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Railroad Newsline for Friday, March 30, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

BNSF ISSUES PRELIMINARY SERVICE INTERRUPTION ON Z TRAIN AT LORA, TEXAS

We have a preliminary report that BNSF Railway Company train Z WSPSTO9 28 has been involved in a service interruption at Lora, TX. The purpose of this advisory is to inform customers that BNSF personnel are enroute to the location to determine the impact and how this may affect shipments on trains moving through this area. This location is 85 miles east of Amarillo.

No further information is available at this time. Customers will receive a separate advisory as soon as we receive additional updates, outlining the anticipated impact to shipments and the estimated time of track opening. - BNSF Service Advisory

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HOP TO IT, UP: RAILROAD SHOULD SPEED CLEANUP EFFORTS

Wow! Who knew a railroad could move so quickly? Just 12 days after a huge fire destroyed one of its key Sacramento area trestles, Union Pacific had erected a steel structure to replace it.

Freight trains are rolling again. The first passenger train will cross the rebuilt trestle Sunday, with regular Capitol Corridor commuter service back in place Monday.

The trestle's breakneck reconstruction was an impressive logistical feat, and UP deserves much of the credit. Railroad crews worked around the clock to get that crucial span operating again.

Prompted by the governor's office, state regulatory officials helped, too, waiving or expediting the permitting process so that the railroad could move as fast as it did. There was reason. UP's rail corridor through Sacramento is one of the most important on the West Coast, connecting the busy Port of Oakland with the rest of the United States. Some 50 trains a day normally crossed that trestle. Its loss impacted commerce nationwide. Getting it back into operation quickly was essential.

So here's the question: Now that UP has demonstrated its ability to move swiftly and efficiently when its own economic interests are at stake, can it move just as quickly to clean up the mess its burned trestle has created? Tons of debris laced with cancer-causing chemicals must be disposed of. Creek beds and soils have been contaminated and vegetation destroyed. Officials are testing to see if groundwater supplies have been tainted as well. Remediation efforts need to begin immediately.

Equally important, the trestle runs through a portion of the heavily used American River Parkway. While freight trains are rolling over the new trestle even ahead of the railroad's initial ambitious construction schedule, the parkway below the trestle remains off limits to bicyclists and hikers.

Just as the trestle is an important commercial corridor, the parkway is an important recreational and commuter corridor for this region. The state and the railroad need to protect those interests as well.

Over the years, UP has been notoriously uncooperative when the public interest has not coincided with the railroad's narrow economic interests. The city of Sacramento's decades-long struggle with private railroads over the future of the downtown railyard is a perfect example. UP and its predecessor, Southern Pacific, stymied cleanup efforts at the downtown site for decades. UP stalled cleanup at its Curtis Park railyard as well. Even now, the new owner of a portion of the railroad's Curtis Park property reports that it has been extremely difficulty to get UP to haul away contaminated soil so that a long awaited housing and retail development can get started.

The railroad's contentious history does not bode well for any hopes for speedy remediation at the trestle site for the benefit of public health, the environment, bicyclists or hikers. State government was right to help the railroad rebuild its trestle as quickly as possible. The state should use its considerable regulatory clout to make sure that the railroad moves with just as much energy and speed to fulfill its cleanup obligations. Now that the public has seen that UP can move quickly when it wants to, there is no reason to tolerate years or even months of delay on this project. - Editorial Opinion, The Sacramento Bee

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AMTRAK TO INTRODUCE WIRELESS PROCESSING OF CREDIT CARDS ON LONG DISTANCE TRAINS

WASHINGTON, DC -- Amtrak passengers on every train that provides food and beverage services will soon be able to pay for onboard food and beverage purchases with the swipe of a credit card. Amtrak service attendants are using wireless electronic credit card processing terminals in trains from coast-to-coast. Following the successful launch of the terminals on Acela Express last year, the nationwide rollout is continuing on all trains that offer food and beverage services and is expected to be complete within a year.

The credit card processing terminals will be used for café car, dining car and at-seat cart services. Using the new devices, service attendants are now able to get instant authorizations from credit card companies. Previously, attendants needed to hand write ticket and passenger information on paper forms for credit card acceptance.

The processing terminals accept all major credit cards, and there are no minimum purchase requirements. For purchases under $25, no signature is needed and receipts are issued only when requested by the customer. Currently, Amtrak customers who use a credit card to pay for food and beverages in café cars spend an average of $10 per purchase -- nearly twice as much as they purchased in the past.

During the successful launch on trains in the Northeast, use of the new electronic devices improved efficiency as most transactions were completed in less than 20 seconds.

"The positive reaction from customers on the initial launch is a good indicator of the success we expect as we expand the program nationwide," said Emmett Fremaux, vice president of marketing and product management for Amtrak. "Using the credit card processing terminals will improve customer service by speeding transaction time and increasing the number of customers our attendants may assist."

