 |
Railroad Newsline for Thursday, 05/17/07
Author: Larry W. Grant
Date: 05-17-2007 - 00:12
Railroad Newsline for Thursday, May 17, 2007
Compiled by Larry W. Grant
In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006
RAIL NEWS
TRAIN DERAILS, COLLIDES WITH ANOTHER SOUTH OF TACOMA
Video here:
[www.komotv.com]
Photos here:
[media.komotv.com]
[media.komotv.com]
[media.komotv.com]
TACOMA, WA -- Two Union Pacific freight trains derailed early Wednesday between Tacoma and Olympia, disrupting Amtrak passenger rail service, railroad officials said.
All crew members were accounted for and no injuries were reported.
Three locomotives and an undetermined number of rail cars were off the tracks, said Jenny Sharp, a spokeswoman for the DuPont Fire Department south of Tacoma.
One of the two engines from the southbound train slid down an embankment more than 75 feet onto Old Nisqually Road, where it sunk 3 feet into the road.
Diesel fuel from at least one engine leaked near the Nisqually River a few miles upriver from the Nisqually Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Authorities checked for the possibility of hazardous or toxic substances, said Sharp, but no water source was contaminated.
Video from AIR 4 showed some rail cars blocking Old Nisqually Road, and Mark Davis of Union Pacific said power lines were down. Most of DuPont was without electricity until about 5:45 a.m., Sharp said.
Details were sketchy, but Sharp and Davis said a southbound train from Seattle to Chicago apparently derailed about 3:15 a.m. at a railroad switch and bumped a few cars off the tracks from a northbound train from Portland to Seattle.
Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes said the southbound train had four locomotives and 111 cars and the northbound train had two locomotives and 98 cars.
The speeds of the trains were no immediately known, and the cause of the derailment was under investigation, Sharp said.
Both trains hauling were hauling shipping containers, Davis said.
Amtrak passengers were being bused between Seattle and Portland, Ore., because of the blockage, and the disruption was expected to continue into Thursday, according to an Amtrak news release. - KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA
OPPD IS SUING UNION PACIFIC FOR PROBLEMS WITH COAL DELIVERY
The Omaha Public Power District is suing Union Pacific for more than $7 million, alleging the railroad has had trouble delivering the contracted amount of coal since spring 2005 and has improperly blamed bad weather and derailments.
"Its wrongful actions have continued through 2006 and into 2007, and have caused substantial damage to OPPD," the power district said in its lawsuit filed this week in Douglas County District Court.
The power district tried to resolve the issue with Union Pacific but had not been successful, spokesman Jeff Hanson said.
"We reluctantly decided to see if courts can help us," Hanson said.
Union Pacific officials did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment Wednesday. - Joe Ruff, The Omaha World-Herald
CANADIAN PACIFIC TRACK WORKERS WALK OFF THE JOB
CALGARY, AB -- About 3,200 Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. track workers began a national strike on Wednesday after wage and work-rule talks failed, the third job action in Canada's rail sector this year.
CP Rail, Canada's No. 2 railroad, brought in replacement workers from its management ranks in efforts to keep shipments of wheat, coal, lumber, autos and other freight moving.
No new talks were scheduled.
"The company isn't even returning our calls," said William Brehl, president of the Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division of Teamsters Canada. The members maintain tracks, bridges, structures and machinery at CP Rail.
"We've made it very clear to them we're open to positive discussion any time. The only way to get a contract, I believe, is through meaningful dialogue, but they're shut right up like a clam," Brehl said.
CP Rail said it has trained more than 1,300 managers to replace the roughly 1,200 unionized workers who directly maintain track. Any expansion projects are being deferred.
Union officials said they believe CP cannot not run its rail network safely with management personnel doing the job of experienced unionized track workers.
Railway spokesman Mark Seland said the replacement workers have been trained and are taking direction from the track inspectors, who are part of management.
"It's pretty much operating, with different employees, the same as it would on any other day," Seland said.
The union has said it wants wage hikes beyond the 3 percent that other unions at the railway have agreed on because its members' pay has lagged that of their counterparts.
CP Rail Chief Executive Fred Green has said the company could agree to bigger increases, but only if the union makes work-rule concessions to generate savings in other areas.
"The other unions that they keep quoting that signed for these were smaller bargaining units, they signed them in, like, 2005, and it's only one third of the whole unionized force at CP Rail," Brehl said. "And CP Rail's profits are through the roof."
In April, the company reported an 18 percent jump in first-quarter profit, despite harsh weather for operating.
Big customers, such as the Canadian Wheat Board, Fording Canadian Coal Trust, fertilizer maker Agrium Inc. and Ford Motor Co., reported no immediate impact on shipments due to the strike.
However, CWB spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry said concerns at the board, one of the world's top grain marketers, will grow if the strike stretches beyond a week. It must ship 4.5 million tonnes of grain by July 31, 60 percent of it on CP lines.
"When you're moving that much grain in that tight of a time period, the logistics are precise and it doesn't take much to throw them out," she said.
A 15-day strike in February by 2,800 conductors at Canadian National Railway Co., the country's biggest railroad, fueled delays at ports and hurt the value of manufacturing shipments.
Just last month, CN lifted a lockout of some workers after lawmakers in Ottawa ordered an end to that dispute.
The Canadian government said on Tuesday it would intervene in the CP Rail strike if it caused serious economic damage.
The railway is not looking to the government for back-to-work legislation, Seland said. "We'd prefer a negotiated settlement between the two parties," he said.
The company's shares were up C$1.34, or nearly 2 percent, at C$75.26 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday. - Jeffrey Jones, Reuters
CN TO WITHDRAW LEGAL ACTION AGAINST MOHAWKS OF THE BAY OF QUINTE, BUT WILL CONTINUE LAWSUIT AGAINST SHAWN BRAYNT AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN ILLEGAL RAIL LINE BLOCKADE
MONTREAL, QC -- The Canadian National Railway said Wednesday it will seek a discontinuance of legal action, including the injunction, against the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte after receiving sworn evidence that the Chief and Band Council neither authorized nor approved of the illegal blockade of CN’s main line near Deseronto, ON, on April 20, 2007.
