Western Railroad Discussion > NWP ex UP genset, SMART to Larkspur & GGRM @ Schellville

NWP has been running a work train at night for SMART's annual ballasting and tamping program.  Over a two week period last month 2500 tons of rock were dmped and 8,000 feet of track were tamped from San Rafael to Petaluma.  First image shows the work train on the west leg of the wye at Ignacio on the evening on the evening of July 20th waiting for the last NB SMART train to clear for the overnight work.  Earlier in the year, NWP bought one UP's Sou. Cal. gensets.  It is now equipped with PTC as required by SMART.  Last night was its first run, mu'ed with the NWP #1501 with a 2000 ton train of agricultural products, grain, hops and barely for Lagunitus Brewery. This image shows last nights train, awaiting the passage of the last NB SMART Commuer train.  SMART has finished work on the Larkspur extension.  Testing of the signals and PTC starts August 23rd with opening towards late Fall.  Here is a shot of the completed platform. Finally, the SMART contractor, Stacy, iteback, Herzog worked last weekend at Novato to finish installed the CTC power switches at the Novato station and put in the stock rail for the guantlet track. Image # 4 below is  looing north towards Grant Ave.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 12:27 by weather.

---

---

---

It blows my mind that the LARKSPUR FERRY TERMINAL is so near, but so far from this last stop.  I can't believe SMART couldn't do better and somehow extend into the parking area, or at least get it closer.  When it's pouring rain, who will walk for 15 minutes with the wind blowing your umbrella all over, just because some bureaucrats got lazy and didn't think of the customer???  

Ever notice why airports are so nice?  IT'S BECAUSE THEY THINK ABOUT THE CUSTOMER AND ALWAYS MAKING IT EASIER.  But here, SMART just makes it dumb.  It makes me laugh in disbelief.

Finally, all the GGRM cars cleared for manifest travel have arrived at Schellville.  The #141, Oakland office car, the SP #2979, the Neil Vodden, the Shasta Daylighht coach #293 and last COSF car from the Jan.1952 Snowbound streamliner, the Baggage car, #5901 are safely behind a protective fence along with three ex-Budd built SP double deck commutes with an SP econo bag. Here is a clse up of the ex-UP RPO, lovingly restore by Garret Brisbee.  All images Copyright, 2019, "All Rights Reserved."   Text and Photos by Mike Pechner, NWP Operation Lifesaver, "Always, expect a Train."

---

---

---

weather Wrote:

> Earlier in the year, NWP
> bought one UP's Sou. Cal. gensets.  

Thanks for the photos!  The 2611 is actually one of UP's Texas gensets.  UP assigned Railpower RP20BD's like the 2611 to Texas, the big 6-axle Railpower RP20CD's to Roseville, CA, and the NRE 3GS21B's to Southern California. 

Great shot of the ex UP RPO 5901.

It is interesting to note, after the consoidation of the City of Los Angeles and City of San Francisco trains east of Ogden, circa 1960, some of these 85' RPOs did a stint in the early sixties and mid sixties on the City of St. Louis east to Kansas City.  I am not sure where the City of St Louis western terminus or origin point was for these big RPOs on the UPRR at that time.



UP pweather Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Finally, all the GGRM cars cleared for manifest
> travel have arrived at Schellville.  The #141,
> Oakland office car, the SP #2979, the Neil Vodden,
> the Shasta Daylighht coach #293 and last COSF car
> from the Jan.1952 Snowbound streamliner, the
> Baggage car, #5901 are safely behind a protective
> fence along with three ex-Budd built SP double
> deck commutes with an SP econo bag. Here is a clse
> up of the ex-UP RPO, lovingly restore by Garret
> Brisbee.  All images Copyright, 2019, "All Rights
> Reserved."   Text and Photos by Mike Pechner, NWP
> Operation Lifesaver, "Always, expect a Train."

I like the UP theme passenger platform: yellow with red accent.

Airports are so much better to drive to and from why look at that one back east that you have to walk from your ride stalled deep in traffic to the terminal. Yes they are so much better, not, but ever think about asking why they had to do it there way first?

