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Railroad Newsline for Friday, January 26, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

RAILROAD PLEDGES TO SNUFF SMOKE AND SOOT

Photo here:

[www.durangoherald.com]

Caption reads: Benjamin Feran, assistant boiler maker at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, checks out a fire box on Engine No. 428 in the roundhouse on Tuesday. Allen Harper, owner of the railroad, has pledged $1 million in the next five years to help reduce emissions from the operation of the trains. (Yodit Gidey/Herald)

Additional photo here:

[www.durangoherald.com]

Caption reads: Smoke from a Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge locomotive comes through the roof of the roundhouse. A scrubber is at the left in this file photo. The railroad and the Train Smoke Mitigation Task Force are looking for ways to reduce emissions from train operations. (Jerry McBride/Herald)

DURANGO, CO -- The owner of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad will spend $1 million in the next five years to reduce train smoke emissions by 10 percent each year at the roundhouse.

In an interview Wednesday, Allen Harper said the $1 million should produce results and should show the community that he and his wife, Carol, are serious about improving air quality in Durango.

"We want the community to know that we are good citizens and good neighbors in this town," said Harper, who moved here with his family in August 2005. "We believe in Durango."

Harper has owned the train since 1998. During that time, he has done more than any other owner in the railroad's 125-year history to reduce smoke emissions, he said. "We're proud of that effort," he said.

Residents, especially those living in South Durango, have complained for years that smoke spewing from idling locomotives pollutes the air, leaves a fine layer of soot inside houses and even turns the white hair on their pets black.

South Durango residents are pleased to learn of Harper's $1 million commitment, said Jerry Swingle, a South Durango resident. "The general response from the neighborhood folks is serious enthusiasm," he said.

The Train Smoke Mitigation Task Force, of which Swingle is a member, will have control over spending $1 million in the next five years. The group was created last year and consists of representatives from the D&SNG, Region 9 Economic Development of Southwest Colorado, La Plata County, city of Durango and South Durango residents.

"This gives us a real leg up in terms of addressing some of the issues that are going to cost money to address," Swingle said. "We're looking to make some significant gains."

Harper's plan is this:

. He will pledge $50,000 cash each year through 2011 to reduce smoke.

. He will commit $50,000 each year through 2011 for labor costs directly related to smoke reduction.

. And in 2010, he will free up $500,000 cash to reduce smoke.

The task force will prioritize how the money is spent, but Harper hopes for a 10-percent reduction in spoke emissions each year for the next five years at the roundhouse. "We feel like we can achieve our goal of a 10- percent reduction of emissions (each year)," he said.

Options already being considered this year include using wood pellets rather than coal to keep locomotives warm overnight and moving an ash pit to Silverton. Other improvements include making improvements to the roundhouse and locomotives, and possibly expanding the current scrubber system.

The task force completed a $40,000 feasibility study in November that will be used in prioritizing options.

The task force also will seek dollar-to-dollar matching grants and loans for improving emissions. But landing grants will be difficult, because the train is a for-profit company.

The San Juan Basin Health Department and other state agencies will monitor improvements in emissions, said Julie Levy, community development coordinator for Region 9.

"It's really exciting that the train has not only supported the creation of the task force, but it's also putting its financial resources to that commitment - to see real change," Levy said.
"Our community is ready to do something about it." - Shane Benjamin, The Durango Herald

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DRUNK MAN NEARLY GETS AWAY WITH TRAINJACKING

EUGENE, OR -- On Wednesday at about 01:10, deputies from the Lane County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Judkins Point on the report of an intoxicated subject trying to drive a Union Pacific locomotive engine.

The locomotive was attached to several rail cars.

After being confronted, the subject was reported to be harassing the train crew and refusing to leave.

Upon arrival, the subject had left the area on foot.

The engineer of the train reported that the subject had snuck onto the locomotive and had depressed several levers and buttons, initiating about half of the sequence necessary to move the locomotive.

When confronted, the subject stated something about wanting to drive the train and became upset about being ordered to leave.

A deputy contacted the subject, identified as 22-year-old Caleb Gary, a transient, a short distance away.

Gary was taken into custody without incident and lodged at the Lane County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Criminal Trespass in the 1st degree. - The Salem News

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DEAL TO BUY HISTORIC GRAND CANYON RAILWAY ACCEPTED

FLAGSTAFF, AZ -- The owners of the fabled Grand Canyon Railway have accepted a buyout offer from one of the nation's biggest national park contractors.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts will take over the assets of the railroad company, including the trains, rail route from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, an RV park, restaurant and several real estate parcels in Williams. The amount of the bid was not disclosed.