CN, however, said it will continue to seek damages from participants in the blockade that halted freight and passenger traffic along its busiest rail corridor for 30 hours, including blockade leader Shawn Brant.
Sean Finn, CN senior vice-president, public affairs, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, said: “CN thanks the Band and its duly elected representatives for their cooperation in this matter. The Band’s action will promote a stronger relationship with CN, which supports First Nations in their pursuit of settlements with governments.
“CN’s policy is to promote solid relationships with First Nations across its network in Canada. But we will continue to take legal action against any individual who engages in illegal activities that disrupt or damage our transportation business.”
Following the blockade, Chief R. Donald Maracle said: “The Tyendinaga Mohawk Council has always advocated peaceful negotiations and resolution of outstanding claims. Protests and blockades do not help to advance First Nations objectives in ongoing negotiations.” - Mark Hallman, CN News Release
MAN ACCUSED OF PUSHING BROTHER INTO PATH OF TRAIN
A Paragould, Arkansas man is to be arraigned Thursday on a second-degree murder charge after he allegedly rolled his unconscious brother onto railroad tracks as a train approached.
Barry Gene Nelson, 46, is accused in the Friday death of his brother, Larry Dewayne Nelson, 57.
Paragould police say Larry Nelson was lying unconscious near Union Pacific tracks when his brother allegedly pushed him into the train's path.
It wasn't clear why Larry Nelson was unconscious. His body was sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy.
Barry Nelson also was charged with terroristic threatening, but police wouldn't elaborate on what led to the charge. - KTHV-TV11, Little Rock, AR
POLICE TARGET ELK GROVE TRAIN RUNNERS
ELK GROVE, CA -- When you're engineering a freight train at a quick clip through town, the last thing you want to see is a pedestrian darting in front of you or a jogger trotting alongside the tracks.
"We've had four or five incidents in the past six months with pedestrians struck by a train," said Elk Grove Police Sgt. Mike Iannone. Most of the injuries were minor with people just brushed by the train, but at least teenage girl suffered severe injuries, said Iannone. Another man, apparently intoxicated, had his leg severed when he was lying on the tracks near Elk Grove Boulevard.
Worried about those recent injuries and close calls, Elk Grove police are cracking down on pedestrians illegally crossing Union Pacific Railroad lines with a planned "safety sweep" Wednesday afternoon. The idea is to ticket pedestrians found illegally crossing or using the railroad right-of-way.
In the first 90 minutes of enforcement, officers issued five citations and three warnings.
The line crosses Grant Line Road, continues on across Elk Grove Boulevard in Old Town, then crosses four more major thoroughfares to the north, the last one at Calvine Road.
"Not a day goes by where we don't have a report from U.P. of someone being dangerously close to the tracks," said Iannone. "It's worst after school when high school and middle school kids cut across the tracks."
"Railroad tracks are considered private property and are not to be used as walkways, jogging trails or bicycle paths," police said in a statement about the safety sweep. "In fact, anyone located on the railroad right of way will be arrested for trespassing."
Pedestrians can also be ticketed if they walk across intersections when crossing guard arms are down and red warning lights flash. Pedestrians are required to heed those warnings and stop just like someone in a motor vehicle.
The danger isn't just to those outside the train, said Iannone. "We had someone [throwing rocks at] a train when it went by and someone on the train was injured," he said. - Mark Hedlund, KXTV-TV10, Sacramento, CA, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr
RIDERSHIP SURGES AS AMTRAK CELEBRATES NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION WEEK
WASHINGTON, DC -- In recognition of National Transportation Week, Amtrak Tuesday announced that ridership across the country reached 14.3 million during the first seven months of the fiscal year, an increase of 5 percent over last year. The biggest growth was in Amtrak's short-distance corridors outside the Northeast -- routes of 500 miles or less -- with more than 12.3 million passengers traveling.
The Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor (Washington, DC - New York - Boston) continues to be the railroad's busiest route, with 5.7 million passengers traveling during the first seven months of the fiscal year (October 1, 2006 - March 31, 2007). This was an increase from 5.4 million passengers during the same period last fiscal year.
Historically popular in the Northeast, rail travel is now seeing a resurgence on the West Coast. The second most popular Amtrak route during the first seven months of the fiscal year was the Pacific Surfliner (San Diego - Los Angeles - San Luis Obispo) with 1.46 million passengers. This was an increase from 1.44 million last year. California's Capitol Corridor holds third place with 815,000 passengers, up from 724,000 last year.
Rounding out the top five is the Empire Corridor (New York - Albany - Toronto) with 705,000 passengers, up from 680,000 in FY06, and the Keystone Corridor (New York - Philadelphia - Harrisburg) with 553,000 passengers, up from 472,000.
"Amtrak has seen record ridership increases for each of the past three years, and these mid-year numbers suggest that will continue," said Alex Kummant, Amtrak President and CEO. "As we recognize our industry during National Transportation Week, we are pleased to note that more and more Americans are discovering the importance of rail travel in our nation's transportation system."
National Transportation Week is dedicated to creating a greater awareness of the importance of transportation in all aspects of our everyday lives. It is celebrated during the third week of May annually and provides an opportunity for the industry to demonstrate how transportation positively affects the nation's economy and to promote transportation-related careers to young people. - Karina Romero, Amtrak News Release
AT THE THROTTLE: PSST! WANNA' BUY A BRIDGE?
Photo here:
[www.elynews.com]
ELY, NV -- What follows is a letter that museum just sent out to its membership. We have 1,910 dues paying members with every state of the union represented. Our membership is our secret weapon. Our member's generous support allows us to operate steam locomotives in the 21st century in Ely, Nevada. Without their support, our steam program would be severely curtailed.
