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Railroad Newsline for Saturday, 02/03/07
Author: Larry W. Grant
Date: 02-03-2007 - 00:00
Railroad Newsline for Saturday, February 03, 2007
Compiled by Larry W. Grant
In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006
RAIL NEWS
BARGES HIT MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRIDGE AT VICKSBURG; STING OF FLAMING VESSELS SHUT DOWN I-20 AND KSCR
Photo gallery here:
[www.clarionledger.com]
Additional gallery here:
[www.clarionledger.com]
VICKSBURG, MS - A line of barges struck a bridge over the Mississippi River in Vicksburg on Thursday evening, causing an enormous fire and temporarily shutting down traffic on I-20.
There were no reported injuries.
"It was absolutely spectacular," said Paul Ingram, an architect who lives in a house overlooking the Mississippi River. "I have never seen anything like this."
About 21:00 a line of barges struck a pier of the old bridge, which holds the tracks of the Kansas City Southern Railway but no longer handles automobile traffic, said Lt. Davey Barnett of the Vicksburg Police Department.
The barges, carrying crude oil, ignited. At one point, the flames stretched almost the entire width of the river, said Herman Smith, the superintendent of the Vicksburg Bridge Commission.
Smith had been concerned about two gas lines that cross the bridge. They appeared to be undamaged.
The bridge was built in 1930 and about 18 trains cross it daily. The company that built it will inspect it today (Friday), Smith said.
Several small boats with searchlights scanned the surface of the water.
Traffic on both bridges was shut down. But the interstate was reopened after it was reported that the barges had struck only the old bridge. There was a train on it when the impact occurred but the railroad company has not reported any injuries, Barnett said.
Ingram said he went outside just before 21:00 when a neighbor called.
He could not see the barges, but he saw the fire, sitting on the surface of the river and filling the night sky with orange light and black smoke. About 10 minutes later and a half-mile downstream, the fire appeared to break into four or five separate blazes that drifted downstream with the current. - Andrew Nelson and Brian Albert Broom, The Jackson Clarion-Ledger
DIGEPLAYER ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT EXPANDS TO COAST STARLIGHT; AVAILABLE ON EMPIRE BUILDER AT THE END OF FEBRUARY
WASHINGTON, DC -- Amtrak Coast Starlight passengers can now enjoy movies, TV shows, cartoons, music videos and music all digitally pre-programmed with the expansion of the popular digEplayer on-board entertainment units. DigEplayers will also be available for rent on board the Empire Builder on February 21.
The latest in personal audio-video entertainment, the compact digEplayer features a 7-inch screen, comes with headphones and weighs only three pounds with battery. The digEplayer delivers on-demand audio and video entertainment with the quality of DVDs and CDs in a fully-loaded and ready-to-play personal unit.
The digEplayer contains dozens of movies, songs, sitcoms and children's programs. Content will be refreshed frequently, providing passengers with a wealth of programming variety. The unit can easily be set up on a passenger's tray table, carried to the Sleeping Car for a movie before bedtime or enjoyed anywhere onboard the train. Because it operates on an 8-10 hour battery, the digEplayer is completely portable.
The unit can be rented onboard the train for $19.95 (add $5 for a splitter which allows two concurrent users) from the Lead Service Attendant in the Lounge Car onboard the train.
Passengers can return the digEplayer to the LSA at the end of their trip, or send it back in a pre-addressed FedEx package for an additional charge.
"After the successful introduction of the digEplayer on the Auto Train in 2005, Railway Media and Amtrak have expanded the service to more trains throughout the country," said Joshua Wallack, president and CEO, Railway Media. "The digEplayer has been enormously popular and we look forward to expanding service even more."
The digEplayer is scheduled to be available on the Empire Builder on February 21. The digEplayer can also be rented for use onboard the Capitol Limited, California Zephyr, Auto Train, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal and the City of New Orleans. - Amtrak News Release
WEATHER IMPACTS AMTRAK CASCADES RIDERSHIP IN 2006
SEATTLE, WA -- Ridership aboard Amtrak Cascades trains in 2006 was 629,996. This ridership total was 1.1% lower than the total for 2005.
The ridership decline was largely due to a record number of Amtrak Cascades train cancellations in January, February, November, and December, primarily because of weather-related railroad route closings. For the first time since the state of Washington began investing in intercity passenger rail service in 1994, annual ridership failed to surpass the total of the preceding year. This occurred despite the addition of a new Amtrak Cascades daily round trip between Seattle and Portland in July 2006.
Since the new daily Amtrak Cascades service was added in July 2006, monthly ridership on Amtrak Cascades increased by an average of 2% when compared to the final six months of 2005. "Despite the service disruptions experienced in 2006, we anticipate Amtrak Cascades ridership to demonstrate strong growth in 2007," stated Ken Uznanski, Manager, WSDOT Rail Office.
Amtrak Cascades continues to rank near the top of Amtrak's 42-route national system for customer satisfaction. Continuing to get rave reviews are features such as beautiful scenery, onboard movies, regional foods, plug-ins for laptop computers, and space for passengers to get up and move around.
Regular one-way adult fares between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia start as low as $28, Portland and Seattle as low as $28, or Eugene and Portland as low as $21. Upgrade to Business Class for only a few dollars more each way and enjoy wider seats, more legroom, and priority boarding and deboarding. Passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets early to obtain lowest fares. Reservations are required. Visit www.AmtrakCascades.com, or call 800-USA-RAIL for reservations and information.
Amtrak Cascades service extends 466 miles from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia. The corridor is a partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon, and Amtrak. - Amtrak News Release
TRAIN TO PHOENIX IN FIVE YEARS?
Photo here: [www.tucsoncitizen.com]
Caption reads: An AMTRAK train passes through Tucson. The price tag for a high-speed rail system between Tucson and Phoenix could be as much as $7.4 billion. (Arizona Department of Transportation photo)
TUCSON, AZ -- Like the little engine that could, the idea of passenger rail service between the Old Pueblo and Phoenix just keeps chugging along.
Very slowly and uphill.
But, if the stars align just right, a regularly running rail line between the two cities could be operating in time for Arizona's centennial in 2012.