Xanterra runs lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts, including Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley and Petrified Forest national parks.

"Xanterra is exactly the type of organization we hoped would purchase the railway. It's a well-run operation and we are looking forward to being a part of it," W. David Chambers, president of Grand Canyon Railway, said Wednesday.

The railway has two steam engines and 29 cars currently in service, plus six diesel engines and 14 cars not currently used.

The railway was shuttered for nearly 20 years before Paradise Valley residents Max and Thelma Biegert reopened it in 1989. In the early 1900s, it was the main mode of transportation to the Grand Canyon.

The Biegerts put the operation up for sale last year and announced a tentative deal with Xanterra in September. The deal still requires approval from the National Park Service. - The Associated Press, The Arizona Daily Sun

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UP COAL TRAIN DERAILS IN NEBRASKA

GIBBON, NE -- Union Pacific Railroad reported the derailment of a train Thursday morning in Gibbon, Nebraska.

UP spokesman James Barnes said 46 cars derailed on an eastbound train on the east edge of Gibbon at about 02:00. Barnes said the derailment spilled coal across the three main lines. Cleanup efforts were under way.

The train was bound for Kansas when it derailed.

Gibbon is about 13 miles east of Kearney. - The Associated Press, KETV-TV7, Omaha, NE

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REVOLUTIONARY SNAKE ENSEMBLE TO TRAVEL TO MARDI GRAS ON AMTRAK

WASHINGTON, DC -- Mardi Gras will start early for Amtrak as the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble will travel on board the Crescent to New Orleans for this year's festivities. The band is scheduled to depart Washington on Monday, February 12. The trip will include a special performance by the ensemble.

Prior to their trip to New Orleans, the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble will make its first Washington-DC appearance on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, February 11 at 18:00. The concert is free and open to the public.

"Amtrak is thrilled to be a part of the celebration of music and culture that is Mardi Gras by providing transportation for the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble to New Orleans," said Hank Koppelman, Director of Marketing for Amtrak in the Southeast. "The Crescent is as much as part of New Orleans' history as Mardi Gras, and we welcome the opportunity to do a small part to support the re-growth of the Crescent City."

"We are pleased to continue our partnership with Amtrak in support of the revitalization of Gulf Coast culture," said Garth Ross, Director of Performing Arts for Everyone at the Kennedy Center.\

"Together, the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, Amtrak and the Kennedy Center are making the statement that one good way to help New Orleans get back on its feet is for people to come down and visit the city," said Ken Field leader and saxophonist of the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble.

The Revolutionary Snake Ensemble will march with the Krewe of Muses on February 15 at this year's Mardi Gras celebration. Upon their arrival in New Orleans, the group will perform at the legendary Circle Bar on Tuesday, February 13 at 22:30. - Karina Romero, Amtrak; Ken Field, Revolutionary Snake Ensemble and Erin Dowdy, Kennedy Center Joint News Release

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BNSF ISSUES NEW POLICY REGARDING SAFE HANDLING/SHIPPING OF BULK GRAIN LOADS

As a result of a recent derailment and significant container overload issues, a new policy will go into effect at 00:01 Friday, January 26, 2007.

The BNSF Railway Company will place a maximum weight limitation on all BULKAG shipments:

· For a 20-foot container, the lading limit will be 40,000 pounds

· For a 40-foot container, the lading limit will be 48,000 pounds

All BULKAG shipments entering BNSF Intermodal Facilities will require a certified scale ticket that can be used to verify lading weight and ensure compliance with the above limitations.

Please ensure that the proper lading weight is declared and that the appropriate product description, STCC and rate authority are provided on the shipping instructions.

Shipments without this documentation, or overweight shipments, may be refused at the gate. - BNSF Facility Update

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BNSF ASSISTS IN EFFORTS TO SAVE WILDLIFE

Forced by cold and hunger out of their forest home, herds of deer, elk and antelope have sought refuge from the relentless snows that have plagued Colorado this winter.

One of the few places the animals can find free of heavy snow - as deep as 50 inches in places - is the area around railroad tracks. In the last several weeks, hundreds of the unfortunate wildlife have been killed by trains.

