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Railroad Newsline for Saturday, June 09, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

BNSF SUFFERS TRACK OUTAGE NEAR MILES CITY, MONTANA

At 03:45 hours CT Thursday, June 7, 2007, BNSF Railway Company's single main track near Miles City, Montana was completely washed out due to heavy rains. This location is approximately 131 miles east of Billings, Montana.

BNSF and contract personnel are on the scene and work is under way to repair this portion of track. The current estimate for opening the main track is set for 06:00 hours CT Friday, June 8, 2007.
Customers may experience delays up to 48 hours on traffic moving through this corridor. - BNSF Service Advisory

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RUSK COUNCIL POSTPONES VOTE OR RAILROAD CAMPGROUND SALE

RUSK, TX -- After discussing an agreement that would sell several acres of city land to American Heritage Railroad, Rusk City Council members decided to postpone the deciding vote Thursday night.

The council’s delay was expected, said Mike Murray, Rusk city manager.

For one reason, he said the agreement in question had not been approved by the American Heritage Railroad -- the company that could run the Texas State Railroad if the state decides to not fully fund the railroad’s operations.

The sale agreement was sent to the company Monday, said city attorney Forrest Phifer, but no response has been returned to the city.

The agreement includes 89 acres valued at $1 million, Murray said.

While American Heritage Railroad has yet to comment, council had a few questions.

The sale agreement has stipulations, Murray said. For example, if the American Heritage Railroad decides to turn the Texas State Railroad into a static display, the 89 acres could be purchased by Rusk for $100, he said.

The same price would be offered if American Heritage Railroad didn’t live up to other obligations, Phifer said. Those other obligations weren’t discussed.

The 89 acres in question make up a portion of the Texas State Railroad campground that Rusk now owns. Council has been discussing the future of the campground for about a year “in case the state decided not to fund the railroad,” Murray said.

“Now that they’ve made that final, we’re starting to act on the plans we made in the past,” he said.

While the state did fund $12 million associated with the transfer of the Texas State Railroad to a private operator, Phifer said nothing is set in stone.

The state offered the $12 million in two parts, he said. First, American Heritage Railroad would get $2 million for repairs. Once the company proved to be responsible with that sum, it would receive the remaining $10 million, Phifer said.

Palestine City Attorney Ron Stutes helped prepare the agreement.

Phifer said the document’s purpose was to keep the Texas State Railroad running.

“The ability to use the campgrounds will help facilitate that,” he said.

Phifer expects a response from American Heritage Railroad soon. - Stephanie Jeter, The Tyler Morning Telegraph

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SHIPPERS TO GET MORE POWER IN DISPUTES WITH RAILROAD LINES

PRINCE GEORGE, BC -- Federal legislation is in the works to strengthen shippers' hands in disputes with railways over rates and service.

The legislation, introduced in the House of Commons last week, consists of several amendments to the Canada Transportation Act:

- Shippers would no longer have to show "substantial commercial harm" before the Canada Transportation Agency imposes a remedy to settle a dispute.

- Shippers would be able to apply for final offer arbitration as a group, allowing them to share the cost of such a process.

- The Canada Transportation Agency would have the power to review ancillary charges, such as penalties against the shipper for taking too long to load a railcar, and impose new rates if the old ones are deemed unfair.

- Notice period for changes to rates and services would be lengthened to 30 days from 20.

- Railways would be required to make public a list of sidings available for grain producer railcar loading and give 60-day public notice before removing them from operation.

- Railways would be required to put discontinued short lines up for sale and, if unable to make a sale, offer them to governments at net salvage value. Railways would also have to pay $10,000 per mile each year for three years to the local municipality if a grain-dependent line is discontinued.

The federal government has also committed to review railway service within 30 days of the amendments being passed.

The proposed changes drew applause from the Western Canada Shippers' Coalition, whose members ship roughly $25 billion worth of coal, sulphur, grain, chemicals and forest products along the rails, and condemnation from CN Rail.

WCSC chair Ian May said they should make life easier for mills and mines in northern B.C. who rely on rail to get their products to market although he anticipates the exact boundaries of the CTA's authority over ancillary charges will end up being settled in the courts.

"But that's the way these things work out," he said.

May also welcomed the announcement of a service review.

"There has never been more vocal discontent with the levels of service that have been experience by shippers than there has been in the last two years even," he said.

CN Rail spokesperson Mark Hallman said there already is a dispute resolution process in place to deal with such issues and the chief objection is the group-based final arbitration arbitration.

"In our view there is no pre-qualification process to prove the members of a group FOA action are indeed a legitimate group with identical issues," he said. "We also think the group FOA process will discourage the abilities of a member of such a group to reach a separate settlement with CN on its own."

A service review is also not needed, Hallman added.

"The current legislation already provides process for level-of-service complaints and such complaints are very rare, showing that in general most rail customers are happy with the existing railway service levels." - Mark Nielsen, The Prince George Citizen

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RAILROAD'S INVESTORS CONFUSE THE FORESTRY WITH THE TREES

Canadian National Railway stock was down Thursday on fears that weak volumes would hurt earnings. But long-term prospects for the rail company look rosier because of changes in the forestry industry.

