Mike McGuire at the May 8 SMART ‘groundbreaking ceremony’ at the Foley Family Community Pavilion, painting a vivid image of the benefits of bringing the Sonoma-Marin commuter rail system to Healdsburg and beyond. (Rick Tang photo)
On May 8, Healdsburg found out what kind of party SMART brings to town. T-shirts and other swag were lined up for free distribution, and plenty of food in various rolls and fingers was available, as was fruit and soda. It was enough to dine on, while officials from Sacramento to Petaluma enthusiastically testified to the benefits of regional rail transportation.
There were hundreds of green or brown SMART t-shirts, blue hats, train toys and wine cozies, and a generous spread of food. Everything from swap to speakers were very similar to the Windsor ceremony of a year ago, though that was welcoming the actual train to town. The highlight came when the dignitaries each grabbed a mallet and drove in a ‘golden spike’ to signify the coming of the SMART rail to Healdsburg. Expect that to happen late in 2028.
Below is a Gallery of images by Rick Tang from the event. Click one to start, then > click forward or < back through the full-size images.
Perspective on the historic rail and spike show, Ma8 8, 20206
Miniature railroad mallets, about the size of an ten-inch.
Souvenir t-shirts and other swag at the Pavlion entrance.
Lunch catered by Oliver’s for the event, underwrittten by SMART.
Banner envisioning a future railroad bridge over the Russian River.
Comparing note and speches from the first row.
SMART board member and Healdsburg’s former mayor Ariel Kelley
Local train enthusiast Railroad Bob
In focus, US Rep Jared Hoffman and congressional candidate Mike McGuire
US Representive Jared Huffman
Assemblyman Chris Rogers
Healdsburg Mayor Chris Herrod
A clockface of “golden=plated” spikes.
Gathering of speakers and dignitaries for the SMART ‘groundbreaking’ in the Pavlion, May 8, 2026.
SMART board members learn to work together — David Rabbitt, Victoria Felming, Eric Luhan, Ariel Kelley, Christ Coursey and Damon Connolly.
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) through Healdsburg completely stopped transporting lumber, gravel, and other freight in February 1998.While the heavy long-haul timber traffic from the North Coast plummeted significantly in the 1970s and 1980s due to a declining lumber industry, local freight trains continued servicing customers and lines through the Russian River and Dry Creek regions up until the early 1990s. The final, absolute shutdown occurred when the severe El Niño storms of late 1997 and early 1998 caused massive, catastrophic washouts along the line, forcing the Federal Railroad Administration to emergency-close the remaining tracks.Today, the defunct rail corridor through Healdsburg is being formally converted into a recreational path known as the Great Redwood Trail.
Kentucky Pendergrass hired me to wash trucks on the weekends at Idaco Lumber. The train tracks split a line where lumber was delivered there for building trusses. Many of the old timers remember Idaco. Dad liked to take his Model T and speed up to drive up and over that steep hill in front of Idaco. Scared the hell out of us kids.
Kentucky scared the hell out of me when he hired me. Piercing blue crazed eyes, a thick black head of hair and strong build he slammed his hand down on his desk rattling my nerves to where I jumped as he welcomed me aboard
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) through Healdsburg completely stopped transporting lumber, gravel, and other freight in February 1998.While the heavy long-haul timber traffic from the North Coast plummeted significantly in the 1970s and 1980s due to a declining lumber industry, local freight trains continued servicing customers and lines through the Russian River and Dry Creek regions up until the early 1990s. The final, absolute shutdown occurred when the severe El Niño storms of late 1997 and early 1998 caused massive, catastrophic washouts along the line, forcing the Federal Railroad Administration to emergency-close the remaining tracks.Today, the defunct rail corridor through Healdsburg is being formally converted into a recreational path known as the Great Redwood Trail.
Kentucky Pendergrass hired me to wash trucks on the weekends at Idaco Lumber. The train tracks split a line where lumber was delivered there for building trusses. Many of the old timers remember Idaco. Dad liked to take his Model T and speed up to drive up and over that steep hill in front of Idaco. Scared the hell out of us kids.
Kentucky scared the hell out of me when he hired me. Piercing blue crazed eyes, a thick black head of hair and strong build he slammed his hand down on his desk rattling my nerves to where I jumped as he welcomed me aboard