According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), the animals don't like standing in deep snow, and the area between the rails that has been cleared by snow plows on locomotives is one of the few snow-free areas they can find.

The BNSF Railway Company is taking action to minimize the losses and is working with the DOW, which is employing a previously devised plan to lure the wildlife away from the tracks.

Using snowmobiles and other snow machines, DOW workers have packed down large areas several hundred yards from the tracks. Food is then scattered in the trampled-down areas. Since implementing the plan last week, there have been no reports of animals being killed.

BNSF is taking action as well. Trains that normally run 45 mph have slowed, to 35 mph.
Additionally, engineers have been told to use the train whistles more freely to frighten the animals off the tracks.

According to DOW, BNSF has been very cooperative. "The railroad people have been great," said the DOW spokesperson. "They're doing everything they can." - BNSF Today

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CPR ON TRACK TO DELIVER CANADA'S 2010 WINTER GAMES; CPR NAMED OFFICIAL RAIL FREIGHT SERVICES PROVIDER

Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced Thursday Canadian Pacific as the Official Rail Freight Services Provider. Canadian Pacific Railway has been moving Canada's commerce over the past 126 years and is now positioned to help bring the 2010 Winter Games to all Canadians.

"Canadian Pacific has a historic connection with Vancouver that includes the naming of the city and an Olympic history that dates back to the 1924 Winter Games in France", said Canadian Pacific's President and CEO Fred Green. "This is the right fit for Canadian Pacific and our employees as we continue our strong support for local amateur sports and national teams in communities across the country."

The six-year partnership designates CP as an Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games, including sponsorship rights for the Canadian teams participating at the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

"The railway has played a fundamental role in building this country by connecting Canadians from coast to coast," said John Furlong, VANOC CEO. "Canadian Pacific's long-standing commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic movement is once again being demonstrated through this partnership as we work together to bring the spirit of the Games to all Canadians from now through 2010."

Canadian Pacific's commitment provides for cash and in-kind logistics, freight rail service and truck service as well as support of special community events across the country. The community events are being developed and will be announced in the coming months.

"Through our company's innovative logistics and transportation solutions, we will move Games equipment, sponsor materials and supplies to Vancouver for 2010," added Green. "We will also build on our experience and leverage the use and visibility of our trains to help ensure VANOC make these Canada's Games."

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.

VANOC's marketing program is focused on securing mutually rewarding partnerships with shared values to generate sufficient revenue to host successful Winter Games in 2010 and to leave a financial legacy for sport. VANOC's International Partners include Coca-Cola, Atos Origin, GE, McDonald's, Omega and Visa. VANOC's National Partners are Bell Canada, Hbc, RBC Financial Group, GM Canada, Petro-Canada, and RONA.

VANOC's Official Supporters include the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Canadian Pacific, the Royal Canadian Mint, Ricoh Canada Inc. and Teck Cominco Limited. VANOC's Official Suppliers are Dow Canada, EPCOR, Haworth Canada, Vincor Canada and Workopolis.

Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees located across Canada and in the United States, intends to be the safest, and most fluid railway in North America. Our people are the key to delivering innovative transportation solutions to our customers and to ensuring the safe operation of our trains through the more than 900 communities where we operate. Our combined ingenuity makes Canadian Pacific a better place to work, rail a better way to ship, and North America a better place to live. Come and visit us at www.cpr.ca to see how we can put our ingenuity to work for you. Canadian Pacific is proud to be the official rail freight services provider for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. - Ed Greenberg, CRP and Mary Fraser, VANOC Communications, Joint News Release

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EAST TEXAS RAILROAD IN JEOPARDY

AUSTIN, TX -- Texas Parks and Wildlife commissioners on Wednesday reviewed the status of the Texas State Railroad in East Texas.

The railroad is operating under a special appropriation through the end of the state's 2007 fiscal year, but unless state and local officials can find another operator the railroad will shut down in September.

"We've been struggling to keep the line running for the last couple of years," Texas Parks director Walt Dabney told commissioners. "We've kind of come to the end of the road."

Dabney said Parks and Wildlife has tried to find an outside operator to take over the railway, which runs for 30 miles between Rusk and Palestine. Local officials have formed a committee to aid in the effort, working to come up with a public-private ownership proposal that can keep the cash-hungry line in operation. Private railway operators already are being interviewed, and local officials plan to select a final private entity by late February.

