Ballasting and Tamping Transforms Mainline

Ballasting and tamping of the Northwestern Pacific mainline from Lombard compass west to Ignacio by Balfour Beatty forces continues in earnest. In the above view made on August 13, the tamper and ballast regulator work near Schellville (David Baldwin photo).


With vegetation and debris removed and new ties and fresh crushed rock ballast installed, the transformation of the NWP mainline near Schellville is nearly complete (David Baldwin photo).

Tie Work Complete, Ballasting Commences

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.

In the above view taken at Schellville on July 29, nine former Helm Leasing ballast cars owned by Shamrock have been restenciled for the NWP and will be used by Balfour Beatty throughout the reconstruction. Two additional ballast cars remain in bad order status in the yard at Petaluma (Nate Muhlethaler photo).


Balfour Beatty crews dump rock in front of the Schellville depot on July 29, the first day of ballasting (Nate Muhlethaler photo).


After dumping two loads of rock at Brazos on July 31, the Balfour Beatty work train - pictured near Ramal - returned to Schellville for reloading. Rock is trucked from Napa to Schellville and a front-end loader is used to fill the cars at the latter point (Nate Muhlethaler photo).

Special thanks to Jamie Miller, Nate Muhlethaler, and Keith Powley.

Northward, Ho! Work Train Operations Reach Santa Rosa

During the last week of June and the first two weeks of July, Balfour Beatty forces distributed ties along the Northwestern Pacific mainline between Petaluma (milepost 38.5) and Santa Rosa (milepost 53.8), and also shuttled nine of the 11 ballast hoppers stored in Petaluma yard to Schellville. These Shamrock-owned, former Helm cars were repaired and restenciled for the NWP prior to movement and will be used in the ballasting of the mainline between Lombard and Ignacio.

The following photo essay - presented chronologically - provides a glimpse of operations for the last three weeks.


On June 30, the work train passes the handsome Mission-style NWP depot at Petaluma and will soon dump ties between that station and Penngrove to the north (Kevin Sheridan photo).


Balfour Beatty forces dump ties north of Penngrove on July 1 (Kevin Sheridan photo).


A local farmer watches the first train movement through Penngrove since 2001 with awe on July 1. On this day, Balfour Beatty forces dropped ties between Penngrove and Cotati (Nate Muhlethaler photo).


The northbound work train ambles through vegetation as it approaches Railroad Avenue in Cotati on July 1 (Nate Muhlethaler photo).


On July 2, a Schellville-bound work train rolls through the baylands near Burdell with three empty centerbeams and nine ballast cars from Petaluma, marking the longest train to date during the present incarnation of the railroad. The crew distributed ties between Penngrove and Cotati the previous day (Kevin Sheridan photo).


After planting ties as far north as Santa Rosa, the work train returns southbound through Petaluma with two empties on July 8. Dairymen's Feed - a long-time NWP customer that will ship again when revenue service returns - dominates the scene (Kevin Sheridan photo).


On July 8, the southbound work train spans Petaluma Creek on the Haystack Bridge on Petaluma's south side (Kevin Sheridan photo).

Special thanks to Nate Muhlethaler, Keith Powley, and Kevin Sheridan.

Tie Distribution Progresses Northward to Novato and Petaluma

During the week of June 14, Balfour Beatty forces distributed ties on the 11 miles of Northwestern Pacific mainline between Ignacio and Haystack Bridge on Petaluma's south side.

In the above photos made by Nate Muhlethaler on the morning of June 18, the work train crept through Burdell (milepost 31.3) and dumped ties. This station just north of Novato features a track scale for weighing railcars and a 6078-foot-long siding for meeting trains.


With no more ties to distribute, the work train retraces its steps east to interchange six empty cars with the California Northern at Lombard. In the above picture made by Nate Muhlethaler on June 18, the crew runs around its train on the Ignacio wye so that the engine (on the NWP mainline south to San Rafael in this view) will be on the head end. This move provides better visibility for the engineer and eliminates the need to shove the train the full distance to Lombard. The overpass pictured carries State Highway 37 over the wye.


In the above image made by Christian Goepel, the work train takes a curve in rural Sonoma County within sight of the Roche Winery and the Nascar Sprint Cup Series being held at the Infineon (Sears Point) Raceway on June 19.


As captured by Kevin Sheridan, early morning light bathes the work train at Black Point on June 19. Within minutes, the Black Point Bridge closed and the work train crossed the Petaluma River en route to Lombard. One-time NWP customer Kelleher Lumber is just out of view to the left.


