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Filed under: Humboldt, Marin, Napa Valley, North Coast Railroad, Railroad, Samoa
THA finishes lower boiler shop roof!
Lower boiler shop roof finished Nov 2009, Samoa, CA
Various retired teachers volunteering their time.
Some retired teachers rack up an incredible number of hours focused mainly on one special interest. A good example of that kind of dedication is Mike Kellogg, retired social science teacher at Eureka High School. A man of many talents, he has given most of his 1,150 reported volunteer hours this past year for the Timber Heritage Association.
SF Gate: Bill Provines – fireman on novel train – dies
Bill Provines, the last surviving employee of the famous “crookedest railroad in the world” that once climbed Mount Tamalpais, died Friday at his home in Novato of heart failure. He was 101.
Vacaville The Reporter: Rail cars arrive for refurbishment
Drivers crossing the Wichels Causeway on and off Mare Island on Wednesday were privy to a recent rarity on the island: A train chugging across, whistle blowing.
Wednesday marked the first installment of Mare Island newcomer business Alstom’s plans to refurbish 66 Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains. The initial three passenger cars to grace newly aligned track leading into Alstom’s Building 599 warehouse were towed by Alstom venture partner, San Francisco Bay Railroad.
I’m pretty sure it was a horn, not a whistle blowing. Thanks to Shawn for providing this one.
Link to video, embedded didn’t seem to work for me.
Here is a quick timelapse video of the recent joining of the P&SR Caboose #1 onto it’s newly rebuilt trucks. More video of the event coming soon.
NVR: Devlin extension gets rolling
For the next several weeks, trucks will build a section of a bridge over railroad tracks north of Green Island Road, using soil from a hill near Napa County Airport.
Green Island road is south of, and runs along the tracks leading to NWP/NCRA. Should provide another vantage point for railfans.
1948 U.S. Railroad Atlas Thanks to those who have posted this online.
Filed under: Marin, NCRA, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Novato, Petaluma, Railroad, SMART, Sonoma
Royal Petroleum received the county’s blessing earlier this year to add a 9,000-square-foot biodiesel plant at the former Rinehart’s truck stop and scales, near the Highway 101 off-ramp to Petaluma Boulevard South.
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Each year, the plant is expected to produce 5 million gallons of the fuel — a processed form of plant oil — to be sold at Royal Petroleum’s network of stations, Hill said.
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Initially, the unprocessed plant matter needed to make the fuel will be trucked to the site from Richmond, but the finished product will supplant standard petroleum-based diesel, the company noted.
The site’s proximity to the Petaluma River and the railroad tracks could also mean future deliveries via barge or freight train, the company suggested.
NBay Business Journal: SMART out seeking proposals to start rail project
NORTH BAY – Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit has requested proposals for three major contracts for the $590 million rail project and is about to put out requests for the remaining three.
New railroad for Mare Island. “San Francisco Bay Railroad-Mare Island”
This eight mile railroad would operate between Flosden Acres, and Mare Island. It will be interesting to railfan the interchange area, considering NWP will interchange not too much north of this railroads interchange area. Docket Number: FD_35304_0, filed 28 Sept 2009.
Down in the area over the weekend. The south part of the Ignacio wye has been cleaned up of weeds. I noticed on Saturday ballast work was done through Novato, but not yet in Petaluma. The new crossing by Petaluma’s sewer plant, has the cement crossings installed now, and just needs asphalt to fill it in. Got to watch the electrical contractor go through the depot area on a hyrail pickup.
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- Highway 37 crossing looking south 2 Oct 2009
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- Novato creek 3 Oct 2009 looking south
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- Novato creek 3 Oct 2009 looking north
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- Downtown Novato 3 Oct 2009
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- crossing by Petaluma sewer 3 Oct 2009
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- north of Petaluma depot 3 Oct 2009
Filed under: Humboldt, Marin, NCRA, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Novato, Railroad, Samoa, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, THA
I’ve been a miss, with the news lately, though that makes some of you happy.
Samoa Roundhouse with Timber Heritage Association collection
Win A Trip Aboard A Private Rail Car
Emeryville – Reno – Emeryville
January 15th to 17th or February 12th – 14th
Step aboard the opulent private rail car and experience all
the romance and nostalgia of a bygone era. Enjoy spectacular
scenery, fine food, warm and friendly staff to pamper you, so
you can relax and have fun in an elegant atmosphere. The
Virginia City is an elegant private rail car that has a brassrailed
open observation platform, cozy lounge with a working
fireplace, and dramatic dining room with an ornate crystal
chandelier.
The package includes round trip for two, meals, alcohol and
overnight accommodations. The value of the package is
$1,118. raffle conducted by the timber heritage association
Raffle Tickets Are Only $10
need not be present to win Drawing October 23rd
Purchase as many as you want now!
Timber Heritage Association will have an Oktoberfest Fundraiser, Oct 23rd. Oysters and ale event won’t be happening this year, last I heard.
The last speeder run for this year is this Saturday.
A neat site with some old Humboldt photos, including rail.
