Moscow has been slowly being abandoned for a long time now. It all started in 2005 when the NP section of the line was taken out, leaving only the UP portion in town. The last revenue load, propane, moved sometime in winter 2006/2007. The last train I ever personally saw in Moscow was on 3/28/2007, at it wasn't a revenue move. After Ferrell Gas quit shipping, the only other customer left "in" Moscow was McGreagor at the WA/ID state line. The WIR doesn't need 2 miles of track to switch McGreagor, they can do fine with what is in place from the WATCO removed rail to the switch at MP 89. There hasn't been a train into Moscow for the last two years because there hasn't been a reason to do so. What's the point of keeping 2 miles of signals and track in Moscow if nobody is ever going to use it and if it's costing you money to have it sit there? If Moscow was ever interested in any kind of rail transport, passenger or freight, they sure haven't done much to stop the removal of the infrastructure that requires it. The very southern end of the UP tracks and the two track trestle over the creek (everything south of W College ST) is already gone along with the Moscow Seed Co mill building. On the weekend of May 9th all the crossing signals in Moscow were removed as well, the only thing left is a track that collects weeds. Perhaps 20 or 30 years in the future Moscow will be wishing it had save something for transit use, but the city's and the University of Idaho's attitude in the present has been to get rid of the railroad ass soon as they can, or at least not care if it does leave.
Matt
Moscow ID