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Railroad Newsline for Thursday, March 22, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

USE OF SACRAMENTO FIRE BOATS SUSPENDED AFTER TRESTLE BLAZE: OFFICIALS SAY PROTOCOL NEEDED TO ENSURE SAFETY

SACRAMENTO, CA -- Firefighters in new fire boats may have unnecessarily been put in danger while fighting a massive railroad trestle fire in Sacramento last week, officials said.

Until a safety protocol can be created, the two boats will not be used.

In addition, a 911 recording reveals initial confusion about the location of the fire.

Immediately after the Thursday blaze, fire commanders credited crews on the boats for saving a railroad bridge that spans the American River.

The boats sprayed water from the American River on the bridge and the burning wooden trestle.

But Ed Vasquez of Sacramento Fire Department said use of the boats has been suspended for now out of concern for crew safety.

Vasquez said the boats do not have oxygen masks and tanks on board and firefighters at the scene were exposed to potentially harmful smoke.

In addition, Vasquez said it is impossible for firefighters to properly wear life jackets when wearing all of the necessary safety gear.

Plus, on the evening of the fire, the starter on one of the boats failed. The other boat's water pump failed.
Vasquez said the current method for fueling the boats is hazardous. The fuel is stored in cans, which Vasquez said could spill and create more problems for crews.

Fire commanders are now working to create standard operating guidelines to get the problems addressed.

Officials estimate it will take at least three weeks to get the boats back on the water for use by firefighters.

The head of the firefighters' union said the changes must be made to ensure safety.

While the boats will not be used to fight fires, police will still use them for patrols.

Before the fire boats were called into action, dispatchers had trouble pinpointing the exact location of the blaze and what was actually burning.

Dispatchers received the first call reporting smoke north of the railroad bridge at 17:41.

The dispatcher asked if the caller was referring to the area of Ethan Way, located to the east of the actual fire.

The caller said he was on the Capital City Freeway and could see flames, but was not sure where the fire was burning.

The dispatcher said someone would be sent to check out the blaze and asked about the color of the smoke.

The caller, who claimed to be a former firefighter, said the smoke was darker than would normally be expected for a grass fire.

Another caller reported the fire as well. Dispatchers continued to work to pinpoint the fire's location and source.

A dispatcher asked if the fire was closer to Cal Expo, near the horse racing track.

Then City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy called in, adding that the blaze appeared to be in the Woodlake area.
The first engine arrived four minutes after the first 911 call. The crew reported that the fire was burning on about 200 feet of trestle.

Engine 19 was clearing a medical call on Ethan Way when dispatchers sent the crew to the fire. Crew members saw the smoke and just followed it, finding the blaze on their own.

Engine 19 was on its own until about six minutes later when a captain said a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District engine arrived to help. Two more Metro engines followed within the next 10 minutes.

Access to the fire was difficult. A lack of hydrants nearby also posed a problem.

Crews ended up having to run hundreds of feet of hose to start pumping water on the blaze.

Since the fire, Union Pacific efforts to remove debris and replace the trestle have been continuing around the clock.

Pile driving has continued and more heavy equipment arrived on Tuesday.

The goal, officials said, is to open one of the new trestle tracks by April 1. All work is set to be done by the end of May.

Officials said the cause of the blaze is still under investigation. Union Pacific has increased the reward for information to $10,000. - KCRA-TV3, Sacramento, CA, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr

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UNION PACIFIC THANKS EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND PARTNERS FOR HELP WITH RECOVERY FROM SACRAMENTO TRESTLE FIRE

OMAHA, NE -- With the help of public and private partners, work is under way to restore bridge service to the area affected by last Thursday's train trestle fire near Sacramento. Union Pacific employees, State of California officials and private contractors are working around the clock to replace the trestle that spans the approach to the American River.

The entire double track railroad trestle was destroyed by the fire - the cause of which is still under investigation. Union Pacific has established a $10,000 reward fund for information leading to an arrest in connection with the fire, and railroad officials are working closely with local investigators. The trestle is a vital lifeline to the Sacramento and California economies, and immediate replacement is necessary to resume normal passenger and freight operations in the region.

"We would not have been able to respond as quickly as we have without the help of our critical public and private partners, and the dedication of our employees," said Tom Jacobi, regional vice president of Union Pacific's western region. "The railroad would publicly like to thank first responders, our community neighbors, government officials and our employees for their cooperation during this endeavor. We were extremely relieved to learn no one was injured in connection with the fire, and we are employing all means possible to replace the trestle as safely and efficiently as possible."

Union Pacific expresses its appreciation to:

· First Responders

o Sacramento Fire Department

o Sacramento Police Department

o Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District

o West Sacramento Fire Department

o Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center

o California Highway Patrol

o California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

o The Cosumnes River Community Services District

o Sacramento County Parks

· Other State and County Agencies

o Office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

o California State Fish and Game

o California EPA

o California Department of Water Resources

o California Department of Transportation

o California Public Utilities Commission
o Sacramento County Public Health Department

o Sacramento Air Quality Management District

· Residents of the Woodlake Neighborhood Association

· Residents and businesses close to the site who may be inconvenienced by construction of the new trestle

· Amtrak and Capitol Corridor and their passengers

· Union Pacific Employees. Special thanks to operating, engineering and Maintenance of Way employees for their dedication and hard work.

- James Barnes, UP News Release

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ROSEVILLE TRAINS REROUTED AFTER TRESTLE BURNS

Photo here:http://www.thepresstribune.com/content/articles/2007/03/21/news/top_stories/04trains.jpg

Caption reads: Union Pacific construction crews work to rebuild the destroyed trestle. (Pico Van Houtryve/The Press-Tribune)

ROSEVILLE, CA -- Some train commuters will be busing it for at least the next two weeks after a railroad trestle in Sacramento caught fire last Thursday, railroad officials said.

Amtrak and Union Pacific trains are experiencing delays but operations are running. The fire near Cal Expo in Sacramento broke out Thursday and destroyed about 1,100 feet of the 2,500-foot trestle used by Union Pacific.

