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Railroad Newsline for Saturday, June 23, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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[b]RAIL NEWS[/b]

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WOOOHOOOOOWEEEEEEE....RAILROAD STILL HASN'T CLEANED UP SMELLY MESS

JEFFERSON, TX -- Jefferson, Texas, is known all over the country for its historic district. But the residue from a train derailment is drawing flies -- not tourists.

Seventeen days ago, eight cars of a Kansas City Southern freight train derailed in town. Two were carrying chicken parts -- but much of the smelly mess still hasn't been cleaned up.

The police chief and people who have to live with the odor are crying foul.

Johnny Ingram takes a lot of pride in his home. He cuts his yard and tends to his flowers dutifully.

But across the street, millions of flies and maggots are swarming over the chicken remains.

"We've stayed inside with the windows and doors closed," Ingram said.

Police Chief Gary Amburn likens the smell to a rendering plant.

Amburn said KCS cleaned up some of the wreckage, but there was spillage that hasn't been cleaned up.

"It's beginning to be a health hazard we can't deal with," Amburn said.

Town crews are taking matters into their own hands. They spent today spraying for flies.

"I think they've had more than enough time to do something about this," Amburn said of the railroad. "It's been too little, too late, in my opinion. I'm understanding for about a week, but enough is enough."

Friday fternoon, a KCS crew arrived at the site and put lime around the derailed cars to help with the stench.

A KCS spokesman said the railroad will remove as much of the spilled material as they can this weekend. On Monday, the railroad cars will be removed and they'll clean up the rest of the mess, KCS said.

KCS estimates the entire area will be cleaned up by next Wednesday. That will be three weeks after the derailment. - Chrissi Coile, KTBS-TV3, Shreveport, LA

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ARIZONA REGULATORS FINE UNION PACIFIC FOR CONSTRUCTION

PHOENIX, AZ -- An Arizona commission that regulates railroad safety has imposed a $56,000 fine against Union Pacific because the railroad started construction work on a major track expansion project without getting state approval first.

The Arizona Corporation Commission unanimously fined Union Pacific because the company didn't have authorization to rebuild a crossing in Bowie in Cochise County as part of its plan to add a second track on the main line across southern Arizona.

Railroad representatives apologized to the commission and said the start of work without authorization resulted from communication failures within the railroad and with its contractor.

Union Pacific representatives said the company is taking steps to ensure that the acknowledged error won't happen again, and commission members made it clear they won't tolerate another misstep.

They noted that they had clearly signaled to Union Pacific that they wanted to scrutinize all of the dozens of proposed crossing rebuilding projects that the railroad plans. - The Associated Press, KVOA-TV4, Tucson, AZ

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THIEVES STEAL $18,000 OF WIRING FROM EAST OLYMPIA RAILROAD SITE

OLYMPIA, WA -- The Thurston County Sheriff's Office is looking into who stole about $18,000 worth of equipment from an East Olympia railroad site in two separate incidents this past week.

The most recent theft at the BNSF Railway Company facility on the 8300 block of Diagonal Road S.E. at Rich Road S.E. occurred sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Lt. Chris Mealy said.

A spool of 7-conductor, 14 gauge black underground wire about one inch in diameter was taken.
The spool contained about 2000 feet of the wiring, which was valued at about $8,000.

The earlier theft took place sometime last weekend. A railroad track controller box described as about 3 feet by 3 feet by 8 feet was taken, and investigators think that the $10,000 worth of copper wire contained within it might have been the reason for the theft.

Anyone with information about either theft is asked to contact Thurston County Crime Stoppers at 360-493-2222. - The Olympian

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SETTLEMENT IN 2003 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRAIN DERAILMENT

LOS ANGELES, LA -- Dozens of people settled lawsuits before trial with Union Pacific Railroad over a 2003 accident in which runaway freight cars derailed and smashed into homes, injuring 13 people, an attorney said Friday.

An agreement was reached with more than 40 people from several families during day-long negotiations Thursday before a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, said David Benjamin, an attorney for the families.

Details of the settlement were not disclosed but "for us it comes out a very happy ending" after four years of legal action, he said.

No other legal actions in connection with the accident are pending, Benjamin said.

Another lawsuit in the case ended in 2005 with a Los Angeles jury awarding $2.3 million to a family that lost two homes.

