CRESTON, Lincoln County — When the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad train pulled out of town Friday, it was hauling 52 cars, about 6,600 tons of wheat and — for the first time — 500 gallons of biodiesel.

It was the first leg of a journey expected to last all summer, as the railroad operator and an Eastern Washington biofuels company test whether biodiesel can work in locomotives.

The train will stop at the Columbia Bioenergy plant here every week or so for another dose of the fuel made from canola oil, restaurant grease, soy and other crops. They hope to have a good idea of how it's working by the busy harvest time.

Link to complete article in the Seattle Times:

[seattletimes.nwsource.com]