The 2,000-foot-high plume of black smoke from the burning creosote-coated timbers could be seen from Roseville and other parts of Placer County, but air-pollution officials said the wind's direction moved the polluted air away from the foothills.

Amtrak's Zephyr line between the Bay Area and Chicago will be rerouted from Roseville, said company spokesperson Vernae Graham. The westbound Zephyr that departed Chicago March 13 arrived Friday in Roseville, and passengers were bused to the Bay Area, Graham said. A 90-mile Sacramento-Marysville-Roseville detour was set up by Friday.

About 130 passengers were stranded last Thursday on a train in Roseville for five hours.
"Any freight and passenger trains that do need to come into Roseville to be sorted, we're telling customers up to 24 hours of delay," said Union Pacific spokesperson Mark Davis.

"The fortunate thing in this case, the average of 50 that go over that line are able to continue their operation," Davis added.

More than 150 firefighters responded to the trestle blaze next to the American River that started about 17:40 Thursday, Capt. Jim Doucette of the Sacrament City Fire Department said.

Representatives from the California State Department of Fish & Game also responded to monitor the water runoff from the fire. There was no evidence of toxics entering into the American River Thursday, Doucette said.

Officials said cause of the fire is under investigation.

The trestle collapsed in sections starting about 21:00 Thursday, Doucette said.

Firefighters turned the scene over to Union Pacific Friday night, company spokesperson Davis said. UP said one track will be open March 30 with construction happening "around the clock."

About 145 riders make the Sacramento-Auburn trip daily, with 45 using the Auburn station, 50 in Rocklin and 50 in Roseville.

Capitol Corridor transportation officer Carl Malvo said, in the short-term, Sacramento to Auburn riders will take a motor coach on the morning ride to Sacramento and the evening return trip.

While Malvo said there was no way of knowing how long the bus service would be in place, Capitol Corridor officials are confident ridership won't drop off once the trestle is rebuilt and the train starts running again. He couldn't recall a similar loss of rail service during nearly a decade of Capitol Corridor train service.

"Our customers are loyal," Malvo said. "We believe they'll continue to support and patronize the service during the disruption. We'll do what we can to make the best of the situation."

The Placer County Air Pollution Control District found readings on fine particulate matter were at normal levels overnight Thursday and into Friday, pollution control officer Ushuo Chang said. Readings were from Roseville and Meadow Vista. - Ansel Oliver and Gus Thomson, The Roseville Press-Tribune

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THEY COVER VIAGRA

BLOOMINGTON, IN -- Put gas in the car or buy birth control?

That is the choice that one woman, Jackie Fitzgerald, faced in 2001 because her insurance did not cover her contraceptives prescription. Deciding because of necessity to go with the fuel, she subsequently found herself with an unplanned pregnancy.

This woman, along with several others, decided to sue their employer, Union Pacific Railroad Company, for discrimination under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The courts initially acted in the women's favor, but alas, the judicial system has found its way to deal yet another blow to women's rights in its most recent ruling.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled Thursday that the Union Pacific Railroad Company's insurance policy did not discriminate against women in its refusal to cover the costs of birth control for its female employees. The court, in its 2-1 decision (which, of course, was handed down by a panel of all white, all male judges), justified its ruling by saying that "contraception is not 'related to' pregnancy ... because ... (it) is a treatment that is only indicated prior to pregnancy."

Contraception is not related to pregnancy? Excuse me? Apparently these judges forgot to take human sexuality 101. Contraception is all about pregnancy -- the desire to avoid it. It's called birth control for a reason. Contraception is one of the most basic health needs of any sexually active woman, and insures should be required to include it in all coverage packages. Would they really rather pay for the costs of childbirth and at least 18 years of health care than $30 a month for pills? It's also, however, a problem that is uniquely female; access to contraception is the only way women can control their fertility and, ultimately, their lives (short of chastity, and who really wants to go there). All women should be granted equal access to control their fertility regardless of their ability to pay.

It's also interesting to consider that this company that refuses to cover birth control for women nonetheless will cover "lifestyle" medicines for men, such as Rogaine for hair loss and Viagra for erectile dysfunction. Making sure men can keep erections and have healthy sex lives but not permitting women to avoid unwanted pregnancies seems like quite a sexist contradiction.

As Judge Kermit Bye said in his dissent "... the inequality of coverage is clear. This failure only medically affects females, as they bear all of the health consequences of unplanned pregnancies ... Women are uniquely and specifically disadvantaged by Union Pacific's failure to cover prescription contraception." Uniquely and specifically disadvantaging people sure sounds a lot like discrimination.

Strangely enough, Working Mother magazine recently named Union Pacific one of the top 100 companies for working women. Perhaps they'll want to reconsider those rankings soon. - Commentary, The Indiana Daily Student

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BNSF MACHINIST SAVES MAN FROM BURNING CAR WRECK

Larry Zagalik, BNSF Railway Company machinist, Independence, Missouri, recently rescued a 23-year-old man from a fiery car crash. Zagalik was at home one afternoon late last month when he heard a loud noise and went outside to see what it was. That's when he saw a wrecked car upside down about 150 feet down the street.

Zagalik ran toward the vehicle and saw that the driver was trying to get out. With the help of an off-duty Kansas City police officer, he pried the man out of a small hole the crash created on the floorboard just before the vehicle burst into flames. Zagalik later learned the car had been traveling more than 60 mph when it struck a number of large, curbside boulders, launching it almost 50 feet into the air.

But the story doesn't end there -- the burning car subsequently ignited a raging grass fire blowing directly toward the men, prompting Zagalik and the officer to drag the driver another 30 feet away to safety. He was later transported to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair a broken vertebra.

"I told the driver he had cheated death and gotten a second chance at life," says Zagalik, who, along with his wife, Darlene, visited the man in the hospital where they met the driver's family. "His mom hugged me and told me I was her son's guardian angel," he says. "I don't know about being an angel, but it's a step in the right direction."