The 2007 budgeted expenditures for the railroad are $1.8 million, while the operation is expected to generate about $1 million in revenue. However, the state needs $4 million to $5 million to operate and maintain the railroad each year, Dabney said. - Mike Leggett, The Austin American-Statesman

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CITY DESIGNED FOR TRAINS

TRACY, CA -- Suppose you were to leave your snug Bay Area bungalow and move to a comparatively rural town like Tracy. Suppose you bought a house next to a field. Suppose you complained about that field being plowed, sprayed, harvested, farmed in general. Wouldn't that be amazing.

Suppose you bought a house next to a railroad right-of-way. Suppose you complained about the trains, existing or proposed. Wouldn't that be amazing.

When you bought that house "near the tracks," just what did you think those tracks were for Actually, what did you think Tracy was for.

Was it founded to provide housing for Bay Area overflow I don't think so.

It was founded by and because of the railroad. It was even named for Lathrop J. Tracy, a railroad director. The Southern Pacific and those tracks were here long before you or me.

If you want to live in a community designed to house Bay Area transplants in (somewhat snug) comfort, there's always Mountain House. Feel free to sell that house "near the tracks" and move there. Tracy will never miss another complainer, especially one that complains about a proposal that stands to benefit the local economy and overall well-being of our community. - Letter to the Editor, Charley Neilsen, Tracy, CA, The Tracy Press

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FORUM ON POSSIBLE AMTRAK SERVICE IN THE QUAD CITIES FRIDAY

ROCK ISLAND, IL -- It's been out of the spotlight for a few years, but the possibility of a passenger rail connection between the Quad-Cities and Chicago is again in the works and a planned feasibility study may get that intercity rail service moving soon, transportation specialists suggest.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. D-Ill., will be in Rock Island this week along with Rep. Phil Hare, D-Rock Island, for a public forum with state and county representatives to discuss the need for a rail service, as well as how the project could be financed.

The forum will be at 16:00 Friday at Abbey Station, 3031 5th Ave., Rock Island.

Also attending will be Ray Lang, Amtrak senior director of public affairs; George Webber, Illinois Department of Transportation bureau chief for railroads; Tim Martin, Illinois transportation secretary, Joe Szabo, state director of the United Transportation Union; representatives of Henry, Bureau, Whiteside, Mercer, Stark and Knox counties; and previously vocal passenger rail supporters. The forum is open to the public.

A regional transportation study already is in the works to determine the rail needs of Henry, Mercer and Rock Island counties, said Denise Bulat, the Bi-State Regional Commission director in Rock Island. That study will anticipate expected costs, as well as potential ridership numbers for the area should some form of rail service be added here, she added.

Although there already is Amtrak service from Galesburg and Princeton, Illinois, the Quad-Cities hasn't had rail service since Dec. 31, 1978, when the Rock Island Railroad went bankrupt, Amtrak representative Marc Magliari said Wednesday. Rock Island Railroad service then used what is now the historic Silvis train station.

Amtrak passenger service was initiated by the U.S. government in 1970, when officials were able to convince Congress that it was too expensive for freight train companies to provide public transportation, as had previously been a requirement when the railroad lines were constructed across the country.

The Rock Island Railroad was one of the few train services that didn't join up with Amtrak, and subsequently it went broke trying to provide passenger service. Rock Island Railroad provided service from Rock Island west to Council Bluffs, Iowa, until May 31, 1970, and east to Peoria until the railroad's final throes of bankruptcy in 1978, Mr. Magliari said.

The recent Rockford Amtrak study was initiated with an August 2006 letter from Sen. Durbin to Gov. Rod Blagojevich urging the state of Illinois DOT request Amtrak study a potential route and costs associated with adding new passenger rail service along the corridor that spans from Chicago to Dubuque and includes stops in Rockford and Galena.

Sen. Durbin helped secure a commitment from Amtrak to supply four new trains for additional round-trip service on the three Illinois routes, by doubling Amtrak funding in the 2007 state budget, bringing that to $24.3 million, according to Christina Durbin Angarola, a representative of Sen. Durbin's office.

Sen. Durbin has made it clear that he sees the need for rail service in the Quad-Cities area.
Last week, he spoke with Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant about funding for three Illinois intrastate lines, as well as initiatives to fund new lines in Rockford, Peoria, and the Quad-Cities.