"Installation of the credit card processing terminals is a win-win for customers as well as our employees," said Janet Langenderfer, Amtrak's senior director of credit cards. "Especially during the busy dinner hour, the faster transaction times will result in faster service." - Karina Romero, Amtrak News Release

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NS AND BNSF TO TEST NEW TRAIN BRAKE TECHNOLOGY

The BNSF Railway Company and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) will begin testing a new braking system that may reduce the amount of time it takes to stop a train.

The project, authorized by the Federal Railroad Administration, calls for NS and BNSF to equip and test certain locomotives and freight cars with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes.

ECP brakes have the potential to reduce train stopping distances by as much as 50 to 70 percent over conventional air brake systems. ECP brakes utilize electronic signals to simultaneously apply and release throughout the length of a freight train. This differs from conventional brake systems in which each car brakes individually as air pressure moves in a series from car to car.

Testing ECP will allow the railroads to review its potential for improved braking and shorter stopping distances that may improve railroad and public safety, network capacity and efficiency, asset utilization, fuel savings and equipment maintenance.

NS and BNSF plan to conduct separate ECP brake tests. BNSF plans to test this technology within its intermodal fleet, focusing on international business to/from the San Pedro Bay ports. In addition, BNSF is pursuing a partnership with a major coal customer to integrate this technology into one of the longest distance coal routes in the country.

NS plans to equip 30 locomotives and 400 rapid-discharge coal cars with ECP brakes during 2007 and use the equipment in dedicated coal train service.

“BNSF plans to expand the testing of this important technology within its fleet,” said Dave Dealy, BNSF’s vice president, Transportation. “By leveraging our past experience with this technology, BNSF looks forward to building on this foundation to allow further implementation of ECP into our intermodal and coal shipments.”

“ECP brakes represent a major breakthrough in rail technology,” said Gerhard Thelen, Norfolk Southern’s vice president, Operations Planning and Support. “Our tests will help determine how the technology performs in a real-world environment and will indicate whether it will be practical to one day make it commonplace across the entire U.S. rail industry.” - BNSF Today

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CN RAIL OPTIMISTIC BUT PREPARED FOR UNION VOTE

VANCOUVER, BC -- Canadian National Railway Co. is optimistic that train crews that walked out last month will approve a proposed contract, but is prepared if they reject it, an executive said on Wednesday.

Leaders of the United Transportation Union have warned that the 2,800 Canadian workers covered by the contract may reject the one-year pact because of a bitter split within the union and a bid to have to workers switch representation to the rival Teamsters union.

"We're optimistic that the vote will come back favorable, (but) if it does not we are prepared to go back to the negotiating table with the UTU to reach an agreement that is beneficial for CN as well as the employees," Canadian National vice president Keith Creel told an investment conference in Toronto.

Canadian National used management personnel to replace the striking conductors, brakemen and switch crews, during last month's walkout but service deteriorated as Canada's largest railway struggled with both the lack of workers and severe winter weather.

Creel said it should be easier to operate the trains with replacement crews this time because they will not have to deal with the same weather conditions. Results of the UTU vote are scheduled to be released April 10.

"Hopefully it is going to be positive, but if not we'll be prepared either way," Creel, who is vice president for CN's eastern Canadian operations, told the National Bank Financial conference on transportation.

The UTU and the railway reached a tentative contract agreement as the Canadian government was preparing to legislate an end to the walkout because it was beginning to force layoffs in forestry and auto industry.

Officially the union remains on strike, but union leaders urged the workers to return to their jobs while the contract balloting was under way so the federal government would not intervene.

Union officials have warned that rejecting the proposal would prompt Ottawa to revive the back-to-work legislation that would allow the government to impose an arbitrated settlement that may be more favorable to Canadian National's contract demands.

Critics of the contract proposal have accused the deal's supporters of using scare tactics, and say they would be able to negotiate a better settlement with Canadian National, which has enjoyed record profits in recent years.

The one-year deal includes a 3 percent wage hike and a C$1,000 signing bonus. The wage hike was the same one proposed by Canadian National, but the railroad did not get concessions in work rules it had demanded when talks began.

UTU negotiators said they agreed to a relatively short contract to stave off government intervention, and so the union could resolve its internal fight before resuming negotiations on a longer-term deal.

The dispute does not involve Canadian National's train crews in the United States. - Allen Dowd, Reuters

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MISSOURI HOUSE VOTES TO SHIFT AMTRAK MONEY TO SCHOOL BUSES

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- The Missouri House has voted to strip most state funding of Amtrak passenger trains and redirect the money toward public school busing.

Lawmakers removed $6.3 million from the government-supported railroad Tuesday and Wednesday through a series of amendments. Amtrak provides twice-daily train service between Kansas City and St. Louis, with several stops in between.

The proposed cut would stop Amtrak from getting any general state dollars, though a transportation fund still would give the railroad $1.1 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

But transportation officials say it costs about $7 million a year to run the trains.

