Use hand-me-downs to get started quicker and cheaper. Hmmmm!

Nice thought! But are you proposing that these ex San Diego trolleys stick their pantographs up to draw current from an air wire? Electrifying the line will more than quadruple the cost of renovating the trackway, wiping out any cost savings and then some (a lot actually).

There is a way though - but it involves the apparently hated "D" word. There may be surplus RDC cars kicking around for a self propelled option. But I known of none. However, I do know the UTA in Salt Lake City has amassed a very large fleet of ex Chicago Metra push pull double deckers (gallery cars I think), which they are slowly restoring and selling off. They also do contract overhaul on both old light rail cars and old heavy commuter coaches, at the same facility (Old UP locomotive shops)

So three or four train sets, each consisting of two or three such cars in the beginning, pushed southbound to a ferry pier by a modern quiet and clean commuter locomotive, would do nicely. Which leaves only the track rehab (to class 4 mostly) and cab signaling with ATP, to be completed. Later on if desired and justified, a 24ft high AC catenary could be installed and these locos retroed to use it.

All Quite doable quite quickly, with already existing or off the shelf stuff - if only the dam politicians would just get out of the way and let the experts at it!

Yeah I know! I forgot this was Northern Califonia.