There remain lots of obstacles on the tracks for such a rail system:
* The question of cost and the lack of specified funding;
* Uncertainty over whether Union Pacific would allow the use of its freight tracks;
* The question of whether enough ridership would be generated to justify passenger rail service along a 115-mile route.
Gov. Janet Napolitano recently called on state transportation officials to do a fast-turnaround study on mass transit in Arizona, noting it is the fastest growing state in the nation and certain to get more crowded in coming years.
Tucsonans and Phoenicians generally agree that the drive on Interstate 10 between the cities is monumentally boring, a huge waste of time and dangerous, to boot.
A passenger rail system, whether high-tech, high-speed or a plodding simple diesel, is something they would gratefully ride.
"I would absolutely use it," said Anne Nichols, a Tucsonan who travels several times a month to Phoenix to work as an associate professor of sociology at Arizona State University.
Nichols works mainly in Tucson, but she makes the round trip to Phoenix frequently enough to wish that the long-talked-about passenger rail idea was a reality.
"I've worn out a couple of cars," she said of the years of commuting.
Railroad history
The railroad opened the West for settlement, and played a huge role in the development of both Phoenix and Tucson when tracks were laid.
This allowed the transport not only of new settlers, but also rare raw materials such as wood for construction and merchandise for store shelves.
Tucsonans turned out en masse for the arrival of the first steam locomotive in the Old Pueblo, which pulled into the small community with much fanfare on St. Patrick's Day in 1880.
The only passenger rail passing through the city now is Amtrak's Sunset Limited, which pulls into the downtown Historic Depot six times a week on its run between Orlando, Fla., and Los Angeles.
If the study ordered by Napolitano, which will be conducted by the Arizona Department of Transportation, indicates that passenger rail between Tucson and Phoenix has sufficient public and elected officials' support -- and it would be economically viable -- trains could be making daily runs between the two cities in time for Arizona's centennial of statehood on Feb. 14, 2012.
That's a target date, at best, according to Jim Dickey, ADOT public transportation division director.
Should it be done?
A 1998 study looked at different types of rail service ranging from a relatively simple line using standard diesel engines to the near-science-fiction Maglev trains, which use magnetism to float above tracks and hit speeds almost half the speed of sound.
This new look, ordered by the governor, is an update of the 1998 study.
The price tag then for a high-speed rail system ranged from $3.8 billion to $6 billion.
Adjusted for inflation, that range now is $4.7 billion to $7.4 billion, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Officials have proposed leasing track space on the existing line operated by Union Pacific that runs parallel to I-10.
A trial run by transportation officials using an AMTRAK train to go from Tucson to Phoenix in 2000 met with mixed results. The train and officials made it safely - in about three hours, longer than it takes to drive the distance - even though the train was designed to go 125 mph.
A major reason was the condition of the tracks. The engineer never took the train faster than 79 mph.
Railroad officials also have been less than enthusiastic about leasing use of the company freight line, citing projections that the company's freight business on trains heading west will quadruple in the next 20 years.
The railroad plans to build another set of tracks alongside its existing route, but officials remain uncertain whether that additional capacity will be sufficient to handle passenger rail traffic, as well.
"The determination will have to be made if those tracks will support commuter rail," Mark Davis, Union Pacific spokesman for its Western region, said.
Union Pacific is negotiating with the State Land Department for a parcel near Picacho Peak - nearly halfway between Tucson and Phoenix - for a new switching yard to accommodate the projected increase in rail traffic.
After the governor's order to look at future transportation needs, ADOT issued a request for proposals to on-call consultants for a quick update of the 1998 study, in terms of demand, technology and cost, Dickey said.
But any move by ADOT or the governor will draw scrutiny.
"Passenger rail is a big loser," said Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Ron Gould, a Lake Havasu City Republican. Gould argues that fares don't cover costs and that rail doesn't take enough people off freeways.
"For me, rail is a nonstarter," he said.
The state agency has begun widening I-10. The current local project will widen the freeway from 29th Street to Prince Road in Tucson.
ADOT plans to widen the interstate the entire way between Tucson and Phoenix by 2030.
Even that wouldn't be sufficient to handle vehicular traffic from population growth over the long term, making the idea of passenger rail service a potential alternative to an eternal freeway widening project, one state lawmaker said.
"Towns are going to spring up all along the corridor between Tucson and Phoenix," said Steve Farley, recently elected to the Arizona House of Representatives for the 28th District.
Rail service between Tucson and Phoenix need not start out with a hyper-fast and hyper-costly, state-of-the-art bullet train, Farley said.
"Let's start with baby steps, a single car diesel unit that will just run back and forth between the cities," he said.
Farley noted that Union Pacific's plan to build its switching yard between Tucson and Phoenix could give state officials a bargaining chip in negotiations with the utility.
The idea of passenger rail has sparked interest among local business leaders, Rick Myers, chairman of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, noted recently.
The organization of business leaders has not taken a formal position on the idea, but "informally we think this is a very good idea," Myers said.
Myers said he has spoken with his counterpart in a similar organization in Maricopa County.
"They are looking at it, how important it is," Myers said.
Tucson attorney Si Schorr is a member of the Arizona State Transportation Board, the body that helps steer policy decisions by ADOT.
A passenger rail line could provide an alternative to widenings of the freeway, he said.
"Mass transit has to be deemed part of the overall transportation system," Schorr said.
Locally, a light rail line could run from Marana to Vail, providing an alternative to the freeway system and surface streets, said Gary Hayes, executive director of the Regional Transportation Authority. - Gary Duffy, The Tucson Citizen, courtesy Marc Pearsall
AT THE THROTTLE: MUSEUM SUCCESS CREATES TOILET GAP
ELY, NV -- There is this myth floating around that the museum has an "off" season: nothing could be further from the truth. Various projects are under way year round, not all of them are directly tied to railroading, but they are all tied to museum development.
The big push right now is for toilets. Yes that's right toilets. Never in my wildest imagination did I have a clue that I would have so much to do with -- toilets. When I imagined myself in this job, I saw myself sitting up in the cab of a steam locomotive with my hand on the throttle. The reality is, how should we say, nothing like the dream.