Of the 1,910 members the museum has, only 124 are from White Pine County. So I'm asking for your help. The museum needs your financial help now to get this bridge repaired. If you or family had a tie to the railroad, now is the time to step forward.
“Pssst! Wanna buy a bridge? It's only slightly used. Actually, it's really, really used and we're not selling a bridge. But we do need your help in order to repair one. That's right; we own a bridge. To be technically correct it's a ballasted-deck timber-trestle: Nothing as glamorous as those tall graceful, swaying timber trestles that you might be imagining when I say “bridge.” No, it's a pretty small looking thing, but very, very necessary. It's short, squat and failing. This deteriorating structure sits on the Keystone branch and it needs repairs, pronto, hence that the reason I am writing you with such urgency.
“Traditionally in our business, at this time of year the museum's cash reserve is at its lowest point: The season (and our revenues) hasn't started yet, but we have been busy with the normal off-season maintenance - and our savings have been depleted by last winter's heavy locomotive repairs. Frankly, we don't presently have the funds to repair this bridge, yet the situation demands immediate attention.
“With our season looming on the horizon, this repair is critical. Keystone is our steam operations branch and steam is the major reason that people make the trek to Ely. Without operating steam-powered excursion trains, people won't travel here. And without passengers, revenues will plummet, taking our situation from bad to worse.
“A similar set of circumstances occurred four years ago with a different bridge on the Keystone branch. It was so bad that I had to cancel a steam powered excursion train as it was ready to leave the depot. I informed the passengers that the steam branch was closed, but that the excursion train would still run, as it would operate on our other branch with a diesel locomotive - they were welcome to ride that train, or they could have their money back. Unfortunately, a majority of the passengers left their seats and took me up on the refund offer. That was a big financial loss for us.
“So I'm asking you as a supporter and a member of the museum for more of your generous support by immediately sending in a contribution for the bridge repair. I don't use the word ‘immediately' lightly, but the repairs must be completed prior to June 28th and we cannot even begin without the money actually sitting in the bank to pay for it. The cost of the repair is estimated to be between $18,000 and $38,000. Why this large spread, you ask? Because we won't know exactly how extensive the repairs will be until the structure is completely dismantled and we are in the midst of the work. It's better to be safe than sorry and believe in Murphy's Law: Using our other museum projects as a guide, the chances are that the cost will end up on the high end of the estimate. We simply can't take the chance of tearing the bridge apart (which completely shuts down the branch), only to find that it will cost more to repair than we have on hand.
“Again, time is of the essence; this task needs to be completed by June 28th. Daily steam operations are slated - and advertised nationally - to start the very next day. This in turn leads up to our largest month of the year in terms of revenue and passengers: July.
“As you can see, this is critical. Please return the form below with as generous a donation as you can comfortably make, ASAP. A self addressed envelope is provided for your convenience. Any funds remaining after the bridge is repaired will be invested in the rehabilitation of our new passenger coaches, so nothing will be wasted.
“The entire staff, crew and I would like to thank you in advance for your donation. Your assistance in our critical bridge repair is greatly appreciated.”
So there you have it. We need to make extensive repairs to a bridge and we don't have the financial resources to do it. So, I'm asking White Pine County residents to join with the museum's members and make a financial contribution to the museum to help with the bridge. It's as easy as dropping a check in the mail (PO Box 150040, Ely NV 89315) or dropping one off at the museum. The when you ride the train the next time, you can point out that bridge and tell your visitors, I helped keep the trains running. - Mark Bassett, The Ely Times (Mark Bassett is the Executive Director of the museum. He can be reached at the museum by e-mail: director@nnry.com; or by first class mail at: 1100 Avenue A, PO Box 150040, East Ely, NV 89315.)
BILL MAY KEEP TRAIN FROM END OF THE LINE
AUSTIN, TX -- The Texas State Railroad, which once appeared headed for the roundhouse, will continue chugging along with new operators under a bill sent to the governor Tuesday.
The East Texas tourist attraction, which runs between Rusk and Palestine, will be transferred from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the newly created Texas State Rail Authority, which was created by the two cities.
The authority plans to contract with a private operator, American Heritage Railways, to run the train for at least eight years.
"I'm very excited," said Bob Goldsberry, executive director of the Rusk Chamber of Commerce and a member of the new authority.
Without passage of the bill, "I do believe that we would probably have been looking at a static [train] display," he said.
State parks officials, strapped for cash, had initially announced that the line, which dates to the late 1800s, would close last year. Emergency funding allowed the railroad to continue to operate through the end of this fiscal year, allowing supporters time to find an alternative.
A group of political and business leaders from Rusk and Palestine pushed for privatization, but another group from Jacksonville hoped to keep the train under the control of the parks department.
"We're very disappointed," said Michael Banks, president of Save Texas Parks.
Dr. Banks lamented the loss of a state asset and said he "thought the 'static display' threat was a threat," he said. "I didn't think it would ever close."
Palestine Mayor Carolyn Salter insisted the asset will be protected, because the tracks and right of way will remain the property of the state. "The big thing is, the train keeps running and it's an opportunity for tourism growth for both the cities of Rusk and Palestine and both our counties," she said.
The Legislature still needs to appropriate $12 million for track improvements, but Dr. Salter said she was cautiously optimistic the funding would materialize.
"I have done a couple of 'woo-hoos,' " she said, "but I'm not dancing in the street yet." - Diane Jennings, The Dallas Morning News
BERKSHIRE HAS U.P., NORFOLK SOUTHERN STOCK
Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., in a regulatory filing Tuesday, identified the three railroads it invested in over the past year.
Berkshire held significant stakes in Union Pacific Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. at the end of March, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Berkshire's purchase of 39.03 million shares of BNSF stock sent shares of all the major freight railroads up when it was disclosed last month in a different filing. At that time, Buffett said he had invested in two other North American railroads but wouldn't name them.