A call to an attorney for Union Pacific was not immediately returned but the company acknowledged years ago that a mistake by its workers was responsible for the crash.

The latest settlement came a day after the fourth anniversary of the June 20, 2003, accident.

Authorities said workers forgot to lock brakes on boxcars, allowing 31 freight cars to get loose. The cars went 30 miles as railroad employees considered ways to stop them. They were traveling 86 mph when they were diverted onto a 15 mph-rated siding in Commerce, a suburb south of Los Angeles, to stop them. Twenty-eight cars derailed, spilling tons of lumber. Two homes were destroyed, six others heavily damaged and 13 people were injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the railroad failed to enforce its own safety rules, boxcar hand brakes were left off in the train yard, and dispatchers did not realize that the route was virtually all downhill. - The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle

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A TRAIN WATCHER'S GUIDE TO GALESBURG

Photo here:

[www.register-mail.com]

Caption reads: Stanley Haas watches a westbound BNSF train from the porch of a home owned by Bob Hook, 869 Peck St., near Peck Park. Mike Messenger of Davenport, Iowa, records video of the passing train from his location near the tracks. Peck Park is a favorite location for train enthusiasts, offering a crossover nearby. (Kent Kriegshauser/The Register-Mail)

GALESBURG, IL -- Even the most inattentive observer notices that trains often pass through Galesburg, Illinois on their way to someplace from someplace else.

Annoying to some, others get a charge from these brief, but frequent visits, standing trackside pointing cameras or charting engine numbers and rail companies in spiral-bound notebooks.

The city will be crawling with such types this weekend for the 30th annual Railroad Days celebration. The people who organized the affair included on the brochure a map marked with "great places to view trains."

The Register-Mail checked them out.

- Between North and Peck Streets: This should really be described as the dead end on Peck Street at Peck Park. Searching for it on North Street can be misleading.

It is here where both tracks that slip through the city cross, with the Chillicothe Subdivision, which travels east and west, below and the Mendota Subdivsion, which goes north and south, crossing on the top.

"It's probably the best place in town," said Bob Hook.

"We average five (trains) an hour."

He should know. Two years ago, he bought the house at the end of Peck Street for the sole purpose of watching trains. Nobody lives there. Hook added a deck and invites anyone with a hankering for train watching to come over and scratch that itch.

"We just watch trains from here," Hook said Wednesday morning, taking a break from pulling weeds along the track before the big weekend. "We call it the railroad house."

Hook lived near Cameron as a boy in 1938 and 1939, he said, and remembers watching steam trains roll past, igniting his interest.

He said the "railroad house" will be jumping during Railroad Days with people from several states and, perhaps, a foreign country or two stopping by. But the park and deck are fairly busy any time of year, he said.

Some people make regular pilgrimages to the spot hoping to photograph something nearly as elusive as Bigfoot. They hope to capture an image of two engines crossing below just as two are crossing atop the overpass. It's called a "Four" by train watchers.

"They're unusual," Hook said.

One regular visitor has promised to buy Hook a dinner if he ever nabs that sought-after photograph.

Train watchers can put a blanket or lawn chair in the shade and spend a day here. Hook's deck almost guarantees the company of fellow rail fans.

Hook's right. It's the best place in town for train watching.

- Mulberry Street: This is near the Amtrak station on Seminary Street. Train watchers can visit the Galesburg Railroad Museum in between trains or clamber about on the static display parked nearby. It is a good place to see Amtrak up close, too, when it stops at the station.

- Between Henderson and Academy streets: One of the joys of this spot is watching the vehicle traffic back up along busy Main Street when a slow mover rolls through town. You can then watch the traffic methodically untangle after the train passes along the busy Chillicothe Subdivision. There is plenty of parking along this spot, but shade is a premium. Bring an umbrella rain or shine.

- West Third and South West streets: This is at Rogers Park, where a couple picnic tables provide a place to sit. Some playground equipment can keep children happy between trains.
Parking is limited to the street, but is adequate. A wire fence along the park inhibits clear photographs, so a small step stool would be a help to get the lens high enough for a clear shot of the Mendota Subdivision.

