Northwestern Pacific Railroad

The Northwestern Pacific Railroad (reporting mark NWP) was a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad ran from the North Bay at Sausalito to Eureka, California, primarily near the U.S. Route 101 corridor.

The NWP ran an electrified interurban commuter railroad in Marin County until 1941. The opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 caused commuters to shift from the train-ferry service to commuting by bus and car.

The NWP was merged into the Southern Pacific in 1992, only four years before the Union Pacific/Southern Pacific merger.

The NWP Freight service is being restored as of 2009 between Schellville and Willits and the SMART passenger service (voter-tax approved and desired service) on the same rail line is due to resume passenger service by 2011. Both services will initially begin in San Rafael/Larkspur to the south and Cloverdale/Willits to the north Possible service/relationships with the Skunk Train and Wine Train are also possible. However, many environmental groups are threatening action, which could further delay the return of rail service.

Predecessor Lines

Mesa Grande train station, about 1910

Northwestern Pacific Railroad (Main Line)

Legend 462,6 Samoa 461,1 California State Route 255 455,8 Mad River Slough 449,8 Arcata 447,4 Gannon 444,6 Bracut 441,8 Brainard 438,8 Freshwater Slough 438,0 California State Route 255 436,4 Eureka 430,4 Elk River 426,3 South Bay 424,0 U.S. Route 101 418,9 Salmon Creek 416,8 Tunnel 40 415,4 Loleta 414,9 Swauger Creek and Eel River Drive 411,7 Fernbridge 408,4 U.S. Route 101 407,6 Fortuna 405,7 Strong Creek 405,0 Rohnerville 402,1 Alton 400,6 Van Duzen River 396,2 Stone 393,0 Nanning Creek 391,7 U.S. Route 101 391,6 Yoder 391,5 Wildwood Avenue 390,8 Scotia 387,9 Glynn 385,6 U.S. Route 101 384,2 Stitz Creek 376,8 Tunnel 39 376,3 Panther Creek 375,7 Shively Creek 374,8 Shively 371,8 Tunnel 38 369,0 Larabee Creek 368,5 Larabee 365,1 Weber Creek 361,8 Eel River 361,5 South Fork 359,8 Dyerville Loop Road 356,2 Tunnel 37 350,2 Sonoma Creek 347,9 Tunnel 36 346,6 Tunnel 35 345,0 Tunnel 34 342,0 Eel Rock 336,6 Brock Creek 328,4 Fort Seward 321,8 Tunnel 31 320,5 Fort Seward Creek 317,1 Tunnel 30 316,2 Alderpoint 315,4 Zenia Road 312,2 Eel River 303,3 Tunnel 29 302,3 Kekawaka 301,8 Kekawaka Creek 301,5 Tunnel 28 300,5 Queatchumpah Creek 294,9 Quarry Spur 294,0 Tunnel 27 293,3 Eel River 293,0 Island Mountain 282.8,0 Tunnel 24 277,8 Bell Springs Creek 276,7 Bell Springs 274,8 Tunnel 23 274,4 Blue Rock Creek 269,8 Spy Rock 268,5 Tunnel 22 266,8 Shell Rock Creek 263,4 Tunnel 21 262,6 Nasmead 262,3 Tunnel 20 256,2 Woodman Creek 256,1 Tunnel 18 255,6 Woodman 252,8 Tunnel 17 249,6 Berger Creek 249,0 Tunnel 16 248,2 Dos Rios 243,6 Tunnel 15 239,3 Tunnel 14 237,2 Outlet Creek 234,8 Farley 233,5 Outlet Creek 233,3 Outlet Creek 231,6 Outlet Creek 231,4 Tunnel 14 225,8 Longvale 225,1 Outlet Creek 223,6 Outlet Creek 222,8 U.S. Route 101 221,8 Tunnel 12 220,6 Outlet Creek 218,9 Outlet Creek 218,2 Outlet Creek 217,4 Outlet Creek 214,9 Outlet Creek 214,7 Tunnel 11 210,7 Outlet Creek 207,8 Little Lake 205,0 Willits 200,5 U.S. Route 101 194,9 U.S. Route 101 191,9 Ridge 180,2 Laughlin 177,5 Russian River 177,2 Redwood Valley 174,6 California State Route 20 174,6 Russian River 173,8 Calpella 169,0 Norlake 167,4 Ackerman Creek 167,1 Presswood 166,1 U.S. Route 101 164,2 Ukiah 160,5 U.S. Route 101 158,4 Robinson Creek 142,0 Hopland 141,4 Feliz Creek 139,6 U.S. Route 101 133,6 Tunnel 9 132,2 Tunnel 8 128,4 Commiskey Creek 124,4 Tunnel 7 122,6 Tunnel 6 121,0 U.S. Route 101 118,8 Tunnel 5 118,1 Cloverdale 111,9 Asti 105,0 Omus 103,1 Geyserville 96,8 Lytton 90,6 Healdsburg, California 90,0 Russian River 89,3 Bailhache 88,3 U.S. Route 101 88,0 Grant 85,8 Old Redwood Highway 82,4 Windsor 79,3 Shiloh 77,0 Mark West 75,4 Fulton 67.9 Santa Rosa 67,5 Santa Rosa Creek 67,3 California State Route 12 62,9 Todd 59,7 U.S. Route 101 55,6 Cotati, California 47,4 Crown 45,7 U.S. Route 101 45,4 Petaluma Creek 44,5 Park Siding 44,0 Petaluma Creek 43,4 Petaluma 41,9 U.S. Route 101 41,3 Petaluma Creek 31,9 Burdell 26,3 Novato 24,2 Novato Creek 23,1 Ignacio 22,9 California State Route 37 22,0 Novato Creek 18,1 Petaluma River 17,9 Black Point 3,6 Sonoma Creek 0,0 Schellville