Photos here: [www.bnsf.com]

- BNSF Today

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BNSF ISSUES WEEKLY PRB COAL UPDATE FOR MARCH 21, 2007

Month-to-Date March PRB Train Loadings Up from 2006

Average BNSF daily train loadings for the Powder River Basin (PRB), including Wyoming and Montana mines, totaled 50.7 per day for the first 18 days of March, up 9 percent from average daily loadings of 46.5 trains per day for the first 18 days of March 2006. Planned and unplanned mine outages resulted in an average of 3.9 missed loading opportunities per day for the first 18 days of March this year.

Mine delays, utility outages and utility needs for train spacing also adversely affected coal cycle time for the week ended March 17, 2007; without those issues, cycle time would have improved during that week.

Year-to-date through March 18, 2007, BNSF has loaded a total daily average of 49.7 trains in the PRB, up 6 percent from the 47.1 trains loaded through the same period in 2006.

Systemwide, BNSF has loaded a total of 60.1 million tons of coal through March 18, 2007, approximately 5 percent above the 2006 year-to-date total of 57.4 million tons.

Construction Projects Update

Track laying has begun for 15 miles of new third main track on BNSF from Donkey Creek, Wyoming, south to the north end of the Joint Line at Caballo. The additional third main track will be complemented by 24 miles of additional new third main track on the Joint Line from Caballo south to Reno Junction. Completion of that trackage later this year will provide three main tracks for the entire length of the Joint Line and north to Donkey Creek Yard near Gillette.

Three additional tracks have been placed in service at Donkey Creek Yard, bringing the yard to nine tracks. The first six tracks of the yard were completed last year. The three new tracks will provide significant additional staging capacity to the Campbell Subdivision as well as backup for the north end of the Joint Line.

Coal Stocks Up for 12th Straight Month

Total electric power sector coal stocks increased between December 2005 and December 2006 by 38.5 million tons (38.1 percent), according to the Electric Power Monthly report issued March 14 by the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Comparing December 2006 to the same month of the prior year, total electric power sector coal stocks have now increased for 12 months in a row, EIA reported.

According to the EIA report, stocks of subbituminous coal - the type mined in the PRB -- grew by 23.5 million tons between December 2005 and December 2006 (from 44.4 to 67.9 million tons), a 53.1 percent increase. - BNSF Service Advisory

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HAWAII OPPOSES CALIFORNIA CONTAINER TAX

HONOLULU, HI -- The California state legislature is considering a new tax on shipping containers that would cost an estimated $34 million a year to Hawaii shippers.

"This bill, if passed, will have a major negative impact on Hawaii's economy, the maritime industry and raise the cost of living for Hawaii's people," said Jim Tollefson, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

More than 80 percent of goods consumed in Hawaii are produced elsewhere and shipped to the islands, and 90 percent of those are shipped through the California ports of Oakland and Long Beach on the ships of Matson Navigation Co., Horizon Lines and Pasha Hawaii Transport.

California State Senate Bill 974 would impose a $30 fee per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard measure of maritime shipping capacity) on every cargo container traveling between California and Hawaii.

Most cargo containers are at two TEUs so it amounts to a $60 container fee in most cases. The tax applies whether a container is empty or full. Most Hawaii containers return to the West Coast empty. So for all practical purposes it's actually a $120 fee on every containerload of goods shipped to Hawaii.

The California lawmakers who propose the tax say the funds will pay for freight mobility, railroad enhancements, and air emission reduction projects within their state.

"Although the chamber and its maritime committee recognize that freight congestion is a serious problem," Tollefson said, "we believe this will impact the sustainability of maritime commerce and affect the people of Hawaii whose daily necessities are dependant on the shipping industry and delivery through the ports of California."

A resolution has been introduced in the Hawaii state legislature by Rep. Joseph Souki, D-Wailuku-Waihee, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, which "urges the California State Legislature to consider alternative means for raising revenue for infrastructure of California ports." - Pacific Business News (Honolulu, HI)

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RAILCAR MAKERS SEEK STEADY TRACK

The boom times may be over for the companies that make freight cars for U.S. railroads. But many in the industry believe it can avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that in past years has hurt major retailers and others heavily dependent on the U.S. rail system.

Slowing home construction and auto markets, softer growth in some recent months in goods shipped from overseas and intensifying competition from trucking lines in some markets have led to decelerating freight volumes. That in turn is contributing to shrinking railcar-order backlogs and production forecasts. The worst-case scenario is a rerun of 2002, when slumping sales drove some railcar-parts suppliers out of business and led to a tight market for wheels and other parts once the economy rebounded.

This time, though, many analysts expect a softer landing that reflects the railroad industry's ability to absorb a freight slowdown much better than suffering trucking carriers. While railcar output this year is projected to slip 8 percent to 69,000 from 75,000 in 2006, demand is likely to remain relatively robust for the next several years, experts say.

"It's going to be a more difficult profit environment for these companies over the next year or two," said Arthur Hatfield, an analyst at Morgan Keegan & Co. in Memphis, Tennessee. "But it's not going to be as bad as it has been in past downturns."

Continuing strategic shifts and external forces should help the industry recover faster than it has during previous downturns, some analysts contend. The ethanol boom has triggered a surge in orders for cars needed to haul raw ingredients, byproducts and finished ethanol. In addition, railroads that squeezed huge profits from customers while the economy was chugging along are in stronger position to replace old freight cars as they wear out.

In the past, a lack of available railcars sometimes was part of larger snarls on the U.S. railroad system, which has also contended with growing amounts of goods traveling over constricted train routes. Customers of the railroads ranging from steel mills to lumber wholesalers, seaports and coal-fired utilities complained in past years that they couldn't get enough freight cars.

Quarterly results due next month could show signs of how much times have changed for the railcar industry, which generates about $5 billion in annual revenue and includes five major U.S.-based companies.

