When I looked at the NWP in 1995 or 1996, the Eel River Canyon was in such rought shape (FRA excepted track) that the chemicals were not even being handled by rail. But I doubt whether much traffic ever moved by rail as the bulk of the outputs have typically been shipped directly to Asia. While the NWP served a number of local mills, I don't believe any of the inbound chips to the mill were delivered by rail, they were all trucked locally.

The NWP is so out of route for chip sources to feed the mill, that the loss of chips locally due to the closure of local lumber mills probably could be replaced by inbound rail movements of chips. Sadly the presence/absence of rail service probably makes no difference in the outcome in this case. I'm sorry to see the local economy crumbling in the area, but as somebody pointed out, it is uneconomical for many reasons to harvest natural resources in California. I wonder if agriculture with it's fertilizer and pesticide use will be next.