A feasibility study commissioned by Amtrak concerning bringing Amtrak rail service to Rockford and the northwest region of Illinois is expected to be completed soon, according to a press release issued by Sen. Durbin's office.

This is the third public forum Sen. Durbin has conducted concerning Amtrak connections, Mr. Magliari said. One occurred in July in Rockford, another in October in Champagne was attended by Quad-City representatives.

In October the Illinois DOT greatly expanded state supported Amtrak service, Mr. Magliari said. Previously, there was one state supported train from Chicago to Quincy; one to St. Louis; and one to Carbondale.

Now, as a result of Sen. Durbin's work, there will be two to Quincy and Carbondale and three to St. Louis, Mr. Magliari said.

'Those trains wouldn't exist without the state support,' he added. 'Sen. Durbin has been a leader in Congress and in the state in getting the ball rolling, that's why we're having these talks.'

It's too early to know if Amtrak is likely to bring rail service to the Quad-Cities anytime soon, Mr. Magliari said.

'But if Rockford is an example, the state DOT sent us a letter to ask us to please study Rockford and then with service on to Dubuque. It's possible the senator will suggest a similar study be done.'

Sen. Durbin was among a bipartisan group of senators to introduce legislation Jan. 16 called the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007, which authorizes $24 million for Amtrak's already expanding Illinois rail services. Amtrak currently operates about 48 trains per day on its more than 1,000 miles of track within the state.

'The $24 million commitment from the state of Illinois and four new trains from Amtrak have put Illinois Amtrak on the right track,' Sen. Durbin said in the recent press release. 'It's time to take advantage of this momentum, bring northern Illinois on board and Amtrak service to growing regions of our state.' - Ruth Longoria, QuadCitiesOnline.com,The Dispatch/Argus/Leader

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UNION PACIFIC 4Q EARNING UP 64 PERCENT

OMAHA, NE -- Union Pacific Corp., the nation's largest railroad operator, reported a 64 percent jump in fourth-quarter net income Thursday because of greater efficiencies and strong demand for the coal and agricultural products it ships.

The Omaha-based railroad said it earned $485 million, or $1.78 per share, during the quarter that ended Dec. 31. That's up from last year's $296 million, or $1.10 per share.

The result surpassed the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, who had forecast a profit of $1.57 per share.

Competitors Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. and CSX Corp. both reported strong jumps in fourth-quarter profits earlier this week and predicted good things in 2007. BNSF's earnings rose 21 percent in the fourth quarter, and CSX reported a 46 percent jump in net profit.

On Tuesday, BNSF officials forecast a 7-to-8 percent rise in freight revenue in 2007 and earnings per share percentage growth in the low teens. A day earlier, CSX forecast a double-digit increase in earnings this year because of its power to raise rates.

Union Pacific is the nation's biggest railroad in terms of revenue, with BNSF second.

Union Pacific's revenue grew 9 percent, to $3.96 billion from $3.62 billion, but was below analysts' expectations for revenue of $4.03 billion.

Union Pacific said it posted improved revenue in five of its six business groups, led by 20 percent increases from shipping agricultural and energy-related commodities. Revenue from industrial products fell slightly.

"Overall, we turned in a great fourth-quarter performance - a strong finish to a record year," said Jim Young, UP's president and chief executive. "In 2006, we significantly improved our return on invested capital and laid the foundation for further operational and financial improvement, benefiting both our customers and our shareholders."

The company also said its operating ratio, or the ratio of operating expenses to revenue and a key measure of efficiency for railroads, improved to 79.6 percent from 85.3 percent in 2005.
Railroads typically target an operating ratio of 80 percent.

Young said that was the best operating ratio in more than four years.

Randy Cousins, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets, said it's encouraging that Union Pacific is becoming more efficient, which is evident in the operating ratio, the reduced amount of time trains spend in rail yards and the increase in average train speed.

"A couple years ago they were struggling," Cousins said. "Now it's starting to come together."

During the fourth quarter, Union Pacific reduced the amount of time trains spend sitting in rail yards and other terminals to 25.9 hours on average from 26.2 hours in the third quarter, and that's 13 percent better than the fourth quarter of 2005. That "dwell time" figure is a key measure of operating efficiency.

The average speed of Union Pacific's trains increased to 22 mph in the fourth quarter from 21.3 mph in the third quarter.

Analyst Donald Broughton with A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., said Union Pacific appears to have solved its congestion and speed problems.