In this June 19 view by Kevin Sheridan, the Balfour Beatty crew runs around its train on the wye at Schellville, so that it can shove the six empty cars to Lombard.

Presently there is no ideal means of interchanging cars between the NWP and California Northern near Lombard. Interchange is conducted on the NWP mainline approximately one mile east of Brazos (at the point where ownership of the line changes) and there is no siding or yard for Balfour Beatty to run around its train for the return to Schellville. The contractor must shove all outbound cars for nine miles between Schellville and Lombard.

NCRA Announces Lombard-Windsor Reconstruction Progress

As with the June 10 gathering in Healdsburg pictured above, the North Coast Railroad Authority encourages public attendance and participation at its monthly meetings. Check the authority’s website for meeting dates and locations (these rotate between Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt counties), agendas and associated public documents, and minutes from past meetings (Christian Goepel photo).

At the monthly North Coast Railroad Authority meeting held in Healdsburg yesterday (June 10), NCRA Project Manager Dave Anderson reported that reconstruction of the 62 miles of Northwestern Pacific mainline infrastructure between Lombard and Windsor by contractors is on schedule.

He said that over 40,000 new ties allocated for the 25-mile Lombard-Ignacio segment would be inserted by Balfour Beatty by the end of the week. The next phase of track reconstruction involves the installation of 10,000 new ties on the 37-mile Ignacio-Windsor segment, which will eventually be shared with Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit commuter trains.

But, according to Anderson, there are other projects that must be tackled before freight service returns. Cooper Crane and Ghilotti Brothers will complete repairs to bridges at Schell Creek near Schellville and Novato Creek near Ignacio (there are two bridges over this waterway; the northern crossing at milepost 26.93 in Novato has already been repaired). In addition, Mass Electric will ready signals at three Petaluma grade crossings, State Highway 37 at Sears Point, and State Highway 121 at Schellville.

The NCRA must gain approval from the Federal Railroad Administration before designated operator John Williams and the Northwestern Pacific can commence operations this fall.

“They were very pleased with what they saw,” Anderson said of the recent response from FRA inspectors. “We’ve appropriately addressed issues in Emergency Order No. 21.”

Issued by the FRA, the order took effect on November 27, 1998, in response to public safety and non-compliance issues on the railroad. It called for the discontinuation of service “until the NWP inspects and properly repairs its track and grade crossing signals, and it trains its employees how to properly maintain the safety of its track and grade crossing signals.”

Images: NWP History and Clouds on June 10

A weathered and moss-covered Northwestern Pacific post and crossbuck proudly protects a lightly used grade crossing in Geyserville (milepost 75.8). Scores of these markers once peppered the railroad, but their numbers have dwindled to a mere handful over the years.


The colonnade and dormer of the distinctive Ukiah (milepost 114.0) depot bask in the final moments of late afternoon sun. Presently vacant and fenced off, this brick structure may be sold by the North Coast Railroad Authority and restored for other purposes in the future.

This station has been void of regularly scheduled NWP passenger trains since the last San Rafael-Eureka Redwood called on November 8, 1958.


Historically speaking, the Northwestern Pacific mainline as it is known today was created by cobbling together several predecessor railroads over a period of years. The classic board-and-batten, wood frame depot at Hopland (milepost 100.1) is a product of that era. It was built in response to the Cloverdale & Ukiah Rail Road's 1889 arrival in the region.

But the C&U would be acquired by another predecessor company - the San Francisco & North Pacific Railroad - before a single revenue train ran over the scenic 28.5-mile route between its namesake cities. Ultimately, the SF&NP was consolidated with the NWP in 1907.

Today, the depot at 25 Center Street is occupied by the Hopland Fire Department and Public Utility District.

Note: Historical data in this post was gleaned from Fred Stindt's two-volume treatment of Northwestern Pacific history and NWP company documents.

Work Train Operations Reach Petaluma

Today (June 3), Balfour Beatty operated the work train locomotive from Schellville to Petaluma to gather 11 hoppers in the yard there to be used in ballasting the Northwestern Pacific mainline between Lombard and Ignacio. Due to mechanical difficulties, the crew was unable to retreive the cars and returned light engine to Schellville. This train movement was the first through Novato and Petaluma since September 2001.

In the above photograph taken at 10:05 a.m., Willamette Valley No. 2502 crossed the century old Haystack through swing truss bridge over Petaluma Creek at milepost 37.16. This structure is the oldest of the four movable bridges - Brazos, Wingo, Black Point, and Haystack - on the NWP mainline in the North Bay.


Returning to Schellville, No. 2502 and crew pass the NWP depot at Grant Avenue in downtown Novato. The golden flanks of Mt. Burdell are visible in the background.