Over the past six years we have seen our annual ridership increase from 6,053 to 14,742. Our visitation has also increased to about 22,000 people a year (not everyone rides the trains.) By the end of last year over 36,000 people came onto the complex. Most of these people begin and end their visit at the depot, which has exactly two toilets - one for the men and one for the women. As our visitation and ridership increased, the reality was driven home that we need more facilities for our visitors. These facilities need to be available year round and one of the most basic needs for visitors is toilets.
Toilets - who knew? Right now on our busiest days we can easily see two hundred people on the train. When the train pulls into the depot there is a mad dash for toilets (there is a small one on the train but its pretty rustic, train toilets will be fodder for other stories in the future) and long lines develop. Mothers with young children can't wait. So they leave the property in search of a free potty, rarely to return. What a dilemma, here we have spent tens of thousands of dollars to get people to come to Ely in order to see our National Historic Landmark and they leave because of toilets, or more correctly, the lack thereof. Since people generally remember the last thing in their experience, what is the memory that some of our guests go home with? I'll leave that to your imagination.
Moreover, toilets are not just for our visitors. Employees want them too, go figure. Currently there is only one toilet on the west end of the yard, where these may be as many as forty people working, both male and female. And that one, lone toilet is located in the old Master Mechanic's office (rank did have its privileges.) That situation was ideal when there were additional working toilets in the engine house and the storeroom. But now when the staffer situated in what was the Master Mechanic's office tries to get work done, there can be a constant parade, passing by his desk on the way to the bathroom. Where, to put this delicately, the wall between his office and the toilet isn't very thick or soundproofed and the ventilation leaves a whole lot to be desired. I won't even touch on the subject of both sexes using the same toilet. Again, I'll leave it to your imagination.
So the big push for this year is toilets. We currently have three toilet projects underway: The first is additional visitor's bathrooms. Just to the west of the depot sits an old cinder block structure which was built to house heating boilers which are no longer operational or needed. The plan is to convert that building to public restrooms. To meet current health and building code requirements, we needed to raise the building by one course of block. To accomplish this we needed to remove the roof. This would also make it easier to remove the old boilers. So how do you remove a roof? Well, with a crane of course, and it just so happens that we have two cranes; a modern (in a relative sense) diesel-electric crane and our 100 year old steam-powered crane.
Photo here: [www.elynews.com]
Caption reads: The Nevada Northern Railway Museum's steam crane was supposed to be fired up only for demonstration purposes. But workers at the museum have learned, for some jobs, its better than modern models.
Photo here: [www.elynews.com]
Caption reads: Raising the roof.
What we have found is that the century old steam crane allows the operator greater ability to finesse his movements.
We employed our modern diesel-electric crane to remove the smoke stacks from the building (they will be placed back on the building for looks when construction is completed.) For the removal of the roof, we used the steam crane. With Jason operating, Marty and Al as the riggers it was quite the production raising that roof. But we were successful; the roof came off in one piece (despite Marty constantly mentioning something about cornering the toothpick market). After the roof was off, out came the boilers in one piece each.
Masons will be here on Monday to lay the new course of block, seal off the old overhead door and access doors and then install two new doors. Once completed, we will finalize plans and hopefully by mid-summer, have new restrooms for the public. The building will still look like the boiler building, sort of; we'll keep the stacks but install siding on the walls for improved insulation and then paint it
Nevada Northern Red. Of course this project will open a completely new can of worms, because we now will have to keep the restrooms warm (or cool), stocked and clean. Nevertheless, now we'll have a facility that will address a very basic visitor need.
Meanwhile, during the summer we'll also be working on returning the toilet in the storehouse to service, while also putting the engine house toilet back into working order. The engine house toilet will be a challenge. Currently on a septic system it will need to meet current codes that didn't exist when it was constructed. It will have to be connected to the city sewer system. Therein lies the rub; there is no sewer anywhere close. Worse, the nearest sewer line is located way to the west, but to connect a line to it we will have to somehow run it under a creek, which would be expensive. The alternative is to connect a line eastwardly to a city collector line running under Avenue A, which is uphill, necessitating a lift station - again an expensive option and one that would leave us with the concern of pump failure, which could potentially leave us knee deep in something best not discussed here.
Once this minor detail is dispensed with, we'll need to bring in water, provide heat and new fixtures and erect a dividing wall in order to provide separate facilities for men and women because times have changed: Unlike the era when these buildings were constructed and railroading was strictly a man's world, we now have both men and women working to keep the trains running; unisex potties won't cut the mustard.
So; if everything goes even somewhat according to plan, by this time next year (and despite it being an "off" season), we'll have three separate new restrooms in operation for visitors and staff alike. And with that behind us, we can finally get to work on a new water system, fire suppression systems and electrical systems, oh joy. - Mark S. Bassett, The Ely Times
TEN WORKERS TO SUE SHELL OVER BUS-TRAIN CRASH
DEER PARK, TX -- Ten passengers on a bus that was hit by a train at the Shell Oil Co.'s Deer Park plant earlier this week are suing the company, claiming an unguarded railroad crossing posed an unreasonable risk of harm.
The passengers, all employees of AltairStrickland, filed suit Thursday in a Harris County district court.
They, along with about 30 other AltairStrickland employees, were riding in a school bus from a satellite parking lot to inside the 1,500-acre Shell facility Tuesday morning when the collision occurred.
Aside from Shell, also named in the lawsuit are Port of Houston Authority International Corp., operators of the engine involved in the collision, and Brand Scaffold Builders LLC, which operated the bus.
Attorney Tony Buzbee said many of his clients suffered back injuries because they were sitting in the back of the bus. The train struck the left rear side of the vehicle.
The plaintiffs - Willie Tutt, Raymond D. Carrell, Latonia W. Fury, Michael Hurst, Antonio Williams, Bobbie Hampton, Fredrick Bernard Johnson, Matt Pledger, Fletcher Collins and Zimbalust McCoy - are seeking damages for pain and anguish, medical expenses, loss of wages, physical impairment and disfigurement.
Dave McKinney, a spokesman for Shell, said he could not comment on the litigation.