Broughton said pricing increases and greater efficiency drove Union Pacific's fourth-quarter profits.

The company said its fuel surcharge program provided a boost to average revenue per car. Total shipping volume grew only about 1 percent in the fourth quarter, compared to the year-ago period.

Union Pacific said its 2006 net income jumped 57 percent to $1.606 billion, or $5.91 per share, from last year's $1.026 billion, or $3.85 per share.

The railroad said revenue for the full year grew 15 percent, to $15.578 billion, up from last year's $13.578 billion.

Analysts had expected full-year earnings per share of $5.70 on revenue of $15.627 billion.

Throughout most of 2006, Union Pacific enjoyed relatively calm weather across most of its network, but in the first weeks of 2007, the railroad has already faced ice storms that caused widespread power outages and delayed shipments, said Jack Koraleski, executive vice president of sales and marketing.

"It didn't take Mother Nature long to put us on the defensive" in 2007, Koraleski said.

The weather will likely reduce shipping volume by 4 to 5 percent across Union Pacific in January, and company officials expect the economy to remain slow for much of the first half of 2007.

But Union Pacific officials remain optimistic about the full year and predict revenue growth of 6 to 7 percent and growth in earnings per share 10 to 15 percent.

Union Pacific officials expect the biggest volume growth in its energy and intermodal shipping businesses as more ethanol plants continue to open and coal demand remains high. Intermodal service involves transferring freight among types of transportation, such as loading shipping containers on rail cars for final delivery.

Railroad officials predict first-quarter earnings per share will fall between $1.25 and $1.35.
Union Pacific operates 32,400 miles of track in 23 states from the Midwest to the West and Gulf coasts.

Union Pacific's shares fell 18 cents to $96.78 in afternoon trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. - Josh Funk, The Associated Press, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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MORE TRAINS BUT LESS POLLUTION?

Photo here: [www.vvdailypress.com]

Caption reads: A BNSF train and a truck run parallel along D Street in Victorville on Wednesday. Now that the city of Victorville and BNSF are working on a rail intermodal at Southern California Logistics Airport, some experts in the region are wondering about the impact on air quality. (Daily Press photo by James Quigg)

VICTORVILLE, CA -- The rail hub that Victorville is exploring with BNSF Railway Co. could bring more than jobs to the region.

Along with employment opportunities, the facility at Southern California Logistics Airport would also redistribute the sources of air pollution within the goods movement industry in the High Desert. Whether those changes would make the air cleaner or dirtier in the High Desert depends upon who is speaking.

"Anyone proposing a project that's going to handle the future growth in these imports should also be putting in place the future and existing technologies that are the cleanest," said Martin Schlageter, campaign director for the Coalition for Clean Air, a statewide non-profit with an office in Los Angeles.

The goods movement industry expects to triple the amount of cargo coming into California ports by 2025, he said.

Trains and heavy duty trucks both currently run on diesel fuel. While trains are more efficient and produce less net air pollution than trucks for the same amount of cargo, some characteristics of rail transport reduce its cleanliness. While the multimodal facility could take some heavy duty trucks off the roads, less obvious inefficiencies of trains could eat away at the reduction in truck pollution.

More trains mean increased vehicle congestion at railroad crossings and trains usually spend a lot of time idling, said Annette Kondo, spokeswoman the Coalition for Clean Air.

A 2004 environmental impact report found that operations at the multimodal yard would adversely impact air quality to a "significant and unavoidable" degree. The rail hub would process approximately 50,000 freights cars in the first year, according to the report.

Emissions anticipated by the report include nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases, which combine to form smog. PM10 particulate matter from diesel-fueled engines, which can cause lung disease, is another pollutant listed.

"Trains versus trucks is a hot subject," said supervising air quality engineer Alan De Salvio of the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District.

"Because both trucks and trains travel interstate, it's literally impossible for air districts like ours to regulate them," De Salvio said.

A locomotive can pull the load of about 280 trucks with about 30 times the emissions of one truck, said California Air Resources Board spokesman Jerry Martin.

"I think the major issue for the intermodal yard is that the air district believes the relocation of industry up here is a major benefit because it reduces commuters down the hill," De Salvio said.

With over 40 percent of the nation's containers coming through the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports, the High Desert faces decisions about jobs and air quality that are echoing across Southern California, Kondo said.

"What you're seeing is more and more pressure put on our state to really service the rest of the country's goods," Kondo said.