- Bridge connecting West Third and East Fourth streets: The W.C. Jackson Memorial Bridge gives people a good look at the north end of the large BNSF railyard south of town.
Unfortunately, the sidewalk is on the bridge's north side and the yard is on the south side. It is still a good place to watch trains entering and leaving the north end of the yard. A barrier to prevent people from tossing stuff off the bridge does interfere with photos. Parking is troublesome. The best alternative may be to walk to the bridge after watching trains at Rogers Park.

- Bridge on County Highway 10: This is a wonderful place to view the massive and very busy railyard. Literally dozens of trains are visible at one time. The problem is, the bridge is part of a fairly busy highway. The bridge was built with wide shoulders to accommodate parked vehicles. The Knox County Sheriff's office generally allows people to park on the bridge for a short time to observe activity in the yard or take a few photographs. Don't linger too long, however.

- Ron Jensen, The Galesburg Register-Mail

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ENGINEER WITH BACK PROBLEMS SUES RAILROAD FOR CHAIR CHOICE

BEAUMONT, TX -- A locomotive engineer for BNSF Railway Co. for most of career, Gary Bryant now suffers from severe back problems. He is suing the railway for "failing to provide ergonomic seats."

He is citing the Locomotive Inspection Act.

Bryant's personal injury lawsuit was filed with the Jefferson County District Court on June 20. Judge Donald Floyd, 172nd Judicial District, will preside over the case.

According to the plaintiff's original petition, Bryant was exposed to unsafe work conditions for most of his career.

The suit does not go into detail about the nature of his injuries but does, however, list the following acts of alleged negligence committed by the defendant:

* Defendant failed to provide Plaintiff with a reasonably safe place to work; or

* Defendant failed to provide reasonably safe conditions for work; or

* Defendant failed to provide reasonably safe methods of work; or

* Defendant failed to enact a comprehensive ergonomics program; or

* Defendant failed to provide reasonably safe engines or tools for work; or

* Defendant failed to provide adequate protection from exposure to cumulative trauma; or

* Defendant failed to provide adequate training; or

* Defendant failed to provide adequate safety or personal protective equipment; or

* Defendant failed to warn plaintiff of or protect plaintiff from the danger of exposure
to cumulative trauma; or

* Defendant failed to provide adequate help; or

* Defendant failed to provide an air ride seat: or

* Defendant failed to properly inspect, maintain or repair its track; or

* Defendant required plaintiff to work with defective seats; or

* Defendant failed to follow the recommendations of the FRA and AAR related to seats on locomotive engines; or

* Defendant failed to properly inspect, maintain or repair its engines; or

* Defendant failed to follow the recommendations of the AAR ergonomics studies performed in the late 1980's and early 1990's; or

* Defendant knew of the risks of repetitive trauma to its employees and failed to warn plaintiff; or

* Defendant failed to follow the recommendations of its own internal group studying the issue of cumulative trauma; or

* Failed to provide reasonably safe seats or to inspect, repair or maintain its seats in a reasonably safe condition; or

* Failed to protect plaintiff from the risk of injury due to shock and vibration; or

* Failed to provide ergonomic seats.

"Plaintiff has suffered injuries to his body, particularly to plaintiff's spine, discs, vertebrae, low back, and legs. These injuries are permanent in nature. In all reasonable probability he will continue to suffer in this manner for a long time into the future, if not for the balance of his natural life," the suit said. "The injuries have had a serious effect on plaintiff's health and well being."

Bryant is suing for physical pain, mental anguish, medical expenses and all court costs.

He is represented by attorney Gilbert T. Adams III of the Law Offices of Gilbert T. Adams, and is demanding a trial by jury. - David Yates, The Southeast Texas Record

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FREIGHT RAIL BILL OFFERS POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS TO MEET PROJECTED FREIGHT INCREASES

WASHINGTON, DC -- In a continued push to expand railroad infrastructure to meet projected rail freight growth of up to 70 percent by 2020, four bi-partisan members of Congress held a press conference yesterday to tout legislation designed to augment railroad freight infrastructure and better meet the growing transportation challenges in the United States.

At the press conference U.S. representatives Kendrick B. Meek (D-Fla.), Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and Kevin Brady (R-Texas) explained the various public benefits of rail shipping such as reduced highway congestion, cleaner air, conserving fuel, and energy reduction.