Of the money budgeted for Amtrak, House members shifted $5.3 million to help school districts pay for rising busing costs; $640,000 to Lincoln University in Jefferson City; $300,000 for a video project that interviews war veterans; and $100,000 to a health clinic near Springfield.

Supporters of the Amtrak cuts complained that the trains often are late and that the railroad is inefficient.

The Department of Transportation's multimodal operations director, Brian Weiler, said the cuts are a concern. But he stressed that the budget was still early in the legislative process.

"There is no doubt that Amtrak has struggled in Missouri over the last several years," he said. "But it remains an important transportation option for those who use it."

The state's $21 billion budget has yet to be considered in the Senate.

Amtrak supporters said cuts could make it harder for people to travel in Missouri.

"I hate to see those wheels quit turning, even if it may not be the most efficient way to go," Rep. Jim Whorton, D-Trenton, said Wednesday. - The Associated Press, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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NTSB CELEBRATES 40 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

WASHINGTON, DC -- The National Transportation Safety Board reaches its 40th anniversary on April 1.

The NTSB opened its doors April 1, 1967. On that day, the Bureau of Safety was removed from the Civil Aeronautics Board and became the foundation for the new accident investigation agency. Since then, the NTSB has investigated about 130,000 aviation accidents and thousands of accidents in the other modes of transportation: highway, rail, marine and pipeline.

"I have often said that the NTSB is one of the best bargains in government," NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said. "With fewer than 400 employees, the Safety Board is responsible for investigating more than two thousand transportation accidents a year. In our 40 years, our independent investigations have played an important part in improving the safety of every mode of transportation. As a result of the efforts of the Safety Board and other government agencies, manufacturers, operators and stakeholders, the United States enjoys a safe transportation system that is the envy of the world."

The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and major accidents in the other modes of transportation. It is not a regulatory agency; its major product is the safety recommendation, each of which represents a potential safety improvement. In its 40 years, the NTSB has issued some 12,600 safety recommendations, with an average acceptance rate of 82 percent.

The transportation system has seen many changes since the mid-1960s and experienced substantial growth. The safety of those systems also has increased dramatically, as two of the major modes illustrate.

Aviation safety has improved, in part, because investigations now feature digital flight recorders with many hundreds of parameters, where foil recorders 40 years ago provided only 5 parameters and had to be read out by hand. Equipment or operational problems can now be more readily and confidently identified. Turbine engines are so reliable that twin-engine aircraft are now allowed to fly for thousands of miles over open water. Computers have led to the development of extremely realistic flight simulators, allowing pilots to be trained to handle virtually any conceivable flight condition. Systems developed and installed on airliners - resulting at least in part from NTSB recommendations - have virtually eliminated mid-air collisions and controlled flight into terrain crashes in this country for aircraft so equipped.

If the air carrier accident rate were the same today as it was in 1965, the United States would average a fatal airliner accident every 10 days. Except for the terrorist attacks of 2001 - which were deliberate criminal acts - no year since 1990 has seen more than 4 fatal scheduled air carrier accidents in the United States. The annual number of general aviation crashes has dropped by two thirds in the last 40 years.

Highway safety has improved dramatically in that period of time as well. Although the number of highway fatalities has fallen only 17 percent in the last 35 years, the extremely large increase in miles driven has resulted in a drop in the fatality rate of about 70 percent. "We have made great strides in the last 40 years in improving highway safety through the broad acceptance of seat belts and realization that drunk driving cannot be tolerated by our society," Chairman Rosenker said, "but we still lose over 43,000 of our fellow citizens every year on the roadways and this must be stopped."

While acknowledging some long-term safety challenges the NTSB continues to address - like operator fatigue and railroad anti-collision systems - Rosenker applauded the work of those who have staffed the Safety Board over the decades. "I am confident that in the years to come the National Transportation Safety Board will continue to be at the forefront of identifying safety problems in the transportation system and recommending changes to eliminate them. I think our nation has been well-served by the career professionals who comprise the dedicated workforce of the NTSB. I congratulate them and all who have come before them over the last 40 years." - The Southwest Nebraska News

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TRAIN'S HORN NECESSARY

As an ex-railroad engineer, I am truly appalled by the recent letters to the editor regarding train noise. According to the FRA statistics, 530 pedestrians were killed in 2006 and almost 6,500 people have been killed while trespassing. In addition, 2,897 accidents occurred at highway railroad crossings in 2006, with our state ranking sixth in the nation for pedestrian fatalities.

All you need to do is visit our Chamber of Commerce area and observe the pedestrians as they cross the tracks or go around the gates either by foot or bicycle. The FRA requires the engineers to blow the horn two long, one short and a long as they approach and go through railroad crossings and more times as deemed necessary for safety concerns.