Shares of Canadian National Railway fell $1.55, or 2.9%, to $52.41, after RBC Capital Markets analyst Walter Spracklin lowered his estimates for the rail company because of weak volumes. Spracklin said he expects the company to earn 96 cents in the second quarter, down from his earlier prediction of $1.03.

But after some rough times, the forestry industry's prospects are improving. The pulp and paper industry has focused on cutting transportation and logistics costs. An index of the forestry sector compiled by Revere Data is up 26.1% over the past year.

Spracklin said that volumes haven't rebounded as much as hoped following a weak winter. He said in a note to clients that so far carload volumes are down 4.1% in the second quarter because of weakness in its forest product shipping. Primary forest products are down 15.2%; lumber and wood products are down 13.0%; and pulp, paper, and allied products are down 6.2%.

But Spracklin said that long-term, Canadian National Railway will eventually benefit from an improved forestry industry as cost-conscious wood-products companies are choosing rail transportation over more-expensive trucking.

"Due to the better economics in rail transportation versus trucking, these initiatives have created a favorable dynamic for the rail sector – even if it is not showing up in the near-term results," wrote Spracklin in a note to clients.

Shares of other railways were also down Thursday. Canadian Pacific Railway Limited lost 4.0%, or $2.84, to $68.81 and shares of lost $1.11, or 2.7%, to $40.28.

Railways have received a boost lately from interest by Warren Buffett. The billionaire investor bought a large stake in Burlington Northern Santa Fe earlier this year. - Andrew Farrell, Forbes

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THE GRAND CANYON RAILWAY, BACK IN BUSINESS

Before automobiles took over, the railroad was the only way to get to the Grand Canyon, unless of course you walked or rode in on horse or donkey. In fact, the railroad -- the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe -- with its first run, in 1901, helped turn the Grand Canyon into a major tourist attraction. There were two daily runs between the town of Williams and the Canyon’s South Rim, and as many as six special trains might carry Presidents, kings, or movie stars to the natural wonder. However, by 1927 more people were driving their cars there, and in 1968 the train made its last trip to the Canyon, with only three passengers.

The Grand Canyon Railway (http://www.thetrain.com), now a National Historic Landmark, is back in business, making the same two-and-a-quarter hour journey over 65 miles of high desert plains, arroyos, and part of the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world. At least five vintage passenger cars are pulled by a restored early-twentieth-century steam engine in summer and a restored 1950s diesel locomotive the rest of the year. Last year 225,000 people decided to avoid the long auto lines at the canyon entrance and relive a bit of history. Passengers include families with children and couples young and old enjoying the romance of the journey.

The train got its new start in 1989, when a crop duster named Max Biegert and his wife, Thelma, spent $15 million to buy the tracks and the right of way. In 1990 the first trains ran between Williams and the canyon. Over the following years the Biegerts continued to buy and restore vintage locomotives and passenger cars. In March of this year the Xanterra Company, which operates many national park facilities, including those in Grand Canyon Village, bought the railway.

There are five classes of service: coach, club, first-class, vista dome, and luxury parlor car (the caboose), the last of which has plush leather club chairs and a mahogany bar. Should you get bored looking out the window, there’s plenty of action on the train. The masked Cataract Creek Gang gallops up on horseback to board and rob the train. (In the morning run from Williams, this is staged at the depot.) Marshal John B. Goodmoore (“Be good or be gone” is his motto) catches the bad guys, and singing cowboys then regale the survivors. Soft drinks and snacks are available, and if you want something stronger, you can try a Woo-Woo, a vodka drink with peach schnapps and cranberry juice. You are asked to order it by holding your arm up and pretending to pull a train whistle.

The round-trip coach fare is $65 plus tax and park admission fee (less for children); other classes cost more. Packages are also available, including overnight stays in Williams or at the canyon. There’s a Polar Express with Santa aboard in winter, and coming soon is a Sunset Limited, which will bring you to the Grand Canyon in time to view a spectacular sunset.

The 297-room Grand Canyon Railway Hotel was built in 1995 to resemble the original Fray Marcos Hotel, built in 1908. The Fray Marcos was one of many hotels that the old Santa Fe Railway built along its routes that were operated by the Fred Harvey Company and known as Harvey Houses. Outside the Williams Depot, railroad buffs may enjoy inspecting other rolling stock standing by.

Williams, which calls itself the Gateway to the Grand Canyon (http://www.williamschamber.com), is refurbishing other hotels, such as the Lodge on Route 66 (http://www.thelodgeonroute66.com), with modern furniture and fixtures. The new Wild West Junction (www.wildwestjunction.com) is a sort of Disneyland of the Old West, with a large and noteworthy collection of Old West artifacts at its Territorial Museum. Williams is also home to the Arizona State Railroad Museum.

