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Railroad Newsline for Thursday, February 08, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson

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RAIL NEWS

TWO BNSF EMPLOYEES SAVE THE LIFE OF A WOMAN

Two BNSF Railway Company trainmasters on the Stockton, California, subdivision recently took action to save the life of a motorist.

Trainmasters Justin Douglas and Joyce Pence were conducting operations tests at a crossing between Riverbank and Modesto, CA, the evening of Jan. 2, when they noticed a vehicle parked near the tracks. After the gates at the crossing activated, the trainmasters saw the car maneuver around them and actually head down the track. They immediately notified both the dispatcher on the subdivision and the crew of an approaching Amtrak train.

"It was really shocking to see," recalls Douglas, noting that the car was small enough that its tires fit between the rails. It traveled for about a half mile before the tires blew out and came to a halt halfway between two road crossings. Fortunately, the Amtrak train was able to stop several hundred feet short of hitting the car - much to the relief of the crew, who later thanked the trainmasters for being in the right place at the right time.

"It was fortunate that the train had a station stop just prior to the incident," says Pence. "If it had been running full speed, we might not have been able to stop it in time."

Douglas says he and Pence initially thought that it was probably kids who had stolen a car, but the driver turned out to be a young woman in her 20s or 30s. Police arrived and took her to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. A tow truck then removed the vehicle from the tracks, which were inspected so rail traffic could resume.

Thanks to Douglas' and Pence's quick reaction, they not only saved a life, but prevented possible damages to BNSF employees and Amtrak employees and passengers. - BNSF Today

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UNION PACIFIC STOREFRONT HIRING OFFICE OPENS IN NORTH PLATTE

Photo here:

[images.zwire.com]

Caption reads: Bailey Yard Superintendent Cameron Scott shows Career Center employee Karen O'Connor the new Web site for those interested in working for Union Pacific.

NORTH PLATTE, NE -- Applying for a railroad job just got easier in North Platte.

Union Pacific Railroad and the North Platte Career Center unveiled a partnership Tuesday to provide easier, and more personal, access for those applying for UP jobs.

On Tuesday, the two entities formally opened the UP storefront hiring office next to the center at 114 S. Chestnut St. in North Platte where applicants can apply for jobs, print off completed applications and check application status in one location.

More importantly, according to UP Director of Employment Jolene Jeffries, personal help will be available at the site.

Karin Lange, director of the center, and her staff have been training with UP to understand the different jobs at UP and how to best help applicants.

With 15 computer stations available, and the office open from 08:00 until 17:00, Lange said applicants will find the help they need when accessing the UP's hiring Web site.

Jeffries said the program is a pilot program and North Platte is the test site to see how well the partnership works. The pilot program runs from Jan. 1 through June 30 for train service hiring.

"UP has contracted with the state to provide employment management services," Jeffries said.

Lange and her staff will also administer tests and conduct interviews of applicants with a UP manager.

Applicants invited to take the reading test can schedule a convenient time for the test and beginning March 7, applicants can attend a weekly information session.

For the past several months, UP has conducted hiring sessions at North Platte Community College and beginning Feb. 19 at 13:00, those sessions will be at the career center, Jeffries said.

The railroad will turn over almost 100 percent of its workforce by 2012, and presently hires about 20 new employees a month for train service jobs and five in each of the other departments.

Cameron Scott, general superintendent of Bailey Yard, said he expects to have 3,000 more new people hired in the next four years.

Tom Sullivan, local chairman of United Transportation Union, has been with UP for 38 years and is one of those retiring in less than four years.

He said the unions have been heavily involved in getting new employees at the railroad, in preparation for the exodus of retirees.

Scott said the unions asked how they could help hiring Generation 5 of UP employees.

"For the past one and one-half years they have been a huge driver of hiring," he said. "Their continued involvement will be very important."

Sullivan said getting new employees hired is important to the railroad.

"The sooner we get them hired, the more training they get," he said.

A new application Web site has been launched at [www.unionpacific.jobs]. - Teresa Wickens, The North Platte Telegraph

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UNION PACIFIC EYES FORT LUPTON FOR COLORADO RAILROAD HUB

FORT LUPTON, CO -- Union Pacific Railroad will complete a $40 million study over the next year weighing the relocation of two key rail yards on a large swath of land south of town.

The study, commissioned and funded by RTD, authorizes Union Pacific to pursue design and engineering studies and possible property acquisition for the relocation of its Denver area classification yard and intermodal transfer facility to Fort Lupton.

According to Union Pacific spokeswoman Katherine Blackwell, the combined classification yard/intermodal facility would take the place of two existing Denver Union Pacific properties, the 36th Street classification yard and the 40th Street intermodal facility. Relocating the two yards is a critical component of RTD's FasTracks commuter rail project and would enable RTD to move forward on a planned commuter rail maintenance facility at the current 36th Street location.

"The 36th street yard is a major element in the FasTracks railroad process," said Pauletta Tonilas, FasTracks public information manager. "And Fort Lupton is Union Pacific's primary choice for relocation."

The Fort Lupton site currently being considered is about one mile south of the city, adjacent to the existing Union Pacific tracks that run parallel to Weld County Road 27. Beginning at WCR10, the proposed site cuts a roughly one-half mile wide swath east of the tracks, south towards Brighton, crossing WCR8 and 6, and ending approximately three miles south, approaching WCR 4.

"It will be a minimum of six to nine months before a decision can be made, dependent on land availability, property price, and interconnection with existing rail lines," Blackwell said.

While the study is still in the early stages, Union Pacific considers Fort Lupton the preferred location due in part to property costs and the benefits of a large industrial park area away from residential development, open to industry and increased traffic flow. They also foresee a large amount of associated industrial development including possible trucking facilities and distribution points.

"I think it will be a good thing for the city," said Fort Lupton City Administrator Jim Sidebottom "We have been looking for industrial development, and they (Union Pacific) are looking in the right location for the city."