• California Midland Railroad extended the Eel River and Eureka Railroad up the Van Duzen River to Carlotta, and was merged into SF&NW in 1903.

• California Northwestern Railway formed in 1898 for Southern Pacific Railroad to assume control of the SF&NP and extend the line from Ukiah to Willits in 1902. An extension was built from Willits to Sherwood in 1904. Merged into NWP in 1907.

• California and Northern Railway was formed by Santa Fe Railroad to build north from Eureka to Arcata in 1901, and was merged into SF&NW in 1904.

• Cloverdale and Ukiah Railroad extended the SF&NP from Cloverdale to Ukiah in 1889.

• Eel River and Eureka Railroad connected Humboldt Bay with the Eel River town of Fortuna in 1884, and was merged into SF&NW in 1903.

• Fort Bragg and Southeastern Railroad formed in 1905 for Santa Fe Railroad to assume control of the isolated 24-mile (39 km) Albion River Railroad built in 1891. Merged into NWP in 1907, but never connected to the remainder of the NWP system.

• Fulton and Guerneville Railroad constructed the 15-mile (24 km) SF&NP branch from Fulton to Guerneville in 1877.

• Marin and Napa Railroad extended the Sonoma Valley narrow-gauge 8 miles (13 km) from Sears Point to connect with the SF&NP at Ignacio in 1888.

• North Pacific Coast Railroad built a 3 ft  (914 mm)-gauge line from Sausalito via the Tomales Bay coast to the Russian River in 1876. Became North Shore Railroad in 1902.

• North Shore Railroad formed to assume control of the North Pacific Coast narrow-gauge in 1902. Merged into NWP in 1907.

• Oregon and Eureka Railroad was formed in 1903 for Southern Pacific Railroad to assume control of logging lines around Arcata at the north end of Humboldt Bay.^[1] Selected lines to Trinidad were merged into Northwestern Pacific in 1911.^[2] The Trinidad extension reverted to Hammond Lumber Company control in 1933 and operated as logging branches of the Humboldt Northern Railway until 1948.^[3]

• Pacific Lumber Company built 7 miles (11 km) of track in 1885 to connect their mill at Scotia with the Eel River and Eureka Railroad at Alton. Branch lines were subsequently built up the Eel River; and these lines merged into SF&NW in 1903.

• Petaluma and Haystack Railroad built from Petaluma to Haystack landing on the Petaluma River in 1864. Purchased by SF&NP in 1876.

• San Francisco and Eureka Railway formed by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1903 to build a connection from Willits to Eureka. Merged into NWP in 1907.

• San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad (SF&NP) built from Donahue landing on the Petaluma River to Santa Rosa in 1870 and extended to Cloverdale in 1872. Extended from Petaluma to San Rafael in 1879. Extended from San Rafael to Tiburon by the San Francisco & San Rafael in 1884. Extended from Cloverdale to Ukiah by the Cloverdale & Ukiah in 1889. Merged in NWP in 1907.

• San Francisco and Northwestern Railway (SF&NW) formed by Santa Fe Railroad in 1903 to consolidate the California and Northern Railway from Arcata to Eureka, the Eel River and Eureka Railroad from Eureka to Alton, The California Midland from Alton to Carlotta, and the Pacific Lumber Company lines from Alton up the Eel River. Merged into NWP in 1907.