The Grand Canyon train depot, within 200 yards of the South Rim, is one of three remaining log-and-frame depots in the country. It sits alongside the El Tovar, an Arts and Crafts–style hotel and restaurant from 1905 designed by Charles Whittlesey. You can walk along the rim and peer into that wondrous mile-deep hole in the earth, watch the light change the canyon’s colors, or indulge a squirrel looking for handouts close to the wall. You can also arrange with the railway company for a bus tour around the South Rim of the Canyon. For an aerial view, there’s Maverick Helicopters (http:www.maverickhelicopter.com). (The Canyon’s new glass viewing platform is on the West Rim and not easily accessible.)

There are other canyons and other trains in northern Arizona. In nearby Flagstaff, more than 100 long freight trains and two Amtrak passenger trains pass through each day. Railroad buffs have been known to spend all day on the station platform watching them. The historic depot itself serves as the city’s visitor center (http://www.flagstaffarizona.org) as well as an Amtrak ticket counter. For those not fond of hearing train whistles all night long, the local Holiday Inn Express provides earplugs on request.

Flagstaff got its name when a group of settlers trimmed the branches from a tall ponderosa pine and attached a flag to the top to mark the Fourth of July in 1876. The pole became a landmark for travelers heading to California. The high-altitude city drew Percival Lowell to build an observatory in 1894, and the former planet Pluto was discovered there (http://www.lowell.edu). The Riordan Mansion, built by early Flagstaff lumber entrepreneurs, is another outstanding example of Whittlesey’s Arts and Crafts style.

(http://www.azstateparks.com/parks/parkhtml/riordan.html). And stop for a drink at the historic Weatherford Hotel, which looks much the same as when Zane Grey wrote Call of the Canyon there (http://www.weatherfordhotel.com).

Grey may have been inspired by what would later become Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, in Page, a small city on a mesa near the Utah border that began as a construction camp when the Glen Canyon Dam project began, in 1957 (http://www.pagelakepowelltourism.com). Lake Powell, formed by the dam, is the second largest man-made lake in North America, 186 miles long, and is named for Maj. John Wesley Powell, who explored the area in 1869. The town’s only museum is also named for Powell, and it contains—in addition to memorabilia of his epic Colorado River voyages, local history, and geology—a nifty model of a species of dinosaur that once roamed these parts (http://www.powellmuseum.org).

The best way to explore the breathtaking red-rock canyon formations (there are 96 canyons around the lake) is by boat. The red colors set off by the blue sky and blue-green lake create a floating magical mystery tour. Some rock formations have whimsical names, such as Cookie Jar Butte, Hamburger Rocks, and Gunsight Butte, to ease identification and thus navigation. Antelope Point Marina, the newest on Lake Powell, is a cooperative effort with the Navajo Nation, the National Park Service, and private enterprise. It is built on the largest floating concrete platform of its kind in the world and houses provisions for power and luxury houseboat rentals and a fine restaurant (http://www.antelopepointlakepowell.com).

And while you are in the high country, don’t go to sleep before looking upward after dark. If you come from an urban area where artificial light blots out the stars, prepare to be dazzled by what’s in the night sky. That is bling with a capital B. - Marian Betancourt, American Heritage

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UP TRAIN APPARENTLY CAUSES STRING OF FIRES FROM SHELTON TO ALDA, NEBRASKA

Photo here:

[theindependent.com]

GRAND ISLAND, NE -- The Wood River Rural Fire Department requested mutual aid help Thursday night to help fight a string of fires that reportedly stretched all the way from Shelton to just east of Alda, Nebraska.

The Alda Fire Department was one of the departments that fought the Thursday night fires, along with the Grand Island Rural Fire Department.
The Shelton Volunteer Fire Department also was called to respond to the fires near that community in Buffalo County.

A spokesman for the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department confirmed that the Shelton Volunteer Fire Department had been called out to fight fires.

Radio traffic indicated that the fires were started by an eastbound coal car train on the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Firefighters put out a request for all Union Pacific train traffic to be stopped to allow firefighters to better fight the fires, which were reported to be on the south sides of the railroad tracks.

Firefighters also were paying special attention to one early report of a fire that was reported to be within 200 yards of a house, according to some of the radio conversation by firefighters.

Independent Photographer Lane Hickenbottom drove from Grand Island to Wood River.

"Any given fire is not particularly large, but the wind is nuts," he said during a cell telephone conversation.

The National Weather Service in Hastings reported northwest winds at 24 miles per hour in Grand Island, gusting up to 39 miles per hour.
Hickenbottom said the train that apparently started all the fires was stopped "right at Alda."

It was not immediately obvious how the train started all the fires. Radio conversation from firefighters and emergency responders raised the possibility that one of the coal cars itself may have been on fire.

During his drive to Wood River, it appeared that grass fires had started in isolated places, Hickenbottom said. He said the fires might not all be spaced as close as every mile, but might spaced anywhere from a mile apart to 1.5 miles apart to 2 miles apart.