A major consideration for city officials is the future of WCR 6 and 8 and the inevitable routing changes and traffic density the rail yard would bring, points not lost on Brighton City Manager John Bramble.

"We have a lot of questions," Bramble said. "It's hard to comment on the rail yard when we don't know the impact yet, don't know how many trains or other traffic will come through. They have nine months to complete the noise and traffic and other environmental studies. At this point, we are willing to participate and see what they have to say, but it's too early to say." - Gene Sears, The Brighton (CO) Standard Blade

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HIS SIDE OF THE STORY: MAN TALKS ABOUT CAR VERSUS TRAIN CRASH

Photo here: [www.winonadailynews.com]

Caption reads: A train struck a car Monday at the Louisa Street crossing in Winona, Minnesota. The driver received minor injuries and was cited for not obeying the crossing signal. (Photo by James A. Bowey/Winona Daily News)

WINONA, MN -- Lawrence Pepin wasn't trying to beat the train that hit his car Monday.

He just figured that it was switching cars, and by the time it crossed the Louisa Street intersection, he would be well on his way to Community Memorial Hospital, where he planned to pick up his blood pressure medication.

He figured wrong.

The 56-year-old doesn't have an excuse for cutting into the other lane and driving around the flashing crossing arms, where his Cadillac was hit by a westbound train and dragged 100 feet. He feels pretty bad about what happened and pretty lucky that he wasn't seriously hurt.

He put in a humble call to a reporter Tuesday because he wanted to tell his side of the story, which follows, edited for clarity and length:

"I got up in the morning and needed to get my blood pressure medicine. I was fairly tired and didn't get a good night's sleep. Went down to get in my car, and pushed the garage door opener, and the door wouldn't open. I had to go find the key for the lock you turn to control the door handle. OK, the day's already starting out real good.

"I took off (from the Golfview Apartments on West Fifth Street), and I'm driving along, and all of a sudden I'm behind a real slow city truck. I mean, real slow. Then I got onto Broadway and at the corner of Mankato, there's a car stalled in the turning lane. This is starting to get to be a long day. Then I saw they're switching cars on Mankato.

"I took (Howard Street) to the crossing where I ended up getting clobbered. The arms were down, and I just assumed they got 'em down because they're changin' cars. When I went to go through that thing, I wasn't racing, I was just sneaking. I wasn't trying to beat a train. I've seen that happen before.

"I got up on the first track, and there was one railroad car on the right side, and also cars in that same track on the left side of me. Didn't have a good view as I snuck up to the crossing. Barely going 10 miles an hour, 15 at max, then wham - there it was.

"I'm pleading guilty in court. I can't deny what happened.

"I have (a cut) on my right calf. Tender ribs. Stiff neck. Back of my left hand got slightly bruised, can hardly feel it. The ribs are making it tough to lay down and sleep. But if I had gone another 5 feet, I wouldn't be making this call. I have about 15 lives, I guess.

"Car's probably totaled. '89 Eldorado. I loved that car. Because of my bad back, that car was the most comfortable car I could drive.

"The ambulance took me to the emergency room. After I was done I walked over to the pharmacy and got my blood pressure medicine and jumped on the bus home.

"I feel stupid as it is, because it happened. I know better. I was just . sometimes you wake up and the day just doesn't go right, you know?" - Briah Voerding, The Winona Daily News

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CONJUNCTION JUNCTION: STARS AND MONEY COULD BE ALIGNING FOR PASSENGER-RAIL SERVICE TO CHICAGO

THE QUAD CITIES, IL/IA -- The history of passenger rail in the Quad Cities illustrates just how capricious - and divorced from rational decision-making - business and politics can be.

The Quad Cities lack rail service not necessarily because of a lack of demand, but because of a long-forgotten business decision.

When Amtrak was created in 1971, its purpose was to shift the obligation for passenger rail from freight carriers to this quasi-governmental company overseen by Congress. The idea was that the federal government would subsidize passenger rail, but that subsidy wouldn't be going to private, for-profit companies.

The Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific Railroad - which operated passenger rail through the Quad Cities - didn't opt into the Amtrak system, and thus was required to continue its rail service.

But with the company in bankruptcy in the late '70s, the company's two passenger-rail lines were terminated in 1978.

And for nearly three decades, the Quad Cities have been without passenger-rail service.

Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesperson, emphasized that the demise of passenger rail in this area had nothing to do with passenger rail. "Their financial issues were significantly larger than two passenger trains," he said.

The point might seem like ancient history, but it touches on several sensitive areas. First, that passenger rail hasn't failed in the Quad Cities in the past - and therefore might be possible in the future. This is particularly important in the context of the perennially struggling Amtrak; the company argues that passenger rail generally is still viable and important - even if it's unlikely that it will ever be profitable. The primary challenge for Amtrak historically has been that federal funding has been precarious, thus hindering its ability to plan, adapt, and grow.

After decades of aiming for - and never reaching - self-sufficiency, Amtrak is taking a different approach these days. It sees opportunities for growth and believes that it can come closer to self-sufficiency than ever before. And with the possibility of operational and capital funding set for a six-year cycle, Amtrak could be coming to the Quad Cities in the coming years.

"It's pretty much the opposite of the late '70s, early '80s," Magliari said. "We're in growth mode in Illinois. ... In California we can't add trains fast enough."

The premise is that Amtrak can lose less money per passenger than before by spreading its fixed costs over a greater number of passengers and trains. A more stable funding scenario could allow Amtrak to at least try the concept.

Amtrak will probably never break even or make a profit, Magliari emphasized, even though Congress has for many years tried to impose that standard on the service. "We exist because private industry was not making money doing this," he said. "Those who suggest it [Amtrak] should be privatized forget how we got here. ... There will always be a net loss after the fare box."

Amtrak's new goal is to increase the number of passengers it serves. At a meeting two weeks ago organized by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Amtrak representatives said the organization's target now is to double its ridership by 2020.

"All of this is doable," said Ray Lang, senior director of government affairs for Amtrak, at the meeting. "The way we do that is to develop new corridors."

