Graham Buxton Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That is pretty funny.
>
> For those not familiar with the Ports of Lewiston
> / Wilma, a coal to barge transload there would
> require hauling unit trains of coal upriver (on
> the Snake River) from essentially Pasco WA at the
> confluence with the Columbia River, only to then
> barge that coal back downriver that same portion
> of the Snake River. Its around 140 river miles
> from Lewiston to the confluence of the Snake and
> Columbia Rivers.

In the "for what it's worth" department, it is somewhat conceivable that any coal passing through Spokane and bound for the Port of Lewiston could be routed via UP's Washy line to Ayer Junction, which would only require a 70 mile backtrack back up river to Lewiston. Of course, there's no way to turn a train at Ayer, so the entire consist would have to "reverse" back to Lewiston.

But in the larger "why" discussion, it was pointed out to me that the State of Idaho is less hostile to such things than are Oregon and Washington, and if all the current proposals for rail-to-barge/rail-to-ship coal facilities get rejected in those states, the industry may just cast an eye upriver to Lewiston.