"It's still under investigation," he said of the accident. Officials with the railroad could not be reached for comment. A Brand Scaffold representative had no comment. - Ruth Rendon, The Houston Chronicle
KCS, FORMER PARTNER FILE CLAIMS IN DISPUTE OVER MEXICAN UNIT
KANSAS CITY, MO -- Kansas City Southern and its former Mexican partner have made financial claims against each other in a dispute over the sale of Kansas City Southern de Mexico.
In 2005 when Grupo TMM sold its interest in Mexico's biggest railroad to its partner Kansas City Southern, Kansas City Southern said it withheld $47 million from the purchase price and placed it in escrow, based on potential claims related to the transaction.
Earlier this week, Kansas City Southern said it sent TMM a letter saying it would assert claims exceeding the escrow amount, although the Kansas City company's investigation was not complete.
TMM on Thursday made its own claims over the sale and said it would seek about $43 million, according to Kansas City Southern.
The two sides will try to resolve the dispute informally. If that fails, the matter will go to binding arbitration, Kansas City Southern said. - Randolph Heaster, The Kansas City Star
BIG RIG FALLS ON SUV AFTER IT'S CLIPPED BY TRAIN
Slide show here:
[www.click2houston.com]
HOUSTON, TX -- A train clipped the back of an 18-wheeler Friday morning, causing it to topple onto a sport utility vehicle in northwest Houston, KPRC Local 2 reported.
The accident happened shortly before 08:00 near the railroad tracks on Windfern at Hempstead Highway.
Deborah Stogsdill, 54, was trapped inside the SUV for nearly an hour before emergency crews were able to rescue her. LifeFlight helicopter transported Stogsdill to Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Hospital officials said Stogsdill suffered a few broken bones and will stay overnight for observation.
"She said she was fine," said Kimberly Stogsdill, the victim daughter. "She was ... she didn't hurt, she didn't feel any pain or anything. She was OK."
The big rig was trying to cross over the railroad tracks when the train clipped it. The SUV was trying to cross in the other direction.
The trailer landed on top of the SUV, crushing the upper portion of the vehicle.
"It's kind of shocking. I'm just glad that the Pathfinder held up with what it did," said David Stogsdill, the victim's husband. "I mean, I was expecting to see a flattened vehicle sitting there."
The accident is under investigation. - KPRC-TV2, Houston, TX
DM&E CEO: PROJECT COULD BRING RAIL BUSINESS BACK TO AUSTIN
AUSTIN, MN -- A $6 billion proposed project for DM&E Railroad could mean economic development opportunities for rural communities, according to company president and CEO Kevin Schieffer.
Trains still run through Austin, Minnesota, although they haven't made stops here since the 1960s - Schieffer's point, exactly.
"The businesses have left, the infrastructure has deteriorated," he said. "You aren't able to compete in the national scene. Our railroad is one that needs a lot of rail replaced, a lot of improvements made. This project allows us to make those improvements."
The proposed coal train project would include about 280 miles of new track and upgrading 600 miles of existing track. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based DM&E wants to add track to the coal fields of Powder River Basin, Wyoming.
The Federal Railroad Administration ruled the project meets environmental review requirements Wednesday, which marks the beginning of a 90-day waiting period for the agency to approve or deny a $2.3 billion loan request from DM&E.
Schieffer explained that areas with high traffic densities will be more likely to get improvements on their railroads.
"Austin most definitely is not going to be what anybody would consider a high traffic area," he said.
"We are looking for ways to improve the railroad to make it better for local economic development opportunities and local agricultural impacts," Schieffer continued. "We expect once this happens, there will be new businesses coming back and relocating on the line."
He added that the Department of Agriculture estimated if this project goes through, corn may increase by 20 cents per bushel in railroad areas to be improved.
Austin City Administrator Jim Hurm said recently the city received funding for the railroad crossing on Fifth Place Southeast by "Buffy the Cow." The State of Minnesota is paying 90 percent of the cost for stop arms; the Minnesota Railroad Shippers Association is paying the 10 percent local share.
The city, however, does not receive any other funding related to the railroad. Hurm said he would be supportive of an agreement to bring in funding for railroad crossing upgrades and other improvements.
At this point, Schieffer said, he can't determine what will happen to the railroad in the Austin area.
"Until we have a fix of where the market is and where the traffic flows, you can't predict it 100 percent," Schieffer said.
Schieffer said DM&E Railroad has been operating in southeastern Minnesota since the Civil War era. - Katie Johnson, The Austin Daily Herald
TRACK THE TRUTH LAUNCHES ONLINE PETITION AGAINST DM&E TAXPAYER-FUNDED $2.3 BILLION LOAN
ROCHESTER, MN -- Track the Truth launched an online petition drive against the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad's (DM&E) $2.3 billion taxpayer-funded loan request, which if granted, will be the largest loan ever to a private company in U.S. history. The petition, available on [www.dmetraintruth.com] , reflects the growing public opposition to DM&E's loan. The petition was prompted by the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) recent environmental ruling, which starts the beginning of a final 90-day review period. It will be sent to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and will be presented to other federal officials.
The petition cites the following reasons for why DM&E should be denied the $2.3 billion loan:
-- It's wrong to award DM&E the largest federal loan ever made to a private company. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is considering a $2.3 billion loan to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) -- a company that has already racked up millions of dollars in debt to the nation's taxpayers. According to a BearingPoint study, DM&E may never pay it back.
-- It's shameful for such a dangerous proposal to be approved without the input of America's taxpayers. The changes in the law that authorized the FRA to allow this disaster-waiting-to-happen slipped through Congress without public debate, even though taxpayers will be left to foot the bill if DM&E defaults.
-- It's reckless to reward one of the most unsafe railroads in the nation with taxpayer money. If DM&E's project moves forward, as many as 34 mile-long trains laden with coal or hazardous materials could barrel past 56 communities every day, at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. DM&E's safety record shows that communities all down the line are at risk.
DM&E's proposed loan, which is larger than the Chrysler bailout of the 1970s, has yet to receive any Congressional oversight or public review. The loan request is entirely secret, as is information about who owns the railroad and how much its investors will benefit financially as a result of the low-interest government loan. Generous terms of the loan include no required no payments for six years and no collateral. The DM&E already received a $233 million federal loan in 2003, which was used to restructure their company's debt.