Pollution would come not only from the rail hub but from trains on their way through Victor Valley neighborhoods, she said.

The rail industry is currently operating under agreements with the state Air Resources Board to use its cleanest engines in Southern California and to shut engines down after idling for 45 minutes, Martin said.

However, switching out engines is a slow process. "America only builds about one locomotive a week," he said.

Schlageter said that a third source of emissions at multimodal yards is the cargo handling equipment that transfer goods between trucks and trains.

"Electric, gas and hybrid diesel are technologies that are available for that equipment," Schlageter said.

As for trucks, cleaner natural gas technology already exists. Railroad companies could also work on using cleaner diesel fuel or natural gas and turn off engines before idling 45 minutes.

When the Air Resources Board issued its goods movement emissions reduction plan in 2006, Schlageter said, it found that 2,400 people across the state die prematurely due to emissions from goods movement. The industry will continue to grow in California, but cities can require that multimodal yards use cleaner technology, he said. - Hillary Borrud, The Victorville Daily Press

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TRANSIT NEWS

TEXAS ROTARY CLUB HELPS FINANCE RAILCAR RESTORATION

BAYTOWN, TX -- With a new expert onboard and a large donation adding much-needed steam, the restoration of an historic Highlands railcar is gathering speed along the track to creating a landmark symbol of the area's heritage.

The Rotary Club of Highlands cut the second of two $5,000 checks Tuesday that will help finance the project, which should be complete within two years.

"This seemed like a great opportunity to give something special to the community," Rotary Club President Johnny Gaecke said. "We may give more, but this is money well spent right now to get things going."

Car 524 is the last remaining car from the old Houston North Shore Interurban Railway, an electric train system that was the first of its kind to connect Houston with Goose Creek. Since making its last scheduled trip in 1948, it has taken a winding, sometime perilous journey that has left it bruised, battered and literally blue - an unappealing pale blue - and stranded in an overgrown Channelview pasture.

But local railroad enthusiast Jim Strouhal has teamed up with the Greater Highlands Chamber of Commerce to right the course of Car 524 and restore it to some of its original splendor, and in so doing create a showpiece for a museum dedicated to the heritage and history of Highlands.

"My father worked for the Missouri Railroad Company, which operated the train, so when I found out this was the last surviving car, I couldn't pass up the chance," Strouhall said. "

He and a group of volunteers transported the dilapidated car from its weedy home in Channelview, from which the owner was about to chuck it onto a rubbish pile and into oblivion, to the home of the railroad's founder. A.W. Johnson started the company in 1920, and by 1927 the line was up and running. The property, a pecan grove on Battle Bell Road, now belongs to Johnson's daughter-in-law, Clothilde Johnson.

The work has been daunting, from the structural damage to the car's metal frame caused by reckless handling during transport, to the wood interior of the car, which has all but rotted away.

Shortly after being decommissioned, the car was used as the headquarters of a private business, which gutted the interior and painted over the car's elegant exterior, a dark coach green with shiny gold lettering.

To help with the task, Strouhal brought in Dallas-area enthusiast John Myer, who has helped restore seven similar railcars. Myer said Car 524 is not beyond repair.

The car was originally owned by Johnson, and carried the name "Highlands" in the signature gold lettering. The three other cars, two of which have become businesses and one of which has become a private cabin, carried the names "Houston," "North Shore" and "Goose Creek." But when Midwest rail company Missouri Pacific purchased the line and the train, it went to a numbered system and slapped a white "524" on the side.

Strouhal, whose father worked as a technician for Missouri Pacific, is excited to see a part of his father's passion - and now his passion - once again embodied in a beautiful vessel that is so closely intertwined the history of his community.

When finally restored, in about two years, the car will sit atop a section of real Missouri Pacific railroad track, across from a Highlands heritage museum on the premises of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce at 127 San Jacinto.

The final price tag of the restoration of the train and creation of the museum should come out to between $15,000-$20,000, and the chamber is hoping to receive some money for the project from sales of a book of Highlands history and a movie version available on DVD and VHS. Anyone wishing to donate or receive more information can call the chamber at 281-426-7227. - Barrett Goldsmith, The Baytown Sun

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NO TIME TO BE TIMID: VANCOUVER'S CHIEF CHEERLEADER CRANKS IT UP WITH STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

VANCOUVER, WA -- Tuesday's State of the City Address by Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard can be summed up in two words: quintessential Pollard. Vancouver's chief cheerleader as usual spared no energy in aggressively and unabashedly boasting about the city he loves as he addressed 400 people for 63 minutes in the Hilton Vancouver Washington ballroom.