• San Francisco and San Rafael Railroad extended the SF&NP from San Rafael to Tiburon in 1884.

• San Rafael and San Quentin Railroad narrow gauge in operation in 1879.

• Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Green Valley Railroad built the 6-mile (9.7 km) SF&NP branch from Santa Rosa to Sebastopol in 1890.

• Sonoma and Santa Rosa Railroad extended the Sonoma Valley narrow-gauge from Sonoma to Glen Ellen in 1882.

• Sonoma Valley Prismoidal Railway was a early wooden monorail built from Petaluma River landing 5 miles (8.0 km) to Schellville in 1877 and converted to the narrow-gauge Sonoma Valley Railroad a year later.

• Sonoma Valley Railroad purchased Sonoma Valley Prismoidal Railway in 1878, converted it to a conventional 3 ft  (914 mm) gauge, and extended it into Sonoma in 1879. Extended from Sonoma to Glen Ellen by the Sonoma & Glen Ellen in 1882. Extended from Sears Point landing to rail connection at Ignacio by Marin & Napa in 1888.

Merger

Southern Pacific Railroad controlled the NWP line from Schellville to Willits while Santa Fe Railroad controlled the northern end of NWP built by Humboldt County lumber companies. Both major railroads wanted rail connection to the redwood lumber mills around Humboldt Bay. Southern Pacific planned to extend its California Northwestern Railway down the Eel River from Willits, while Santa Fe planned to extend their San Francisco and Northwestern Railway up the South Fork Eel River through Lake County to connect with their Central Valley line at Galt. NWP was formed as a jointly owned subsidiary in 1907 to build a shared line after both companies compared construction costs to potential revenue. The line was completed in 1914. Santa Fe sold its interest to Southern Pacific in 1929.^[4]

The line was prone to problems caused by the elements and tunnel fires, making the railroad expensive to maintain. Keeping freight customers had to be a challenge also, as service was frequently disrupted.

• January 1953 – a severe rainstorm caused earth and debris to slip suddenly from the face of the Scotia Bluffs sweeping an 80-ton locomotive into the Eel River and killing three crewmen.
• July 1961 – a tunnel fire north of San Rafael decapitated the line south into Marin County until it was finally repaired in 1967.
• December 1964 – flooding washed out over 100 miles (160 km) of the northern end of the line inside the Eel River Canyon.
• September 1978 – a tunnel fire north of Island Mountain severed the line for a year.
• January 1980 – flooding washed out the tracks at NWP's Schellville interchange.

With up to 115 in (290 cm) of rainfall each year, unstable geology, and seismic activity, the Eel River Canyon has been deemed unsuitable for economic use. In September 1983 the SP announced that it was shutting down the maintenance-intensive NWP line north of Willits. This led to a contentious court battle as the SP did not properly notify the Interstate Commerce Commission of their intent to abandon the line. The line was ordered reopened by the U.S. Circuit Court in March 1984.

Route

NWP mileposts conform to Southern Pacific Railroad convention of distance from San Francisco, California:^[5]

• Milepost 40.4 - Schellville junction with Sonoma Branch

• Milepost 28.7 - Black Point bridge over Petaluma River

• Milepost 25.8 - Ignacio junction with San Rafael branch

• Milepost 27.8 - Novato

• Milepost 37.2 - bridge over Petaluma River

• Milepost 38.5 - Petaluma

• Milepost 46.1 - Cotati

• Milepost 53.8 - Santa Rosa

• Milepost 58.5 - Fulton junction with Guerneville branch

• Milepost 62.9 - Windsor

• Milepost 67.6 - bridge over Russian River

• Milepost 68 - Healdsburg

• Milepost 75.8 - Geyserville

• Milepost 85.2 - Cloverdale

• Milepost 100.1 - Hopland

• Milepost 114 - Ukiah

• Milepost 120 - Calpella

• Milepost 122.1 - Redwood Valley

• Milepost 131.4 - Ridge summit between Russian River and Eel River drainages is highest point on line

• Milepost 139.5 - Willits interchange with California Western Railroad (Union Lumber Company)

• Milepost 166.5 - line enters Eel River Canyon at Dos Rios

• Milpost 194.8 - bridge over Eel River at south entrance of Island Mountain tunnel