Opposition to the loan is widespread and growing, including Republican and Democratic members of Congress, taxpayer advocates, impacted communities and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.
Background
The Track the Truth initiative is made up of a group of individuals, businesses and citizen organizations such as the Rochester Coalition (made up of the city of Rochester, Minnesota, Olmsted County, Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce) and the Committee for a Safer Brookings who are located along the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern (DM&E) line from Wyoming to the Mississippi River. The initiative's goal is to alert the public to the flagrant abuse of taxpayer dollars to support an unprecedented expansion of an unsafe railroad and create enough grassroots opposition that the Federal Railroad Administration says "NO" to the $2.3 billion loan to DM&E. Information on the issue and an online petition against the loan are available at [www.dmetraintruth.com] . - PRNewswire, Source: Track the Truth
TRANSIT NEWS
CALTRAIN DEFICIT GOING NOWHERE; RAIL LEADERS STUMPED FOR WAYS OUT DESPITE RECENT SUCCESSES
BELMONT, CA -- Since Caltrain launched its Baby Bullet service, the transit agency has boasted soaring ridership and rising revenues, beyond projections and even expectations. But there's a major problem: Every year, despite all the success, the commuter rail's ledgers glow red.
After months of self-congratulation and optimism, this thorny economic detail sprung to life at Caltrain's board meeting Thursday, following a presentation of the "mini-short-range transit plan," an outline of future projects and financing for the next decade.
Despite the higher-than-expected revenue and ridership, Caltrain concludes every financial year by creatively scavenging enough funds to temporarily balance its budget.
"That's the elephant in the room," said Caltrain CEO Mike Scanlon, who asked the board for "comments, complaints, advice," even "scolding" regarding a structural deficit that would continue in the foreseeable future.
"We're just going to have to bite the bullet and talk about money," said San Francisco Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who sits on the agency's three-county Joint Powers Board.
No one seemed particularly surprised, because the problem was hardly a revelation.
Every board member understands the basics: Like all Bay Area transit agencies, Caltrain does not earn enough money from fare-box revenue to balance its budget. However, unlike many other agencies, Caltrain lacks a "dedicated fundingsource" -- in other words, a reliable income stream from taxes. So, Caltrain receives the biggest chunk of its operating budget from the three agencies which own and operate the rail line: San Mateo County's SamTrans, San Francisco County's Muni and Santa Clara County's Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
The agency's annual contributions to keep Caltrain afloat are capped at an increase of 3 percent a year, agency spokesman Jonah Weinberg said.
Between contributions from the above agencies and fare revenue -- its two largest funding sources -- Caltrain does not earn enough annually to emerge from the red. That leaves the agency struggling to balance its budget with one-time funding sources, such as state tax windfalls (like this year's unexpected revenue from California's gas tax).
While the strategy keeps the agency afloat, "it's not a long-term approach," says Weinberg. This year, for example, the deficit is $5.3 million -- much larger than the agency's financial reserves of $3.4 million. Caltrain's total expenses in 2007 are projected at nearly $87 million.
With operating expenses projected to increase 4 to 41/2 percent every year, board members seemed unanimous on one major point: Caltrain needs a new, reliable source of money.
But without any firm ideas, officials resorted to brainstorming -- and finger-pointing.
"The things that cause us to be in this situation are automobiles," said Forrest Williams of the Valley Transportation Authority. "They are the culprits. They are the source of all our grief."
"We need to go back to the cities to start funding this railroad," said Don Gage, also of the VTA. "If they don't do that, they're going to cut their own throats, because we're going to shut this railroad down."
Jerry Hill of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors suggested that Caltrain could benefit if the state Legislature passes a resolution to tax carbon emissions and pass the revenue on to transit agencies.
While other board members supported the need to look toward new taxes, consensus was that the agency would have to petition larger governing bodies to rally around the cause.
Many on the board spoke against the service cuts and fare increases which transit agencies turn to -- often unsuccessfully -- to bail themselves out of a hairy economic situation.
At meeting's end, Maxwell summed up the situation: "Anything we do is going to be difficult," she said. "There aren't going to be any easy solutions." - Michael Manekin, The San Mateo County Times
NEW MEXICO'S RAIL RUNNER COMPLETES FIRST PHASE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- The Middle Rio Grande Valley's commuter rail system completed its first phase Friday morning when the first train pulled out of the Belen station shortly before 06:00.
With the inaugural run from Belen completes the initial phase of the Rail Runner, which now offers service from Belen in Valencia County all the way to US 550 in northern Bernalillo in Sandoval County.
The schedule for the 50-mile service is changing to offer more service to areas south of Albuquerque, which is expected to help so-called "reverse commuters" - those who leave Albuquerque for points south in the morning and return to Albuquerque in the evening.
Currently, the train has stops in Belen, Los Lunas, Downtown Albuquerque, in Albuquerque's North Valley and in Bernalillo.
A new stop in downtown Bernalillo is scheduled to open in mid March, a Rio Bravo station in Albuquerque's South Valley is slated for April, and stops at the Isleta and Sandia pueblos should come on line over the summer.
The next phase of the commuter train will be and expansion of service to Santa Fe. That's expected to be completed sometime in late 2008.
Riders can take the Belen line for free until April. - KOB-TV4, Albuquerque, NM
LIRR'S AGGRESSIVE ARMRESTS ARRESTED
NEW YORK, NY -- Metro-North riders are rubbing elbows with a new armrest that won't rip a hole in their pocket.
"Thank God!" said Mike Debernardis, 44, of Tarrytown, marveling yesterday at a prototype that debuted on two Metro-North train cars this week. "They're not long and pointy and they don't grab your pants."
The smooth, stubby armrest this year could replace the pesky appendage currently used on Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road trains.
If the trial goes well, the railroads could ask the Metropolitan Transportation Authority next month for about $5.8 million to install the new armrest on their newest train cars, called M-7s, which make up the bulk of the LIRR's fleet and a third of Metro-North's.