And that's where the Quad Cities might fit into Amtrak's plans. The State of Illinois will now formally ask Amtrak to study the possibility of bringing passenger-rail service to the Quad Cities and perhaps beyond, creating a rail corridor between Chicago, this community, Iowa City, Des Moines, and Omaha, Nebraska.

Participants in Durbin's meeting sounded downright optimistic that the Quad Cities could have rail service to Chicago within two years. That's possible, but a lot of things need to happen beforehand.

Enough Money to Fail Slowly

The main challenge in evaluating the passenger-rail opportunity is figuring out whether Amtrak's current strategy will last - or even get out of the station.

Congress and presidential administrations have long been impatient with Amtrak's financial performance. As Amtrak noted in its April 2005 "Strategic Reforms Initiative" document: "The Bush Administration has signaled its own sense of urgency for reform at Amtrak and in U.S. intercity rail-passenger service generally by way of a proposed 'zero' FY06 Amtrak operating budget, while making it clear through the Secretary of Transportation that it would support increased funding in conjunction with appropriate and comprehensive reform."

What Amtrak has lacked historically is stable funding; it was under regular threat of reduced funding (or elimination). Congress has "only given it [Amtrak] enough money to fail slowly over the years," said James P. RePass, president and CEO of the National Corridors Initiative.

"Amtrak needs a different federal [financial] framework," said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.

The problem with Amtrak has never been demand for the service, RePass said. "When trains are provided, they get used," he said. The trouble has been that there's never been enough money for enough trains.

Harnish noted that most of Amtrak's equipment is decades old. "They're turning people away because they don't have enough sleepers," he said.

But the climate for passenger rail is changing. "The stars are aligning for the first time," RePass said. Last month, U.S. Senators Trent Lott and Frank Lautenberg introduced the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2007, which would authorize $19.2 billion for Amtrak over six years. A version of that bill passed the Senate 93 to six in 2005 but was never brought to a vote in the House.

Because of leadership changes in the House, RePass said, he expects the bill to pass both chambers this year, and he added that he doesn't think President George W. Bush will veto it.
The president needs support for the war in Iraq, he said, and can't risk alienating legislators who want improved passenger-rail service in their states.

Harnish said he doesn't give odds but thought there is a decent chance the bill will pass either this year or next year.

The stable funding would allow Amtrak to plan, RePass added, and the federal government will match some state capital investments.

The legislation, RePass said, will be a "very critical" element of Amtrak reaching its 2020 ridership goal. "That bill will unleash a flood in capacity," he said.

But by itself the legislation wouldn't create rail service to the Quad Cities. That would require significant investment and long-term commitment from both Iowa and Illinois.

The first step is Illinois' impending request to Amtrak for a study of both the need for passenger-rail service and the cost.

Amtrak already has anecdotal information on demand. At Amtrak stations in Princeton and Galesburg, Illinois, Magliari said, "we know we are attracting a fair amount of business ... from the Quad Cities and Peoria."

Money and Priorities

The most sensible way to expand passenger-rail service would be to connect Chicago to Omaha, and not just create a corridor to the Quad Cities or Des Moines. An analysis prepared for the State of Iowa concluded: "The Segment Analysis shows that the only option that achieves a positive operating ratio is that of developing the entire corridor from Chicago to Omaha. Shortening the corridor to Des Moines or the Quad Cities results in lower financial operating returns." The Midwest Rail Initative also envisions passenger rail from Chicago to Omaha.

There are two main options for passenger-rail service to the Quad Cities from Chicago, but at this point there are no current estimates of the costs for either route. "We don't know at this time what the capital costs will be," he said.

A 2001 estimate put the cost of infrastructure improvements for one route at $65 million from Wyanet, Illinois, to Iowa City.

And beyond those direct costs of new rail service, there are critical infrastructure improvements needed in the Chicago area. Harnish said that rail service to the Quad Cities and points west is possible without those upgrades, but it won't be optimal. "The easy stuff is everything west of Chicago," he said.

Those Chicago improvements - known as the Chicago Region Environmental & Transportation Efficiency Program - will cost approximately $1.5 billion, and some of them are already undeway.

But Harnish didn't say that new rail service should wait for those Chicago infrastructure projects. "Sometimes it's better to get stakes in the ground and get moving," he said.

Illinois has a demonstrated commitment to passenger rail, having doubled its appropriation for Amtrak in the current fiscal year.

But Harnish sounded skeptical that Illinois would spend the money necessary to create the Chicago-Quad Cities corridor without pressure from constituents. "Transportation is not a priority in Springfield right now," he said.

Eventually, though, the state will need to create new revenue to pay for transportation projects such as highway expansion, and automobile alternatives such as passenger rail, bike paths, and mass transit will need to be part of the deal for political reasons. Constituents will demand a package of balanced transportation before they'll support expensive highway projects that won't directly benefit them, he predicted.

Iowa's interest in passenger rail is also uncertain. The state has contributed to the Midwest Rail Initiative but has not spent any money on rail-corridor construction. "We're waiting for some sort of state-federal participation program," said Peggy Baer, director of rail transportation for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

She also said that the creation of a federal matching funds for passenger rail wouldn't necessarily be a spark for passenger rail in her state. "It's might be," she said. "It's up to the legislature." - Jeff Ignatius, The River Cities' Reader

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LOCAL OFFICIALS: WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY DERAILMENT

MINERAL COUNTY, MT -- The federal government only wants to know about train accidents that occur at a crossing, involve hazardous materials, result in a fatality, serious injury, or more than $150,000 in damage.

Local and state officials, however, made it clear that they want to know about every train accident that occurs in Mineral County.

Montana Rail Link did not notify any local officials about a nine-car derailment near Marble Creek last Friday that required replacement of about 500 feet of track.

Local Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator George Gupton made it clear that he wants that to change.