• Milepost 206.5 - bridge over Eel River

• Milepost 209 - Alderpoint

• Milepost 237.7 - South Fork bridge over Eel River

• Milepost 255.6 - Scotia interchange with Pacific Lumber Company

• Milepost 261.8 - bridge over Van Duzen River

• Milepost 262.7 - Alton junction with Carlotta Branch

• Milepost 266.1 - Fortuna

• Milepost 271 - Loleta

• Milepost 284.1 - Eureka

• Milepost 292.5 - Arcata

• Milepost 295.2 - Korblex interchange with Arcata and Mad River Railroad (Northern Redwood Company)

• Milepost 300.5 - Samoa interchange with Humboldt Northern Railway (Hammond Lumber Company)

Eureka Southern Railroad

On September 8, 1983, investor Bryan R. R. Whipple came to rescue the line and his new railroad, the Eureka Southern Railroad, was incorporated. He purchased the line north of Willits from NWP for $4.95 million and on November 1, 1984 the railroad commenced operations.

The Eureka Southern operated the railroad with four EMD GP382,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) locomotives it acquired from Conrail that were built in 1969.

The Eureka Southern struggled to make money on the line and on December 15, 1986 they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, however the railroad continued operations. The railroad tried operating excursion trains such as the North Coast Daylight. It should also be noted that during this period environmental concerns severely restricted logging. Logs, lumber, and wood products were the primary commodities carried by the Eureka Southern.

In September 1988 the ES purchased the 7 mi (11 km) shortline Arcata and Mad River Railroad from Simpson Timber Company for $300,000. The A&MR had been closed for the two-year period prior to its purchase by the Eureka Southern.

The death knell of the ES sounded on April 25, 1992 when an earthquake and a related landslide at Scotia Bluff closed the line.

North Coast Railroad Authority

This section may need to be updated. Please update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information, and remove this template when finished. Please see the talk page for more information. (August 2009)

In 1992, the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) purchased the Eureka Southern and leased the line to the newly-formed North Coast Railroad. The NCRA was created by state law in 1989 to preserve the Northwestern Pacific line from future abandonment. The new NWP currently operates the line from Eureka to Schellville over the length of the original route of the NWP. In 1996, the North Coast RR and the former "south end", owned by the Southern Pacific RR, became the "new" Northwestern Pacific Railroad under public ownership. The goals of the new Northwestern Pacific Railroad include handling more freight by rail along the Highway 101 corridor, establishing passenger excursion trains, and eventually providing regular passenger commuter service. In 1998 the railroad, which had more than 208 damaged sites along 216 mi (350 km), became the first and only railroad in the United States to be officially closed by the Federal Railroad Administration. In 2001, the NWP was reopened between Willits and Novato, but was shut down by the Federal Railroad Administration.

On May 31, 2006, NCRA announced that it had selected a new operator for the line. The winning bidder was NWP, Inc., led by CEO John H. Williams who had been instrumental in setting up Caltrain service on the San Francisco peninsula. Repairs to the line were started in the middle of 2009. The details of the lease to NWP, Inc., are expected to be finalized by July 2006.^[6] By late 2007, the NCRA was granted 500 Million dollars to restore the original line from Napa to Willits. With measure Q passing in 2008, the new SMART Rail is being planned between Larkspur and Cloverdale. The NCRA and Northwestern Pacific Railroad origionaly planed to start regular freight service on the line in late Fall 2009,but a lawsuit filed by the City of Novato pushed the date back to late 2009, to early 2010. The California Northern Railroad (CFNR) will also still own the Track from Lombard (Napa) to Schellville, and have Trackage Rights granted from Schellville to Willits.

Work forces began tie and ballast reconstruction from Schellville to Windsor in 2009, and electric crews have replaced and worked on many of the railroad crossings. When the freight service comes back, the North Coast Rail Authority will run eight or less car trains, and carry no hazardous materials. Reballasting and replacement of bad ties is scheduled to be completed between Schellville and Novato by 20 September 2009. NCRA hopes to have freight service resume all the way up to Willits by the year 2020.

Steam Locomotives

Diesel Locomotives

Narrow-Gauge Line

The NWP 3 ft  (914 mm)-gauge line was built as the North Pacific Coast Railroad in 1873 from a San Francisco ferry connection at Sausalito to the Russian River at Monte Rio. Rails were extended downriver to Duncans Mills in 1876, and up Austin Creek to Cazadero in 1886. This narrow-gauge line became the Shore Division of the NWP formed by Santa Fe and Southern Pacific in 1907. The standard-gauge NWP Guerneville branch was extended to Monte Rio in 1907 and the line from Monte Rio to Duncans Mills was dual-gauged in 1909. Summer tourists from San Francisco visited Russian River vacation spots via joint narrow-gauge/standard-gauge NWP "triangle" excursions until automobile travel became more popular. The southern end of the line was standard-gauged from San Francisco Bay to Point Reyes Station at the head of Tomales Bay in 1920. The line up Austin Creek to Cazadero was standard-gauged in 1926. The remaining line from Monte Rio to Point Reyes Station was dismantled in 1930.^[29]