Tuesday's filing reveals that Berkshire owned 10.5 million shares of Union Pacific stock worth about $1.1 billion and nearly 6.4 million shares of Norfolk Southern stock worth about $322 million. The purchases of railroad stock began sometime between last July and September, according to the filings.
The Union Pacific stake would represent 3.9 percent of the outstanding shares and be worth $1.24 billion, based on Tuesday's closing price of $118.29. The Norfolk Southern stake would represent 1.6 percent of outstanding shares and be worth $357.6 million, based on Tuesday's closing price of $55.87. - The Associated Press, The Omaha World-Herald
TRANSPORT HUB NEARS DEAL FOR LINK TO UP RAIL SERVICE
DENVER, CO -- Developers planning a multibillion-dollar transportation hub east of Denver are close to finalizing a major agreement to bring rail service to the area.
The deal would connect the so-called TransPort development to Union Pacific Railroad's KP line, which links Denver with Kansas City.
The Schuck Corp. - TransPort's lead developer - and Union Pacific still are working out details.
But tentative plans call for a logistics center that could connect up to 100 businesses to the KP line. The center would be located east of Front Range Airport and less than a quarter mile from the line.
The project would involve laying down several miles of track looping through the logistics center and connecting it to the KP line. The price tag: "Well in excess of $50 million," said Bill Schuck of the Schuck Corp.
"This is not a matter of if; it's a matter of when," Schuck said. "I expect we'll have a final agreement in a matter of days."
Developers still will have to get land-use approvals from Aurora and clear several other hurdles.
But construction could start as early as this fall, and businesses could move in by next summer at the earliest, Schuck said.
Cementing the deal will be a key step for the TransPort project, which developers envision as a hub for businesses to ship and receive cargo by rail, air and road.
With a solid plan for rail service in hand, developers say they will be able to lure TransPort's first tenants.
"This is another important piece of the puzzle," said Dick Hinson of the Aurora Economic Development Council.
TransPort will occupy a 5,000- acre swath of land in Aurora and Adams County, bordered by Interstate 70 and the Front Range Airport.
About five miles of Union Pacific's KP line runs through TransPort land. It's one of Union Pacific's major lines, meaning that the proposed link to TransPort "will have to be a self-contained (spur) that would handle its own switching operations so that it would not slow down or impact mainline traffic," said Kathryn Blackwell, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific.
Under tentative plans, a Schuck subsidiary would build and operate the connecting tracks and switching centers.
Union Pacific once was strongly interested in moving its Denver rail yard to TransPort, which would have been a coup for the development. Now, though, the company is leaning toward Fort Lupton.
Still, Union Pacific said it doesn't see significant barriers to adding rail service at TransPort, even if it doesn't build the rail yard there.
"There's a whole variety of things we have to factor in," Blackwell said. "But we don't see any of the obstacles" the company has faced in other areas.
TransPort could have another large tenant - one not associated with cargo. International Speedway Corp. is considering building a 75,000-seat racetrack there that would cost up to $400 million. - Chris Walsh, The Rocky Mountain News
RESTORATION OF FERNLEY-LASSEN DEPOT TO GET UNDERWAY
FERNLEY, NV -- By August, Nevada Department of Transportation's architecture department anticipates the renovation and stabilization project of the Fernley-Lassen Railroad Depot will begin.
Phase I of the project, which is funded by the federal grant, Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) includes "restoring the first floor to make it presentable for the public and making it historically correct," said Bill Schulz, Project Manager III, NDOT architect.
The project also includes structural stabilization and a "little remodeling of the second floor," which was at one time the station master's living quarter, he added.
According to the State Historic Preservation Office the Depot is a good example of early 20th-century "railroad pattern book architecture in Nevada."
Restoration of the depot has been a goal of the Fernley Preservation Society, which tenaciously began pursuing Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Equity Act TEA 21 grants back in the mid-1990s. The group also sought the help of the Fernley Town Board and Lyon County during those years to better its chances of receiving federal funds. The FPS, though, was unable to receive any such grants because it was not a governmental entity.
But eventually, through a working relationship with the City of Fernley, the city received a TEA-21 grant for the Phase I Restoration project back in Dec. 2001, and then it received a subsequent grant for Phase II.
Schulz indicated NDOT is responsible for overseeing the engineering and architectural process of the project, and that agency would manage the completion of the renovation project.
He added the grant funds received by the city were over $200,000 and the City is required to chip in 5% of the grant amount.
Once Phase I is completed Schulz indicated renovation of the baggage area would begin as part of the Phase II project.
Part of the upgrades involved in the Phase I project includes construction of a handicapped ramp in the front area of the building, which will allow more accessibility to the public.
The purpose said Schulz was to make a section of the first floor "available for occupancy."
He explained structural work to the "live and dead loads from the roof to the foundation," will be done to the second floor and he added structural changes include work to the beams and joists in the second floor.
Initially Lyon County had a management agreement with the Fernley Preservation Society which gave the managing authority of the building and the grounds to the non-profit organization, and then when Fernley incorporated, the City of Fernley entered into a similar agreement with the FPS.
FPS President Steven Knowles added of the organizations involvement, "The Depot has been under the custodianship of the Preservation Society for 21 years."
The FPS moved the structure, which sat along side the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks in 1986 near Front Street, because it was slated for demolition by the railroad company. Back then, the FPS bought the structure for $1 from the SP and moved it to its present location on Main Street.\
The goal of the FPS is to restore the building for a railroad and cultural museum remarked Knowles.
He added of the restoration, "It's been a long time coming and we're waiting to see it get done. We're happy about it but unfortunately two key members of the organization passed away last year before the restoration occurred."
Knowles was referring to Bert Emerson and Mary Ferrel, who both passed away in 2006. Emerson was an active member and although he had physical ailments worked constantly along side younger and agile FPS members to make improvements to the Depot and the grounds.
Ferrel worked along with other members of the FPS in 1986 to purchase the Depot from the SPR.