"I had an understanding any time a train derailed in this county I would be notified. I have already talked to state DES too. Their understanding is both the state and I should be notified of any derailment. MRL dispatch had a different understanding of that," he said.

The 106-car train originated in Buckskin Junction, Wyoming, and was carrying coal to Boardman, Oregon when nine cars derailed about five miles east of St. Regis at about 20:55 Feb. 2.

The cause was a track structure failure, said Lynda Frost, a spokesperson for Montana Rail Link.
There were broken lag screws in the tie plates, she explained. She said about 500 feet of track was replaced.

The track was closed about 48 hours, she said. "It occurred in a confined location, so it was difficult for us to get in there and remove the derailed equipment."

A national railroad derailment service company, Hulcher Services Inc., was reported by local residents as managing the cleanup. An official said that as a subcontractor to MRL they could not comment on their work but referred all questions to MRL.

The company rerouted trains over the weekend. Frost said the company had not yet identified a cost.

"There's always cost involved when you damage some of the equipment and when you lose some of the commodity. We haven't identified a cost yet," she said.

She said her understanding was that the company only notifies the state and local authorities when there is a hazardous materials spill or there is an impact on the public.

For example, the company would notify local officials when the derailment is visible from the interstate and would generate calls from passing motorists.

If any coal had gone into the Clark Fork River, the company would have immediately reported the incident, she said.

"We don't typically report if a derailment doesn't involve HazMat, there's no injuries, or it doesn't impact the public, and this derailment also had no impact on our business," she said.

That's not the way George Gupton saw it.

"That was not my understanding," he said. "We will be having a discussion on that. I want us to know any time there is a derailment. It doesn't matter how deep in the woods it is. It doesn't mean we're going to raise a hue and cry about it. We just want to know what's going on," he said.

The Code of Federal Regulations, CFR 840.3 lays out the requirements for notification of railroad accidents. The railroad must inform the National Transportation Safety Board within two hours for (1) a passenger or employee fatality or serious injury to two or more crew members or passengers requiring admission to a hospital; (2) The evacuation of a passenger train; (3) Damage to a tank car or container resulting in release of hazardous materials or involving evacuation of the general public; or (4) A fatality at a grade crossing.

Notification is required within four hours for (1) Damage based on a preliminary gross estimate of $150,000 or more for repairs, or the current replacement cost, to railroad and non-railroad property; or (2) Damage of $25,000 or more to a passenger train and railroad and non-railroad property.

Frost said she had no cost estimates for the damage to nine railroad cars, the cost for the weekend emergency services, replacement for 500 feet of track, or the cost of the lost coal. - John Q. Murray, The Clark Fork (MT) Chronicle

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GROUP HOPES TO LAUNCH TOUR OF DEPOTS

BARSTOW, CA -- Plans are on track to launch a tourist train between two historic desert depots.

A special Heritage Railroad Committee first wants to test the tourism market among railroad and history buffs by staging a bus trip between Barstow, California's Harvey House and the Kelso Depot in the eastern Mojave.

About 50 people - including business and civic leaders, educators, and individuals involved in tourism and economic development - have been invited to take part in a Feb. 20 bus tour between the two depots.

"We want to showcase the potential for a new, integrated tourism project that will boost development and increase local pride in our cultural heritage," said former Barstow Mayor Mal Wessel, who heads the committee.

"This will give us an idea of the interest and viability of the project, and acquaint people with the unique features of the Mojave National Preserve."

The bus tour is envisioned as the first of a four-month series of public weekly tours by chartered bus. The trips would include tours of Route 66 Mother Road Museum and the Western American Railroad Museum, both at the Harvey House, and the Mojave National Preserve's extensive museum at the depot in Kelso.

Committee member Deborah DeMeo, California program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said tourism is growing in the Mojave and that hundreds of visitors now visit Harvey House and Kelso Depot.

"We think we can establish a tourism market with bus trips and show that a future train will draw visitors to the region," she said.

The committee is visualizing even more, citing the success of rail tours from Williams, Arizona, to the Grand Canyon. "The tourist train there revitalized Williams," Wessel noted.

"If there is sufficient interest, we feel that we could transform Old Town Barstow into an 1880s railroad town with vintage street lights, turn-of-the- century restaurants, and other features in keeping with the period. By creating an authentic railroad theme downtown, we think Barstow would become a major tourist destination."

Committee members say weekly bus trips could become a reality by spring, but a tour by rail is still several years away.

The committee is looking at the feasibility of using a locomotive fueled by liquefied natural gas or electricity to reduce toxic emissions.

"First, we must find out if a train like this will pay for itself," Wessel said. "Then we must determine what type of rolling stock we'll need, and seek support from the private sector."

Finally, the committee would approach officials of Union Pacific and BNSF Railway to explain how the tourist train would operate, how many jobs it would create and what it would do for the railroads, Wessel said.

"We're not going into this all starry-eyed," he said. "We will show the railroads how we'll do this and how it will pay for itself."

The 70-mile-long rail route between Barstow and Kelso, operated by Union Pacific, passes through spectacular Afton Canyon and near the lofty Kelso Dunes. At Newberry Springs, it's near a pre-Civil War army post called Camp Cady.

"We think this type of train would attract families on vacation and school kids looking for a new adventure," said Jeanette Hayhurst, a member of the committee.

The National Park Service also backs the proposal, viewing it as a way to showcase the newly renovated Kelso Depot.

A half-million tourists annually visit Mojave National Preserve, and many stop at Kelso Depot to see a variety of exhibits on display.

The vintage depot in Kelso, opened by Union Pacific in 1924 and closed in 1985, serves as a window into an era when the railroads opened the West. There was talk of demolishing the structure after it was shut down, but concerned citizens rallied to save it.

The structure now serves as the main visitors' center and museum for the 1.6 million- acre national preserve, which contains the world's largest Joshua Tree forest, towering mountains, the historic Mojave wagon road, and a variety of rare plants and animals.

Barstow's Harvey House, reopened in 1911 after fire destroyed an earlier depot, now contains offices of the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce and the two museums.