Since 2002, when the M-7s first started running on the LIRR, the two railroads have paid more than $108,000 to about 1,300 passengers for clothing ripped by armrests that catch on fabric and slip easily into pockets as passengers sit.
Debernardis, who leaned against the prototype yesterday on the 17:17 train to Croton-Harmon, said the old armrest tore two of his jackets and a pair of pants. Metro-North refunded him $600 for tailoring, he said.
In the same car, Bee-Ann Benson, 35, of Tarrytown, said her brown Michael Kors coat also had fallen victim to an armrest.
"I'm thrilled," she said. "I don't need to take the risk of ruining another suit or coat."
Installation of the new armrests could take a few months for Metro-North and up to a year for the LIRR, railroad officials said. Train maintenance crews will saw off about 3 inches of metal from the end of each armrest and slip on a blue plastic sleeve, LIRR spokeswoman Susan McGowan said.
Some LIRR customers criticized a plan to spend millions on a nuisance when it has not yet fixed wide platform gaps.
"Are you kidding me?" said Carolyn Jarvis, of East Norwich, whose 6-year-old son in 2005 fell into a gap at Syosset station. "I called up the next day to report it and the guy said ... that they could never spend [the money necessary] to fix up all the gaps."
The LIRR plans to narrow gaps at about 100 of its 262 platforms at passenger stations. - Jennifer Maloney, Newsday
LAGNIAPPE (Something extra, not always railroad related, for Saturdays only)
GOING WITH THE GRAIN FOR FORTY-SIX YEARS
GRAND ISLAND, NE -- During the 46 years that Don Comer of Grand Island has been employed at Aurora Co-op in Aurora, he has seen some monumental changes in the business of agriculture.
Comer retired from Aurora Co-op in December. He was serving as vice president of grain at that time.
He started at the co-op on April 1, 1960, as a bookkeeper. Comer attended the National Business College in Lincoln for two years and received a degree in accounting. He is a graduate of Phillips High School.
"When I started as bookkeeper, everything was done by hand -- pen and ink," Comer said. "Everything was written and posted."
Raised on a farm in the Phillips area, Comer was glad to get a job in agriculture close to home.
"After living in Lincoln for two years, I definitely wanted to come back home," Comer said.
The roots of the Aurora Co-op go back to 1908, when farmers invested their money to start a cooperative elevator to sell their grain. Comer said when he went to work for the co-op in 1960, it just had elevators in Aurora and Murphy. Forty-six years later, Aurora Co-op has expanded to 18 locations, operating 21 elevators.
Bookkeeping wasn't Comer's only responsibility when he first started working for the co-op. He also ran the scales that weighed the farmers' trucks when they brought loads of grain to the elevator. He was also responsible for counter sales.
The co-op, at the time, had a small feed mill, and it also sold fertilizer and coal.
"Everything was done by hand," Comer said. "We worked 60-hour weeks back then. Seven a.m. to 6 p.m. was the normal workweek, six days a week. And harvest was on top of that. A lot of times, we worked 80-plus hours at harvest time."
At that time, Comer said, the big harvest wasn't corn and soybeans, but wheat.
"The fall was only milo," he said. "Corn back then was picked by the ear and kept on the farm, and it was shelled until it was needed."
Irrigation was just getting started. Once in place, Comer said, irrigation changed the landscape in central Nebraska as cornfields began replacing wheat and milo fields. Along with irrigation, new corn genetics allowed farmers to increase their yields. Soybeans didn't come in a big way until the early 1990s, but they became a dominant crop when scientists developed genetically modified soybean varieties that allowed farmers to spray their crops to protect against insects without harming the plant.
"In 1960, if you had 100 bushels of corn per acre on irrigated land, you had a good crop," he said. "And you know how that has expanded now, as 250 bushels per acre isn't that uncommon."
Also in the mid-1960s, Comer said, new farm equipment became available, allowing farmers to more efficiently harvest their crops. When he was growing up, corn harvest could run as long as 60 days. Nowadays, highly mechanized farm equipment allows farmers to harvest vast tracts of land in several days, barring any complications.
As technology vastly changed the agricultural landscape in central Nebraska, Comer said, Aurora Co-op also began to expand, offering its patrons new and improved services that allowed them to compete in the rapidly changing world of agriculture.
Comer said the biggest challenge during his career has been the railroads. Railroads play a vital farm-to-market role. As farmers take their grain to the elevator, the elevator ships a vast majority of the grain to other markets by rail.
In recent years, elevators such as Aurora Co-op have added bigger loading facilities to handle 110-unit rail car loads of grain in order to take advantage of the railroad's better shipping rates for larger loads. The growth from 54-unit car grain trains to 110-unit ones has taken place in just a little more than 20 years. That made huge financial demands on co-ops such as Aurora Co-op to expand their grain-hauling capability to remain competitive.
But Comer said providing timely transportation for farmers' grain has been a challenge. Many years, as harvests grew progressively larger, rail transportation was strained while keeping up with the growing yields.
"It has been very satisfying to continually build volume year after year, whether it be farmers growing more crops or through mergers and acquisitions," Comer said. "That is very satisfying, but it is also very challenging."
Comer said when he started with Aurora Co-op in 1960, they loaded mainly trucks and boxcars.
"We really have evolved over the years," he said. "Our corn at the time mainly went out by truck to Colorado feedlots because those trucks hauled wheat from Colorado to Omaha and on the return trip they hauled corn back to Colorado."
And Comer said all things came around eventually as within the next several years, the role trucks played in hauling grain will dramatically change as more and more ethanol plants dot the landscape. Local truck volume will increase as more and more of the locally grown corn crop will be used for ethanol production.
"We were one of the first local co-ops in Nebraska to buy rail cars," he said. "But we are now evolving back to trucks, and those rail cars will also go by the wayside eventually."
With all the changes Comer has seen over the years to the agriculture industry, he took it all in stride.
"You have to go with the flow," he said. "You always want to be in the position to sell to the best market and you have to have the equipment to do it."
What Comer will carry with him the most from his years of working at Aurora Co-op is the personal relationships he has built. In some cases, those relationships span five generations.