Linda Sanders, FPS treasurer said of the upcoming improvements, which will allow more public access to the structure, "We're looking forward to the restoration so everybody can enjoy the depot."
In recent times, a number of FPS members and even members of the public have invested in historic railroad cars and other railroad equipment and memorabilia to enhance the historic atmosphere of the ground and those individuals have loaned their equipment to the group for public display simply out of love of railroad history.
The old structure is a two-store station that served both passenger and freight train.
According to the State Historic Preservation Office, "The Fernley Lassen Railway was incorporated in Oct. 1909 as a link between Southern Pacific's Overland and Oregon routes, and the depot was constructed in 1914. The Fernley and Lassen ultimately connected Nevada stations in Fernley, Wadsworth, Sutcliffe, Zenobia, and Flanigan with the California communities of Amedee, Wendel, Litchfield, Susanville, @#$%&'s Corral, Goumas, Westwood Junction, Mason and Westwood. The depot remained in use until 1985, when Southern Pacific terminated railroad operations in the building."
The Fernley-Lassen Railroad Depot was named to the State Register of Historic Placed in Oct. 2000. - Betty Aleck, The Reno Gazette-Journal
SUPERVISORS TO RECOGNIZE HISTORIC PRESERVATION EFFORTS
Photo here:
[www.nevadaappeal.com]
Caption reads: Lauren Jahn takes a moment to check his work after repainting one of the 16 decorative patterns on the ceiling of the McKeen Motor Car. The 1910-style patterns can take up to six hours each to complete and are an exact replica of the car's original pattern. (Photo by Chad Lundquist/Nevada Appeal)
CARSON CITY, NV -- Two historic structures and one rare conveyance will be recognized by the Carson City Board of Supervisors this week.
The Henry Marvin Yerington house, Beck-Barber-Belknap house and the McKeen Motor Car are being singled out as sites best reflecting the ideals of historic preservation. National Historic Month is celebrated every May and the local awards have been given out since 2001.
"One of the relevant themes was a consistent preservation ethic," said Michael Drews, chairman of the Historic Resources Commission.
Going out to see this year's nominees brought about a discovery -and eventually might bring added rules about the renovation of properties in the city's historic district.
Some of the structures in the district looked historically accurate but weren't. This is because a window frame or fence had been replaced with modern vinyl, Drews said.
An addition might look right from a distance, and be the correct shape and color. But additions should also match the historic period texturally and be of wood or glass - products that existed when a given building was constructed, he said.
"You get up-close and it's not appropriate," he said. "It might not sound like it's that big, but it really is."
Three other sites were nominated this year: The Cactus Jack's Senator Sign at the southwest corner of Carson and Spear streets; the Carson Nugget sign at the southeast corner of Carson and Robinson streets; and the Fellows building at the west side of Minnesota, between Musser and Telegraph streets.
One of the commissioners was leery about giving the award to signs, for example, because they aren't considered architecture. These types of sites could end up receiving awards in the future, however. Early neon signs are becoming more rare. They are artistically important and integral design elements, Drews emphasized.
Carson residents with nomination suggestions are asked to explain why they believe someone or something deserves recognition and present the ideas for consideration.
The nomination doesn't have to be for a person or project within the historic district. There is no need for the nomination to be focused on something completed during the past year, he said.
Though this year's winners were nominees suggested by commission members, who also voted to approve the same sites, the awards now have an Internet presence on the city's Web site. The commission encourages residents to make submissions throughout the year.
"It's not just our district, it's everybody's," Drews added. - Terri Harber, The Nevada Appeal
TRAIN ACCIDENT VICTIM IDENTIFIED
GREYBULL, WY -- Officials released the identity of a former Greybull, Wyoming man who died Sunday afternoon after being struck by a BNSF Railway Company train in an apparent “accidental fall” according to Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn.
Zachary Vern Fisher, 24, was initially identified by tattoos but Blackburn said the autopsy process needed to be confirmed before the name was released.
Big Horn County Coroner Dale Atwood said that the autopsy result was not available until 21:00 hours Monday night and the toxicology report would not be available for a few weeks.
The body was found approximately five miles south of Greybull by a track crew for BNSF, which was reportedly running a few minutes behind the train in a hi-railer pickup truck.
The train was stopped in Greybull as local law enforcement gathered what they think to be key evidence that indicates an accidental fall into the railroad tracks, according to Blackburn.
Members of the Greybull Police Department, Basin Police Department, Big Horn County Sheriff’s Department, South Big Horn Search and Rescue and Big Horn County Coroner’s office all responded immediately to the scene according to Blackburn, as well as Atwood’s Ambulance and representatives from the county attorney’s office.
Funeral services for Fisher are scheduled for May 19, 13:00 hours at the Atwood Family Chapel in Greybull. There will be a reception to follow at the Greybull Elks Lodge. - Jilaena Childs, The Northern Wyoming Daily News
PREVENTING RAIL DEATHS IS PRIORITY
FARGO, ND/MOORHEAD, MN -- Train-pedestrian accidents in Fargo-Moorhead have claimed two more lives in the past three days.
The two deaths, one of them early Sunday in Moorhead and the other Tuesday morning in Fargo, were the 13th and 14th train fatalities in Fargo-Moorhead since 2000. That’s way too many.
There is hope on the horizon, but it didn’t come soon enough for the latest train accident victims, and that is unfortunate.
They are two more tragedies in a long string of tragedies when it comes to railroad accidents, and it was the kind of accident that Moorhead City Council member John Rowell had hoped to avoid.
Trains have been continually passing through Fargo-Moorhead since the cities were established and that isn’t going to change, but Rowell hopes that the establishment of a metro quiet zone will at the very least make train fatalities a much rarer occurrence.
Rowell is chairman of a task force that has worked for years to establish a quiet zone where train whistles are banned. He says he’d hoped the task force could finish its work before another fatality occurred. That obviously didn’t happen.
Rowell says too many people have died at railroad crossings and something has to be done. We certainly agree with his assessment.