During its heyday in the 1940s, its popular restaurant served thousands of military men en route to combat in World War II. They were served by young women known as Harvey Girls who symbolized the magnetism of the West. - Chuck Mueller, The San Bernardino County Sun

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RACE AGAINST TIME

Photo here: [www.modbee.com]

Caption reads: Robert Irvine (The Food Network photo)

MODESTO, CA -- He's cooked for four presidents, British royalty and celebrities.

But highly regarded chef Robert Irvine never has faced a challenge like this. He has eight hours to prepare and serve a gourmet meal aboard the Sierra Railroad Dinner Train.

Food Network will air the challenge in the half-hour "Dinner: Impossible," starring Irvine as a cross between a culinary James Bond and MacGyver, at 22:30 Feb. 14.

Irvine and his two sous chefs are challenged to deliver the five-course meal for 140 passengers aboard the luxury locomotive in Oakdale. The British native is flown in on a Friday night and told his mission Saturday morning: Devise a menu, shop and have served hors d'oeuvres, salad, soup and entrees by the time the train reaches the halfway point in its four-hour round-trip journey.

It's not bad enough that Irvine is under the gun in a tight, galley-style kitchen, with the train pitching to and fro, but train conductor Randy McTaggert is told to keep the pressure on Irvine.

"He was encouraged to antagonize the chefs," says Chris Hart, Sierra Railroad president, "He was told by the producers to be kind of stern with the chefs and don't make it any easier on him."

Irvine is no stranger to pressure-cooker situations. He worked as director of culinary operations and executive chef at Trump Taj Mahal and Caesars Atlantic City and serves as director of food services and executive chef at Resorts Atlantic City. He often traveled in the private entourage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Photo here: [www.modbee.com]

Caption reads: The Sierra Railroad Dinner Train approaches Cooperstown. The Sierra has been used for a variety of commercials and photo shoots. Most recently, Aflac insurance filmed a silent movie-style commercial. It also was host to 'High Noon,' Gary Cooper's iconic spin as a lone-crusader sheriff. The 1952 film, also featuring Grace Kelly, won four Oscars. MSN recently listed the train as a dramatic place to pop the question and score the girl. (Sierra Railroad photo)

Formed in 1897, the Sierra Railway Co. of California connected the valley to gold country. In the 1970s, the Sierra Railroad launched an industry when it operated the nation's first dinner train. That service was discontinued when the Crocker family sold the railroad in 1982. It was purchased in 1995 by a group led by Mike Hart, who restored the track, brought in new equipment, improved shipping and saved the railroad, according to its Web site. Four years later, Chris Hart joined his older brother with the goal of bringing tourism back to the railroad, and the Sierra Railroad Dinner Train was born.

"I strive to provide a memorable combination of scenery, fine dining and entertainment aboard a moving train," says the younger Hart, who lives in Modesto.

He's made the train a draw for 30,000 people a year, from corporate outings to school field trips to tour operators to weddings and reunion parties.

Sierra Railroad and the Harts' Sacramento River Train are among five dinner trains in California and 89 in North America.

The Food Network chose the Oakdale operation, says Hart, for its quality service and rich history.

"The more we spoke, the more it just seemed like a perfect fit with them," he says.

The excitement is apparent as the conductor signals, "All aboard," and the passengers are ushered into a bygone era and escorted to reserved seats.

The day's cares wash away as the train lumbers out of Oakdale and heads toward Warnerville in the Sierra foothills. Twisted Oak Winery owner Jeff Stai begins pouring wine after the passengers settle in.

The train heads east from Oakdale and rumbles past a cemetery, back yards and orchards and up Sand Hill to the rolling expanse of cattle country in eastern Stanislaus County.

"It's very rare to find such unspoiled country like this in California," Chris Hart says. "It's the wide open unspoiled countryside of the Stanislaus River valley. There's cattle. There's horses. There's coyote. You really get a sense of getting away from the city and city life. It's what I love about it.

Photo here: [www.modbee.com]

Caption reads: Every table is a window seat aboard the Sierra Railroad Dinner Train. (Sierra Railroad photo)

"The route that we follow has only a few country roads crossing the track here and there. For a long portion of the trip, we're going through land only accessible by train."

The excursion pauses at its midpoint, and the engine is prepared for the trek home. Then the rhythmic rumbling begins again.

The service is unhurried, providing ample opportunity to converse and savor the meal while watching the unfolding scenery.

Diners enjoy a meal featuring a lightly dressed salad with walnuts; mushrooms stuffed with aged goat cheese; corn and shrimp chowder; a choice of roasted rack of lamb with a mango purée, roasted pork with a crab risotto, a flat-iron steak with roasted potatoes, a vegetable napoleon with tomatoes, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese or a chicken breast on a bed of polenta; and apple-raisin crumb cake with granola topping and a banana cream.

In the kitchen, it's another story. A mix-up with salt and sugar means a dish has to be tossed and started again. A second appetizer never materializes.

"This has been one of the hardest things we've done, because of the closeness of the quarters and the movement of the train," Irvine says during the filming.

Hart, who's accustomed to the train, agrees.

"The train is moving about 15 miles per hour. It is difficult. It's hard on the chefs. You're having to keep your balance on a moving train. Plus, because we're on a train, you have a hot, small, confined kitchen that is difficult to cook in," he says.

Irvine's crew was given a morning to prepare for the night's dinner. Normally, Hart says of the railroad's operation, "we will do one day of prep for a weekend's worth of trains (three or four trains), and three to six hours of cooking the day of the trip."

When the 32-mile trip ends, the railroad's staff members gather outside. They offer a hand down the steps and chime in together as they bid everyone farewell.

"We try to do a lot of things that are very unique," says Hart. "I like to find ways to go beyond people's expectations and create something special for them."

The dinner train is one of many excursions offered by Sierra Railroad.

The others include a murder-mystery dinner theater, a Sunday brunch, a chocolate decadence brunch, a Wild West luncheon train, a rail-and-raft summer trip and party trains.