And a piece of legislation introduced in May by Meek and Cantor -- H.R. 2116, The Freight Rail Infrastructure Act of 2007 -- promises to let not only railroads, but all businesses, earn a tax credit for various investments in the railroad network’s infrastructure.

This legislation is a companion piece to legislation -- S. 1125, Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Infrastructure Act of 2007 -- introduced by Senators Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) -- which, similarly to H.R. 2116 -- would provide a 25 percent tax credit for businesses making investments in new rail infrastructure.

And this tax credit would, in turn, be available to any shipper or carrier that makes a “qualified” expenditure, such as track, grading, tunnels, signals, certain locomotives, bridges, yards, terminals, and intermodal transfer and transload facilities.

“Legislation that establishes incentives for increased investment in freight rail infrastructure, allowing more freight to be shipped by train, will ultimately ease traffic congestion and help our environment since freight trains move a ton of freight an average of 423 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel," Meek told Logistics Management. “This is legislation that benefits our country, improves our economy and helps our environment.”

When this legislation was initially introduced in Congress last September, Brooks Bentz, a partner in Accenture’s Supply Chain Practice told LM that if the bill passed, it could have myriad benefits for shippers through additional capacity.

“Adding capacity will help to take out a sizable chunk of service variability and should improve reliability and costs over the long haul, said Bentz. “This will give shippers more options and more opportunity to use rail.”

Association of American Railroads (AAR) President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger pointed out in a statement that U.S. Class I railroads are continually making significant investments into infrastructure improvements, capacity enhancements, and other forms of capital expenditures, as evidenced by a $9.4 billion investment in 2007, topping 2006’s total which came in at more than $8 billion.

But it is clear that increased investment into railroad infrastructure alone will not solve all the problems that shippers face on the railroads on a daily basis. This much was made clear at a Surface Transportation Board (STB) hearing held in April for Ex Parte No. 671 Rail Capacity and Infrastructure Requirements, which was held to provide a forum for views and information concerning freight traffic forecasts, capacity constraints, and the infrastructure investment needed to ensure the freight rail system will be efficient and reliable enough to handle the projected influx in rail freight between now and 2020.

It was apparent at the hearing that shippers are more than dissatisfied with what they feel is a limited railroad infrastructure that is hindering the quality of rail service they are receiving.
In his testimony, William M. Mohl, vice president of commercial services for Entergy Services, opined that it is imperative that railroads be required to build appropriate infrastructure to competitively and reliably serve the needs of shippers both now and in the future at reasonable rates and with reasonable service guarantees and appropriate oversight.

If the tax credit is approved, it could be key in improving railroad capacity, infrastructure, and service, according to Tom O’Connor, vice president of Snavely King Majoros O’Connor & Lee Inc., an economic and management consultancy.

“The railroads could do themselves a favor by acting with more moderation in their price increases and price setting,” said O’Connor. “There is not an infusion of new highway capacity coming in to meet the projected freight increases, and rail is the only other alternative in place that can reach population centers across the country 12 months out of the year. This is what makes the case for these types of railroad [capacity] investments.” - Jeff Berman, Senior Editor, Logistics Management

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BNSF ANNOUNCES 2007 INDEPENDENCE DAY OPERATING PLANS

This year, the Independence Day holiday will be observed on Wednesday, July 4. Below is a summary of the planned BNSF Railway Company operational changes and other helpful information applicable to the upcoming Independence Day holiday.
Intermodal Operating Plan

INTERMODAL TRAIN PLAN

TRAIN SERVICE:

BNSF will continue to operate Intermodal trains over the Independence Day holiday. However, due to lighter volumes of traffic and possible train consolidations, shipments originating on Sunday, July 1, through noon on Thursday, July 5, may experience extended destination availabilities of between 24 and 48 hours.

INTERLINE TRAFFIC:

Delays may occur on interline traffic if connecting carriers have reduced operations for the holiday.

CARLOAD TRAIN PLAN

TRAIN SERVICE:

BNSF's carload Independence Day Operating Plan will focus on meeting customers' expectations while minimizing operations in accordance with reduced traffic volumes.

Carload trains will operate normally on Wednesday, July 4. Unit trains -- both loaded and empty--will operate as per customer requirement.

