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Re: Inside Gateway versus Shasta route
Author: mook
Date: 04-29-2017 - 16:44
Ed Immel Wrote:
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> Rumor has it that there once was a line that ran
> from the SP's Overland route via Alturas to
> Klamath Falls.
Which does or would have done no good in the present situation. The line that's broken follows, generally, I-5. The Modoc line was a "short cut" for SP traffic between the Overland Route (with some use of WP track) and the Shasta-Cascade (I-5) route. UP long ago determined, after absorbing both WP and SP, that it was not needed, since any "Overland" traffic to the PacNW would go via UP's line that was more direct and in better shape. So it's long gone.
The only practical nearby detour is the BNSF "Inside Gateway" between K-Falls and Keddie, connecting with the UP Feather River line. It's not a high-capacity line, so while UP can use and probably is using it only the most critical traffic would go that way. And it's a slow line, so it wouldn't help Amtrak any (long delays, even if all other parts of the trip run to schedule).
UP already told everybody that things will be closed for at least a month, and to expect (on freight shipments), 3+ day delays. So for non-critical traffic they're certainly routing via Ogden then either back to Sacramento or on to LA.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rumor has it that there once was a line that ran
> from the SP's Overland route via Alturas to
> Klamath Falls.
Which does or would have done no good in the present situation. The line that's broken follows, generally, I-5. The Modoc line was a "short cut" for SP traffic between the Overland Route (with some use of WP track) and the Shasta-Cascade (I-5) route. UP long ago determined, after absorbing both WP and SP, that it was not needed, since any "Overland" traffic to the PacNW would go via UP's line that was more direct and in better shape. So it's long gone.
The only practical nearby detour is the BNSF "Inside Gateway" between K-Falls and Keddie, connecting with the UP Feather River line. It's not a high-capacity line, so while UP can use and probably is using it only the most critical traffic would go that way. And it's a slow line, so it wouldn't help Amtrak any (long delays, even if all other parts of the trip run to schedule).
UP already told everybody that things will be closed for at least a month, and to expect (on freight shipments), 3+ day delays. So for non-critical traffic they're certainly routing via Ogden then either back to Sacramento or on to LA.