Down in Santa Rosa, The Great Handcar Regatta will take place at the depot on Sunday
SR PD article, and website.
* WHAT
Hand-Built Railcar Races, Arts, Performance, Live Music, Crafts, Fine Foods, Costumed Rabble & more!
* WHEN
Sunday, September 27th, 2009. 11 am to 6 pm.
* WHERE
Railroad Square, Santa Rosa, CA, in Depot Park between 4th / 5th Streets & Wilson Street
ITEM! Free Valet Bike Parking!
* WHO
FREE to all denizens of delight, curiosity, and “Play-ticipation”
* WHY
Why, for a Splendid Celebration of Art, Science and Ingenuity for the Joy and Edification of all who attend, of course!
Last I heard, they have the ballast completed from the wye under the interchange of freeway 101 and freeway 37 to the interchange with the other railroads. They should be fully in Navato now.
MIJ: Final site of gravity car decided by council [Mill Valley] in the same plaza.
The wooden structure would be angled more so the front of the car faces the end of the plaza and shifted about four feet closer to a grove of redwood trees, according to City Manager Anne Montgomery.
Over in Napa, stimulus funds have shortened the building two new bridges for the wine train. One is a replacement for a trestle over the Napa river, which clogged up the river during storms, and the other for a new flood bypass channel.
Filed under: Humboldt, NCRA, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Petaluma, Railroad, SMART, Santa Rosa, Sonoma
Editor: The Petaluma Trolley Living History Museum had yet another successful music extravaganza, held June 20 at the Yellow Barn. Our list of supporters allowed us to continue our preservation efforts in a very festive way. One of our missions is to keep the city of Petaluma and our community informed of the restoration efforts of our historic trolley system and trestle.
Foremost, our thanks go out to Rich and Angela DeCarli for their support. At 110 Baylis St., our museum’s inventory has increased and we hold our business meetings there. Currently, the museum will be open the first and third Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Our supporters play an invaluable part in all that we stand for. Deep appreciation and gratitude goes out to: Bella Luma Caffe, Lagunitas Brewery, Preferred Sonoma Caterers and Napa Sonoma Vineyards Group. We also thank musicians: The Artifacts, D’Bunchovus, Bruce Kurnow, Chris Rowan, Scott Gerber & Cori Wood, Larry Potts, Los Gu’achis, Steve Della Maggiora and Andrea Stevick. Thanks also to all our volunteers. See you next year.
Trixy Fraser, recording secretary, Petaluma Trolley
TH: Redirecting rails for an industrial transport rebirth at Mare Island
What looked like deconstruction of a portion of Mare Island’s railroad tracks Monday was actually a partial rebirth for island industrial transport.
For about the past month, Pinole-based Industrial Railways Company workers have kept a low profile as they prepared to redirect track just behind the Mare Island Convention Center over the Wichels Causeway, said company partner Craig Nolan.
TS: Riding the rails: New book features California’s railroading past
”Railroads of California” celebrates Golden State railroading, offering a colorful look at California’s legendary railroads, the men who built and ran them and the engineering feats that made them possible. It also explores the legacy those railroads have left in the form of the state’s historic tourist roads and museums, as well as modern railroad operations.
A Splendid Celebration of Art, Science and Ingenuity, for the Delight and Edification of all who attend.
A Spectacle for both Young and Old!
ADMISSION TO THE PUBLIC IS
FREE!* WHAT
Hand-Built Railcar Races, Arts, Performance, Live Music, Crafts, Fine Foods, Costumed Rabble & more!
* WHEN
Sunday, September 27th, 2009. 11 am to 6 pm.
* WHERE
Railroad Square, Santa Rosa, CA, in Depot Park between 4th / 5th Streets & Wilson Street
* WHO
FREE to all denizens of delight and merriment
* WHY
Why, for a Splendid Celebration of Art, Science and Ingenuity, for the Delight and Edification of all who attend, of course!
NVR: License flap on flood project
The Napa flood project ran into a wave of embarrassment this week when it appeared that the company with the $65 million federal railroad relocation contract had let its license expire.
Filed under: Marin, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, bicycle, trails, transit
MIJ: Cal Park Hill Tunnel opening will be delayed about six months
Planners hoped to open the old railroad tunnel and its adjacent approaches by the end of this year, or just after the New Year. While the tunnel is expected to be done by then, work on its north and south approaches will likely not be finished until next summer, officials said.
Until the approaches to the tunnel are finished, it can’t be used.
“There was a delay in easement acquisitions and encroachment permits from Caltrans,” said Craig Tackaberry, a county public works official helping oversee the project.
Part of the approach includes a mile of pathway to Andersen Drive in San Rafael that will be improved for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The $25.1 million project – split between state and county funds – also needs $800,000 in additional unanticipated work, primarily to help fill the gaps between the steel supports and the tunnel’s rock wall.
NVR: On track with a clean, efficient new locomotive
The American Canyon railroad company recently acquired the first of five “green” locomotives. The engine has the latest technology for fuel efficiency, generates little noise and is about 60 percent less polluting than a conventional locomotive engine.