Through the weekend, BNSF may annul or consolidate trains in line with anticipated reduced traffic volumes. Additionally, it is expected that there will be some reductions in local, road-switcher and switch engine assignments, as customer service requirements allow.

INTERLINE TRAFFIC:

Delays may occur on interline traffic if connecting carriers have reduced operations for the holiday.

COAL TRAIN PLAN

TRAIN SERVICE:

BNSF's Coal Independence Day Operating Plan will focus on meeting customers' expectations while minimizing operations in accordance with reduced traffic volumes.

Coal trains -- both loaded and empty -- will operate based on crew availability. Trains already en route will continue to run.

Throughout the holiday period, BNSF may annul or consolidate trains in line with anticipated reduced traffic volumes.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TRAIN PLAN

TRAIN SERVICE:

Independence Day will be considered a shuttle holiday for 2007.

Empty Shuttles -- Customers with empty trains arriving at the loading facility after 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, July 3, may elect to move their official spot time to 6:00 a.m. Thursday, July 5. During this time frame, trains may be loaded if desired.

Loaded Shuttles -- Customers with loaded trains arriving at an unload facility after 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 3, may elect to move their official spot time to 6:00 a.m. Thursday, July 5. During this time frame, trains may be unloaded if desired.

In either case, customers who elect to move the spot time must contact the BNSF Grain Desk at least eight (8) hours in advance and advise of their intentions for train, power and crew planning purposes.

There is no allowance for Thursday, July 5. Origination Efficiency Payment (OEP) or Destination Efficiency Payment (DEP) will be lost if customer(s) elect to operate outside of these allowances.

Throughout the holiday, BNSF will focus on keeping the Grain Network performing to meet increased demand. We will coordinate with all customers who are willing to work during the holiday and use extra service if necessary to meet the demand.

- BNSF Service Advisory

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KCS CHAIRMAN PROVIDES FAVORABLE REPORT FROM MEXICO TRACK INSPECTION TRIP

This week, the Kansas City Southern and Kansas City Southern de Mexico executive teams hi-railed a significant portion of KCSM's main line. The purpose of the track inspection trip was multi-faceted, including an inspection of the line's condition, progress review on key capital projects, meetings with local and regional dignitaries and employees, and review of new customer initiatives. From the trip, KCS chairman and chief executive officer Mike Haverty provided a favorable report.

"We're pleased with the progress of our key capital projects, and the new opportunities that are being created," said Haverty. "Shippers are attracted to KCS because we're providing a single line north and south across the border, and continuing to build capacity to handle their growing traffic volumes. Additionally, the local communities are enthusiastic partners, because they recognize the value that we can bring to economic growth in their regions." He added that employees along the way are demonstrating commitment and excitement about the company's bright future.

Joining Haverty was KCS president and chief operating officer Art Shoener, KCS executive vice president and chief financial officer Pat Ottensmeyer, KCSM president and executive representative Jose Zozaya and several other senior executives. PCRC president Dave Starling also participated in the trip to Lazaro Cardenas and the route north, because more and more ocean carriers are seeing synergies between using KCSM at Lazaro Cardenas and PCRC in Panama.

The week began in San Luis Potosi, where the group met with employees celebrating the tenth anniversary since privatization of the railroad. They also spent some time in the field and dined with Governor Marcelo de los Santos of the State of San Luis Potosi and Mayor Jorge Lozano of the City of San Luis Potosi. Dinner discussion included the master rail plan for San Luis Potosi.

The next legs of the trip included a hi-rail from San Luis Potosi to the Escobedo/Celaya area, and then on to Morelia. The group had the opportunity to see KCS' state of the art, automated tie replacement equipment, which can replace 250 ties per hour on track. This equipment is tremendously improving maintenance productivity and is unlike any other available in Latin America today. In Morelia, the group dined with Governor Lazaro Cardenas and Secretary of Economic Development Eloy Vargas of the State of Michoacan.

From Morelia, the group hi-railed to Lazaro Cardenas, toured the port and met with the Lazaro Cardenas Rail Planning and Operating Committee, which included the director of the port authority Armando Palos. Developments at the Port of Lazaro Cardenas are expected to open this fall. The group also toured Palm Island, where yard construction is expected to begin the first week of July.