Combined profit at Trinity Industries Inc., American Railcar Industries Inc., FreightCar America Inc. and Greenbrier Cos. is likely to rise about 5.5 percent in the first quarter on a per-share basis from a year earlier, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, compared with a sixfold increase in the first quarter of 2006 from the year earlier. Union Tank Car Co., another major freight-car maker, isn't widely followed on Wall Street because it is controlled by the Chicago-based Pritzker family through its Marmon Holdings Inc. industrial operation. TTX Co., a railcar-rental business owned by nine railroads in the U.S. and Canada, isn't ordering any more railcars on top of the 212,000 it now rents to various freight-railroad operators until the Chicago company's management is more confident about the economy's direction. "We do expect things to improve, but right now we are in a softer-than-expected first quarter," Andy Reardon, TTX's president and chief executive, said in an interview.

But the improved resilience of Union Pacific Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp. and other railroads to economic head winds "should allow for a smoother business cycle for the railcar builders," said Anthony Hatch, an independent railroad-industry analyst in New York. U.S. railroads have about 595,000 railcars, and various customers and leasing operations have an additional 717,000, according to the Association of American Railroads, a trade group.

It also helps that freight-car builders seem to have learned some lessons from previous busts. FreightCar America, of Chicago, is pushing to become a leader in so-called hybrid cars that weigh less than traditional steel-only railcars but can carry 10 percent more coal. The first hybrid car in a 1,200-car order from Norfolk Southern Corp. rolled off the Roanoke, Virginia, assembly line last month. Norfolk Southern, Norfolk, Virginia, plans to eventually replace all 36,000 of its steel coal cars, and Trinity also is expected to bid for a big chunk of that business.

Boxcars, tank cars and grain cars are workhorses of the railroad industry, but many are nearing the end of their natural lifespan --usually 30 to 40 years -- and have taken a beating from the higher freight volumes of recent years. "You have nearly 700,000 rail cars that are over 25 years old," said James Perry, vice president and treasurer of Trinity, based in Dallas. "At some point, the majority of those cars will be replaced."

Meanwhile, railcar plants are becoming increasingly efficient. American Railcar, for example, is retooling assembly lines to juggle a variety of railcar sizes and types. A plant expansion under way in Marmaduke, Arkansas, will churn out tank, covered hopper and intermodal railcars -- and is intentionally located in a state with the sixth-lowest percentage of unionized workers in the U.S.

American Railcar Industries Inc., of St. Charles, Missouri, went public last year. Its chairman is billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who controls a 53 percent stake.

FreightCar America and Greenbrier face the most pressure to diversify, since slowing demand is concentrated in their specialty areas of aluminum coal cars and intermodal cars used to haul containers and trailers, respectively. As of Dec. 31, the backlog of firm orders at FreightCar America was 9,315, down 55 percent from a year earlier.

Growth prospects are brighter for builders of tank cars and covered hoppers tailored to the ethanol boom. It takes Union Tank Car about 18 months to fill tank-car orders, up from the usual six months. American Railcar's Marmaduke plant is sold out for the next two years, James Unger, the company's CEO, said in an interview.

So far, railcar makers appear to be holding firm on raw-materials costs for steel plates, wheels, wheel assemblies, brake systems and couplers that have been largely passed on to customers. Toby Kolstad, president of Rail Theory Forecasts LLC, a consulting firm in West Linn, Oregon, said the price of a grain car has climbed to about $75,000 from $56,000 in 2001. - The Associated Press, The Boston Herald

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MEETING FRIDAY IN WILLCOX ON UP DOUBLE-TRACKING

WILLCOX, AZ -- Speak your mind Friday about double tracking the railroad line in Willcox, Arizona.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is holding a public comment session at 15:30 hours on Friday, March 23, at the Willcox Community Center, 312 W. Stewart St.

Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) plans to expand operations by adding a second set of tracks in portions of Arizona, including Willcox. Local officials and residents are invited to share their comments and concerns with the commissioners, said Heather Murphy, the ACC's public information officer.

In 2005, Union Pacific announced plans to expand its Sunset Route, a 760-mile rail corridor that extends from El Paso to Los Angeles. The Sunset Route passes through or near several Arizona communities that stand to be affected by the expansion.

City Manager Mike Leighton prompted the meeting in Willcox by writing to the commissioners about the potential impacts on the city and its residents, Murphy said.

"While the Commission cannot dictate where a railroad runs, the commissioners do oversee railroad safety," she said.

Through a relationship with the Federal Railroad Administration, the ACC oversees the safe operations and maintenance of signals, crossing, track, locomotives, and cargo containers, Murphy said.

Railroad safety staff representatives will attend the public comment session to make a brief presentation. Representatives from Union Pacific will also attend. After brief presentations to provide a foundation for the meeting's focus, the commissioners will take comments from local officials and members of the general public, she said.

The commission's public comment sessions are formal proceedings and all comments will be recorded or transcribed by a court reporter.

Commissioners may limit the duration of each individual's comments to allow everyone a fair opportunity to speak, Murphy said.

"We had a cordial and productive meeting with the Union Pacific Rail Road on March 6," Leighton said last week.

"They came to the table with some proposals that will help mitigate some of our concerns about location of tracks and safety, along with some recommendations about noise mitigation. I am appreciative of UPRR for responding to our concerns."

The city asked Union Pacific in writing to place the track on the east side, rather than the west as they had tentatively planned, Leighton told the Range News in December.

"The UPRR has decided to place the new track on the east side away from the downtown area," he said Monday.

"They are willing to install increased and better safety devices at the crossings and have advised that their emergency stopping point will lie west of Willcox about 3.5 miles," Leighton said.

UPRR "also indicated that they would help with a new entrance for Maid-Rite Feeds," which will help with dust suppression and other nuisances, he said.

"According to the railroad, it probably would start out less than 120 (trains per day) - something more like 70 to 100 depending upon the economy," Leighton said.

Currently, about 50 trains roll through Willcox daily.

Union Pacific has also proposed closing one of two crossings within city limits, either Maley Street or Stewart Street.

