After perhaps 18 months of construction, the two mile extension from San Rafael station to the Century Larkspur cinema is complete and ready for testing with DMUs. This testing began in earnest on Friday evening around 2315, as shown. It was a glorious evening of witness.

The Herzog people came through and removed the bumpers at the San Rafael station and the cones blocking the new section of right of way between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Signal contactors unlocked the crossing gate arms. Then it was a waiting game with the new DMUs 117/118 finally showing up and doing the honors of activating the signals at 3rd St. for the first time for a movement across the street.

They stopped at the station for a few minutes, boarding personnel for the trip to Larkspur. Here's a view of the new tracks running through the San Rafael Transit Center.

And here 117 leads the way across 3rd St.

At a fast jogging speed they rolled across 2nd St. and are seen here approaching the double track bridge over San Rafael Creek.

Here they are just south of the bridge running along West Francisco Boulevard. This whole area had maybe five tracks and freight house in the olden days. The most recent NWP alignment, last used in the 80's, had a single track running about where the road is today, with the road being where the SMART tracks are now.

A going away shot showing the Stacy Whitbeck/Herzog construction office.

Crossing W. Francisco near Rice Dr.

Here the train is running across the path of the old San Quentin Branch, today's Andersen Drive and then running past the ped xing of the tracks between Woodland and Andersen.



Underneath Highway 101 about to cross over Auburn St.

Now we are over in Larkspur or Greenbrae really and here's a shot over the wall looking down the Cal Park tunnel.

And another view of the tunnel from farther away with the DMU popping out of it.

Here they are running along the bike path near the former location of Doug Morgan's railcar refurbisher business on the Hutchison Quarry site.

Here they are getting out to check the platform clearance.

And here they are safe and sound at Larkspur Station, a short walk from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal where you can hop a ferry to San Francisco and catch a Giants game.




And here's a shot on the return crossing coming of the San Rafael Creek bridge across 2nd Street and onto the San Rafael Transit Center block.