Sierra Railroad offers two levels of service. On the silver tier, most trips are $49 during daytime and $54 to $58 at night, plus tax and service. The tip is included in the price. Hart says half his guests choose the silver level.

Then there's the gold level upgrade.

For an evening trip, an extra $25 brings priority boarding, premium seating (private table) additional appetizers, champagne toast with the train manager and a boxcar with a private bartender. Also, all nonalcoholic beverages are included in the price, and every woman receives a rose.

"While we can add additional cars for special events and charters, we typically have a 200-guest capacity with five dining compartments, two kitchens, a lounge car and power car," says Hart. "A trip on the Sierra typically lasts three hours." - Sharon K. Ghag, The Modesto Bee

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BEE RODE THE CABOOSE OF RAILROAD'S RAPID RISE

SACRAMENTO, CA -- With the end of the Civil War, the biggest news in California was the looming completion of the transcontinental railroad, on which construction had begun in 1862.

This excerpt describes The Bee's coverage in the months leading up to the railroad's completion and how the arrival of the railroad helped trigger a bitter newspaper war in Sacramento.

Like most Sacramentans, James McClatchy was eager for the line to be finished. "What we most need as a people is an unbroken line of rail from San Francisco to New York," he wrote in January 1868. "To procure that at the earliest day we are prepared to make all reasonable sacrifices."

Those sacrifices, he said, should include putting up with the high rates the Central Pacific was charging for freight and travel on the part of the line already finished:

"If the rates can be cut down without hampering the road, all will agree that to reduce them would be a public benefit; but if the business of the company is in such condition that these rates are absolutely necessary ... then we do think that California would be injuring herself to curtail them at present."

In the months leading up to its completion, The Bee published dozens of pieces about the railroad. Some pieces daydreamed about future blessings the railroad would impart. Some pieces fretted about shortcomings that needed to be addressed.

Finally, in May 1869, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific were scheduled to meet to complete the line near Promontory Point, Utah, a desolate area about 700 miles east of Sacramento. Bee co-owner Jeremiah O'Leary was among the guests on a special VIP train from Sacramento, and he sent back detailed dispatches to the paper along the way.

While the Golden Spike formally completing the railroad wasn't driven until May 10, Sacramento and the rest of California celebrated two days earlier, when the Central Pacific finished its portion of the line.

Hundreds of people from around Northern California and Nevada poured into the city. Most businesses closed. There was a long parade in which McClatchy marched at the head of the Sacramento Society of California Pioneers, a group composed of original 49ers and of which he was president.

The Bee reported the celebration went surprisingly smoothly and that the only casualty appeared to have been a man who shot off part of his own hand.

The Central Pacific quickly became as important to Sacramento and California as most people had expected. But it also had some unexpected consequences: It made its owners the wealthiest, most influential and most controversial people in the state. It made The Bee the most important newspaper in Sacramento.

Railyard became a mini-city

Looking for a quick return on their investment, the Central Pacific's owners first tried to sell their creation rather than try and operate the railroad themselves. After failing to peddle it for $20 million, they decided to try another route. They began to swallow up their competition in all its forms. They absorbed rival rail companies, including the Southern Pacific, and eventually adopted that company's name for their enterprises.

Steamboat, stage and freight lines were also bought out, until the number of former companies and subsidiaries numbered more than 400 and included timber, oil and real estate interests. The railroad company became the biggest landowner in California as well as the state's chief employer.

It also became a bully, demanding tribute from the cities it served in the form of land grants and other subsidies. In Sacramento, city officials ceded a large tract of land just north of downtown, near a bug-infested swamp known as China Slough, for construction of a railyard.

By the mid 1870s, the railyard was a mini-city, employing 700 people. The yard produced nearly everything the railroad needed, from locomotives to brakemen's lanterns.

Another thing the railroad company produced in great quantities was political corruption.

Legislators and local politicians were plied with stock, sweetheart investment opportunities and outright bribes.

The Bee, while not blind to the unsavory aspects of the railroad company's dealings, and while periodically calling for public ownership, chose to accentuate the positive. In addition to providing jobs, the paper pointed out, the railroad had opened up vast markets for the region's agricultural products, and promised to attract other forms of industry.

A dissenting voice

Not everyone in the local press, however, was enamored with the railroad. In fact, James Anthony, the Sacramento Union's principal owner, positively hated it.

For several years before its completion, Anthony had fulminated against what he viewed as a get-rich scheme that offered little value to the public. When the line conquered the Sierra summit in late 1867, Anthony shrugged it off:

"The announcement is of no importance. Long ago the public have justly regarded this much-lauded and patronized transportation enterprise as a merely private affair to be used for the enrichment of a very few individuals."

The Union and Anthony were not foes to be taken lightly. Six years older than The Bee, the Union had built itself up as the favorite paper of miners in the camps and small towns surrounding Sacramento. By 1870, its daily circulation totaled more than 9,000, probably twice that of The Bee. It was also a politically formidable force in the Capitol and statewide.


For the most part, the two editors, and their papers, had generally gotten along as friendly, if vigorous, competitors. But as Anthony's unceasing crusade against the railroad continued, both papers began to show their teeth.

By July 1871, Central Pacific directors became so annoyed by the Union's fangs in their necks, they threatened to move the railyard out of Sacramento. An alarmed deputation of Sacramentans met with the rail company's directors to ensure them that the Union's views weren't reflective of the local populace. In reporting the meeting, The Bee, perhaps disingenuously, expressed a wish for peace between its rival and the railroad:

"It is hoped that the interchange of friendship on the part of our leading citizens and the railroad company ... may have its legitimate effect upon the course of the Union, which has tried to make the people believe that Sacramento despised the company and would willingly see it depart this city."

