A couple of minor updates and corrections are in order for the earlier Port of Lewiston thread. There was a slip out problem in 1984 that was repaired and the line remained in service until the 1986 abandonment. The line sat dormant and in place until 1995 when the BN began brush cutting and bridge inspections in preparations for reopening the line for log traffic from the STMA by way of the WI&M to Lewiston (marketing for other traffic was also reported to be in the works). However, the reopening process and the welded rail installation on the WI&M sub. was abruptly cancelled under new CEO Krebs with excessive merger costs associated with the Santa Fe merger cited as the reason, then in short order the whole works was put up for sale. Then the spring floods on 1996 happened and both the WI&M and the lower P&L were damaged. The bridge near Kennedy Ford on the WI&M was repaired, mainly to get out locomotives and equipment trapped at Potlatch, and the line between Deary and Bovill was closed due to a large sink hole. The lower P&L between Troy and Arrow received wash out damage with a section above Kendrick subjected to a lengthy, but easily repairable undercut by the creek, that left track hanging from mid air like a bridge was out. There were also some significant washouts between Kendrick and Arrow, but
all bridges were left in good condition (most had been completely redecked shortly before abandonment). It has been reported that a certain St. Maries based trucking company that hauls chips and logs with bright green semi-tractors asserted significant pressure on the Port of Lewiston to stop supporting the reopening of the rail line, and on the IDOT to use the P&L right of way between Julietta and Arrow to improve the hiway--which is what has happened. (In any event, the Port of Lewiston dropped it's support for reopening the P&L and began to lobby for hiway improvements instead.) Montana Rail Link had a significant interest in buying the P&L, and had gone to the trouble of sending representatives to communities along the line discussing potential train volumes and other matters with local city officials. (Over the years reports have surfaced that one of the commodities being discussed was talc being exported in addition to grain. It is also believed that MRL would have been the logical buyer of the CSP when that line came up for sale a few years later---do you think log trains would be running out of Jaype today if that had happened??)
It is also worth noting that the Camas Prairie (CSP) was also lobbying BN to reopen the lower P&L for both log and grain traffic, and to return eastbound BN traffic to the faster Spokane routing to gain business. CSP maintenance supervisor Morefield inspected the line prior to BN putting the line up for sale--stating the line was in good condition. The CSP plan would have given control of the line to the CSP up to Pullman with the interchange between the CSP and BN taking place in Pullman--reportedly, Union Pacific (half owner of the CSP) was dragging it's feet on the idea.
TRIVIA: In the 1970's, there was a serious proposal to reroute the Portland section of the Empire Builder via the P&L from Spokane to Pasco. The proposal went so far as the USDOT operating a track geometry train from Spokane to Pasco to measure track conditions, profiles, distances and estimated speeds. (To this day, Amtrak has no stops between Spokane and Pasco, and adding the stops of Pullman, Moscow and Lewiston was one of several selling points, and the new line between Lewiston and Riparia offered much higher speeds than would have been possible before the line relocation.) Although the effort was mainly based in Pullman, city government officials in Pullman and Moscow were not overly interested, but officials in Lewiston were.