Mark Prado On Sep 3, 2015 Source: McClatchy
Sept. 03--All the track needed to run Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit commuter trains through Marin County is now set firmly in terra firma after 15 months of work.
Crews have put down the final track near the Civic Center, completing about 20 miles of rail that stretches from downtown San Rafael to the county line.
"The track has all been laid," said Judy Arnold, Marin supervisor and chairwoman of the SMART board. "It's an example of how the design-build process has worked toward getting this project opened sooner."
The design-build model uses one contractor to design and then build the work rather than have separate firms to design and then construct a project.
Track work in Marin, which began in March 2014, moved from north to south. More permits will be needed from federal officials before the trains can be tested on tracks south of the Civic Center. SMART trains have rolled on tracks in northern Marin, with one set stationed near the Civic Center during the county fair in early July.
"Our next step will be the building of stations starting with downtown San Rafael and then going north," said Farhad Mansourian, SMART's executive director.
The new rails are expected to provide a quiet ride. Rail lines of yesteryear were generally built on tracks that were 48 feet long, creating the iconic "clickity-clack" sound as train wheels hit joints.
The SMART trains, however, will run on the longer stretches of continuous 1,600 foot sections of welded rail -- manufactured in Pueblo, Colorado -- resulting in less noise.
There was existing track in Marin, but it could only handle train speeds of up to 25 mph, perfect for freight but not a commuter service. The new SMART rails will be able to accommodate speeds of up to 82 mph, although the SMART plan calls for a top speed of 79 mph.
Putting rails in Marin is part of the $427.9 million project linking downtown San Rafael to the Sonoma airport with service set to start at the end of 2016.
Marin SMART stops will include downtown San Rafael, the Marin Civic Center and stations in Novato at Hamilton and Atherton Avenue. There is also renewed discussion of having some service to downtown Novato, but nothing has been finalized. An extension to Larkspur soon after service begins could be put in if federal money comes through, officials said.
Park of the recent work included putting track into the 135-year-old Puerto Suello Hill train tunnel. The tunnel partially collapsed in 1961 in a blaze that took the life of a firefighter. When the railroad company rebuilt the tunnel, it used a wooden shoring system to reconstruct concrete walls. That wood had since decayed, creating empty pockets.
To prevent movement during earthquakes, industrial-strength grout was shot into those gaps. All told, the tunnel work cost about $4 million. In addition to the grout, cracks were repaired and walls were bolted down. Overall, the tunnel was deemed to be in remarkably good shape by engineers.
And after the track, the railcars, testing and stretching 'their legs'. For an european like me, they just look to heavy to be 'light rail', and the design is somehow reminiscent of some trains of the seventies. By the way, wasn't this, at least part of it, the 'Petaluma & Santa Rosa' of yore ?
Arriving at Cotati
A spectacular drone filmed bay point bridge crossing, and entering Marine country. Also good view of the now current trend of installing equipment on the roof.
(It must be news to Pueblo that they are casting strings 1600 feet long.In reality, Evraz/RMSM welded 80 ft blanks into CWR strings at the welding plant there.)
Mario, this isn't light rail. It's commuter/heavy rail with limitations on the south end. NWP freight runs on it from Petaluma northward. Even with the gaffes and blunders to date, I hope they make a go of it (especially the DMU's) without some of those gaffes coming back to haunt them. (The "newsworker" that wrote the article presented needs to brush up on his practical reality just a little. The forum will be picking his flawed writings to pieces. The flaws were ignored in this piece of rah-rah fluff.)
If Phases 2, 2A and 3 ever happen, the political fallout ought to be fun to watch, especially on the south end of the old NWP.
mudchicken The new rails are expected to provide a quiet ride. Rail lines of yesteryear were generally built on tracks that were 48 feet long, creating the iconic "clickity-clack" sound as train wheels hit joints. (It must be news to Pueblo that they are casting strings 1600 feet long.In reality, Evraz/RMSM welded 80 ft blanks into CWR strings at the welding plant there.) Mario, this isn't light rail. It's commuter/heavy rail with limitations on the south end. NWP freight runs on it from Petaluma northward. Even with the gaffes and blunders to date, I hope they make a go of it (especially the DMU's) without some of those gaffes coming back to haunt them. (The "newsworker" that wrote the article presented needs to brush up on his practical reality just a little. The forum will be picking his flawed writings to pieces. The flaws were ignored in this piece of rah-rah fluff.) If Phases 2, 2A and 3 ever happen, the political fallout ought to be fun to watch, especially on the south end of the old NWP.
Just later I realised this is a NWP line, my mistake (by the way, didn't know NWP was still 'alive'). As for the 'light rail' thing, maybe I was influenced by the fact that some transit systems (in this case Fort worth, Tx) are buying Stadler Flirt railcars, wich are 'heavy raill' here, and consider them 'light' there (they're light for most US standards)
I had always wondered what caused the clickity clack; now I know. I wonder what sound would have been created if shorter, say 39 foot, rails had been used.
Johnny
39 foot used to be the norm. They fit in 40 foot gondolas
The south end of Phase 2, the extension to Larkspur, the station is a bit inconviently located in my opinion (which counts for nothing to Marin County). According to this document (page 67), it's to be tucked in north of the Century Movie theatre & parking lot, a fair walk from the actual Larkspur Ferry Terminal via the Larkspur Landing. They would really need to add a leg to that elevated walkway across Drake Blvd, heading NW toward the theatre. The U-ramp is already there, part of the Trail/Pathway (which was built with the Larkspur extension in mind), but there seems to be no direct path designed to the Ferry Terminal (and the land is posted 'Private Property', which it is - oops). Google Street shows some construction, but I think that's for the trail extension west over 101. If this was Subchat, we could play connect the dots - extend the existing pedestrian bridge over Drake Blvd straight NNW between Fidelity Investments/Building 'B' and Cannon Equity across Larkspur Landing 'Circular' to the Movie theatre, then a defined path to the station either along the West or East side of the theatre. I guess it was the best they could do, but it seems a bit awkwardly sited.
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