Hickenbottom said vehicle traffic was not stopped on the section of Highway 30 where he drove.

It appeared that most of the fires in Hall County were either out or under control by about 22:30 hours. Reports indicated that all fires in Buffalo County were either out or under control at the same time.

Shortly after 22:30 hours, emergency responders were talking about a railroad car moving into Grand Island.

Rural firefighters apparently wanted to make sure they knew where that car would be stopped in Grand Island and to also ensure the Grand Island Fire Department and law enforcement would also know the location of the car.

Some radio conversation inquired about whether the sides of the railroad car might be glowing, but it appeared that was not the case. - Harold Reutter, The Grand Island Independent

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CASPER, WYOMING RAILROAD UNDERPASS EATS A TRUCK

CASPER, WY -- The driver of a moving truck misjudged the height of his vehicle and ran into the low ceiling of the McKinley Street railroad underpass on Thursday morning, according to police.

"The moving truck was obviously taller than what the bridge allowed," said police Sgt. Steve Freel. "The impact peeled the top and side off of the truck."

Freel said the underpass is 11 feet high. He said the driver of the truck was not injured. The crash occurred at approximately 09:00 hours.

He said engineers with the BNSF Railway Company inspected the incident and determined there was no structural damage to the underpass.

Southbound traffic near the underpass on McKinley was closed for about an hour after the crash.

Freel said the driver could face charges of failure to obey signs and controls. - The Casper Star-Tribune

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WILL CHANGES AT BNSF HAVE BIG AFFECT ON RAIL TRAFFIC IN NEWTON?

NEWTON, KS -- “Trains Magazine” on-line Newswire reported a few days ago that the BNSF Railway Company will no longer send traffic on the Raton Pass route after Jan. 1.

For now, Amtrak plans to continue to use this line. All BNSF east-west freight traffic will use the Transcom routing through Wellington and Amarillo, Texas.

The article states at the present time, BNSF traffic over Raton Pass consists of eastbound empty auto containers and other unit train consists.

No doubt this shift in routing will have a significant affect on rail traffic through Newton. One wonders if the completion of the double tracking of the Transcom from Mulvane to Elinor will substantially reduce Newton’s role in BNSF’s total operations.

Our community’s railroad heritage’s future may be disappearing. That will be a disappointment. - Emerson Gillett, Newton, KS, Letter to the Editor, The Newton Kansan

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MONUMENT HONORING DUKE THE DOG VANDALIZED, REWARD OFFERED

Photo here:

[www.themountainmail.com]

Caption reads: The identification plaque is again missing from the grave marker dedicated to Duke, the canine “landmark” of the turn of the century Monte Christo Hotel. The original plaque is at Salida Museum, but a reward is being offered by Chaffee County Crime Stoppers and monument caretaker Robert Meyer. Photo by Ali Helgoth/The Mountain Mail

SALIDA, CO -- His story is now more fable than fact, but exaggeration that lifted Duke from beloved dog and friend to a four-legged hero makes it more poignant the monument honoring him has again been vandalized.

Monument caretaker Robert Meyer reported May 25 the plaque affixed to the white concrete memorial on Duke's Hill, about 500 yards east of Tenderfoot Mountain, was stolen.

Meyer, confined to a wheelchair, noticed the damage and missing plaque using binoculars.

The monument honors the big, lovable, brown water spaniel who is arguably one of the most famous former Salida residents.

Meyer is offering a $20 reward for anyone offering information leading to return of the plaque.

In addition, Chaffee County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of as much as $1,000 for information leading to arrest or conviction of the perpetrator(s).

The Oct. 31, 1902, Salida Semi-Weekly Mail obituary for the dog reported when 13-year-old Duke died, his owner, Charles F. Catlin, wrapped his body in a white sheet, placed it in a box and buried him atop "Little Tenderfoot Hill'" across from the Monte Christo hotel.

Duke was reportedly carried on a litter by Denver and Rio Grande Railroad porters and commercial men formed a procession, marching to the summit and assisting in digging the grave.

Atop the grave, Catlin placed a wooden marker. Loose rocks were cleared making a trail to the monument.

"No more beautiful words of eulogy were ever pronounced over the remains of mortal man than those spoken ... by his friends as they stood about the grave and consigned his body to mother earth," The Salida Mail remembered in 1921.

By then the monument had been erected in place of the wooden marker and Catlin had repaired it "so that it will be preserved for many years to come."

Perhaps it's all the attention that made Duke seem more than a regular canine.

People who knew Duke described him as a "landmark" at the Monte Christo, according to newspaper accounts. No one knew where he came from, he was just there and made the hotel his home.

It's said he greeted passengers as they got off trains and recognized regular guests and visitors. As baggage was stacked to take inside, Duke would be lifted to the top where he would ride like "monarch of all he surveyed."

Although the cause of death was not written into his obituary, the 1921 article reports he died of asthma, an affliction that began during his last summer.