Pollard had plenty of fuel for enthusiasm. It was his 10th State of the City speech, and it fell on the city's 150th birthday. He accurately portrayed the city's progress in those 150 years, while acknowledging the stark budget difficulties of the present. Pollard knows his city's transportation challenges but sees great potential, for example envisioning the development of the Boise Cascade site as "nothing short of first-class."

Pollard repeated his unqualified support for extending Portland's light rail system into Vancouver. We have editorially supported such a concept, but before taking an official stance on putting light rail on any new Interstate 5 bridge, we're waiting for the Columbia River Crossing project to finish its research.

Two possible mass transit solutions remain on the CRC table: Light rail and bus rapid transit. The latter could combine buses with any of a variety of options including separate roadways or specially designated lanes. Until CRC elevates one plan above the other, any solid embrace of a plan seems premature at this point.

Pollard said, "Vancouver and Clark County residents have the cheapest buy-in to one of the most successful light-rail systems in the world. There is over $5 billion invested in light rail across the river. We can tap into that system at a very minimal cost. We'd be foolish not to."
Perhaps, but for now, the best outlook is that of Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart, who was quoted in The Columbian: "Until we have an actual analysis of alternatives it seems premature to judge the outcomes." Commissioner Betty Sue Morris, has taken no stance but lauds bus rapid transit as "extremely nimble and costs a lot less to build."

Of course, all of that remains to be seen. Until the Columbia River Crossing research is finalized and financial details are fleshed out, it's difficult for any observer to take a strong stance.

To his credit, Pollard shows a growing acceptance of the benefits Vancouver has available as a neighbor of Portland. This is the same mayor who in 2004 boasted that he had never been to Portland's Pearl District, and who in 2005 defended his beloved city by smashing Portland coffee mugs at a local Starbucks. Now, though, he's pushing the advantages of our proximity to the bigger city, at least in the issue of mass transit. That higher-altitude mayoral perspective is encouraging. [b]- Editorial Opinion, The Columbian

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COMMUTER RAIL PROJECT ROLLING ALONG

AUSTIN, TX -- By next year, Capital Metro says its long-awaited commuter rail line will be up and running.

Four years after voters approved $90 million for commuter rail, the 32-mile project is wrapping up. The rail line will stretch from Leander to downtown Austin with seven stops in between.

It'll stop at Plaza Saltillo on Comal Street in East Austin, then at MLK Boulevard, Highland Mall, North Lamar, Burnet Road at Braker Lane, Howard Lane and then Lakeline Boulevard before hitting Leander in Williamson County.

"Right now there is station and track construction going on in Lakeline and Leander," Cap Metro spokesperson Adam Shaivitz said.

The train platforms will feature electronic signs announcing the arrival of the next train.
The project is on schedule on budget, and Cap Metro expects service to begin in the later half of 2008. So far the Leander station is complete and the other eight are under construction.

Regular Cap Metro buses will connect the train station with nearby destinations. Specially-marked Capital MetroRail shuttle buses will link to major destinations, such as Downtown Austin, the Capitol, the University of Texas, the Mueller Community and East Central Austin.

At first, the six cars will run every 30 minutes during morning and evening rush hours, with one midday round trip planned. Each of the six trains will consist of one car capable of holding 225 passengers. The trains are equipped with high-back seats, bicycle and overhead racks and Wi-Fi connections. Some seating areas will feature tray tables.

"They're powered by both diesel and electric so they are very quiet. They are very hi-tech futuristic trains which will have Wi-Fi service so you can bring your laptop and log on as you are on your way to work or school," Shaivitz said.

The six rail cars are currently being built in Switzerland. The first one is expected to arrive in Austin sometime later this year.

Capital Metro has not yet set the fare for commuter rail.

City leaders hope a progressive transportation plan will yield a progressive land-use plan. The city's Transit-Oriented District was created to study how to develop pedestrian-friendly communities near the rail stations. Ideally, Capital Metro and the city of Austin hope people will live in mixed-use neighborhoods nearer to public transportation and become less dependent on gas-powered vehicles. - Reagan Hackleman, News 8 Austin, Austin, TX

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