They must also, have their engine lights on and a bell ringing. The first question investigators and defense attorneys ask at accidents, was the horn sounding? Today's locomotives also have a device similar to a black box on airlines that record horn indication and speed. You might as well get used to the amount of trains going through Benson because it will increase due to overseas importing and the double tracking from El Paso to the La Basin. How do you think we get our gasoline, paper products, building supplies and everyday commodities? They are usually shipped by railroads to major distribution centers and then transported to local stores by truck. Train horns are not adjustable and atmospheric conditions also contribute to levels of noise. Remember, the railroad was here long before you moved here and if you don't like the noise then move out of town. - Letter to the Editor, Ron McLaughlin, Benson, AZ, The San Pedro Valley News-Sun

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MAN UNHURT IN TRAIN COLLISION

TIERRA GRANDE, NM -- A Manzano, New Mexico man said he's lucky to be alive after a BNSF Railway Company train on N.M. 47 smashed the car he was driving Friday morning.

Abraham Nuñez was on his way to work in Albuquerque on Friday morning in his father's car when he lost control of it. State Police Officer Carlos Salazar said Nuñez was traveling north on N.M. 47 in southern Socorro County at speeds up to 60 miles per hour when he came upon a curve in the road just before the railroad tracks.

"He went around the curve too fast and spun around about 180 degrees," Salazar said. "The car came to a final rest on railroad tracks with the rear of the vehicle facing toward the train."

Nuñez, who is a machinist by trade, said he tried for about two minutes to get the car off the track before he realized that it was a lost cause. He said he was able to get out of the vehicle and saw that a train was coming.

"I got out and assessed the situation, and about a minute later, I saw some lights coming down the tracks," Nunez said. "All I could do was move out of the way, and that's when the train hit."

The 1999 Ford Taurus Nuñez was driving was severely damaged; the entire back end was pushed in.
Salazar said there was no damage to the train and the conductor was OK.

"I'm all right," Nuñez said after his father's car was towed away. "But nobody's ready to take a blow like that. I just can't believe it."

Salazar said the speed limit at that stretch of highway is 35 miles per hour. Nuñez was given a citation for careless driving.

"He's very lucky that he was able to get out (of the) car in time," Salazar said. "Otherwise, this would have been a different story." - Clara Garcia, The Valencia County News-Bulletin

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ONE THING ABOUT TRAINS...

KETCHIKAN, AK -- I received an email recently from one of my two loyal readers asking when I was going to write another article about the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, which used to be my home away from home before my company put me on the road. Case in point, I just came back from three wonderful days in Minnesota where I had the opportunity to experience a blizzard. You know, I'm almost positive that when I hired on with my company I distinctly told them that I did not want to go north Interstate 40 in any month with an "R" in it. They must have forgotten.

But, getting back to the Blue Ridge Scenic, this is the start of the railroad's 10th season, as well as my 10th year as a conductor. However, I work as a brakeman most of the time. I find that stubborn locomotives or cranky engineers are easier to deal with than 400 impatient passengers. Besides, a conductor is really just a brakeman who can read and write. In fact, the definition of a conductor is "a brakeman displaying pencils."

Photo here:

[www.sitnews.us]

Caption reads: Brakeman's Weather (Photograph by Bob Ciminel)

Many of my fellow volunteers enjoy dressing up in their conductor uniforms and hob knobbing with the passengers, whereas I, on the other hand, get infinitely more enjoyment emptying the sanitary tanks. That is a job requiring skill and coordination, as well as a stomach made of iron. I think I'm beyond iron though because as I look in the mirror these days I see lead.

I work at a desk and punch computer keys when I'm not on the road, so I enjoy the opportunity to work in the dirty, oily, greasy, smelly, noisy environment of the train. I may come home hot, tired, and dirty, but never frustrated. Like they say, a bad day on a train beats a good day in the office. In the end, both conductors and brakemen do their own small part to make our passengers safe and comfortable. If the conductor forgets to punch your child's ticket as a souvenir, you might be upset, but if the toilets overflow, you will be really mad.

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is a subsidiary of the Georgia Northeastern Railroad and operates on 13 miles of GNRR track in the North Georgia Mountains, which are also the East Tennessee Mountains or the Western North Carolina Mountains depending on your perspective. The BRSRy route runs from Blue Ridge, Georgia to McCaysville, Georgia along the banks of the Toccoa River. The BRSRy's depot is in Blue Ridge, about 90 miles due north of Atlanta. The fact that there is a four-lane highway the entire way makes Metro Atlanta a lucrative market for a tourist railroad.

So, you might ask, "What does a brakeman do?" Well, the first thing we do is start up the locomotive for the engineer, who spent so much time sitting on his derriere in the engineer's seat that he forgot how to do it.

Unlike your car, there is no ignition switch on the ancient (1950 generation) diesel locomotives we use on the BRSRy. These are 16-cylinder behemoths that need 600 volts of DC current to crank them over.

The first thing we do is close the large knife switch in the rear of the locomotive cab that connects the batteries to the electrical system. Then we go along both sides of the locomotive and open the doors that provide access to the cylinder cocks. These are small valves on each cylinder that are used to detect the presence of water. I'll explain that later. While moving around the engine, we also check the oil level just like you do on a car by reading a dipstick. The oil is pitch black from the carbon that the piston rings scrape off the cylinders.