You know what "Blows my mind"? People that assume that SMART is "lazy and didn't think of the customer?" You don't think they wanted to build into the parking lot? Have you even looked at a map or aerial photo to see the buildings, roads, utilities, etc in the way? Does SMART even own the parking lot you mention? (Answer: NO). How do you even propose getting to that much coveted ferry terminal?  

I guess SMART could bulldoze half a dozen buildings and demand that Golden Gate Transit let them tear up much of their parking lot for a train station. 

And, puleezzee,,, airports are so nice and make it easy for the customer??? You mean by being located miles and miles away from the city center, having huge, massively expensive parking lots, again far distant from the terminals and then being under constant construction. I think not... 

Finally, Rome wasn't built in a day, neither was SMART, nor were airports. Maybe, just maybe some of these issues will be improved upon in the future just like airports are under constant improvement.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It blows my mind that the LARKSPUR FERRY TERMINAL
> is so near, but so far from this last stop.  I
> can't believe SMART couldn't do better and somehow
> extend into the parking area, or at least get it
> closer.  When it's pouring rain, who will walk
> for 15 minutes with the wind blowing your umbrella
> all over, just because some bureaucrats got lazy
> and didn't think of the customer???  
>
> Ever notice why airports are so nice?  IT'S
> BECAUSE THEY THINK ABOUT THE CUSTOMER AND ALWAYS
> MAKING IT EASIER.  But here, SMART just makes it
> dumb.  It makes me laugh in disbelief.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It blows my mind that the LARKSPUR FERRY TERMINAL
> is so near, but so far from this last stop.  I
> can't believe SMART couldn't do better and somehow
> extend into the parking area, or at least get it
> closer.  When it's pouring rain, who will walk
> for 15 minutes with the wind blowing your umbrella
> all over, just because some bureaucrats got lazy
> and didn't think of the customer???  
>
> Ever notice why airports are so nice?  IT'S
> BECAUSE THEY THINK ABOUT THE CUSTOMER AND ALWAYS
> MAKING IT EASIER.  But here, SMART just makes it
> dumb.  It makes me laugh in disbelief.

Re your second paragraph,  Ever gone to LAX?   End of discussion.

utwazoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> coach Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It blows my mind that the LARKSPUR FERRY
> TERMINAL
> > is so near, but so far from this last stop.  I
> > can't believe SMART couldn't do better and
> somehow
> > extend into the parking area, or at least get
> it
> > closer.  When it's pouring rain, who will walk
> > for 15 minutes with the wind blowing your
> umbrella
> > all over, just because some bureaucrats got
> lazy
> > and didn't think of the customer???  
> >
> > Ever notice why airports are so nice?  IT'S
> > BECAUSE THEY THINK ABOUT THE CUSTOMER AND
> ALWAYS
> > MAKING IT EASIER.  But here, SMART just makes
> it
> > dumb.  It makes me laugh in disbelief.
>
> Re your second paragraph,  Ever gone to LAX?  
> End of discussion.

LAX, OAK, PDX, the list goes on and on...

weather Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Finally, all the GGRM cars cleared for manifest travel have arrived at Schellville.

The GGRM website lists 4 more cars in their collection. SP 2097, 2143, 2156 (suburban coaches) and SP 5131 (baggage-postal car). Are these cars actually still property of the GGRM and were they deemed not acceptable to move according to the UP?

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the photos!  The 2611 is actually one of UP's Texas gensets.  UP assigned Railpower
> RP20BD's like the 2611 to Texas, the big 6-axle Railpower RP20CD's to Roseville, CA, and the NRE
> 3GS21B's to Southern California. 

Only a portion of the RP20SD (UP model) fleet was assigned to Roseville. UPY 894-899 were the Roseville units, split in two orders from 2008 & 2009. Then UPY 887-893 were delivered in 2011 & 2012 and assigned to Proviso.