By 1925 it was reported that Duke was being treated for the ailment by Dr. Roe, chief surgeon at the Rio Grande Hospital, receiving the same care as a dignitary but efforts by Roe were to no avail.

With passage of another 25 years, the tale of Duke was exaggerated more. A 1951 United Press article reported Duke had saved a small child from a hotel fire although there is no historical evidence to support the claim.

Other stories about the dog include that he used to walk children home from school and see them safely across the railroad tracks and he had saved men from oncoming trains.

The pinnacle of the Duke legend comes from a Dec. 1991 Rocky Mountain News column by Frances Melrose who reported Duke rescued a child from the tracks as a "speeding" train approached. "The child's life was saved," she reports, "but Duke died saving it."

The fact today is the memorial plaque is missing from the monument - again and Meyer would like to have it returned. People with information may call Crime Stoppers at 539-5299. Callers can remain anonymous. - Ali Helgoth, The Salida Mountain Mail

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SOLID-FUEL BOOSTER MOTOR SEGMENTS INVOLVED IN ALABAMA DERAILMENT RETURNED TO UTAH

This past weekend four of the eight solid-fuel booster motor segments that were involved in a railroad car derailment in Alabama last month were returned to Alliant Techsystems' operations in Utah, said spokeswoman Trina Paskett.

"We were able to send [the other] four segments on to [NASA in] Florida."

The four segments returned to Utah need to be re-inspected because sensors on the rail cars -- only one of which actually derailed -- indicated too much stress may have been put on the motors.

"They'll be inspected, and if we have to, the fuel will be washed out of those segments so new propellant can be put back in," she said, indicating it could be several more weeks before that decision is made. - Steven Oberbeck, The Salt Lake Tribune

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TANK CARS DERAIL INSIDE UNION PACIFIC RAIL YARD

MARTINEZ, CA -- Union Pacific Railroad officials are looking into what caused 11 empty tank cars to derail early this morning in their rail yard in Martinez, spokesman Mark Davis said.

The cars came off the track at about 05:10 hours. Ten of the 11 cars overturned and one remained upright, Davis said.

No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were released, Davis said.

Heavy equipment arrived and officials began righting the cars at about 10:00 hours.

Although the derailment caused minor damage to the tracks inside the yard, no commuter or other rail traffic was interrupted by the incident.

According to Davis, the train was only going between 4 and 10 mph when it came off the tracks.

The derailment is the second tank-car derailment in Martinez this week.

Union Pacific spokesman Gene Hinkle said that two empty tank cars derailed off a portion of track inside the Tesoro refinery in Martinez shortly before 09:40 hours on Monday.

Both cars remained upright and no injuries or releases resulted from the derailment.

Refinery personnel will be investigating the derailment because the portion of track where it took place was owned by the refinery, Hinkle said.

A spokesman for the refinery was not immediately available. - KPIX-CBS5, San Francisco, CA

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TRANSIT NEWS

STILL HOPE FOR NORTH TEXAS TRANSIT EXPANSION

DALLAS, TX -- Area transportation advocates are disappointed by the failure of legislation that could have expanded rail transit in North Texas, but they aren't giving up hope.

Instead, meetings and discussions have already begun to regroup and develop a new strategy to target the Texas Legislature in 2009.

"I wish we didn't have to wait two years," said Mark Enoch, chairman of the DART board. "But I think we will get it next time. For a first effort, we did very well. We got the bills out of two committees and onto the floor."

A coalition of more than 100 local entities – including city councils, county commissioner courts and chambers of commerce – endorsed a plan that would have allowed local-option elections on raising the state sales tax cap by up to 1 cent to pay for transit expansion.

Efforts by Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, and Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, to push this plan through as legislation died on the House floor near the end of the session.

Some Tarrant County officials said they may try to explore other funding options for new passenger rail lines.

However, most area transportation leaders said research has shown that sales tax remains the best way to finance an estimated $3.5 billion to $5 billion in rail improvements needed in North Texas.

"It's sort of like remodeling your kitchen," said Walter Humann, a business and civic leader in North Texas and a longtime transit supporter. "You can spend a few hundred dollars and do a little something, or you can save up and do the whole thing right.

"It's always better to do it right," he said.

As local leaders begin regrouping, a top priority will be to counter opposition to the local-option sales tax plan. They said opponents succeeded in derailing the plan in the last session.

"Although there was a great consensus in support of the plan, there were some businesses that opposed the deal," Mr. Enoch said. "We need to work directly with those businesses to convince them of the benefits for everyone in the region."

Transit supporters said they also plan to target a few members of the North Texas legislative delegation who opposed the sales tax plan.

Opponents have argued that higher sales tax in North Texas would hinder the region's competitive edge in business. Detractors also suggested that cities that want to join a rail authority could redirect funds from their economic development and crime control districts rather than raise sales taxes beyond 8.25 percent.

The local-option plan would have allowed cities to raise the sales tax up to 9.25 percent. It also would have allowed cities that are already part of a transit authority such as Dallas Area Rapid Transit to raise their sales tax by 1 cent to create economic development or crime control districts, officials said.