Leighton said he also sent the request to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), which is considering a request from the City of Willcox to build an overpass over the tracks.

"At this time, closure of either of those crossings is unacceptable. It would virtually shut off emergency traffic from getting North and South," Leighton said. "There have been times when both crossings have been blocked, creating traffic and emergency problems in the past."

As a solution, the city has asked officials with ADOT to place an overpass at the South end of Rex Allen Drive (Highway 186) creating a truck route that would extend east and south around Willcox reconnecting to Highway 186 south of Willcox, he said.

The estimated project cost is $20 million according to ADOT, said Leighton, adding that Union Pacific will contribute about five-percent toward the overpass and truck route. - Carol Broeder, The Arizona Range News (Willcox, AZ)

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RAILROAD INVITES LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO TAKE TRIP ABORAD SPECIAL PASSENGER TRAIN

ODESSA, TX -- Cargo cars double-stacked with imported goods shipped through West Coast ports roll through Ector County more often these days than they have in decades.

With the increased traffic comes increased concern. Tuesday, Union Pacific Railroad officials invited law enforcement agents, public officials and the media aboard their heritage passenger car fleet to learn about public safety from the rail operator's vantage point.

Photo here: [www.oaoa.com]

Caption reads: Law enforcement, public safety officials, and Union Pacific officials and their guests board a special heritage safety train Tuesday morning bound for Monahans. The trip is to promote railroad and motorist safety. (Mark Sterkel/Odessa American)

"They put a face on the railroad," Sam Stephenson said.

The Union Pacific public safety manager, Stephenson remembers when one eastbound and one westbound train traveled through the Odessa station on a daily basis.

That was 12 years ago, he said.

Today, about 27 trains travel through Odessa on the Union Pacific railroad line daily, and last year was the busiest freight rail year ever across the United States.

While 2006 was also the safest year ever, Stephenson said the public needs to take precautions and yield to trains. In 2005, Texas led the country with 323 railroad crossing collisions with 143 injured and 23 fatalities, according to Federal Railroad Administration data.

On New Year's Eve last year, a man died at a Stanton railroad crossing - the same crossing where an Odessa man died in April 2006. A man died in a train-truck collision 12 days ago in Midland.
The train operator is focused on the three Es of safety: education, enforcement and engineering, Union Pacific spokesman Joe Arbona said.

On Tuesday, local law enforcement agents rode inside the restored Columbine passenger train that was being pulled along by the George Bush 4141 presidential locomotive.

The train reached 69 mph on its trip on the Toyah subdivision track through western Ector County to Monahans. The locomotive can pull 420,000 pounds. With car after car of freight behind it, Arbona said a train hitting a car is "like a car hitting a tin can."

"It's so critical to know that even at a slow speed, it will take a half mile to a mile to stop," Arbona said. - F. A. Krift, The Odessa American

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HISTORY WAS MADE IN TUCSON 127 YEARS AGO WITH ARRIVAL OF RAILROAD

TUCSON, AZ -- History was made in Tucson 127 years ago today (Tuesday, 03/20/07).

The railroad arrived and it changed what was then a small community forever.

For the first time, Tucson was connected to the outside world.

If you had seen a train come into Tucson for the first time 127 years ago, perhaps you would feel differently about them now.

Photo here:
[www.fox11az.com]

Caption reads: Courtesy Arizona Historical Society

Former railroad employee Julia Newman says, "You could just hear the wheels go 'clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack. That was the only jobs that were available at that time, railroading."

"Railroading" is what people used to call it back when it was first established.

The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson on March 20, 1880.

Local historians do not have a picture of the first train, but they say it changed Tucson's history.

Newman says she has learned a lot about trains throughout her life.

"I remember a lot of things," Newman recalled. "At the end of this year, if I survive, I will be 90."

Most of Newman's family worked in railroads. She said she got her first railroad job at Tucson's Southern Pacific Railroad in 1943.

"I was known as a call girl," Newman said. "Not the call girls of today, but I called the crews."

Back then, railroad crews did not go to work until they received a phone call.

Newman said, "We worked day and night. That was the roughest part about railroading."

Eddie Pecktol, a retired train conductor, said he got his first railroad job in Tucson in 1946.
"A lot of people griped about it, but I didn't," Pecktol said.

When speaking to Fox 11 News, Pecktol wore his original conductor's uniform.

Newman said, "Conductors were real neat people, punch your tickets."

"There's something about trains going by," Pecktol said. "I look back now and I said, 'my gosh, you had a hell of a good job' and it was fun."

The public is invited to learn more about the history of the railroad in Tucson by visiting the Transportation Museum at the historic depot downtown. - Deanna Morgan, KMST-FOX11, Tucson, AZ

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MT. RAINIER HISTORIC RAILROAD MUSEUM SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, a non-profit branch of the Western Forest Industries Museum which aims to preserve historic Pacific Northwest timber industry locomotives, is looking for volunteers interested in helping out at its rail yard and shop.

On March 31, the organization will offer a tour of the Mineral rail yard and shop starting at 10:00 hours, followed by a training ride to Morton for all new volunteers. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers who RSVP by March 28. Volunteers must be high-school aged or older, and could be enlisted to help out in the shop with maintenance and restoration of vintage steam locomotives, serve as a docent, or help plan, set up and be a part of the special events offered by the railroad.

To RSVP and/or ask questions, contact the museum at (360) 492-5588, or visit [www.mrsr.com] . - The Tacoma Daily News

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SCOTT CITY COUNCIL REPORTS BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH RAILROAD

SCOTT CITY, MO --Scott City, Missouri's relationship with Union Pacific Railroad was a testy affair two weeks ago, but Mayor Tim Porch said Monday that relationship may be improving significantly.

Two weeks ago Porch railed against the railroad on a variety of issues at the last meeting of the Scott City Council. At Monday night's regular council meeting, Porch said UP has extended an olive branch. Porch said a railroad representative called him the day an article about the city's rocky relationship with UP was published in the Southeast Missourian.