Once the cylinder cocks are open, we turn the Start switch and allow the engine to turn over while watching for any signs of water blowing out of the cylinder cocks. (Diesel engines don't run well on water. Water is not compressible and pistons and cylinders will self-destruct if water gets in them.) We then go around and close the cylinder cocks. If you forget one, you'll know it soon enough. We run the fuel pump for a few seconds to prime the fuel lines and then crank the engine again.

A diesel locomotive engine does not start like an automobile engine, it sort of slowly rumbles into life, belching a lot of smoke (and sometimes oil and carbon) out the exhaust stacks. At this point, if you hear the sound of a shotgun going off, you've probably left a cylinder cock open. It's easy to spot; it's the one with fire and smoke coming out of it.

Once the engine builds up oil pressure, which can take almost a minute, the governor takes control and the engine is ready to run. We then go back into the locomotive cab and put some fresh flowers and potpourri on the engineer's control stand, fix him a fresh cup of gourmet coffee, lay a newspaper opened to the society page on his seat, turn on the headlight, check the air pressure, and call the engineer on the radio to tell him his locomotive is ready. If you do a good job, he might let you blow the horn. - Bob Ciminel, Stories In The News (Ketchikan, AK)

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RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE SAY IN RAIL LINE EXPANSION

When there is a proposed change in the infrastructure in our community, there are a number of hurdles for entities involved to leap. If it is a building, there is planning and zoning approval, requiring notification of neighbors. Then the city council or board of supervisors votes on the outcome of the P and Z action, once again usually with public input. The same process is the case for roads. They are not simply imposed from above, but take into account public views.

At least that is usually the case. But in one instance, changes can be imposed and there is little a municipality or area can do to argue. We are talking about railroads in general, and Union Pacific Railroad in particular. Railroads are governed federally. So the railroad makes its argument to the Surface Transportation Board, which governs rail lines. The problems or issues in individual communities are not taken into consideration. What matters is what works for the railroad.

At the moment, Union Pacific is interested in increasing its 760-mile El Paso to Los Angeles Sunset Route. It has already announced intentions to double-track through Willcox. That would allow the number of trains passing through daily to increase from the current 50 to as many as 120, although it is unlikely that many would pass. A better number, according to Willcox officials who have spoken with the railroad, is 70 to 100. That is a lot of trains going through several towns en route to Tucson and on to California. None of the towns between Willcox and Vail have overpasses. In all cases, traffic is stopped while the trains go by. In Vail, it is possible to be trapped for quite some time. And yet, there is no one to hear citizen complaints.

That could change if a bill sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Paton passes. Paton expected to introduce the measure in the Legislature today. It seeks to give the Arizona Corporation Commission some control over railroads in the state. The bill would allow the ACC to decide if a railroad can use state land and whether or not it can acquire land for routes through condemnation.

The wording was still being tweaked, but this is a good idea. Arizona residents should have some say in the expansion of something as big as a rail line. There are environmental issues and noise and access issues it is unlikely a federal board would ever care about. We support Paton's efforts. If you think they are a good idea, contact your local representative and urge him or her to support the bill. - Editorial Opinion, The San Pedro Valley News-Sun (Benson/St. David/Pomerene/Cascabel/Mascal/J-Six/Dragoon, AZ)

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HAMMOND STEAM ENGINE TO ROLL AGAIN?

HAMMOND, IN -- A group of local railroad enthusiasts hopes to bring new life to the city's largest outdoor history exhibit.

The Nickel Plate Road No. 624 steam locomotive has stood across Sohl Avenue from the Hammond Civic Center for more than half a century, and train buffs are forming a nonprofit corporation to restore the aging engine and its companion cars.

"Our ultimate goal is to get the 624 running again," said Kevin Haggi, of the Hammond & Northwest Indiana Railroad Preservation Society.

Though early in the process -- the group's Web site won't be up until next week, and it will likely be summer before its nonprofit status is affirmed -- the idea is not so far-fetched, Haggi said, as similar Nickel Plate steam locomotives currently operate in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.

"The one in Indianapolis is virtually a twin to the one in Hammond," he said.

Built in Ohio in 1922, No. 624 logged nearly 1.7 million miles before being taken out of service in 1955 to become part of the exhibit commemorating Hammond's central role in the steam locomotive era.

A South Shore Railroad caboose and Milwaukee Railroad refrigerator car, which earned national attention last fall when four men were found living in it, were added to the exhibit in 1976.

With support from city agencies, the society hopes first to restore the caboose and refrigerator car.

"We want to start at the back of the train and work forward," said Haggi, who has volunteers lined up to rebuild the interior of the caboose, which was destroyed in a 1976 fire.

The refrigerator car will be repainted to resemble those used by George Hammond's meat-packing company, from which the city got its name, Haggi said.