The Union was not swayed. Responding to a "memorial" printed in The Bee that repudiated the Union's anti-railroad stand and bore the names of more than 500 people, the Union disparaged the memorial's signers:

"While we have been laboring with the utmost unselfishness to force the company to abandon its extortions for the general good of this state and Nevada, these signers, intent only on ... showing their servility to accidental wealth, virtually tell the managers of the monopoly to go on and extort as much as they please upon all the state and plunder the counties to any extent and by what means they can."

A battle of the presses

The newspaper war was on. For the next 3-1/2 years, The Bee and Union fought almost continuously. The battlefields extended beyond the railroad issue. In 1873, The Bee supported a proposal to build a state prison in nearby Folsom to handle the overflow from California's only other prison, San Quentin. The Union opposed the prison, which was eventually built.

In 1874, The Bee championed expansion of the park that surrounded the state Capitol, and led a campaign to raise private funds to supplement public money to pay for it. The Union bitterly opposed the idea, first because its financing called for a slight property tax increase, then because the private contributors included Central Pacific directors.

The opposition, and the shifting reasons for it, exasperated McClatchy, who proclaimed in an editorial:

"The Union is a wicked paper. ... it is notoriously conscienceless, saying one thing today and denying it tomorrow, opposing one measure now and anon defending it. ... This wicked paper (is) conducted by men whose controlling passions are malevolence and hate toward all who will not do their bidding ..."

The Bee triumphed, and Capitol Park was expanded. And the Union's anti-everything stances began to take their toll among readers and advertisers.

The Union had alienated many other papers in the state through vitriolic attacks when they disagreed with the Union's positions. The Central Pacific refused to carry it or allow it to be sold on its trains, which not only hurt the Union economically, but also diminished its political influence. And Sacramentans had become increasingly weary of the Union's frequent characterizations of them as either naive rubes or railroad sycophants.

Facing declining circulation and a steep drop in advertising revenues, the Union owners put the paper up for sale. It was sold in February 1875 and merged with the Sacramento Record, a railroad-backed paper.

The sale made The Bee the dominant paper in Northern California outside the Bay Area. McClatchy was uncharacteristically less than gracious in declaring victory the day after the sale was finalized:

"We hope that that Record-Union or Union-Record will behave itself becomingly, in order that The Bee may be saved the necessity of hauling it over the coals ..."

On Friday: C.K. and V.S. McClatchy take over from their dad and take on the Legislature, the chamber of commerce and everyone else. – Steve Wiegand, The Sacramento Bee

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A PLEA TO SAVE PULLMAN

MICHIGAN CITY, IN -- Pullman Standard has long been held in high regard in the minds of Michigan City, Indiana residents, thanks to the thousands of people it employed.

That level of esteem for the former railroad car manufacturer has emerged even more so in recent weeks as the Michigan City Historic Review Board tries to rescue what could be the last Pullman Standard building in Michigan City. But to do so, the review board will need some big help from the Michigan City Council, which introduced an ordinance Tuesday night, at the request of Councilman Paul Przybylinski, that would add the Pullman Standard building that is known as "The Works" building, 601 Wabash St., to the city's historic map.

If the council approves the ordinance next month and the building receives designation as a historic building, it would mean Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, which owns the building, could not demolish the structure, which no longer has any shops inside, without approval from the historic review board.

Since the historic review board wants it preserved, that means it could difficult for Lighthouse Place to convince the review board that it should be torn down.

The structure was remodeled several years ago to accommodate indoor shopping at the outlet mall.

The historic review board prevented the building's demolition for now when it approved a resolution at its Jan. 22 meeting that requires the matter to come before the city council before anything can be done to the building.

"We would really like the building preserved. It's the only one left of the Pullman Standard legacy," historic review board member Julie Manner said Tuesday.

Lighthouse Place management couldn't be reached for comment.

Haskell-Barker Car Company, which became Pullman Standard in 1922, was the city's largest employer from 1852 to 1970.

During World War II, Pullman Standard built sleeper cars for Allied troops.

The Michigan City plant closed in the 1970s.

The historic review board's action is aimed at giving the owners time to think about an alternative to knocking it down.

"Once it's gone, it's gone. There's not a whole lot left on that end (of town)," Manner said.
But not all board members think saving the building is the right thing to do.

"I had a concern that we were overreaching," historic review board member Elizabeth Bigda said.

Board member Rich Richey maintains that what the building lacks in architectural significance, it makes up for in historical importance in terms of the company being the city's largest employer at one time. It's a structure, he said, that shouldn't be razed when it still is a viable structure.

"That's the part of this that saddens me. It's usable." - Daniel Przybala, The LaPorte County Herald-Argus

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ST. PAUL/DEPOT LEFT OUT OF RAIL PLAN

ST. PAUL, MN -- A new plan to run passenger trains between Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota could dash St. Paul's dream of turning the downtown Union Depot into a transit hub, Ramsey County officials said Tuesday.

As proposed, the Minneapolis-Duluth line would angle through Coon Rapids and Cambridge on existing freight tracks. Anoka and St. Louis counties have joined forces to study the idea.

A route to Duluth starting in Minneapolis would be cheaper and quicker to build than the "Rush Line," which would begin in St. Paul, proponents told the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority. The Minneapolis route also would qualify for more federal funding, backers said.

"This is the corridor that has the tracks, has the existing infrastructure and has the opportunity to contract with Amtrak and BNSF," said Elwyn Tinklenberg, former state transportation commissioner. "That opportunity does not exist with the Rush Line. . That's why the studies are proceeding the way they are."

Some Ramsey County officials didn't like what they heard.

"This is a real threat," said Jan Parker, a Ramsey County commissioner from New Brighton. "I feel like they've done an end run around us here."

St. Paul and Ramsey County have teamed on a plan linking the Twin Ports and Minneapolis with Hastings, Chicago and points east. The county has spent $5 million on acquisition in the area and has been promised $50 million from the federal government to restore Union Depot.

The Rush Line was to be one leg of the link to Duluth, opening the northeastern suburbs and beyond to commuter rail service into St. Paul and the rest of the Twin Cities.