Porch said the railroad representative has pledged cooperation on a number of issues including fixing aging culverts, mowing high grass and providing the required 72 hours notice before closing down railroad crossings for maintenance.

"Anything we need he said to just call," Porch said. - Matt Sanders, The Southeast Missourian

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RAILROAD ARTIFACTS FOUND ON SUTTER STREET

FOLSOM, CA -- Some historic artifacts were discovered on Sutter Street shortly after ground was broken for the new parking garage.

"It's pretty exciting," said Bill Anderson, president of the Folsom, El Dorado, & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association.

Historic items uncovered include three-quarters of a broken railroad car wheel cast by the H. Adams Foundry and dated 1872. Anderson knows this wheel came from the East Coast and suspects the foundry was in Pennsylvania.

Also found under the ground were English railroad ties, as well as other non-railroad artifacts, including lead pipes, bricks and granite stones from a warehouse known as the W.L. Perkins Building.

Anderson said the bricks could someday be incorporated into a monument, or placed in June's Garden, which is being planned in the back of the Folsom History Museum.

He explained archaeologists called to the site also found an 1853 dime that was in nearly perfect condition.

Mary Maniery, a member of the archeology firm that inspected the site, said they're still cleaning the artifacts they found and plan to catalogue them. She added that it may take months to document everything, but the firm will work with the city on finding a permanent home.

Folsom History Museum Director Karen Mehring said that she's not sure if the museum would have room to display all the items.

In spite of pre-20th century artifacts found at the parking garage site, Anderson thinks there are more historical items waiting to be discovered when construction begins on the remainder of the Railroad Block. - Philip Wood, The Folsom Telegraph

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RETIRED TRAIN ENGINE ARRIVES IN WAYNOKA

WAYNOKA, OK -- A 140 ton diesel-electric train engine has a new home in Waynoka, Oklahoma.

The GP-9 engine, which traveled across North America for 43 years before being retired in 2000, now will stay on a short section of track at the old Waynoka Santa Fe railroad depot.

The Kansas City Southern Railway donated the locomotive to the Waynoka Historical Society in 2001, and ever since, the engine had sat a half-mile away from the depot in the BNSF Railway Company railroad yard in the northwestern Oklahoma town.

But yesterday, Hulcher Services, a company that specializes in train derailment recovery, was able to move the engine to the depot.

The engine will be repainted using the blue-and-yellow Santa Fe war bonnet paint scheme popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Local historical society officials hope it will become a centerpiece of a planned restoration of the Waynoka Santa Fe depot. - The Associated Press, KOKI, FOX23, Tulsa, OK

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RAILROAD ACCUSED OF DESTROYING DOCUMENTS IN 2002 CHEMICAL SPILL

BISMARCK, ND -- Attorneys for people suing Canadian Pacific Railway over a 2002 train derailment and chemical spill on the edge of Minot, Minnesota say the railroad should lose its federal protection against lawsuits because it intentionally destroyed documents.

The brief filed in federal court in Minneapolis alleges that Neal Foot, a senior vice president of the Canadian Pacific, ordered railroad employees to destroy e-mails, personal notes, drawings and photographs.

Railroad attorney Tim Thornton did not immediately return a telephone call Wednesday seeking comment.

The plaintiffs say the document destruction went against a federal magistrate's order, a few weeks after the derailment, that all evidence in the case be preserved.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland ruled in March last year that the railroad is federally protected from lawsuits stemming from the derailment. His ruling is being challenged before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The plaintiffs' attorneys are asking a federal judge in Minnesota to remove the protection because of the alleged document destruction.

The Jan. 18, 2002, derailment on the west edge of Minot released a cloud of anhydrous ammonia, a toxic farm fertilizer. One man, John Grabinger, died trying to escape and hundreds of other people were treated for burns and breathing problems. Lawsuits against the railroad sought damages for more than 1,000 people. - The Associated Press, The Fargo Forum

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DESERT BNSF YARD WOULD MEAN MORE JOBS

SAN BERNARDINO, CA -- Location, location, location.

Major freeways coupled with close proximity to airports has solidified the Inland Empire's position of being a jobs hub mainly for the logistics sector.

And the outlook to continue that trend is good given the recent news that an intermodal facility may be on its way to the former George Air Force Base in Victorville and ongoing development of the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino.

"Our geography is our destiny. It's through here major railroads flow. It's through here major highways connect to the markets of the East," said Bill Carney, president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. "We'll just see more of it moving farther out into the High Desert, Victorville and Barstow."

Land available at a less expensive price along with a work force pushed inland from coastal areas due to rising home prices make the Inland Empire attractive for companies.

The logistics industry - which deals with the shipping of goods - provides a replacement for the blue-collar jobs lost in recent decades with the closure of air bases and the virtual disappearance of manufacturing.

Not only is the industrial market growing but office space and commercial real estate is strong in the region, said Karin Weddig Durant, vice president of economic development for the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.

Businesses are following the rooftops and their clients, she said. The region boasts the second-lowest vacancy rate in the nation in office space and is the national leader in construction activity in the industrial market, she said.

International trade in the Inland Empire was a $17.5 billion industry in 2005, she said.

The economy remains strong and the potential tremendous because of the expected continued growth of international trade through the twin ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, Carney said.

New jobs for Victorville

The proposed rail yard could make the High Desert a major draw for the warehousing, trucking and shipping businesses that have mainly been sprouting in places such as San Bernardino, Rialto, Fontana and Mira Loma.

Victorville agreed with BNSF Railway Company in January to explore building an intermodal facility on about 300 acres on the eastern side of Southern California Logistics Airport, formerly George Air Force Base.

An intermodal yard is where big shipping containers are moved from trains to trucks.

Despite success so far in luring businesses to the former fighter base, lack of an intermodal yard has caused the airport to lose some businesses that had considered moving there, said Jon Roberts, Victorville city manager.