Since Grapevine voters recently agreed to join the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known as "The T," there are only a few small cities left in North Texas that can still ask voters to raise their sales tax rate to join a transit authority.

A recent survey of area cities found that most have economic development and crime control tax dollars tied up in long term bond-indebtedness that will take 15 years or more to repay.

"It would take too long for all those cities pay off that debt and then hold elections to pull out of their other districts," Mr. Humann said. "By comparison, we can accomplish a lot more a lot quicker if we can get the plan we have approved by the Legislature in two years."

In the meantime, transit agencies can spend their time on right-of-way acquisitions and seeking federal grants to help defray costs, officials said.

Tarrant County transportation officials said they may look at the possibility of creating tax-increment-financing districts or using property taxes to jump-start some new rail corridors or add more stations to a line being developed between southwest Fort Worth and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

"Sales tax is still the best option for financing regional rail," said Vic Suhm, executive director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition. "But we'll consider any other forms of financing to open up some new corridors."

In addition to increased lobbying efforts, mass transit supporters said their plans to prepare for the next legislative session include increasing public awareness of the need for mass transit to relieve highway congestion, improve air quality and create economic development opportunities along rail lines and around stations.

Transit leaders also said they plan to push for a 1-cent sales tax levy for all cities in the regional rail network. Currently, only DART member cities contribute 1 cent toward rail.

Member cities of The T and the Denton County Transit Authority pay half a cent or less to support mass transit.

"For a half-cent, you can afford commuter rail but not light rail," Mr. Enoch said. "The big advantage to light rail is more frequency of trains and more stations.

"We can also expand the rail network a lot faster with a 1-cent commitment than we can with less," Mr. Enoch said. "In the long run, it's what's best for region." - Marcie Richter, The Dallas Morning News

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GROUP FORMS TO FIGHT SOUND TRANSIT LIGHT RAIL

SEATTLE, WA -- As the campaign season approaches on a transportation ballot measure, an advocacy group called the Washington Traffic Institute has formed to oppose Sound Transit's plans to expand light rail.

The group is led by Bill Eager, an engineer; Bruce Nurse, vice president of Bellevue mall developer Kemper Freeman's organization; and Kathryn Serkes, a public-affairs consultant. At its Web site, truthabouttraffic.org, the group argues that rail won't solve congestion.

Sound Transit is now building 14 miles of light rail in the Seattle area to open in late 2009, with plans for a three-mile tunnel to Husky Stadium by 2016, and — if voters pass the $37 billion "Roads & Transit" measure this fall — another 50 miles to reach Tacoma, the Overlake area and Snohomish County.

Transit comprises $23 billion of the regional package, including inflation, overhead, financing and operations through 2027; Sound Transit says its cost, in 2006 dollars, is only $10.8 billion for construction and trains. - The Seattle Times

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TEMPE PUSHES FOR COMMUTER RAIL LINES

TEMPE, AZ -- In February 1980, Valley residents stood in lines several dozen people deep to board trains and get to work.

Then-Gov. Bruce Babbitt had declared a state of emergency to get Amtrak passenger trains to shuttle workers and others throughout the Valley after massive flooding destroyed highway bridges.

Fast forward to 2007 and once again, shuttle-train service is being weighed to solve the state's traffic woes.

This time, Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman is at the head of a line of leaders pushing for commuter rail service.

"There is a groundswell of interest in commuter rail," Hallman said. Last fall, Hallman asked his staff to begin looking at transportation options, including commuter rail. The idea was to ease bottlenecks along the "Broadway Curve" on Interstate 10 and other traffic jams along U.S. 60 and Tempe arterial streets.

"U.S. 60 has become a bigger parking lot, as we predicted," he said.

The city produced a regional transportation strategy map showing three commuter options on new rail lines that would be built. One would cut through Gilbert. Another would cut diagonally from north Phoenix through Casa Grande. The third option would lead from north Tempe to Tucson, through Maricopa.

The Arizona Department of Transportation has proposed several new freeways to bypass

I-10 from Phoenix to Tucson and Interstate 17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff. It also is working on a study that would double the width of I-10 through the Valley to 24 lanes by creating one route for local traffic and another for express traffic through the area.

Hallman and other city mayors also are pushing for construction of the proposed South Mountain Freeway through Ahwatukee that would allow motorists and trucks to bypass I-10 and complete Loop 202 around the Valley.

But even with the South Mountain Freeway, transportation planners say the state can't keep up with rapid growth coming from the city of Maricopa and other parts of Pinal County.

"The most logical thing to look at immediately are commuter rail options," Hallman said.

The Maricopa Association of Governments, which is made up of city, town and Indian community leaders, is studying the possibility of commuter rail. So is ADOT, which Gov. Janet Napolitano ordered to prepare a transportation options study in her State of the State speech in January.

The study was due in April, but ADOT asked for a 90-day extension and is still working on it.