In anticipation of work trains to Petaluma and beyond, rail was reinstalled on the fully rehabilitated wood-pile bridge over Novato Creek at milepost 26.93 in recent days.

Conditions in the Lower Eel River Canyon

As seen on May 27, the Northwestern Pacific mainline has succumbed to a washout and the encroachment of vegetation in the vicinity of the Burger Creek Slide, immediately north of Tunnel No. 16 and Dos Rios (Christian Goepel photo).

Trains have not negotiated Northwestern Pacific’s incredibly remote and serpentine Eel River Canyon since 1998. In the ensuing 11 years, the mainline has fallen victim to damaging weather conditions, unstable geology, theft, and vandalism.

The future of the North Coast Railroad Authority’s Eel River Division north of Willits is speculative at this point. Even so, hardly a day passes when Northwestern Pacific Today does not receive an e-mail wondering about the present condition of the line in Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt counties.

Those interested in the railroad’s north end can watch a short multimedia presentation on YouTube containing photographs and video footage made in April by Jen Rice and Rick Sanchez – Hard Times on the Railroad: The Northwestern Pacific from a Boat’s Eye View. It provides a rare glimpse of track infrastructure and washouts along the 43 miles of mainline between Dos Rios and Alderpoint, mostly from water level.

Northwestern Pacific Today will post more information about NCRA’s Eel River Division as it becomes available.

Project Update: Lombard-Ignacio Section

Keith Powley of HNTB Corporation - also the resident engineer of track rehabilitation who works on behalf of the North Coast Railroad Authority - reports that 43,000 ties will soon be replaced by Balfour Beatty forces on the section of NWP mainline between Lombard and Ignacio. Rock is being trucked from Syar Industries in Napa to the NWP yard in Schellville now and ballasting of the 25-mile Lombard-Ignacio section will commence in June. Once the rehabilitation is complete, this trackage will be lifted to Class 3 standards.

In the above picture taken in Black Point on May 20, Powley is marking existing ties for replacement as Balfour Beatty employees behind him drop replacement ties at the appropriate locations.

First Train in Marin County Since 2001

At 9:45 a.m. yesterday (May 20), a Schellville-originated Balfour Beatty work train carrying three loads of ties crossed the 98-year-old swing bridge at Black Point. This marked the first train movement over the venerable steel span and into Marin County since previous operator NWPY suspended service in September 2001.


The train creeps westward at a slow enough pace to allow Balfour Beatty workers to evenly distribute new ties along the mainline. This picture was taken at the approach to the Simon Slough bridge, 1.5 miles west of Black Point.


After completing the day's assignment, the work train shoves back to Schellville with the three empty cars. This picture was made in the tidelands at the west approach to the Black Point bridge.

Historic Week on Railroad Closes with Second Successful Train Operation

After unloading three loads of new ties at Schellville, contractor Balfour Beatty shoved three empty bulkhead flat cars back to Lombard for interchange to the California Northern on Thursday, March 26.

In this fine scene captured by photographer Nate Muhlethaler, the train passes wildflowers in bloom at Skaggs Island Road in rural Sonoma County.


The train crew waited at Milton Road for the Brazos bridge to be lowered. Once the cars were delivered to the California Northern, the crew ran light engine back to Schellville and tied up. Credit this image to photographer Nate Muhlethaler.

First Train in Nearly Eight Years

For the first time since Northwestern Pacific Railway (NWPY) operated its final train in September 2001, a steel wheel turned on the line on Tuesday, March 24. Contractor Balfour Beatty operated Willamette Valley 2502 (a former Southern Pacific GP 35 locomotive) and three loads of new ties from the California Northern Railroad interchange at Lombard compass west to the yard at Schellville. A fourth load of ties was left behind, as it will be distributed between Brazos and Lombard.

In the above view, the train crossed the murky Napa River on the lift bridge at Brazos at 1 p.m. This venerable structure was the unfortunate victim of vandalism and copper theft in recent years and is in the process of receiving all necessary repairs.


At 1:15 p.m., the train crept through bucolic rural Napa County as it approached the former station site of Buchli.


At 2:05 p.m., the train slowed for the busy California Highway 121 crossing at Schellville. Safety is paramount: Balfour Beatty flagmen protected the crossing while the short train passed.


Balfour Beatty is in the process of replacing a high volume of ties on the NWP mainline and has completed the section between Brazos and Schellville. A truck and crane will soon be along to pick up the pile of secondhand ties at Ramal pictured above.

The 10 miles between Lombard and Schellville await the installation and tamping of crushed rock ballast.