He said back before Aurora Co-op purchased the elevator in Grand Island back in the 1980s that allowed them to ship on both the Burlington Northern and Union Pacific, he was the man in charge of marketing the farmers' grain.
"I knew every tenant and every landlord in every division we operated in and all their crops," Comer said. "That is very satisfying because I knew everybody."
Once Aurora Co-op established a relationship with Union Pacific, Comer became vice president of grain marketing and delegated more of that responsibility to others under his charge.
"Once you begin to merge and get larger and larger, you have to hire other people to do those duties, but all those personal relationships I have developed over the years are still there," he said.
Comer said while he is retiring from his full-time position at Aurora Co-op, he will continue to work for it on a part-time basis as a consultant.
George Hohwieler, president and CEO of Aurora Co-op, said Comer "has been so instrumental in bringing continuity and consistency to the business."
"Our customers know that they are going to get solid performance and the same great performance every day with Don. He was very consistent on how he performed, especially with all of those behind-the-scenes things needed to run an organization like this. It was something he did day-after-day-after-day. He was humble and didn't need a lot of credit. He served us well and was one of those people who helped bring this company to the point where it is right now." - Robert Pore, The Fremont Tribune
WYOMING SODA ASH PRODUCERS HOLD THIRD OF WORLD PRODUCTION
GREEN RIVER, WY -- Wyoming's soda ash industry accounted for an estimated 38 percent of the world's soda ash production in 2006, new federal figures show.
But the industry still faces tough competition from China and an emerging threat from India, which established itself as the third leading soda ash-producing nation in the world last year.
Wyoming producers accounted for more than 95 percent of US soda ash production in 2006, according to an industry report prepared by Dennis Kostick, a soda ash analyst with the US Geological Survey.
Kostick predicted that both global and domestic demand for soda ash would continue to increase slightly over the next few years. He said the economic slowdowns in the domestic automobile manufacturing and building construction industries affected soda ash consumption last year.
Kostick said notwithstanding the continuing economic and energy problems in certain areas of the world, overall global demand for soda ash is expected to grow from 1.5 to 2 percent annually for the next several years.
The total value of domestic soda ash produced last year increased by $23 million from 2005 to $928 million total.
Kostick said if the domestic economy improves, US demand may be slightly higher in 2007. He said although the US soda ash industry posted higher average annual values in 2005, most of the increases included energy and transportation surcharges.
In May, a major Wyoming soda ash producer announced a $15-per-ton increase in the list and off-list price of soda ash, effective July 1, which accounted in part for the increased value of product in 2006.
Kostick said other producers soon followed the price move. The same company made a second price increase announcement in September that would raise the off-list price another $10 per short ton, but thus far, only one other company followed the move.
Southwest Wyoming holds almost all of the nation's mineable trona reserves and the world's largest deposits of trona. The trona lies in beds from 600 to 2,000 feet underground in the Green River Basin in Sweetwater County. The industry employs more than 2,100 people in southwest Wyoming.
Trona ore is mined and then processed into soda ash, a chemical commodity that is marketed and consumed around the world. Soda ash is used in the production of glass, soaps and detergents, among other products.
Wyoming's producers have an annual nameplate capacity of about 14.5 million tons. The state's soda ash industry continued to operate under capacity in 2006, the report said.
The four Green River companies produced about 10.9 million tons of soda ash in 2006, down from the 11.1 million tons produced in 2005.
Global competition
Kostick's report said Wyoming producers continued to face strong competition from China, which has been posing a barrier to US export sales in Far East markets, and expansions by soda ash producers in India. China's cheap labor and lax pollution laws give the government-run industry a leg up on Wyoming producers.
Wyoming producers received some help last year to combat China's increased soda ash production. The report noted US Congress passed legislation to aid the Wyoming soda ash industry's global competitiveness by reducing the federal royalty rate from 6 percent to 2 percent for a five-year period.
The report said China continued to increase production in 2006, partly with the addition of a new manufacturing plant.
Last year, a Chinese investment group based in Beijing built a new $100 million soda ash plant in Kungrad, located in an area of western Uzbekistan. The facility is expected to produce about 100,000 tons of soda ash annually using salt and limestone as a source. Uzbekistan will consume about 65,000 tons each year and export the remainder.
Kostick said in late 2005, a major synthetic soda ash producer in India acquired the soda ash operations in England, Kenya and the Netherlands from the only soda ash producer based in England.
He said a second Indian soda ash manufacturer purchased one of the soda ash plants in Romania for $24 million around the same time. In 2006, the same manufacturer bought a second Romanian soda ash plant and intended to purchase all or part of one of the US soda ash companies.
Kostick said the transactions, when combined with plants in its own country, established India as the third-leading soda ash producing nation in the world.
Wyoming soda ash producers have tangled with India before. In 1996, the Indian soda ash industry obtained an injunction against US soda ash imports, accusing Wyoming producers of implementing predatory pricing that aimed to monopolize the industry in India.
An overseas court ruled in 2002, however, against India's soda ash industry and reopened the country's market to Wyoming soda ash. - Jeff Gearino, The Casper Star-Tribune
WYOMING SODA ASH PRODUCTIONS DROPS SLIGHTLY
GREEN RIVER, WY -- Production by Wyoming's soda ash industry declined slightly in 2006, according to a year-end industry report.
The value of soda ash produced in the United States last year increased about 3 percent from the year before, however. The report said the industry continued to face tough competition from China's synthetic industry.
Four companies in southwest Wyoming comprise the bulk of the US soda ash industry, which accounted for more than 95 percent of domestic soda ash production in 2006, said Dennis Kostick, a soda ash analyst with the US Geological Survey.
Kostick said the value of the soda ash produced by the four Wyoming companies and a small operator in California increased from $905 million in 2005 to $928 million last year.
China was again the world's leader in soda ash production and produced an estimated 12 million tons of synthetic soda ash last year. For the first time in 100 years, China surpassed the United States in 2003 as the world's leading soda ash producer. - The Casper Star-Tribune
BITTERSWEET ENDING
Editor's note: On Nov. 26, the Durango Herald published Greenfield's story about F.J. Moss, whose initials, carved in the 1930s and '40s, she had found on aspen trees. That story ended, "Well, these are the bare bones of a life, but what of the man?" Greenfield didn't think she'd actually get the answers she did.
