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.

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.

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.

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.