The week concluded with a visit to Monterrey for a celebration of the tenth anniversary since privatization of the railroad. Approximately 400 employees are expected to participate. - KCS News

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RAILROAD EXCURSIONS

ST. JAMES, MN -- Hannah Henderson of St. James, Minnesota had never been on a train before.

Not until last Wednesday, anyway, when she and her grandma, Joyce Wentzel, hopped on the Columbine passenger train departing from St. James and heading west to Heron Lake and back.

She was all smiles and said, "Seeing the lake from the train was the best part."

More than 176 passengers stepped aboard the Columbine double-decker passenger train on Wednesday, June 13, as part of Union Pacific Railways' Operation Lifesaver mission.

Photo here:

[www.stjamesnews.com]

Caption reads: More than 176 people boarded the train in St. James for the afternoon excursion. (Photo by Mark Anderson/St. James Plaindealer)

Mark Halverson of Mankato remembers working for the railroad 25 years ago and traveling on the same line.

"Not often you get a chance to go on this line," he said.

He remembers back when he worked for the railroad, there were often four or five crewmen on a line, but now with the advancement of technology, especially the radio, he said there are usually only two or three crewmen.

"I often envy them." He also said he would like to go back working on the rails again, but embarked on a different career journey. He is now an attorney.

Roy Seely is another railroad man who enjoyed reminiscing along the ride. Seely brought his father's conductor hat and conductor vest. He was a conductor himself, working for the railroad from 1937 to 1977.

Seely remembered some of the spots along the way, such as where St. James once had 14 tracks in the rail yard, and another place where there was an extra track where trains could leave cars so they could get up a big hill. - Mark Anderson and Sara Fitterer, The St. James Plaindealer

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UNION PACIFIC BUILDS YARD EAST OF GREGORY; PROJECT ANTICIPATES MORE GROWTH IN INGLESIDE, TEXAS AREA

Photo here:

[www.caller.com]

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX -- Anticipating growth and activity near Ingleside, Union Pacific Railroad is building a track yard east of Gregory.

The yard includes three, 4,000-foot tracks added to a 1,500-foot existing track between State Highway 35 and Sherwin Alumina, said Joe Arbona, a Union Pacific spokesman.

The $3 million to $4 million project is expected to be done by the end of the year.

Photo here:

[www.caller.com]

Union Pacific has a track yard in Gregory but decided to build one outside the city to ease community concerns about empty cars used to haul petroleum and chemical products from facilities such as Degussa Corp. in Aransas Pass and OxyChem, Sherwin Alumina and DuPont Fluoroproducts in Ingleside.

"We'll still be using our track yard in Gregory but not to the extent we have been," Arbona said. "We've listened to the community while keeping a watchful eye on future activity in the area."

Photo here:

[www.caller.com]

Gregory Mayor Fernando P. Gomez said the town emerged because of railroad activity and that it always has been a part of town's landscape. He said no residents have approached the City Council recently regarding the railroad.

"I think the expansion has more to do with growing economic opportunities that require that additional track yard," he said. "We're happy to still be a vital part of the railroad."

Arbona said the track yard follows the company's $8 million investment to replace ties and tracks to South Texas rails. That project was completed in May, he said. - Fanny S. Chirinos, The Corpus Christi Caller-Times

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EXPERT: ALASKA-YUKON RAILWAY FACES HUGE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES

The high price tag attached to a proposed rail line connecting the Yukon, Alaska and northern British Columbia is its biggest obstacle, a transportation expert says.

Construction costs for the more than 2,000-kilometre rail link are pegged at $10.5 billion, or $5 million per kilometre, in a feasibility study released by the Yukon and Alaska earlier this week.

The costs, combined with revenue based mostly on resources that have yet to be developed, create huge financial challenges, said Barry Prentice, the former head of the University of Manitoba's Transport Institute.

"No private sector investor is going to step forward and say 'we'll build the railroad, don't worry about a thing,'" Prentice told CBC News Friday.

"This is going to have to have public input from the federal level -- from the Canadian and American governments -- to make the investment happen on the basis of economic development for the region," he told CBC News Friday.

But at some point the North's resources will be developed and better transportation will be required, Prentice said.