As alwas, Evan, many thanks for the correction and to Coach, the NIMBYS in Larkspur cut SMART off at the kness on access.  BTW, to all about going into GG Transit Terminal. A flyover over San Francis Drake Blvd. was deemed way to exxpensive, not to mention that the Parking lot as it is now fills completely during the morning commute. The take away is how many of those folks that drive would take the train to get to Lakspur?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 12:33 by weather.

Been there, seen the Larkspur terminal, and their parking lot.  Good engineering and planning makes anything possible.  In the U.S., however, the "final mile" is the most neglected part, often due to coxt or difficulty.  Yet it still demands attention, which our public transit agencies are often loathe to do.

We'll see how many passengers transfer to ferry on those cold, wet days from this remote platform, especially when the rain is blowing sideways, as if often does with Pacific storms.

OAK airport and others very easy to use, which is why their passenger boardings are growing.  And look at what BART did with their Oakland airport station--passengers are put right at the front of the terminal.  That's how it shold be.  And they had to deal with other agencies, including the City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland, etc.  They still got it done.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 12:33 by coach.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Been there, seen the Larkspur terminal, and their
> parking lot.  Good engineering and planning makes
> anything possible.  In the U.S., however, the
> "final mile" is the most neglected part, often due
> to coxt or difficulty.  Yet it still demands
> attention, which our public transit agencies are
> often loathe to do.
>
> We'll see how many passengers transfer to ferry on
> those cold, wet days from this remote platform,
> especially when the rain is blowing sideways, as
> if often does with Pacific storms.
>
> OAK airport and others very easy to use, which is
> why their passenger boardings are growing.  And
> look at what BART did with their Oakland airport
> station--passengers are put right at the front of
> the terminal.  That's how it shold be.  And they
> had to deal with other agencies, including the
> City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland, etc.
>  They still got it done.

Yeah, how many people take public transit to the airport Coach? Not many. And the parking at OAK is not nice or secure.

ble692 Wrote:

> Only a portion of the RP20SD (UP model) fleet was
> assigned to Roseville. UPY 894-899 were the
> Roseville units, split in two orders from 2008 &
> 2009. Then UPY 887-893 were delivered in 2011 &
> 2012 and assigned to Proviso.

Apparently some relatively recently-built RP20BD's (UP designation "RP18GP") were also assigned to Illinois. 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5085587

Are any of them and the Proviso RP20CD's still active? 

The NWP 2611 still doesnt have the E-ATC (PTC) system that will be required soon, 2009 is still the only one.

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apparently some relatively recently-built RP20BD's
> (UP designation "RP18GP") were also assigned to
> Illinois. 

The RP18GP fleet, UPY 900-913, were assigned to Yard Center, IL.

> Are any of them and the Proviso RP20CD's still active? 

The RP18GP are still active at Yard Center, as are the Proviso assigned RP20CD.

It is indeed sad that some way could not be found to get the SMART depot closer to the ferry terminal, even if it was just to get it across SIr Francis Drake and build an elevated station on the ROW of the old trestle.  From what I understand, the revised bike path killed that possibility.

Probably the next best answer would be to put in an elevated moving sidewalk.  Certainly lot of those around (especially in airports), but if a simply pedestrian overpass was deemed too expensive, then that idea would not fly.

The bad thing that I see isn't the walk, per se.  It is having the riders cross Sir Francis Drake Blvd.  This street is BUSY and will be a nightmare with groups of riders trying to cross, even with lights and crosswalks.

Interesting how many shortlines are getting these second hand gensets.  I have heard from several rails I know that the shortlines, able to give the gensets regular care and attention and not expecting them to race around from 0 to full speed in nothing flat, actually like the engines and find that they run well.  UP's maintance intervals and operation style don't mesh well with the operational capabilities of the gensets, hence their regular failures.  No first hand personal knowledge here, just what several professionals have told me.

Z

Z

zephyrus Wrote:

> I have heard from several
> rails I know that the shortlines, able to give the
> gensets regular care and attention and not
> expecting them to race around from 0 to full speed
> in nothing flat, actually like the engines and
> find that they run well. 

Have you heard that about the NRE gensets, or only the Railpower ones?  The few shortline anecdotes I've heard about NRE genset performance and reliability have all been negative.