The young railfan seen here got his money's worth when this Northwestern Pacific train rolled into Petaluma.
Behind the locomotives (genset #2009 and GP-9 #1922) were nine grain hoppers, six bulkhead flats with concrete ties, and three ballast hoppers. The tie cars and ballast hoppers were delivered to the SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) construction staging yard in Santa Rosa where work is currently underway on rail bed replacement between Santa Rosa and San Rafael.
Oh the stories these special buildings could tell. Originally the brains of the rails they monitored, working to insure effecient rail service for our nation! A tribute!