SMART work this past week can be summed up as a steady state continuation of the construction status quo to date. They are building forms for the Haystack footing on the north bank of the Petaluma River and beginning to work the subgrade in Hamilton Station area. Crossings are now complete in San Rafael and the ROW construction is now occuring in the Hopper St. area of Petaluma. The one exception to the crossings score is that they are about to do the N. San Pedro crossing, as scheduled, while other crossings that are finished are now being finished with signals. There are also signals being put in at all the crossings. Not in San Rafael but they are up in Gallinas and Novato and down to Civic Center Dr. so far.

Outstanding issues are: 1) how will the new bridge be moved to Petaluma 2) Will the NWP do any work south of the wye soon? 3 when will the DMUs arrive and how? By train? By truck? Under their own power? As part of the Petaluma turn?


This is the Caltrans project rail and wood ties which will remain as is to save money.

Geotechnical work anchor for netting, detail, at Puerto Suello

Geotechnical net stabilizing banks of the cut at the north portal

Culvert work at N. San Pedro Rd

Crossing panels at N. San Pedro

N. San Pedro crossing which was built back in 1984 a year or so before the whole branch went out of service as it appears a day before it too is destroyed by the wave of progress.

Panel track for the crossing

Civic Center Station

Cut from Gallinas into the Silveira Ranch/Miller Creek area

and looking south

Mountains of ballast are here for the work south to Gallinas. Shows the current progress south from Ignacio. This is in the old Hamilton Air Force Base Area


Looking south toward Hamilton Station showing work on subgrade

Haystack Bridge south approach showing the new ROW graded and ready for ballast next to the current ROW, which is the old NWP ROW.

Haystack images




Hopper St. ROW rebuild

Mike PEchner, if you are reading this, can you please comment on why there were lights down here, what they were used for etc.?