SMART (Ca.) to buy used bascule bridge for Petaluma River crossing

[bikkuri bahn]

Kudos to SMART for an, ah, "smart" purchase...

 

SMART to buy a (draw)bridge

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit officials intend to buy a used drawbridge in Galveston, Texas, to replace the 109-year-old swing bridge over the Petaluma River.

 

Rather than launch a $20 million rehab of the aging structure at Haystack Landing, and then perhaps spending $30 million to replace it in 20 years, SMART says that for $20 million it can buy and install the used bridge and have it last 75 to 80 years.

 

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120213/ARTICLES/120219823/1033/news?Title=SMART-to-replace-Petaluma-span-with-used-drawbridge

 

*should be a neat photo spot once the trains are in operation.  Bascule bridges are fun to watch.

[Mudkip Orange]

That's pretty rawk.

[KenS]

I must say, that's a "smart" decision (sorry, couldn't resist).  Definitely a good use of money and some intelligent administrators.

 

I wonder how one goes about discovering a "used" bridge is available halfway across the country.  Somehow I don't think BNSF put it up on E-bay.

[bikkuri bahn]

More news: SMART DMU development moving along:

 

The commuter rail cars that will run between Sonoma and Marin counties have passed federal crash tests, are in the final design stages and are on track to be delivered in October 2013.

 

“This is the state of the art for commuter rail, which shares the track with freight railroads,” said Kevin Koyasu, president and chief executive officer of Nippon Sharyo USA, based in Arlington Heights, Ill.

 

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District developed specifications for the new rail car to meet Federal Railroad Administration regulations for crash-worthiness and new emission standards that take effect in 2014.

 

A stainless-steel prototype of the SMART car was built at the company's plant in Japan, where it passed compression tests for crashworthiness, Koyasu said.

 

The car shells will be built in Japan and then shipped to the Illinois plant for assembly, largely with American-made components, including a Cummings diesel engine, brakes, seats and windows.

 

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120220/ARTICLES/120229958/0/OPINION?p=1&tc=pg

 

Encouraging to see actual progress in rail transit in CA, given the prevailing Negative Nelly atmosphere.