And though it's been more than a decade since Ol' No. 624 has had a mechanical inspection, Haggi said he's confident the engine can be restored as a fully functioning mobile railroad museum and tourist attraction.

Both Homewood and Rochelle in Illinois have built popular attractions based on their railroad histories, and Hammond can, too, Haggi said.

Get involved:

Contact the society through their Yahoo Internet group at
[www.finance.groups.yahoo.com], or by calling Richard Lytle of the Hammond Public Library's Suzanne G. Long Local History Room at (219) 931-5100. - Steve Zabroski, The Northwest Indiana Times

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TRAIN PASSENGERS SEE POTENTIAL OF OSCEOLA DEPOT

OSCEOLA, IA -- It's 07:30 hours on Saturday.

Susan Woerner pulls up to the Osceola Amtrak station and wonders if she is in the right place.
The only signs of life are the vehicles that circle the nondescript building lined with crumbling white paint.

"It's like a wreck," Woerner said. "I didn't know if it was vacant or not."

Yes, according to the Amtrak sign out front, she's in the right place. Now, where to park?

Woerner, from Hinsdale, Illinois, is heading back on the train after visiting her daughter, Kathyrn Kostelny, who lives in West Des Moines. They find a spot in the rock-and-dirt parking lot and walk up a cement slab, through the doors to the depot's waiting area.

Then, they see the sign.

And realize they're the unlucky ones.

The ones who forgot to call beforehand to see if the train was on time.

Earliest train arrival time: 12:00.

The two decide to drive back to Des Moines to wait.

No matter the delay, or the day, you'll find Pat Green and Junior Black at the depot. Green said she's a helper and Black's the custodian. Whatever the title, they've made the trains and their passengers a labor of love for nearly 30 years. If locals want to know what time the train's coming, they call Green.

Black, like many, agrees the depot sorely needs to be renovated. He said when a freight train roars through, the 100-year-old building shakes and trembles so much "you wonder how it's still standing."

Black is one of several in the community who think the city should impose a speed limit on trains going through town. Now, he said, trains shoot through town at about 50 to 55 mph.

"It's a passenger station," he said. "It would be for the safety of everybody."

Renovations to the depot could soon be a reality. The city hopes to own the train depot sometime in May and already has about $500,000 in grants for renovations, which would include paving the parking lot.

While the process goes on, this Saturday morning, Green bustles about, her cell phone clipped to her shirt collar. She keeps a small snack shop open with the basics - coffee, candy, pop, fruit, nuts and a few local T-shirts.

It's tricky, though, because the 100-year-old building's electric capacity prevents her from doing too much. She doesn't want to risk a fire. For instance, she doesn't like to pop popcorn and have the coffee pot on at the same time.

Aside from the modest snack and novelty shop, passengers traveling out of Osceola have limited conveniences. No restaurants or shops surround the depot. The ticket counter has been closed for as long as most can remember. Those looking for something quick, or open, have to cross the railroad tracks to Casey's.

"I try to help people as much as I can," Green said.

Woerner, who filled out a depot renovation survey Saturday, knows something about them. Her town of Hinsdale, Illinois, renovated its station years ago. She also knows something about government. Her husband is the mayor there, she said.

During renovations there, a chain restaurant, Cosi, was added. The restaurant opens early for morning trains, serving breakfast and coffee and stays open through lunch, serving sandwiches and salads.

"People will go there to have lunch in the train station," she said.

Kostelny said the Hinsdale station looked similar to Osceola's station before the renovations.

"This could be beautiful," she said, noting inside the train depot looks better than the outside.

The renovations upgraded the look and function of the town's depot while preserving its history, she said. One example: the wooden benches here are the same in Hinsdale, only refurbished.

"It's all new, but they kept everything looking like our town," Kostelny said. "That's the really important thing. That they didn't change our town."

Noon comes and goes, and the Saturday "morning" train hasn't.

More passengers and their friends and family, totaling about 30 to 35 people, gather.

At 13:00 hours, 18 passengers board the train, including Woerner. - Gwen Tietgen, The Osceola Sentinel-Tribune

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VALLEY CITY DISPATCHER SUSPENDED

VALLEY CITY, ND -- Police say a dispatcher has been suspended for failing to follow proper procedures after getting a call that someone had boarded a westbound train headed for Jamestown, North Dakota early Saturday morning.

A woman's body was found near the railroad tracks just west of Jamestown. Authorities said Katie Johnson, 19, of Cooperstown, ND, either fell or jumped from the moving train.

Police Detective mark McDonald said Wednesday there was no indication the dispatcher could have prevented Johnson's death. But he said the dispatcher should have notified the Barnes County sheriff's office and the railroad about the call.

"The call stated that the victim jumped on the train about an hour ago and stated that the train was heading toward Jamestown," McDonald said.

McDonald said the call came in at 05:12 Saturday on the main police business line.

"I think it is very important to point out that according to the Jamestown Police Department, that train went through Jamestown at around 03:45 to 04:00," McDonald said.