Passenger trains between Lake Superior and the Mississippi River were a key element of Minnesota's transportation development, but passenger rail service ended in 1985 when Amtrak cut its Empire Builder trains because of a lack of customers. Travel had moved to the parallel Interstate 35 corridor.

Renewing the link to Minneapolis isn't mere parochialism, Tinklenberg said. Under federal law, Amtrak could return to its old rails, now a BNSF freight line. A 2000 study, he said, estimated it would cost only $90 million to upgrade the rails to a "Class 4" line and buy a train allowing 80 mph passenger service on the old Amtrak route.

As intercity rail service, rather than commuter service, the old route also is eligible for Federal Railroad Authority funding, which requires a mere 20 percent local funding contribution, rather than the 50 percent match required by the stringent Federal Transit Authority funding, which Ramsey County is seeking for its Rush Line option.

A commuter rail line between Hinckley and St. Paul also was more expensive in an initial feasibility study, costing as much as $400 million just for that segment, according to St. Louis County lobbyist John Ongaro.

"We're trying to find the quickest, most cost-effective way to do this," Tinklenberg said.

But in St. Paul, county officials said they didn't think it was a fair comparison and they were determined to bring as much rail infrastructure as they could to Ramsey County.

"If it is seen as the Rush Line versus the Cambridge line, and you can't get both, then you're in for a heck of a fight," said Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt. - Tim Nelson, The St. Paul Pioneer Press

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TRANSIT NEWS

BUSH BUDGET WOULD SEND SOUND TRANSIT $80 MILLION

WASHINGTON, DC -- In what Northwest lawmakers are hailing as a coup, the president's new budget request includes nearly $175 million for light rail and bus projects in Oregon and Washington.

The Bush administration would spend $80 million apiece for light-rail lines in Seattle and Portland, as well as $15 million to improve bus service in the Springfield, Oregon, area.

Seattle-based Sound Transit would get $70 million for a 14-mile line being built between downtown Seattle and a site north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The money had been expected under a 2003 agreement that authorized $500 million in federal funding for the $2.4 billion project.

But the budget request also includes an unexpected $10 million to extend light rail to the University of Washington. The University Link Light Rail Transit Extension is one of two projects nationwide proposed by the Federal Transit Administration for a full-funding grant agreement, similar to the one in place for the airport line.

Sound Transit officials said they intend to submit an application for the funding agreement for the $750 million University line later this year.

"We can only wish surprises like this came every day," said Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, chairman of the Sound Transit board. "This proposed funding shows the Bush administration is ready to continue helping our region. We're fortunate to have the support of the administration and Senator [Patty] Murray's strong leadership in our congressional delegation."

Murray, D-Wash., is chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee and a longtime Sound Transit booster. She said in a statement that she was pleased the president's budget "continues to make good on a commitment to support Sound Transit's bold transportation goals to improve transit service in the region."

Murray praised U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, and said the money for the University Link line may have come as a result of a trip Peters made to Seattle in November.

"I was pleased to give Secretary Peters a look at our region's transportation and transit challenges. She saw firsthand the impact that this extended light-rail network would play in helping us address our traffic challenges," Murray said.

As one of only two projects nationwide that received a "high" ranking by the FTA, the University Link project is well-positioned to move forward, Murray said.

Oregon officials were equally pleased at the administration plan to spend $80 million for an eight-mile extension of TriMet's MAX light-rail line along Interstate 205 south of Portland.

The administration also recommended $80 million for the project last year -- a request that is still pending as Congress considers a spending plan for the budget year that began last October.
The 2007 request includes $27.6 million for a 14.7-mile commuter line along the fast-growing Wilsonville-Beaverton corridor in Washington County.

TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen said he expected the grants for the MAX line and the Wilsonville line to be approved. The MAX project, known as the I-205/Portland Mall project, is part of a $557 million plan to build a Green Line from Clackamas to Portland State University in downtown Portland.

The other project is part of a $117 million plan to connect Wilsonville and Beaverton in the city's fast-growing suburbs.

Hansen, who was in Washington on Tuesday for the official announcement by Peters, credited Oregon Democratic Reps. Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer for helping to secure the federal funding.

"It was expected but certainly welcome," he said.

The president's budget also includes $14.8 million for a 7.8-mile extension of the Franklin Corridor bus service along the Pioneer Parkway in Springfield, Ore. The project is expected to cost $37 million and carry an estimated 3,700 passengers daily when it opens in 2010. - Matthew Daily, The Associated Press, The Seattle Times

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DRAPER TRAX LINE FOES PRESS THEIR PETITION EFFORT

DRAPER, UT -- A group of Draper, Utah residents aren't giving up their efforts to move a proposed TRAX extension.

The City Council's preferred line - it matches Utah Transit Authority's preference - would run past Draper City Hall and up to South Mountain along a UTA-owned railroad right of way.

Citizens for Responsible Transportation oppose that path because it goes through residential neighborhoods.

They want the extension to follow State Street.

Now CRT is 60 votes closer to its goal.

Despite coming up 122 signatures short of forcing a vote in a recount last week, CRT leader Summer Pugh said numerous errors in processing the petition quashed the referendum.

She said the cutoff date for signature collection should have ended a day later, and that Utah and Salt Lake counties used an incorrect calculation to determine the number of signatures required.

Draper City replied with a letter Tuesday acknowledging Pugh was correct on both fronts - but that added only 20 signatures to the petition and subtracted 40 from their requirement.

Pugh and CRT are still 62 signatures short.

Pugh said address discrepancies could save as many as 80 signatures that were crossed off in the validation process.

She said many residents listed addresses that were deemed invalid, but they may have actually just moved to another location within Draper.

That would make those signatures valid and give the group ample signatures to force a vote on the TRAX line extension.

Pugh and her attorney, Jeff Heideman, filed both a complaint and request for a temporary restraining order with the Third District Court on Monday to prevent Draper from disposing of the petition until the issue is decided. - Steve Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune

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THE END