It is our hope that officials are right when they say enhanced safety features will be in place by this fall. Those features are expected to include improved gate arms at crossings and pedestrian gates.
As part of Fargo-Moorhead’s quiet zone, fences that would bar pedestrians are planned for a large portion of downtown Moorhead. That includes the spot where 21-year-old Concordia student Adam Bertek was killed by one of two BNSF trains that passed through Fargo-Moorhead at about the same time early Sunday.
Moorhead Police Chief David Ebinger says Bertek had run out of Mick’s Office just moments before he was killed. The bar is next to the railroad tracks near the intersection of Eighth Street and Main Avenue, just east of a controlled crossing. The Fargo fatality occurred at the rail crossing at Main Avenue and Fourth Street.
Officials in La Crosse, WI, and Duluth, MN, where quiet zones have been in place for many years, say whistle-free zones have helped keep accident numbers low.
Quiet zone work in Moorhead will cost more than $5 million, says Eric Bach, senior engineer for SRF Consulting Group, which is working with city officials to establish the quiet zone. He says the plan is for railroad tracks from Fourth Street to 14th Street to be buffered from pedestrian traffic by fencing and gates. Mazes will also be set up at pedestrian crossings.
Nothing can be done that will totally prevent train fatalities, but future efforts like quiet zones will certainly lower the number of tragic fatalities. That work can’t come soon enough. - Editorial Opinion, The Fargo Forum
BOISE, IDAHO CITY LEADERS DISCUSS FATE OF BOISE DEPOT
BOISE, ID -- Boise, Idaho city council and the mayor both agree the city should make the Boise Depot more useful for the community.
Now they just have to come with a plan that will best suit the city.
City leaders met Tuesday to toss some ideas around.
They say the depot was put on the back burner because of budget cuts.
Many of them agree, the 82-year-old landmark needs to be put to good use.
Allowing residents to share and enjoy the history.
The Spanish style Boise depot is much quieter today than when it was a train station serving passengers of the Union Pacific Railroad years ago.
Its hours of operations are limited to just a few per week.
Visitors can see the Great Hall and Bell Tower on Mondays.
But that could soon change.
"We understand that this is a significant building for Boise and it's just taking some time for this administration to pursue a financial way", said Boise City Council Pro-Tem David Eberle.
The city says the depot's fate comes after their priority of getting the budget in shape and public safety improvements.
"It's all part of the strategic plan that we've been pursuing for the last 3-1/2 years, now it's the depot's turn, said Eberle.
Currently, the facility is used for private weddings and receptions, fund-raising events, lunches and other parties.
A private company leases the upper floors.
But the city says many residents want access to the landmark to include longer business hours.
Opening on weekends would result in a net budget impact of around $55,000.
While opening the depot seven days a week would push the net to nearly $120,000.
"We're looking at a number of different things, from history exhibits, and many folks to lead tours to talk about the history of the depot and Boise, said Boise Mayor David Beiter.
City historian Todd Shallat is also proposing a "Welcome to Boise" museum.
So there are many possibilities, as long as they don't take a financial hit.
"The neighborhood association has made up some plans they would also like to see how the depot bench might be able to use the facility", said Beiter. - KTRV-TV12, Nampa/Boise/Caldwell, ID
FIRST KOREAS TRAIN CROSSING SINCE 1950
Photo here:
[seattlepi.nwsource.com]
Caption reads: Tourists watch a train running on the rail, which two Koreas hope to reconnect as part of an agreement reached at a historic summit of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong Il in 2000, in the Imjingak Pavilion, near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of Panmunjom, north of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 16, 2007. On Thursday, two trains are expected to cross the border again in a highly symbolic step toward healing the wound between the North and the South in a one-time test run on restored tracks. The tests will begin around midday Thursday with 150 people aboard each five-car train, one departing from the North and another from the South. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
SEOUL, South Korea -- It was New Year's Eve in 1950. Koreans were fleeing the Chinese advance in the North when American soldiers halted their train at the South Korean border -- shooting bullets into its steam tank to prevent it from ever running again.
That ill-fated train was the last to try to cross the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, which has remained in a state of conflict since the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War. On Thursday, two trains are expected to cross the border again in a highly symbolic test-run seen as another step toward healing the wounds between the North and South.
The run will be a "big step for the sake of the future of our nation and people and it will serve as an opportunity to move a step toward peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun told a Cabinet meeting this week.
The train test will be the latest hole punched through the DMZ since the two Koreas embarked on an unprecedented reconciliation with their first summit in June 2000. Roads have also been restored since 2005, and thousands of South Koreans cross annually to visit Diamond Mountain as tourists or to work in the joint Korean industrial zone in Kaesong.
For South Korea, restoration of rail travel would help end its virtual island status, given that the only land route out is through North Korea. A rail link could reduce delivery costs for its export-driven economy.
Two rail lines have been restored across the border. On the western side, 17 miles of track have been laid between the South's Munsan and Kaesong in the North. The new eastern line links North Korea's Diamond Mountain with Jejin in the South across 16 miles of track.
Seoul wants to connect to Russia's Trans-Siberian railroad. That will be difficult, but the opening of rail service on the two short routes just across the border could be possible "if the South gives a lot to the North in return," said Park June-young, an expert on North Korea at Ewha Women's University.
The tests are scheduled to begin around midday Thursday with 150 people aboard two five-car trains- one departing from the North and another from the South. Both trains will return later Thursday after spending a few hours on the opposite side.
The rail test has been beset by delays, mainly due to the objections of North Korea's military. But it now appears to finally be set after North Korean officers signed off on the plan last week.
The test comes with a price. The North agreed only after South Korea said last month that it would provide raw materials for making clothes, shoes and soap to North Korea - a project that Seoul refused to start last year when the rail tests were called off by the North. The South will get the rights to explore mineral resources in the North in return.
The goods North Korea received in return for the test run are worth $86.5 million, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Korea University. And for agreeing to begin regular service, he added, the North would make "much bigger demands."