DURANGO, CO -- With a reluctant murmur, the ghosts in Frank Moss' life sigh and blow away the last wispy remains of the fantasies I'd had about this man whose name I'd found carved into aspens all around the Hermosa and Cascade creek areas. What remains is as close to reality as is possible after more than 63 years of secrets.
Photo here: [www.durangoherald.com]
Caption reads: F.J. Moss, a cowboy called as handsome as the Marlboro Man by some, poses for a photo in the 1930s or ’40s. Top: Moss’ death notice was in the Durango paper. (Courtesy Mary Ann and Jakie Moss)
Six feet 4 inches tall, with a strong jaw and brooding eyes, he was "as handsome as the 'Marlboro Man,'" say those who knew him back then. A real "cow-boy," as he was called in the 1930 census records. He always wore a cowboy hat and boots with thick high heels. And for trips into town, always a white shirt. "I still remember the sound of his boots clomping up and down the aisles of my father's furniture store at Eighth and Main," says Harold Wilson, whose brother Kenneth would later serve as a pallbearer at Moss' funeral.
A loner, more comfortable by himself out on the open range with cattle than with people, he was tormented by a dark side that made him fly into violent rages for no apparent reason. People still remember the story of when he and another cowboy were riding in the Cascade Creek area.
When his horse tripped and fell into a ditch Moss became enraged. He held the horse down by the bridle and beat it so badly that it was blinded. Disturbed and puzzled by this, I think, "This is not the partnership I've heard about between a cowboy and his horse."
Still, he could turn on those good looks and charm when he wanted to attract the attention and love of a pretty, sweet 18-year-old girl named Mary Lechner, who would become his first wife in 1934. She was one of several children born to Anthony and Annie Boyce Lechner, who had a ranch in the Rockwood area. Quiet and soft-spoken, Mary Lechner nevertheless had lots of spunk.
Friends remember her driving the Rockwood "school bus" -- really just a wagon covered with canvas -- filled with children. Although the road to the school was narrow and difficult, Mary handled the team of horses (named Snookie and Nellie) with a skill far greater than one would imagine for a girl so young.
Photo here: [www.durangoherald.com]
Caption reads: Children stand in front of what they called the school bus in Rockwood in 1922. Mary (Lechner) Moss is the little girl on the far left. The driver of the bus is her mother, Annie Lechner, and she is the partially hidden figure to Mary’s left. Later, Mary would drive that bus. (Courtesy of Dorothy Lechner)
Relatives remember a story that Mary liked to tell. "'I was maybe 10 years old,' she'd say, 'on my horse rounding up some cattle on top of the Hermosa Cliffs when a bull charged off out of the herd.'" With Mary close behind, yelling, the unlucky bull ran right over the edge of the cliff and fell to his death. Mary was just able to pull her horse to a stop before she, too, went over the cliff. "She was truly a frontier girl," says a relative.
Mary's spunky character undoubtedly helped her survive the five turbulent years she would be married to Frank Moss. Despite living desperately poor in a "thrown-up shack" -- a cave-like place with boards nailed up in front for a wall -- she tried to make a good home. Their first child, a little girl, lived only a short time. Other children soon followed, a son and then a daughter, but Mary's life with Frank was anything but idyllic. His rages continued and Mary reached the point where she knew she could no longer continue to live with him.
One night, while Frank slept, she grabbed a gunny sack and tossed in some food and clothing.
Then, carrying her baby daughter and leading her 4-year-old son by the hand, she took the children and left. It was dark and it was snowing as the three of them walked miles to safety at a cousin's house in Durango. "It's a wonder they all didn't freeze to death," says a relative.
She never returned to Frank, and later they were divorced.
"This is not what I imagined when I looked at the F J MOSS aspen tree carvings," I think to myself as I sit back and mull over these revelations. I begin to see that life on the range -- before there were women's shelters, support groups, Dr. Phil or telephones -- made for some very tough and resilient people. People who would have just suffered quietly, because in those days no one discussed what went on between husbands and wives, particularly when it was so hurtful.
Mary moved on with her life. She married Calvin Grimmett and had two more children. She worked very hard, like most farm wives, tending the animals, keeping house and cooking. Her children fondly remember how after a "tasty dinner" she and Calvin would stand together at the sink talking, laughing and doing the dishes. Her family believes that it is her story, one of survival, courage and frontier life, that needs to be told, not Frank's. Well-loved, with many friends, Mary died in 2002 at age 88, a "very old and very happy lady."
The end for Frank Moss was not so happy. By the early 1940s his second marriage, to Vera Meadows, was not going well and he was living alone at the L.J. Randleman ranch where he worked.
To earn extra money, Frank was also working in a mine in the Coal Gulch area near Lightner Creek. One morning, with a great roar, the ceiling of the mine collapsed, crushing his leg. It never healed properly and he eventually had to have it amputated.
When he returned to the Randleman ranch he was on crutches. His life was in shambles. Vera (who is still alive and currently living in Washington State) was about to leave him. He had only one good leg and he could no longer ride a horse. Although the cowboy way of life was already just beginning to pass over the horizon, it was the only life he knew or loved.
Despite repeated warnings from his doctor to rest, on the evening of Friday, April 2, 1943, Frank got his crutches and stumbled up to a field to check on some cattle. On his way back disaster struck in the form of a pulmonary embolism. He died under a large piñon tree, his crutches flung out at his side. He was only 43 years old. He was buried in the family plot in Marvel on April 6, 1943. His obituary refers to him as a well-known and respected stockman.
So, that is the rest, and the end, of the story of Frank Moss as I know it. I am sure that no amount of searching for a few carved words on some aspen trees could ever have revealed this story without the encouragement of those friends and relatives who wanted it to be told. And now that it is told, I will look no more for signs of this troubled man in the shadows and light of the aspen groves. - Esther Greenfield, Special to The Durango Herald
THE END
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 Railroad Newsline for Saturday, 02/03/07 |
Larry W. Grant | 02-03-2007 - 00:00 |