However, when that time comes cheaper alternatives will also be considered, such as improving the roads and marine system that already exist, he said. - CBC News

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TRANSIT NEWS

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TEMPE'S PORTION OF LIGHT RAIL CONSTRUCTION MOSTLY DONE

Photo here:

[www.azcentral.com]

TEMPE, AZ -- The Metro light rail line in the Southeast Valley has in a few months gone from dirt and demolition to long, clean expanses of concrete and rail, tasteful landscaping and a pleasant plaza at Arizona State University's Sun @#$%& Stadium.

Tempe deputy public works manager Jyme Sue McLaren said the mostly finished work stretches more than four of the line's 23 miles.

"We now have the civil work -- curbs, gutters, sidewalks, utilities, traffic signals, pavement and the track bed or guideway -- done from 56th Street and Washington to a little ways east of Rural Road," McLaren said. "So the heavy civil work is done, some landscaping is done, but we still have some landscaping to go."

The completed light rail work and the accompanying cityscape is most obvious at the base of Hayden Butte and adjoining Sun @#$%& Stadium. Where once there was a small parking lot there now is a plaza with pavers and mesquite trees.

Arizona State University architect Ron McCoy said that creating the plaza meant, "sacrificing some VIP parking" that was absorbed in the parking structure at the ASU Foundation building,' McCoy said.

Work on the plaza also meant rebuilding the trailhead at the east end of Hayden Butte. "When we worked on the butte we were very sensitive to the Native American presence, we understood the sensitivity of building at base of a mountain that was sacred to the native people," McLaren said. "In the whole trailhead area we used natural stones, used materials that complement the area."

The light rail line also is mostly completed on Third Street, west of Mill Avenue, though some landscaping work remains.

McLaren said that except where pedestrians will be able to cross the track, the landscaping will be "some sort of very dense bushes to discourage pedestrians from trying to cross there; it's a safety issue."

Tempe will spend about $364 million on its 5.5 mile portion of the light rail line. The cost of the nearly 23-mile line is about $1.4 billion. Of Tempe's $364 million, about half comes from the Federal Transit Administration and the other half has been generated by the 1996 Tempe sales tax initiative that set aside money for transit improvements, including bus service and bike paths. - William Hermann, The Arizona Republic

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BART'S NEW VISION: MORE, BIGGER, FASTER

Graphic here:

[www.sfgate.com]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Fifty years from now, BART riders might commute to San Francisco through a second Transbay Tube and travel down a new rail line along Geary Boulevard or take trains along Interstate 680 from Fremont to Martinez.

They could ride on driverless trains with cars featuring six doors, more standing room and flat-panel video screens that show maps, news and weather reports. Trains running closer together could serve new stations in places such as Jack London Square in Oakland, 30th and Mission streets in San Francisco, and Solano Avenue in Albany. Some trains might skip stops, quickly speeding commuters from distant stations to Oakland and San Francisco.

Those possibilities are part of the vision that BART and regional transportation officials have for the Bay Area's transportation backbone decades into the future. It was 50 years ago this month that the Legislature formed the Bay Area Rapid Transit District. BART officials figure now is a good time to plot a big-picture vision for the next 50. That effort coincides with a regional rail plan being prepared by a variety of Bay Area transportation agencies.

At a meeting in Oakland on Thursday, transportation experts discussed their ideas for what BART should become by the time it hits its centennial.

"What is BART's role going to be, and how do we shape that over the next 50 years?" said BART General Manager Tom Margro. He will be leaving BART on June 29 after more than 10 years on the job, according to a press release.

The shape suggested Thursday seems to be compact and focused on the core BART system instead of dependent on far-reaching extensions. Along with building the planned extensions to Warm Springs and San Jose, an Oakland airport connection and a light-rail link known as eBART in eastern Contra Costa County, BART's plans call for the system to boost its capacity in the central part of its system -- in San Francisco and the East Bay.

Making room for those riders might entail adding escalators, elevators and stairways to congested stations and installing see-through platform walls and boarding doors like those on airport people-movers such as San Francisco International Airport's AirTrain.

Stations also would feature more real-time information on trains and connecting transit services, and the concourse levels would have more retail outlets. Neighborhood stations would be surrounded by residential and commercial development.

BART trains also would be redesigned to speed travel and increase capacity. A third door on each side would make it faster to load and unload trains and allow BART to run more trains closer together. Fewer seats near the doors would increase room for bicycles and people who stand.