North Korea's communist government is also extremely reluctant to allow many foreign influences into the country as it seeks to maintain its grasp on power.
"It's still very early to tell whether we can take (the rail test) as a sign of North Korea opening up to the outside world, but it's certainly a change," South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung told reporters Wednesday.
Analysts said the South Korean government appears eager to have the rail test go forward to claim a success in its policy of engagement with the North, which has been dogged by setbacks due to the international standoff over its nuclear weapons program.
Trains still crossed between the North and South even after the division of the peninsula at the end of World War II. It was not until after the North invaded, starting the Korean War in 1950, that U.S. forces destroyed the tracks at the border, as well as the North's rail and road connections to China, to try to prevent infiltration by hostile forces, Korea Railroad Museum director Sohn Gil-shin said.
Sohn expressed hopes the test would presage a new regional network linking Russia and China to the entire Korean peninsula.
A model of the last train that tried to cross stands at the museum outside Seoul. A plaque bears the slogan that has become associated with its halted journey: "The iron horse wants to run." - Bert Herman and Jae-soon Chang, The Associated Press, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
SCENIC RAILROAD SABOTAGE
SARANAC LAKE, NY -- As an avid volunteer on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, I was disenchanted with the conditions we found in our railroad yard this spring. Evidence of vandals was throughout the yard.
We found that water had been poured into the crankcase of the locomotive that we stored up north this year. Ten gallons or so had been dumped in by someone obviously bent on seeing this beautiful old engine self-destruct. For what reason -- one can only guess. It would have been a multi-thousand-dollar repair on a privately owned piece of equipment. The only kind of people who would ever do such a thing are people who wish to see the railroad fail and to have it gone. Who could that be, one wonders? I seriously doubt that kids are behind this act since the person(s) knew exactly where to dump the water. Suffice it to say that an official police report of this vandalism is to be made at the Lake Placid Police Department by our general manager upon his arrival this week. Furthermore, 24-hour surveillance cameras will be in use very soon in the yard, as well as watchmen.
Other vandalism took place on the private cars that are left in the yard over the winter. People tried to break into at least two of them for some reason. Telephone wires had been hacked through with a knife, and the cable for our TV satellite had been cut. The lights that were mounted on the electrical entrance panel had been bent and broken off as well, and damage had been done to a lawnmower. A police report was filed upon discovering this damage. The police suspect that juveniles were responsible for this damage, however. It’s too bad that some kids have so little to do with their time and that their parents are unable to keep them busy enough to keep them from destroying someone else’s property. These cars are privately owned and used to allow weekend volunteers to stay over in the yard, thus saving the railroad the cost of hotel rooms when these volunteers are good enough to donate two or three days in a row to work on the trains. It’s sad to think that there are people in Lake Placid who would do this. I always had looked at the village and town as a place that had escaped this sort of thing.
The Adirondack Scenic Railroad has met with opposition on several counts. The snowmobilers have wanted the railroad gone since it first started back up in 2000. The fact is -- it’s always been a railroad since 1887. It have never NOT been a railroad since that time. So why do the snowmobilers think that they automatically own it? It’s no different than having someone drive through your front yard and stop to tell you to tear down your garage because it’s in their way. As far as the operation of the line goes, it is fully self-supporting, contrary to what some people think. We survive due to our ridership, memberships, grants, gift shop sales, etc. No tax money goes into the actual operation of the line. What tax money goes into the line goes in to maintain it in its present condition -- this is the stipulation of the National Historical Register in which the railroad is listed, and the state is legally bound by this.
All that being said, I would like to say that I hope the persons responsible for the damage listed above find something better to do with their time. We mean no harm to anyone and are genuinely trying to accomplish a huge feat to restore a railroad of this size and to offer tourists something from the past, as well as the hope that one day we may run trains all the way to Utica again. Tupper Lake is now just around the corner. We need support. Not vandalism. We need to save money. Not spend in on needless repairs caused by other people. We’re trying to be a part of the great and magical village of Lake Placid -- the village that indeed owes so much of its very existence and growth to this railroad. Rest assured that should anyone be found vandalizing anything in the railroad yard, if caught, will be dealt with in the best legal way. This will include paying for damages to my own private car as well as the other two and the locomotive.
One more thing: It would be nice if the snowmobilers would pick up the right-of-way for a change instead of leaving it for us to do every year. This includes the signs and all the rugs and building paper they put all over the bridges, along with the litter that is left behind when the snow melts. If they want to use it, they should be just as responsible to clean up after themselves when they’re done. We don’t leave it like that in the fall, and they shouldn’t leave it like they do in the spring. - Opinion, Doug Vensel, The Adirondak Daily Enterprise
TRANSIT NEWS
A BETTER C-TRAN
VANCOUVER, WA -- Changes in local bus system are based on customer requests, ridership data Clark County's public transit system is starting to look a little different. Not bigger, just different. And the differences will be even more noticeable in October.
Around Oct. 1, the 600-parking-space 99th Street Transit Center is scheduled to open just west of Interstate 5, and that will trigger a shift of emphasis away from downtown Vancouver. City officials have been eager for C-Tran to vacate the Seventh Street Transit Center (just east of Esther Short Park), to allow for continued revitalization of the downtown area.
C-Tran management and board members deserve praise for making decisions driven largely by customer requests and ridership data. C-Tran patrons will see enhanced service in the Battle Ground, Camas and Hazel Dell areas; new or improved service into Portland light-rail stations at Delta Park and Parkrose; and new routes in east Vancouver on 192nd Avenue and on 136th Avenue near the Firstenburg Community Center.
Many of the new routes began this week, but perhaps the most significant change will be on Oct. 1, when C-Tran will offer bus service beyond midnight, seven nights a week, along its three most popular corridors: Fourth Plain, Mill Plain and Highway 99. After-midnight service will depend on the routes and the bus stops, but in general, bus patrons will be able to start and end a trip on one of those three routes after midnight, starting Oct. 1.
