Western Railroad Discussion > NWP #1501 mixed freight with 3560 tons runs to Schellville Wed.

Traffic is picking up of the NWP as LPG tank car storage and the seasonal increase in grain and feed because of the drought combined to produce a 30 car train from the Cal Northern at Lombard today. A "Hot" car of lumber from Mt. Hood Lumber Co. in Oregon was on the Cal Northern Suisun-Napa Jct turn this morning. NWP waited several hourts in the Lombard Yard for the centerbeam. The car was destined to the old Sonoma Pacific site at the west end of the GGRM Yard as was billed to All Truss Co. At 115 to 125 tons per load, the train came in just shy of 3600 tons; one of the heaviest train in several years.  Most NWP trains are all hoopers and occasional mixed with tank cars.  Inbound umber loads are rare. First image shows the train crossing Milton Rd. at the west end of Brazos Bridge. Second image shows the lumber lode coming off the Brazos.  Third image shows the entire stretched out across pasture land of north San Pablo Bay.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/21 23:32 by weather.

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Once the train was within Yard Limits at Schellville, most of the train was left on the wye and the first 4 grain cars and the centerbean were uncoupled for the back-up move across Eight St. and into the GGRM Yartd next to Victory Station. Fourth image shows the lumber load crossing 8th St.  The fifth image follows the proress of the back-up move thru the GGRM Yard. The #1501 passes the GGRM owned EMD GP-9E 3194.

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Image #7 at the west end of the Yard, NWP Acting Gen. Mngr. Ryan Martin rides the rear as nears the west end gate. #8 looking across  Hiughway 121 shows the the majority of the train on the wye to the east and the rest of the train with its two units stopped in front of the station. On my way over to Schellville, I caught the Cal Northern Yard job crossing Green Island Road in Lombard with a cut of empties for the Wine Warehouses.  Text and Photos by Mike Pechner, Copyright, 2021, "All Rightrs Reserved."

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Nice pictures of a fun chase Mike.

Posted from iPhone

I wonder how that lumber load got "hot".
IHow long did it take to get from the Mt. Hood interchange with the UP to Susuin?
My favorite picture is of the NWP scarlet and gray unit at the Schellville depot.

 What days and times does the train usually cross the Black Point Bridge? I would like to catch it one day. TIA.

Beautiful photos.
That crossing in #8, still horrible. Especially on a bike.
Sat in the shade of the Schellville depot replacing a tube after flatting on the tracks. 
They've repaved other portions of 121 in the area, shame they haven't done that stretch yet given the traffic volumes.

Customer wanted righ away with a deadline on a project they were working on for client.  Otherwise they would have to wait until next Monday.

JAmtrak Wrote:
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>  What days and times does the train usually cross
> the Black Point Bridge? I would like to catch it
> one day. TIA.

Like clockwork, the NWP runs across Black Point swing bridge every Monday and Thursday evening. Mainline Run crew + train usually pass over the Petaluma River between 18:00-18:30 heading West to Ignacio Wye with loads to spot for customers in Petaluma that same night and Eastward between 22:30-00:00 heading back to tie up up at Schellville with empties bound for CFNR interchange. 

2-10-2 Wrote:
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> Beautiful photos.
> That crossing in #8, still horrible. Especially on
> a bike.
> Sat in the shade of the Schellville depot
> replacing a tube after flatting on the tracks. 
> They've repaved other portions of 121 in the area,
> shame they haven't done that stretch yet given the
> traffic volumes.

By "they" do you mean CalTrans and SMART who actually own the paved Highways and ROW/track? CalTrans operates by county divisions so note Napa County paving is many times better / smoother (newer) than both neighboring Solano County and Sonoma Country highways. 

Great coverage Weather! 

 

Ryan Martin, general manager. Can't be the same Ryan Martin who use to foam at the west Oakland wye at two a.m. with gal pal Anna 10 years ago.

Posted from Android

Proud Foamer
OAKLEY, CA

BayByDayBasinByBirth Wrote:
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> CalTrans operates by county divisions so note Napa
> County paving is many times better / smoother
> (newer) than both neighboring Solano County and
> Sonoma Country highways. 

On Ramal Road the difference is quite apparent.  On the Sonoma side it is a pot hole filled rough ride, then you cross the clearly marked county line and on the Napa side it is freshly paved and smooth.
Thanks Mike for the pictures, nice to see another customer on the NWP.  Somehow a flatcar of lumber just looks more natural on the NWP, even if it is going the wrong direction!

JBWX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/21 13:37 by jbwest.

Is that Winterail Roadie Ryan Martin?

Dave 

Yes same Ryan Martin listed above. He should be required to wear a Giants hat while working instead of that Dodgers crap.

jbwest Wrote:
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> BayByDayBasinByBirth Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > CalTrans operates by county divisions so note
> Napa
> > County paving is many times better / smoother
> > (newer) than both neighboring Solano County and
> > Sonoma Country highways. 
>
> On Ramal Road the difference is quite apparent.
>  On the Sonoma side it is a pot hole filled rough
> ride, then you cross the clearly marked county
> line and on the Napa side it is freshly paved and
> smooth.
> Thanks Mike for the pictures, nice to see another
> customer on the NWP.  Somehow a flatcar of lumber
> just looks more natural on the NWP, even if it is
> going the wrong direction!
>
> JBWX

Ha. That's what I was going to say!

The conterbeam does break up the train niclely. CFNR will not let them tie up the main to block their cars and must do it in the Schellville yard.  So grain cars were interspirsed with tanks and the centerbean right in the middle! Many thanks for the comments and feedback from all!

weather Wrote:
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> The conterbeam does break up the train niclely.
> CFNR will not let them tie up the main to block
> their cars and must do it in the Schellville yard.
>  So grain cars were interspirsed with tanks and
> the centerbean right in the middle! Many thanks
> for the comments and feedback from all!

...or maybe the NWP crew knew their bridge tenders wanted to go home after an earlier morning MOW shift start? So after gathering interchange loads from three (3) different CFNR locations (Napa JCT yard, Napa JCT Wye and West Lombard siding), they hightailed it west to Schellville so the Brazos bridge could be raised again for through marine traffic? 

BayByDayBasinByBirth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> weather Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The conterbeam does break up the train niclely.
> > CFNR will not let them tie up the main to block
> > their cars and must do it in the Schellville
> yard.
> >  So grain cars were interspirsed with tanks
> and
> > the centerbean right in the middle! Many thanks
> > for the comments and feedback from all!
>
> ...or maybe the NWP crew knew their bridge tenders
> wanted to go home after an earlier morning MOW
> shift start? So after gathering interchange loads
> from three (3) different CFNR locations (Napa JCT
> yard, Napa JCT Wye and West Lombard siding), they
> hightailed it west to Schellville so the Brazos
> bridge could be raised again for through marine
> traffic? 

I bet that's what happened. Napa Junction is a busy place.