Once a formal deal is drafted with BNSF, the yard could be open by 2009 or 2010, officials said.
Full development of the logistics airport could eventually generate 20,000 well-paying jobs, officials estimate.

Stirling Enterprises is the private developer working with Victorville to develop the 3,500-acre airport area.

The proposed yard itself won't provide that many jobs, but that's not as important as what it will mean in the bigger picture.

"It will make it possible for logistics companies to start moving up there in significant numbers," said John Husing, a Redlands-based economist who specializes in the Inland Empire. "There was a reluctance for logistics firms to go up the Cajon Pass."

A hub for shipping

The explosion in international trade is driving the growth of shipping, known as logistics, and the Inland Empire is literally at the crossroads of goods moving to the rest of the country.

BNSF officials said they envision the proposed Victorville yard as handling mostly domestic trade, but expansion is needed throughout the entire shipping industry.

The railroad's intermodal yard in San Bernardino is at or near capacity after a nearly 40 percent increase since 2001.

In 2001 the yard did 410,000 "lifts," which is moving one container from a train to a truck or vice versa. In 2006, the yard did 569,000 lifts.

And the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which already handle 40 percent of the nation's imports, have seen container traffic grow by 50 percent in the same five-year period.

"Looking at 10 to 20 years down the line, you look at inland intermodal facilities as an important link," said John Pope, spokesman for the Port of Long Beach.

This comes as San Bernardino International Airport, formerly Norton Air Force Base, continues its redevelopment, focusing on big distribution centers, and March Air Reserve Base near Riverside moves toward becoming an inland port.

"This is a great time to be in San Bernardino. The economy has never been better," said John Magness, senior vice president of Hillwood Investment Properties.

Hillwood is developing AllianceCalifornia, a 2,000-acre trade and logistics center, in and around the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino.

Although the housing market has slowed, homes are still being sold, just not as rapidly. Retail sales are up, the consumer price index is steady, and there's a low unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, Magness said.

Since conversion of the air base started in 2002, Kohl's, Mattel, Pep Boys, Medline and Pactiv have created 1,500 new jobs plus 500 more in construction jobs. With the addition of Stater Bros. Markets and roughly 300 acres left to develop, that only means one thing: more jobs to come.

"In San Bernardino, we're in the largest peacetime construction effort the city has ever seen," Magness said.

"You have an aggressive city that wants new jobs. You have San Bernardino at the crossroads of the logistics industry with freeway and rail and air crossing through this area and a very robust labor force here." - Leonor Vivanco and Andrew Silva, The San Bernardino County Sun

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NORFOLK SOUTHERN TO ENLARGE TWO DOZEN LOCAL TRAIN TUNNELS

WILLIAMSON, WV -- Norfolk Southern Railroad officials are working on a major project that will enlarge train tunnels along the Heartland Corridor and several of those tunnels are located in Mingo County.

Joe Maynard, assistant superintendent of Norfolk Southern's Pocahontas Division, and Jim Carter, chief engineer of bridges and construction for the railroad company, explained the project to the members of the Williamson Kiwanis Club and other community leaders Monday during a meeting at the Brass Tree Restaurant.

Carter explained that tunnels from Walton, Virginia, to Columbus, Ohio, will be enlarged to accommodate the need for double stack clearance. He explained that cargo trains are now stacking cars two-high and the existing tunnels must be altered to allow passage by the trains.

Carter said NS officials have been working on the project since spring 2001 after the Rahall Institute at Marshall University published a study about the benefits of double stacking. He said another reason for altering tunnels along the Heartland Corridor, which runs from Norfolk, Virginia, to Chicago, is the fact that Asian imports have historically been brought in from the West Coast and West Coast ports are at capacity. Though more and more Asian imports are moving through the Suez Canal to northern cities, these areas are also constrained and alternatives are needed, Carter said.

Carter used Wal-Mart as an example of a cargo container customer, saying that the retail giant's imports are primarily transported by rail. He said that most container traffic is time sensitive.

Carter said that when the Heartland Corridor is complete, it will span 1,031 miles.

The tunnel project is a public/private partnership that was part of the 2005 federal transportation bill. Ninety-five million dollars has been authorized for use in Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio.

Carter said that two container trains currently run through Williamson. The current average tunnel height is 19'1" and the proposed height is 20'9". The project has 30 tunnels marked for federal funding, 24 of which are in Mingo County. Two non-federally funded tunnels are located in Kentucky while three are located in Virginia, Carter explained.

He added that NS officials are continuing to investigate the aspects of the project in order to modify its design. He said an observational approach allows for the study of a range of conditions including design aspects including encroachment; masonry vs. concrete vs. unlined tunnels; geo technical parameters and the presence and size of packing materials such as cord wood and dry-packed stone.

Carter said the railroad will continue to operate while the project is under construction. He said officials are looking at work windows that will range from eight-to-12 hours each day, even though the project will have a major effect on the trains while work is being done.

"We are looking for a manageable disruption of the railroad," Carter stressed.

Clearance improvement methods include notching, deep notching, liner replacement and day lighting. Another option may be to eliminate a tunnel entirely.

Carter said that information about the project has been sent to historical officials in Virginia and West Virginia for their input.

Carter further explained that the project is expected to be completed by mid-2010. He said officials will be 70 percent into the final design when the environmental study is complete. The environmental document is being handled by the Federal Department of Highways.

Construction is expected to begin in August and the project will be bid in multiple packages. - Leigh Ann Wells, The Appalachian News-Express (Pikeville, KY)

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TRANSIT NEWS

MAX TO MILWAUKIE?

MILWAUKIE, OR -- Metro is preparing to move ahead with planning for a new, $880 million light rail line that will run from downtown Portland, across a yet-to-be-built bridge over the Willamette and south into downtown Milwaukie.

Starting in May, the regional government will begin work on a supplemental draft environmental impact statement -- a detailed review of all aspects of the project, including: ecological, economic and social repercussions, as well as project financing and its place in the region's broader transportation infrastructure.

