The NWP Railroad Video: One-word review

JasonLewis · Status: Offline

RE: The NWP Railroad Video: One-word review

bry · Status: Offline

In the begining of the video the train is passing the area in corte madera where the steam bllows from a building you see going south on 101. Now a paved road.

Paul Penna · Status: Offline

SteveC wrote:

I thought the trellis was where the steel foot bridge is now crossing the creek behind Tamal Plaza and that's where you put it in your own caption for the pic, but now it's seems your putting it west of there (?)

Unless the channel was rerouted later, that must be where the trestle was located. As for the two slides my brother took, you can tell from the relative positions of background details common to both that the one of the trestle was taken farther to the west than the one from on the tracks. That seems to indicate that the one taken on the tracks was right around where Tamal Vista Blvd. is today, or at any rate just after the tracks straightened after the curve. It's tricky trying to judge straight-ahead distances from a two-dimensional image because of the vagaries of foreshortening, lens focal length etc. Looking straight down at this area on the Google satellite view, the distances seem much smaller.

SteveC wrote:

I also mentioned how I wondered what the business' were on the east side of 101. Center left, I believe is Bill's Refrigeration. Toward the right, maybe a service station ? The larger plot farther right, which is right about where the Highway Patrol later built on the new frontage road where Macy's is now,
is that like a junk yard or small ranch ? What do you think ?

I don't have any early memories of that area, as we never had much reason to travel that stretch of 101. If we were going south, we'd get the highway at Corte Madera, and at Greenbrae when going north. More often, Father would take us over Wolfe Grade and join 101 via Lincoln Ave. He didn't care for freeways and tried to bypass them whenever possible.

I see my sister has chimed in and read my mind. We'll definitely have to schedule a then-and-now photo field trip.

Rosemary · Status: Offline

SteveC wrote:

I thought the trellis was where the steel foot bridge is now crossing the creek behind Tamal Plaza and that's where you put it in your own caption for the pic, but now it's seems your putting it west of there (?)

I'm trying to remember this. As a kid, it seemed to be a long way to the trestle. In recent years, I thought it was near where the road through the parking lot at Redwood connects to Heather Gardens. But you may be right. It was probably where the channel is and the new foot bridge is now. Wandering out on the tracks and in the slough seemed such an adventurous thing then. I don't think I ever crossed the trestle, but I did go partway out. I was always afraid some freight train would come along. Although my friends said you could always tell when a train was coming by putting your ear on the track.

Maybe it's time for a "Then & Now" photo.
Rosemary

Paul Penna · Status: Offline

rick wrote:

Paul - I was looking at the very beginning of the video. It looks to be shot from a location very close to a picture you posted a while back. I believe you titled it " Farms; In Larkspur ? "

That shot is in this thread, and it looks like it was taken just off to the north (right) of the opening shot of the video clip.

rick · Status: Offline

Paul - I was looking at the very beginning of the video. It looks to be shot from a location very close to a picture you posted a while back. I believe you titled it " Farms; In Larkspur ? "

SteveC · Status: Offline

OK Perry Mason, You win, good job. I just don't remember the tracks curving until the east side where even know you can see the trailer court property is curved to allow the train going around it. The underpass today seems straight.

I thought the trellis was where the steel foot bridge is now crossing the creek behind Tamal Plaza and that's where you put it in your own caption for the pic, but now it's seems your putting it west of there (?)

That cushman pic is the one I mentioned when we met and I said how after looking at it many times I finally noticed the Edgewater Inn being built and before CMC which surprised me as I always thought it was 60's not 50's.

I also mentioned how I wondered what the business' were on the east side of 101.

Center left, I believe is Bill's Refrigeration. Toward the right, maybe a service station ? The larger plot farther right, which is right about where the Highway Patrol later built on the new frontage road where Macy's is now,
is that like a junk yard or small ranch ? What do you think ?

But I'm guessing at all these.

Paul Penna · Status: Offline

SteveC wrote:

Agreed Paul.

Once again I'm confused though. That very first part looks to me like the train had just turned off the track that goes to San Clemente, Tiburon etc. and would be right behind
today's Cost Plus World Market heading towards Tamal Vista and the trestle (that I don't see) over the creek.

Is it because we're not looking down, that it seems like there is no wetlands there ?

Also, that hill I seem to have a fascination with (shown in your RHS and bro Will photos) is nowhere to be seen and I thought the train cut through it and made a bridge for the highway to go over it (lesser version of what's there today)

The train is on the west side of the highway, having just gone under it. Look in the lower left of this slide in the Cushman Collection and you'll see the curve the train follows at the star of the clip. The curve hugs the southern slope of your favorite hill. The trees are where Tamal Vista Blvd. and Nellen Ave. would be after the hill was carved away.

So the train is indeed going up the stretch of track shown in those two photos my brother took seen on this page of my Larkspur site. I'm not sure of the precise location of the trestle , but based on the relative size and position of some trees in the background you can tell it's further up the tracks (that is, toward the west) from the spot he took the photo on the tracks themselves.

SteveC · Status: Offline

Agreed Paul.

Once again I'm confused though. That very first part looks to me like the train had just turned off the track that goes to San Clemente, Tiburon etc. and would be right behind
today's Cost Plus World Market heading towards Tamal Vista and the trestle (that I don't see) over the creek.

Is it because we're not looking down, that it seems like there is no wetlands there ?

Also, that hill I seem to have a fascination with (shown in your RHS and bro Will photos) is nowhere to be seen and I thought the train cut through it and made a bridge for the highway to go over it (lesser version of what's there today)

And since you have all the answers....

PS, I have an old map that shows the "town" of "Detour" there. (I'll you do too!!)

Paul Penna · Status: Offline

WOW!!!

(Talking about this video.)