Neither ADOT nor the governor's office is revealing details until the study is done.

"We are seriously looking at commuter rail," Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said this week. "I don't know specifically the details."

Jim Dickey, director of ADOT's public transportation division, said the agency is using federal transportation funds to study commuter rail options.

The study includes using Interstate 8 near Casa Grande as the southern boundary for Pinal County as a possible route to build a rail line for commuter rail.

Freight trains, once floated as an idea for carrying passenger cars, cannot be used for commuter rail because of federal railroad rules and safety considerations. Besides, the freight lines are running at or beyond capacity and operate at irregular schedules, according to community leaders.

The other hitch is that the freight lines are privately owned and have little incentive to give over some of their track capacity for commuter rail.

But Babbitt, in a guest column that ran earlier this year in The Arizona Republic, suggested the governor and the State Land Department agree to sell land to the Union Pacific on the condition that it give the state "trackage rights" for future passenger-rail service on the existing line between Phoenix and Tucson.

Tempe Mayor Hallman isn't sure that strategy would work, but said the railroad might consider that anyway to be "a good neighbor."

In either case, Hallman said, state leaders need to work now to designate a route and buy land for commuter rail before businesses and homes are built.

"The most important thing we can do right now is protect the right of way," he said. "If we don't protect it now, it will be too late to do so in the future." - Kerry Fehr-Snyder, The Arizona Republic

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LAGNIAPPE (Something extra, not always railroad related, for Saturdays only)

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP: ICE PLANT, CATFISHING AND RAILROAD

OKEECHOBEE, FL -- Okeechobee Main Street is expecting to finish their second mural depicting the correlation between the Okeechobee Ice Plant, the catfish industry and the railroad in Okeechobee within the next couple of weeks.

The mural is located on the Jeff Robinson Electric building off of Park Street and U.S. 441, and is sponsored by the Okeechobee Historical Society.

The catfish industry dates back to the early 1900s when fishermen would catch fish and utilize the ice from the ice plant to pack them in the railcars to be shipped out on the railroad.

According to Betty Williamson, the Florida East Coast (FEC) railroad's first passenger train came to Okeechobee around 1915 and the ice plant opened its doors in 1918. Their existence made this catfish industry flourish and brought money to the small town of Okeechobee.

Other products that were placed on the train not included in the mural were vegetables, citrus, turpentine, timber from the pine forests and cattle that were driven to the depot from different places.

The catfish industry relied on both the ice plant and the railroad in order to get their product to consumers. Due to the lack of other ways to keep the fish fresh, this was the only method to ship the fish to any far reaching area. If it wasn't for the ice plant and the railroad, the catfish industry would have remained more localized.

The ice plant was located off of Taylor Creek, and south of the present day Burger King restaurant on S.R. 70 E. The original doors to the ice plant were donated to the Okeechobee Historical Society by Dale Barrett. They are on display in the Okeechobee Historical Society, 1850 U.S. 98 N., and will be presented at the dedication ceremony for the mural. The date for that ceremony will be announced later.

The green doors were obtained by Mr. Barrett because the Okeechobee County School Board office, at that time, was across the street from the ice plant.

According to Mr. Barrett, during its demolition the contractor had placed the doors out to be disposed of and he asked if he could take them. He stored them in a warehouse for several years before donating them to the historical society.

Due to the age of the pictures available, there is no color recollection other than the green doors that were preserved.

A focal point of the mural is of Son Scoot, a local fisherman "tending" his catfish traps in Lake Okeechobee. According to Mrs. Williamson, many men fished for catfish to provide for their families' livelihood.

The railroad depot in the mural was located at the west end of the present day Flagler Park where the railroad bed, built in 1913, can still be seen. In 1947, a salvage team from Chicago came in and took the railway out of Okeechobee.

The Kissimmee Valley Extension of the FEC railway which started in Maytown ran down to Okeechobee. The station itself was owned by the Markham family after the FEC railway pulled out in 1947.

There was a broom factory in the back of the FEC depot. The wooden depot was destroyed by fire in the mid-1950s. - Chauna Aguilar, The Okeechobee News

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GRANDEST CANYON OF THE EAST: NEW YORK GORGE STUNS VISITORS WITH MAGNIFICENT WATERFALLS, CLIFFS

Photo here:

[www.columbusdispatch.com]

Caption reads: The Genesee River has cut a gorge as deep as 600 feet on its way to Lake Ontario. (All photos by Steve Stephens/The Columbus Dispatch)

ASTILE, NY -- Slapping a qualifier on a superlative is a dangerous business, especially in the travel game.

Who wants to see the world's second largest ball of twine or visit the largest display of cactuses north of the Arctic Circle?

So I was a bit apprehensive planning a trip to a place sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the East.

I needn't have worried. The Genesee Gorge in Letchworth State Park south of Rochester can hold its own in terms of scenic beauty.

Map here:

[www.columbusdispatch.com]

No, it's not the Grand Canyon -- not even close.