"Some of the work has already been done, in the past," said Karen Withrow in Metro's Office of Citizen Involvement. "We'll be able to look back at the old reports and update them.

"The important thing is that this corridor has been looked at for a long time. There is a demand, and public support for transit service, and light rail in particular."

The push to extend Tri-Met's MAX light rail service to Milwaukie has an uneven history stretching back almost a decade.

"In 1998, there was a bond measure to pay for what would have been the North-South light rail line, that would have gone all the way up into Vancouver, south to Milwaukie and out to Clackamas Town Center along Highway 224," said Withrow.

The $475 million measure failed in a region-wide election, with voters split 51-49 in rejecting the project. Following that failure, Metro began to consider alternatives. These included carpool lanes, rapid-transit buses, river transit and dedicated busways -- everything except light rail.

"We held listening posts, going back out into the community to talk about options. Council directed staff not to include light rail," said Phillip Kennedy-Wong, with Metro. "People kept bringing it up, and in 1999, those SE Portland and Milwaukie neighborhoods began plotting to get light rail back on the table."

Working with local representatives, Metro introduced a proposed route for the Milwaukie light rail line in 2003, known as the "locally preferred alternative." It ran into opposition from businesses located in the city's north industrial area, afraid that the line running alongside McLoughlin Boulevard would interfere with truck traffic.

"The locally preferred alternative turned out not to be so locally preferred," said Withrow. "They proposed an alternate route that would run along the Portland & Western railroad line."

That alternative would eliminate a planned station at the Southgate Park & Ride, presently under construction for use by bus passengers. Along with a myriad of other project details, which route will ultimately be selected is under consideration by a steering committee made up of local and regional elected officials.

To reduce the impact light rail will have on downtown Milwaukie, the current plan would extend the line further south.

"One advantage of the southern addition is that it allows for more park and ride capacity outside of downtown," Withrow said. "We held an open house recently, and some people really liked the southern extension. There were some concerns expressed by the folks in the neighborhood, however -- maybe because it's a new idea."

Work on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement is expected to take a year, to be followed by a 45-day public comment period. If the project is received favorably, and Congress provides federal funding for the project in a timely manner, the first trains could roll in 2014 or 2015. - Patrick Sherman, The Clackamas Review

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CITY IS LIKELY TO HOP ON THE RAIL

CHANDLER, AZ -- Today's toddlers will be voting age by the time light rail goes through Chandler, but the city doesn't want to be left at the station while neighboring communities plan for trains.

The City Council is expected to vote Thursday to join Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Glendale in Valley Metro Rail Inc., a non-profit corporation that oversees the Valley's light rail planning and construction. Membership costs $50,000 a year.

"A system like this involves years of advance planning and it's important for Chandler to be involved in that planning," even though it will likely be 20 years before rail lines are extended through the city, said acting assistant public works director Mike Normand.

Tempe and Mesa are considering routes to the north that could be extended to Chandler along Rural Road or Arizona Avenue, Normand said. Those streets and Chandler Boulevard have been identified in transportation plans for future rail, but decisions made by neighboring municipalities will affect viability, Normand said.

Mayor Boyd Dunn said in his recent State of the City address that he wants Chandler to join light-rail planning to enhance residents' transportation options.

Normand said getting into discussions early is important because Chandler's system depends on other cities' decisions. - Edythe Jensen, The Arizona Republic, courtesy Marc Pearsall

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STUDENTS LEARN THE SCIENCE OF LIGHT RAIL

Elk Grove school officials are well aware of the troubling statistics. California fourth graders rank 47th in the nation in math proficiency and 49th in science proficiency.

That's why 80 fourth, fifth and sixth graders from Elk Grove schools took part in a unique tour. The students got an up-close look inside the Siemens Transportation plant in south Sacramento where workers make light rail trains for Sacramento, San Diego, Portland and several other metropolitan areas. Organizers hope it will raise interest in math and science classes as well as boost test scores.

One group of students went with Kevin McGrew, an electrical engineer who is Siemens' Director of Quality Assurance. McGrew picked up some purple-colored sand and dropped it in students' hands. He explained a light rail train was inside a large steel box emitting a loud noise. He said, "It's getting blasted. As the sand flies around at a high rate of speed, it knocks every thing off of the metal and makes it nice and clean."

The students "ooh'd and ahh'd" as they took part in Science Day at Siemens. As they walked into a giant spackle box, McGrew explained , "We've got to make the surface of the rail car as smooth as possible. What we're doing is putting body filler everywhere. We put it on like frosting on a cake so we can paint it with several coats of weather resistant paint."

The students donned safety masks and watched a worker weld together train parts. Dwayne Brooks, who's 11, said, "It was cool. I never knew they can do that and it takes a lot of hard work."

Classmate Komel Choudry said she was familiar with some of the concepts she saw. "'Cause in science we're talking about force, work and power," she recounted.

Elk Grove Unified School District Associate Superintendent Steven Winlock said Siemens and Elk Grove schools have developed new elementary school curriculum. "When kids return to their classes they're going to be very excited doing their lessons because they've actually been here and touched it, seen the work and seen what's happening," Winlock said.

Oliver Hauck, president and CEO of Siemens transportation took part in the tour. He helped students put on hard hats and answered questions. He said increasing students' proficiency and math and science could save his firm money. "When Siemens hires Americans, we have to compensate by actually doing a lot of in-house training when we get people here. In many European countries that training is done in the school system," Hauck said.

Hauck smiled as he watched students' faces fill with awe. They calculated the weight of the wheel assemblies equals 14,100 pounds. Each rail car weighs about 90,000 pounds. Aliyah McCrae, 10, gushed, "I learned the weight of the train and the height and how much it weighs when the people are in it."

Siemens and educators hope one day McCrae and her classmates will become engineers or scientists willing to work and rise through the ranks at a company like Siemens. The company is ranked number in North America for supplying light rail vehicles. - Karen Massie, KXTV-TV10, Sacramento, CA, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr

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THE END