur. They barely are going to get this up and running, and not in a timely manner, thanks to great recession. It's a shame but that's how it goes.

I appreciate and enjoy all the photo essays of SMART that you've put together, but I've seen and heard nothing about an Operations and Maintenance facility. Are they building one anywhere along the line?

Rick

airport blvd, santa rosa

cgarch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Couldn't agree more with this sentiment. I know
> the former PR man for SMART and used to regularly
> give him grief that the first transcon was built
> in less time than this project is going to take.
> And then there's the issue of removing sidings
> from businesses that could really use them,
> Lagunitas Brewing for one. What's the point of
> upgrading a rail line and then removing the
> business spurs? Not what I thought I was buying.
>
> cgarch
> Santa Rosa, CA


Lagunitas siding was long gone before SMART started rehabilitating the roadbed. Also, the location of the old switch is now on a curve with super-elevation/cant, while before, the curve was flat. As for other sidings, the majority north of Petaluma were never used. So a big fuss over nothing about removing sidings. Besides, SMART and NWP agreed to re install, I believe, 16 sidings (maybe 12. Can't recall off the top of my head). So The customers along the ROW that will ACTUALLY be shipping by rail, not trying to increase their property values, will get a switch put back in.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/14 10:14 by Kraut.

As for rehabilitation the line using the existing wood ties and rail, come on guys, seriously? I know lots of people on here are nostalgic, but the roadbed was in poor shape. Most of the aggregate was river rock, which is TERRIBLE for railroad bedding. Half the ties were in poor shape and the ribbon rail all of you are talking about was at least 50 years old and its lifespan was limited. Ultrasonic tests showed flaws in the rail. As for the other 30 foot sections, that was no better. So, to redo the subgrade (which was a must), you need to bring in specialized equipment. Also, the rail had to be replaced regardless. All this adds up to about the same cost as tearing up the roadbed and replacing it with new concrete ties and new 115 lb CWR for class 4 passenger operations.

Kraut bringing the knowledge! Kraut, what's the deal with the maintenance facility. Any deets?

sliderslider Wrote:
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> Kraut bringing the knowledge! Kraut, what's the
> deal with the maintenance facility. Any deets?


Last I heard, they are in the process of building it at Airport Blvd. and the track maintenance yard being built at River Road, albeit, a lot smaller yard.