But the Genesee River has carved a magnificent gorge impressive in its own right, as deep as 600 feet and as narrow as 400 feet in some places.

My wife wanted me to be on the lookout for wildflowers during my mid-May trip.

I would guess that there would be many in the park this time of year, but I was so captivated by the sweeping panoramas that I forgot to examine the flora very closely. The park has pull-offs at many scenic overlooks along the gorge. One of the most spectacular, Inspiration Point, offers a view of two of the park's three magnificent waterfalls.

Visitors can even raft and kayak the river through the gorge below the falls. You won't find Class IV rapids, but you will find a family-friendly adventure in a setting of dramatic geological formations and lush forests.

But to me, the biggest and most pleasant surprises were the waterfalls, which startled me with their size and majesty.

The falls aren't widely known, perhaps because of the relative closeness of Niagara, just 60 miles away. At least no one is calling the Genesee Gorge Falls the second biggest falls in western New York.

Photo here:

[www.columbusdispatch.com]

Caption reads: New York's Letchworth State Park is known for its grandeur.

The falls -- Upper, Middle and Lower -- are clustered at the southern end of the park near the beginning of the gorge. (The Genesee River runs south to north). The picturesque drama of the horseshoe-shaped Upper Falls is augmented by a high railroad bridge across the gorge just upstream. The Portage Bridge was once the longest and highest wooden bridge in the country before it burned in the 1870s and was replaced by an iron bridge.

The original bridge played an important role in the preservation of the gorge area and the establishment of Letchworth State Park.

Buffalo businessman and philanthropist William Pryor Letchworth was struck by the dramatic view when crossing it in a passenger train. He bought 1,000 acres along the gorge and established a retreat he named Glen Iris. Eventually he donated the land to the state for a park, which now encompasses more than 14,000 acres along a 16-mile length of gorge.

The Middle Falls, just a few hundred yards below the Upper, has a sheer drop of more than 100 feet, made more impressive by the great volume of the Genesee River flowing over. On a ridge just above Middle Falls is Glen Iris Inn, once Letchworth's summer home and now a charming eight-room inn and fine-dining restaurant.

I had several superb meals at the inn, which also offers a good selection of wine -- another nice surprise so far off the beaten path.

Also nearby is the William Pryor Letchworth Museum. The museum opened in 1913 and displays the many American Indian artifacts collected by Letchworth as well as early photographs of the park and mementos of Letchworth's life and philanthropic pursuits.

The collection includes a mastodon skull, Indian tools, and clothing and furniture from Letchworth's Glen Iris retreat.

On another ridge above the museum is an authentic Seneca Indian council house, which Letchworth had moved from its original location nearby and restored. The small building, which resembles a pioneer's log cabin, is open for special events.

Next to the council house is a statue marking the grave of Mary Jemison, known as the White Woman of the Genesee. Jemison was born in 1742 on a ship of Irish immigrants to America. She was taken captive at age 15 by Indians who raided her family's Pennsylvania farm.

She was adopted by the Indians and spent the rest of her life living with them in the area. In later years, she acted as a go-between with the Indians and the whites who were settling the valley.

Although the park contains 65 miles of hiking trails, the Middle and Upper falls are just steps from convenient parking areas. Views of both falls are wheelchair-accessible.

The park's third massive falls, the Lower Falls, is the only one that requires a walk of any appreciable distance, but it still is an easy quarter-mile hike down more than 100 steps from a nearby parking lot. Getting back requires retracing those steps, of course.

(The park also contains several other falls, some as high as 300 feet, but most are mere trickles from tiny tributaries.)

Photo here:

[www.columbusdispatch.com]

Caption reads: A railroad bridge serves as a backdrop for the Upper Falls.

The park draws upward of 1 million visitors a year, but I had the Lower Falls completely to myself during my visit on a weekday -- something I could never experience at Niagara.

And standing alone in the spray from the Lower Falls, hearing the roar of the falling river, surrounded by the massive stratified walls of shale and sandstone, I never once pined for the Grand Canyon.

Spring, in fact, is a wonderful time to visit Letchworth because of the relatively large flow of water in the Genesee River and the relatively sparse crowds.

I met many day-trippers from Rochester and saw several photographers hiking through the park.
"I come out about once a week," said Ron Sank, an amateur photographer who lives near Rochester. "Wherever you stop, there's a pretty view. It's gorgeous. You can't take a bad picture anywhere in the park."

The park is home to abundant wildlife, so be sure to follow posted speed limits in the park unless you like your venison served directly through your windshield. (Anyone who doesn't see deer here must smell too much like a coyote.)

I also spotted many species of birds, including wild turkeys, but only when they jumped in front of me and forced me to turn my attention from the geological wonders.

So don't call this the Grand Canyon of the North or Little Niagara. Letchworth State Park, a breathtaking getaway with a fascinating history, deserves its own entry in the traveler's lexicon. - Steve Stephens, The Columbus (OH) Dispatch

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THE END