"The dispatcher should have made the proper notifications after receiving the phone call, but all signs indicate that no action would have prevented the tragedy from occurring," he said.

Dispatcher Holly Neuberger, who has worked in the job since 2003, was suspended until a meeting with Police Chief Dean Ross next Monday, McDonald said. She had been scheduled to work two days during that time, he said. A message left for Neuberger was not immediately returned. - The Associated Press, The Bismarck Tribune

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LOVE TRAINS? HERE ARE SOME GREAT RAIL DESTINATIONS -- AND FOND MEMORIES

My grandmother's house sat half a block from the railroad tracks. At set intervals during the day and at night we would hear the hulking mass of steel groaning past.

In the summertime, or when the weather was warm and us neighborhood kids were bored, we'd wander to the fringe of the dusty, unpaved service road that paralleled the tracks and we would hear the forlorn whistle of the train.

"Don't go playing down by those tracks! Kids get killed on the tracks!" my grandmother would warn. She also warned us not to run with scissors or sit too close to the television. But her warnings about the trains were ominous and thrilling. The trains were magical.

The trains were dangerous.

The trains were mysterious.

My grandfather appeared oblivious to the trains or their danger. He always had salt-and-pepper hair, wore plaid flannel shirts and spoke in a foreign language. Not an established language like French or Spanish or Pig Latin. He spoke "Ollie." That was his name.

He'd say things like "oogie" when he wanted us out of his favorite chair, or "yanhego" to indicate that someone had left. "Laros catch medicine" was the mysterious name given when grandchildren inquired about the contents of his ice cream bowl or favorite cup.

However, his collectible train set mounted to a 6-by-6-foot plywood platform in his basement needed no translation. I was never allowed to touch the trains. No matter how much I carried on, cried, held my breath, all the top kid tools of manipulation, my grandfather or the other adults in my life never wavered about getting me a train set of my own.

"Girls don't play with trains!" they scorned.

But I loved that train. In a way, it was even more mysterious than the oily black behemoth that raced through the dust and disappeared like a gargantuan prehistoric beast against the horizon.

The scale-model trains in my grandfather's basement chugged between realistic trees. A single beam of light illuminated the tracks when he'd turn out the overhead light and the small train would pull its cargo along the tracks, disappearing into sculpted mountains.

I vowed that when I grew up I'd get myself a train set and I'd write stories about trains. I vowed to ride trains wherever I went and live a life as dark, dangerous and mysterious as locomotives.

It hasn't happened. I do not own a miniature train set. And though I've tried cross-country train travel, I won't lie -- flying is better.

But when I go to places like D.C. or New York or Atlanta, cities with urban-area trains, I cannot resist.

D.C.'s Metro trains are my favorites. How they glide effortlessly and above ground -- into tunnels that lead to stops at austere government plazas. My imagination goes wild while riding the Metro. I'm a spy on a clandestine mission. A secret agent carrying a coded message. I'm alive and free and speeding into an unknown danger.

Other trainiacs, my coined term, will understand. There's just something about trains. They speak to me. They spark my imagination. They are the engines of my dreams. - Sherri Winston, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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TRANSIT NEWS

DENVER HOPEFUL FASTRACKS WILL ENERGIZE DECLINING AREAS

Photo here:

[www.denverpost.com]

WESTMINSTER, CO -- Over the past five years, Frances Falbo has watched the neighborhood surrounding her family's restaurant decline as new residential developments and shopping centers popped up to the north and west.

In early days, the neighborhood was known as Goat Hill, had no sidewalks or sewers, and was populated with poor farmers. Westminster annexed it several decades ago.

"Goat Hill has always been a low-income, family-type thing," said Falbo, whose family has for 46 years owned Bova's Italian Restaurant at West 72nd Avenue and Federal Boulevard. "Now there's a lot of problems with gang-related stuff -- graffiti and tagging."

She's hopeful a proposed light-rail station nearby will breathe new life into the area and into her business.

With buyers increasingly priced out of northwest Denver's gentrifying neighborhoods, Westminster is hoping to lure them northward. City officials have devised a plan to create a vibrant, urban center around the light-rail stop planned for West 70th Avenue and Irving Street, a 10-minute ride from Denver Union Station.

They have identified a 124-acre parcel bounded by West 68th and 72nd avenues, Federal and Lowell boulevards as a potential site for transit-oriented development. The area is bisected by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and holds a mish-mash of tired houses, worn-out apartment buildings and small industrial businesses.

Planners envision condos and apartments, offices, specialty retailers and a community park. They see the greatest potential for commercial development to the north of the tracks. To the south, on a 30-acre floodplain that has always been viewed as "the other side of the tracks," a park is planned that would serve Westminster's neediest residents.

The city's highest percentage of seniors, minorities and residents with disabilities and lower incomes live in its southern quadrant. That area also holds the Westminster Senior Center, the public library and two small parks. Its 96 small businesses offer an eclectic range of services but don't provide the character necessary to create a vibrant environment.