Filed under: NCRA, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, Sonoma
With the distribution and insertion of 53,000 new ties on the 62 miles of Northwestern Pacific mainline between Lombard and Windsor complete, Balfour Beatty forces turned their attention to ballasting last week. During the next two to three weeks, approximately 22,000 tons of rock from the Syar Industries quarry in Napa will be dumped and the mainline will be tamped between Lombard and Ignacio.
via Northwestern Pacific Today: Tie Work Complete, Ballasting Commences.
Filed under: Marin, Mendocino, NCRA, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, SMART, Sonoma, Ukiah, transit
Ukiah Daily Journal: 50-year lease: City to renovate historic Ukiah depot
The council approved a lease contract with the North Coast Railroad Authority which gives the city a 50-year lease on the depot for a dollar a year, with an option for another 20 years.
In return, the city will use highway and redevelopment funds to bring back the depot to its original 1929 condition.
The city has awarded a contract to Cupples Construction for $389,000. About two thirds will come from federal highway fund grants funneled through Caltrans and about one third – $106,000 – will come from the city’s redevelopment funding.
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Now that all the pieces are in place, Pruden said the rehabilitation should begin right away and be completed in about four months.
Under the lease, if the railroad begins passenger service before the end of the lease and wants to use the depot, the city and NCRA are required to try to come up with a way to share the depot. If an agreement can’t be reached, NCRA can take back the depot, but only with Caltrans’ permission.
MIJ: SMART picks heavy cars for Marin-Sonoma rail system
Marin and Sonoma train passengers will ride heavy diesel trains linking the two counties when service is scheduled to start in 2014.
SRPD: SMART selects American-made rail cars
Directors of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system on Wednesday chose the heavier American-style rail car over its European counterpart, but promised it would be every bit as quiet, comfortable and sleek.
“It’s not only got to look cool, it has to ride well and be a good neighbor,” said Charles McGlashan, a Marin County supervisor and SMART chairman.
The decision, which came on a 9-2 vote, directs staff to begin writing specifications, from the number of bathrooms on a train car to how many bicycles it can hold. The process will take several months and cost $400,000.
It also allows SMART engineers to begin designing rail stations, platforms and maintenance facilities along the 70-mile, Cloverdale-to-Larkspur commute line.
NVR: St. Helena mayor wants public vote on Wine Train
Détente has been declared between St. Helena and the Napa Valley Wine Train, but Mayor Del Britton isn’t so sure that St. Helena citizens are ready to lay down their arms.
Filed under: Marin, NCRA, Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Novato, Petaluma, Railroad, Schellville, Sonoma
Novato Advance: First locomotive since 2001 rolls through Novato
nice article, that I missed with beautiful photos from Christian Goepel. Not sure why it was in the Arts & Entertainment section though.
Work Report
I heard that yesterday, the gang was dropping ties between Novato and Petaluma. My boss saw them out near Burdel around 6:45 yesterday morning with the WV GP and 5 loaded centerbeams.
Jamie
Kevin Sheridan posted two nice photos taken yesterday. One shot with the Roche Winery in the background, the other at the Scheville wye. Other NWP photos.
NVR: A new day for the Wine Train
Much has changed since McManus has come on board. In a development that would startle observers of the early years of the Wine Train, the service will start dropping passengers off in St. Helena on an experimental basis in the coming months.
This idea has been the subject of a decades-long war fought in the courts and before the California Public Utilities Commission, but today everyone is getting along.For $30, passengers can ride round trip to the Cheers! event St. Helena businesses host one Friday a month.
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• On environmental issues. Wine Train is running one engine on compressed natural gas, and is hoping to convert its other engine, which runs on diesel, making it one of the most progressive rail operations when it comes to fuels. McManus encourages a car-less travel experience, in which visitors from San Francisco would take the ferry to Vallejo, a Wine Train shuttle to the Depot, have a couple hours to wander in Napa and then get on board.
Wine Train to stop in St. Helena | Napa Valley Register.
In a decision that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago, the St. Helena City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to allow the Napa Valley Wine Train to make stops in St. Helena.
The stops will be allowed on a trial basis during the monthly Cheers! St. Helena promotional events.
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Union Pacific
Santa Rosa: Trial opens in tainting of homes’ well water
West College Avenue residents blame railroad, OCLI; companies blame dry cleaners
Gonzalez linked at least part of the pollution to land owned by Union Pacific on Frances Avenue and to chemical barrels from Optical Coating Laboratories Inc. found at that property and an adjacent parcel.
The property was owned by Southern Pacific, which was taken over by Union Pacific in 1996, and OCLI became part of JDS Uniphase in 2000.
Defense attorneys, however, contended the problem was caused by two dry cleaning establishments in the immediate neighborhood, which is a half mile from the Frances Avenue site.
Auction Napa Valley gets in gear with party, mock train robbery
Auction Napa Valley 2009 started with a bang Thursday evening. Make that a lot of bangs, all from shotguns as a posse of robbers on horseback descended on the Napa Valley Wine Train.
