Bob Wrote:
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> I was passing through Escalon the other day on
> McHenry and noticed that the crossing gates at
> Meyers Road and at least one other crossing have
> been removed on the former Tidewater Southern.
> The weeds are really overgrown along the tracks
> and there is a red "flag" in the middle of the
> tracks just north of Jones Road along with the
> rails being separated or pulled apart by this
> flag. Has anyone else seen this? It looks like
> the UP might be abandoning the ex-TS trackage
> south of Escalon. Aren't there anymore customers
> in north Modesto near Kiernan?

Here's the abandonment application for the Escalon to McHenry portion. Is this what you're referring to? The McHenry to Modesto portion had previously been abandoned.

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SERVICE DATE – JULY 2, 2009

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-33 (Sub-No. 278X)]

Union Pacific Railroad Company—Abandonment Exemption—in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, CA

Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F—Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 5.18-mile line of railroad known as the McHenry Industrial Lead extending from milepost 21.25 near Escalon to milepost 26.43 near McHenry in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, CA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 95320 and 95356.

UP has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic to be rerouted; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic report), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met.