Even though the northwest light-rail line won't open until 2015, developers are staking their claims around the last stop before Union Station.

Last year, Icon Investment Group bought a 7-acre site, the largest piece of vacant property in the study area. Icon is trying to buy several more parcels between that site and Federal Boulevard so the company can take a more comprehensive development approach, said Andrew Klein, Icon's president.

"We like to buy property in areas that are currently out of favor but believe will go through a gentrification process," he said.

The rest of the 124-acre development area is made up of 60 parcels ranging in size from 1 to 7 acres, a challenging prospect for investors trying to assemble property for larger developments.
Assemblage is also expensive, since many of those properties include improvements that generate cash flow for their owners. That means values range from $15 to $25 a square foot.

At those prices, estimated lease rates for newly developed commercial space would have to be as much as $25 a square foot to make projects financially feasible. Prices for condos would have to be set at more than $200,000.

"The city is active in trying to provide financial incentives to developers," said Tony Chacon, the city's project coordinator. "The area is in the Urban Renewal Authority, so we can use tax-increment financing. We'll be looking at other mechanisms over the next year."

The biggest help the city can provide to developers is allowing them to maximize density in the area, Chacon said.

The area can support at least 800 residential units, 390,000 square feet of retail space, 184,000 square feet of office space and 67,000 square feet of industrial space, according to the South Westminster Transit Oriented Development Study.

The city wants to serve the rail station with structured parking rather than a surface lot, but it will have to figure out how to pay for it, said Bill Sirois, manager of transit-oriented development for FasTracks. The Regional Transportation District already is trying to cut costs after a draft analysis found that FasTracks could cost $2.5 billion more than the $4.7 billion originally forecast.

Several developers also are working on projects outside the study area. Carlson Group is planning to build about 200,000 square feet of commercial space and 250 residential units on about 30 acres of vacant land southeast of Federal and West 72nd Avenue. And Carma Colorado Inc. plans to build an estimated 150,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 1,200 residences on 144 acres on West 70th at the former Sundstrand Aviation location.

That's just the type of development Falbo wants to see. When Sundstrand closed in 2004, she noticed an appreciable decline in business at Bova's. - Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post

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SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE DISRUPTS HIAWATHA LIGHT-RAIL SERVICE

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Light rail service in downtown Minneapolis was suspended for about 20 minutes Thursday morning while police investigated a suspicious package left on the steps of Minneapolis City Hall.

Trains are now running on a regular schedule, said Bob Gibbons, a Metro Transit spokesman.

Police cordoned off the area in front of City Hall just after 06:00 when a large duffel bag and a green suitcase stuffed with clothes was found on the steps by a man who was unlocking the doors.

Police removed the items, which turned out to be abandoned luggage, just after 07:00.

Light rail service in downtown was halted at 06:20 and resumed at 06:39, but authorities did not allow trains to stop at the Government Center station. Passengers had to use stations at the Metrodome or Nicollet Mall until police removed the items and took down the tape at 07:08 hours, Gibbons said. - Tim Harlow, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune

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SOUND TRANSIT, BIA PUSH FOR SECURITY CAMERAS TO IMPROVE THEATER DISTRICT SAFETY

TACOMA, WA -- New investments in video surveillance could improve ongoing security concerns in the downtown Theater District, according to discussion yesterday during a meeting of area residents, property owners, and merchants.

According to Sound Transit security officer Kenneth Cummins, the agency is currently pursuing federal funding to provide two security cameras at each of the five stations along Link Light Rail's 1.6-mile line. The surveillance system, estimated to cost approximately $500,000, would be funded through the Department of Homeland Security. It wouldn't be installed, however, until the end of this year.

"The process is moving slow, and improvements wouldn't be in place until the third for fourth quarter of this year," said Cummins.

The move comes at a time when many people complain the Theater District station, located near South Ninth Street and Commerce Street, is overrun by loitering and alleged drug dealing.

Tacoma Police Lt. Corey Darlington confirmed these concerns. He reported yesterday that officers had recently concluded a series of "Special Emphasis and Tactics" operations (or so-called "Set Missions," which include uniformed and undercover officers) that netted "numerous" arrests.

Lt. Darlington also reported that a phone booth at South Ninth Street and Broadway, which was frequently used to arrange alleged drug deals, was recently disconnected. The department is currently working to have the phone booth, which sits on city-owned property, removed. Such a move, he said, would hopefully set a precedent to remove two nearby phone booths positioned on private property, and a source of revenue for the property owner.

"We just plain want all the phone booths out of the area," said Lt. Darlington.

The meeting yesterday, hosted by the Business Improvement Area (BIA) at the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce office, was the latest in a series of discussions aimed to address concerns of area merchants, residents, and property owners who have increased their reports of alleged shoplifting and drug dealing in the neighborhood. Many people complain the neighborhood is overrun by a large concentration of poorly managed, low-income housing that contributes to their public safety concerns. - Todd Matthews, The Tacoma Daily Index

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THE END