Route

Mileposts conform to Southern Pacific Railroad convention of distance from San Francisco^[30]

• Milepost 6.5 - Sausalito^[31][32]

• Milepost 11.7 - tunnel 1

• Milepost 12.6 - Corte Madera^[33]

• Milepost 13.4 - Larkspur

• Milepost 14.7 - Kentfield

• Milepost 16.5 - Junction later known as San Anselmo^[34]

• Milepost 18.3 - Fairfax

• Milepost 20.7 - tunnel 2

• Milepost 23.1 - Nicasio

• Milepost 27 - bridge over Paper Mill Creek and highway^[35]

• Milepost 35.6 - Arroyo San Geronimo trestle^[36]

• Milepost 36.4 - Point Reyes Station^[37]

• Milepost 45.4 - Marshall

• Milepost 50.5 - bridge over Keyes Creek^[38]

• Milepost 51.9 - tunnel 3^[39]

• Milepost 53.1 - Tomales^[40]

• Milepost 53.7 - tunnel 4

• Milepost 54.9 - Stemple Creek trestle

• Milepost 58.8 - Estero Americano Creek trestle

• Milepost 59.5 - Valley Ford

• Milepost 61.9 - Ebabias Creek trestle

• Milepost 62.2 - Bodega Road crossing^[41][42]

• Milepost 62.7 - Salmon Creek trestle

• Milepost 63.7 - Freestone^[43]

• Milepost 65.2 - Salmon Creek trestle^[41]

• Milepost 66.9 - Brown Creek trestle (this 142-foot (43 m) high trestle was reputedly the highest of its kind in the United States when built in 1876)^[44][45]

• Milepost 67.6 - Occidental^[46][47]

• Milepost 68.7 - Maquire Creek trestle

• Milepost 69.0 - Camp Meeker^[48][49]

• Milepost 70.5 - Larry Creek trestle

• Milepost 70.8 - bridge over Dutch Bill Creek

• Milepost 71 - tunnel 5

• Milepost 71.6 - bridge over Dutch Bill Creek

• Milepost 71.7 - bridge over highway

• Milepost 73.8 - Monte Rio^[50][51]

• Milepost 77 - bridge over Russian River^[52][53]

• Milepost 77.1 - Duncans Mills^[54]

• Milepost 82.1 - bridge over Austin Creek^[55]

• Milepost 84.3 - Cazadero^[56][57]

Locomotives

See also

• List of U.S. Class I railroads

Footnotes

References

• Borden, Stanley T. (1963). Railroads of Eureka. The Western Railroader. 
• Carranco, Lynwood (1982). Redwood Lumber Industry. San Marino, California: Golden West Books. ISBN 0-87095-084-3. 
• Dickinson, A. Bray (1974). Narrow Gauge to the Redwoods. Corona del Mar, California: Trans-Anglo Books. ISBN 87046-010-2. 
• Drury, George H. (1984). The Train-Watcher's Guide to North American Railroads. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-061-2. 
• Kneiss, Gilbert H. (1956). Redwood Railways. Berkeley, California: Howell-North. 
• Lewis, Edward A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide (5th Edition ed.). Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-290-9. 
• Kalmbach Publishing, ed (2000). The historical guide to North American railroads (2nd Edition ed.). Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-356-5. 
• Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-385-4. 
• Sievers, Wald and Stindt, Fred A. (1969). N.W.P. Narrow Gauge. The Western Railroader. 
• Stindt, Fred A. (1974). Trains to the Russian River. Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. 
• Stindt, Fred A. (1978). The Northwestern Pacific Railroad: Redwood Empire Route (3rd Edition ed.). Kelseyville, California: Fred A. Stindt. ASIN: B0007F4A2M. 
• Stindt, Fred A. (1985). The Northwestern Pacific Railroad Volume Two. Kelseyville, California: Fred A. Stindt. ISBN 0-9615465-0-6. 
• Gale, V.J. and Valles, R.C.(Roadmasters) (1978). (untitled maintenance-of-way charts). Southern Pacific Railroad. 

External links

• North Coast Railroad Authority Current owner of the "new" Northwestern Pacific
• Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society
• Railroads and the Redwood Empire Lots of NWP Pictures
• Northwestern Pacific Today, a record of the rehabilitation and operation of the NWP starting in 2009