There are a couple of conclusions to which local residents should not jump:
- This is not a net expansion of the C-Tran system. It's a reallocation of service hours to the level of 2004, funded largely by the bond issue that passed in fall 2005. Service to downtown Vancouver will be reduced, for example, based on ridership data.
- Just because C-Tran is offering new or improved service to light-rail stations in north Portland does not signal an embrace of that particular form of mass transit. "We're simply taking our riders to the points where they say they want to go," C-Tran spokesman Scott Patterson said this week. "I know light rail is an emotional issue for many people for and against it, but the C-Tran changes are strictly customer-service oriented."
One of the big winners in this realignment of service hours is the Battle Ground area. The new No. 47 Battle Ground limited begins in Yacolt and is timed to deliver passengers to downtown Vancouver at workday convenience, about 07:20 hours, then moves across the river to the end of Portland's light-rail Yellow Line at Delta Park. And when the 99th Street Station opens in October, C-Tran will offer enhanced commuter service from that point into downtown Portland. - Editorial Opinion, The Columbian (Vancouver, WA)
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PLAN DIVERTS MILLIONS FROM CALIFORNIA PUBLIC TRANSIT
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new budget plan would divert $1.3 billion from the California public transportation fund to cover other state expenses -- a move that would mean a $146 million hit to Bay Area transit service.
Every transit system in the region -- among them Muni, BART, Caltrain and AC Transit -- would feel the loss, unless the Democrat-controlled Legislature bucks the governor's proposed spending plan during budget deliberations.
The governor's new proposal, announced Monday, would provide $72 million for the Bay Area's nearly two dozen transit agencies in the coming fiscal year. They were hoping for an additional $146 million that was on the table for public transit service -- money that local officials wanted to use for more drivers, extra police, additional maintenance crews, new capital projects and other initiatives to improve rail and bus service.
"The budget is pretty disappointing,'' said Randy Rentschler, legislative and public affairs director for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the regional planning agency for transit and roadway projects.
On Tuesday transit agency officials were still determining what specific programs would be affected. Golden Gate Transit, for instance, had planned to use some of the money to help refurbish a berth at the San Francisco Ferry Building. And BART had hoped to use the state money to hire more police officers and boost service on nights and weekends.
BART Board President Lynette Sweet said the governor's plan is surprising, particularly in light of the high-profile role public transit played in response to the partial destruction of the MacArthur Maze two weeks ago when a tanker crashed and burned, damaging two key East Bay freeway connectors.
"His revised budget makes deep cuts to the operating and expansion budgets of the very transit agencies that have come to the rescue of the tens of thousands of drivers who today continue to rely on us,'' Sweet said.
Muni, the Bay Area's largest transit agency, would receive $18 million under the governor's proposal. It was in line for $36 million more.
BART is set to get $14 million. The rail agency is eligible for an additional $28 million.
Golden Gate Transit would receive $2 million, under the governor's plan, about one third of the potential. AC Transit would receive almost $5 million, also about one third of the potential.
Democratic leaders in Sacramento have pledged to fight Schwarzenegger's budget plan. The governor said Monday the proposed budget did not make him happy, but that he was intent on reducing the state deficit and not raising taxes. He wants to divert the money to pay for school busing, transportation for the disabled and paying down the debt on transportation bonds.
The source of the funding is fuel tax revenue -- in essence, a tax on drivers to pay for public transit. - Rachel Gordon, The San Francisco Chronicle
MAN STRUCK, KILLED BY LIGHT RAIL TRAIN
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA -- A light rail train struck a pedestrian at the Butterfield stop in Rancho Cordova early Tuesday afternoon.
The person, who has not been identified, was killed, according to Jeff Lynch, spokesman for the Sacramento Metro Fire Department.
The incident was reported at approximately 13:20 hours.
The Butterfield station on Folsom Boulevard is part of the Gold Line train schedule between downtown Sacramento and Folsom. It was closed after the collision until just before 15:00 hours. - C. Johnson, KXTV-TV10, Sacramento, CA, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr
LIRR: AWARENESS MAY EXPLAIN RISING REPORTS OF ACCIDENTS
NEW YORK, NY -- Reports of passenger accidents on the Long Island Rail Road have soared by nearly 67 percent in the last year, and those involving gaps between trains and platforms have more than tripled, the railroad said.
An LIRR report released Tuesday said the railroad recorded 135 accidents in the first three months of this year, compared to 81 in the same period last year. Some 39 of this year's reports involved passengers slipping in platform gaps, compared to 12 last year.
The gaps have come under scrutiny since 18-year-old Natalie Smead of Northfield, Minnesota, died after falling through one last summer at an LIRR station in Woodside, Queens. A railroad spokeswoman said the increase in accident reports might reflect heightened awareness, rather than more accidents.
"We think that there is better reporting going on, on the part of our customers, who we hope are better aware of the gap, and also on the part of our employees," said the spokeswoman, Susan McGowan.
Smead's death is the only known fatality linked to the gaps, but a review by Newsday found the railroad has logged almost 900 gap-related incidents since 1995.
Since Smead's death, the railroad has announced improvement plans for at least 100 of its roughly 260 platforms, which stretch from Manhattan to Montauk. Improvements have included realigning tracks, adding platform conductors and installing wooden boards to narrow the gaps.
Other steps have included a high-profile public relations campaign, announcements on platforms and trains warning of the danger, and redesigned "Watch the Gap" decals on train doors. The railroad also has stopped opening doors at parts of some stations where the gap is most severe.
In the latest effort, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's LIRR/Long Island Bus Committee agreed Tuesday to spend $427,000 to hire a firm, STV Inc., to analyze gap measurements at 226 platforms. The railroad plans to use the information to develop plans to narrow the gaps. - The Associated Press, Newsday
THE END
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 Railroad Newsline for Thursday, 05/17/07 |
Larry W. Grant | 05-17-2007 - 00:12 |