About this user
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad was incorperated when the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads realized that only one railroad would succed in shipping the vast lumber region. Combining almost 42 differernt railroads, on of the more famouse ones being the North Pacific Coast, and building a line between Eureka and Schelleville. Trains were interchanged with the Santa Fe via carbarge at Tiburon, while the NWP exchanged with the Southern Pacific at Schelleville.
In 1929, the Santa Fe sold their intrest to the Southern Pacific, although the railroad continued to interchange with the Santa Fe via carbarge until the early 50's.
The NWP ran passenger survice up until 1937, when the Golden Gate Bridge opened. Also, the NWP operated ferry service until the 1940's, when a compition with cars and private boats deminished passenger survice.
The NWP played a big part in the war effort, transporting millitary supplies, troops, and armorant. Some trains needed 4 or 5 locomotives to help boost the train over Ridge Hill.
After WWII, passenger service resumed, with the tri-weekly Redwood Explorer running behined 2 SD9s, which ran from Marin County to Eureka. During this time, from the 1950s through 1989, the NWP leased all of its motive power from the Southern Pacific. In 1990, the North Coast Railroad Athourity took over the line. Founded in 1989 by state law, is in charge of keeping the NWP out of abandonment. Using former SP High-Nose GP9s, they operated the entire line from Schelleville to Eureka until 1993 when the line was leased to the California Northern Railroad, a subsidary of the Arizona and California railroad. Using their Handsomly painted green, yellow and white GP15-1's and SD9s, the California Northern ran the line from Schelleville to Willits, where it interchanged with the North Coast railroad (the NCRA's railroad) until 1996 when the NWP became publicly owned. They operated over the line from Willits to Schellville using former SP GP9s and SD9s, painted the NWP "Black Widow" scheam until the line failed safety regulations in 1998, shutting the entire line down. a portion of the line re-opened in 2001 between Schellville and Cotati, but shut down 2 months after. The line has sence been shut down. The North Coast Railroad athourity has anounced it is planning a re-opening between Schellville and Windsor in March of 2010, with the SMART train, a future commuter train, to follow. Work began in 2007 to re-open, but was halted due to a lawsuit filed by the City of Novato, saying the NCRA hasn't followed all the safety and Envormental regulations. The lawsuit was dropped in late 2008, and work resumend. It was comleated in Sept. of 2009. Hopes are high to have trains all the way up to Willits by January 2020. (more info coming soon, be back.) (Questines? Comments? Please do not send me junk, comments, or messages. do the via youtube)
chadgustafson61@gmail.com
