UP was shut down for a day late last week due to a washout in the Blues somewhere (rain and snowmelt was causing problems in region).

They seem to be really struggling to implement their new and improved plan in this area.

Was working west of Hinkle some this week, noted the following:

At times, trains were running like streetcars. But not all was good. Local missed picking up at Boardman on Friday, then doesn't work weekends. UP parked an empty grain train in siding for about 24 hours, and local didn't work Boardman again on Monday. By Tuesday, local had 40+ cars to pick up, plus there's an empty windmill train on the other side they have yet to get to. An eastbound intermodal train out of Seattle was stuck in the siding at Boardman for several hours yesterday. Said they couldn't get into Hinkle to make a planned pick up. They had a mix of TOFC and 40' container wells, not sure what they would be doing picking up at Hinkle unless it was the Cold Connect (xRailex) block, priority traffic or just fill tonnage. Crew was expecting to go dead, and they were already recrew from Biggs. Train left soon after, not sure but may have been third crew relieved them?

Saw a westound grain train go by, still had 6 DPU units in middle that normally get pulled out at Hinkle and sent back to Nampa or Pokey. Not sure if the ran 3+6+2 all the way down the river to Portland or what.

UP crews say Hinkle is an absolute disaster. Hump did shut down, but they are still flat switching trains to/from Eastport, Spokane and Wallula as well as area locals. Everything moving east, west or inbound is apparently being handled by block swapping. Crews are turning on their rest. Not sure how parking trains, taking three crews to go Portland to Hinkle, excess power on the flat river line, delaying supposedly expedited intermodal trains, etc. is more "efficient".

What a pisser! (PSR)