Trains also would feature electronic signs that announce the next station as well as indicate on which side doors will open.

As BART ridership grows, the system needs to be able to offer "show-and-go service," said Elizabeth Deakin, a UC Berkeley transportation planning professor.

"You just show up at the station, head to the platform and hop on a train" within a couple of minutes, she said.

The BART of the future also should offer express trains from destinations such as Concord and Walnut Creek that would skip some stations en route to San Francisco, cutting several minutes from the trip. To offer that service, BART would need to install additional stretches of track that would allow trains to pass each other.

But the biggest -- and costliest -- improvement would be the addition of a second Transbay Tube.
By 2030, the current tube will be at capacity, unable to handle additional trains, said Tom Matoff, a transportation planner working on the regional rail plan.

"Realistically, putting in a new bay tube is going to take 20 to 30 years,'' he said, "so this is the time to start thinking about it."

Building a new tube also would give BART the opportunity to expand service in San Francisco and the East Bay. A new tube, Matoff suggested, could be part of a line that serves Alameda before going beneath the bay and emerging at the Transbay Terminal, where it could connect with high-speed rail and a downtown Caltrain extension. The new tube would have four bores, he said, two for BART and two for high-speed or other trains.

"What happens when it gets to the city is undoubtedly going to be the subject of many studies," he said.

But planners are suggesting the line could head west through the South of Market area before turning north down Van Ness, where it would connect to Muni Metro's Van Ness station and connect to the main BART line. From there, he said, it could head out Geary Boulevard, to the Presidio, or perhaps to North Beach -- all areas of San Francisco poorly served by transit.

BART would choose future extensions carefully -- and consider using other technology such as light rail or conventional diesel trains to serve outlying areas.

Traditional BART extensions might be built from Richmond to Hercules and along I-680. A Hercules extension could lure drivers off congested I-80 and link with the Capitol Corridor trains.

The I-680 line would start at the future Warm Springs Station, connect with the Dublin/Pleasanton and Walnut Creek stations, and end in downtown Martinez, where it would meet the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and long-distance Amtrak trains.

BART's vision would help relieve the congestion expected as the Bay Area grows to 10 million people by 2050, but it would create other challenges, transit expert Vukan Vuchic, a University of Pennsylvania professor, pointed out.

"The main problem," he said, "is the billions of dollars it would cost."

And while the experts had plenty of suggestions on Thursday, nobody offered a solution to that dilemma. - Michael Cabanatuan, The San Francisco Chronicle

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FIGHTING LIRR'S THIRD TRACK PLAN

Photo here:

[www.gcnews.com]

Caption reads: Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray greets a morning commuter at Garden City's Merillon Avenue Station.

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilman Ed Ambrosino are visiting train stations along the LIRR's mainline, gathering petition signatures in opposition to the MTA's plan to construct a third railroad track between Floral Park and Hicksville. The officials are collecting the petitions for presentation to the governor and MTA officials during the public comment period (Sept. 1-Dec. 31, 2007) on the MTA's Third Track Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

"Commuters of area train stations, as well as the general population in communities affected by the third track are united in their opposition to this ill-conceived proposal," said Murray. "It's sad that the wishes of Long Islanders have not been considered by the governor and the MTA, especially since our area's homeowners and residents will be so profoundly and negatively impacted by the plan."

Murray and Ambrosino are particularly outraged by the MTA's and the Governor's refusal to heed the concerns of local residents. Despite overwhelming resistance from Long Island neighbors, the Governor has only intensified his efforts to implement the proposal, stating recently that he counts the third track as one of his chief priorities for Long Island. "Governor Spitzer is determined to see the completion of this project, but I am confident that our resolve is even stronger," said Murray. "The preservation of community standards is too important to allow the Governor and the MTA to ignore the voices of those who will be most affected by the proposal."

"Despite issues associated with a third track, including property seizure, water and air pollution, increased commotion, general disruption in affected communities, as well as the wholesale change in character of suburban communities, the Governor and MTA have yet to provide for adequate input from Long Islanders whose communities could be drastically transformed if the proposal were implemented," said Ambrosino.

The MTA has recently attempted to justify its efforts by claiming that the project is necessary to accommodate reverse commuters. Yet, there appears to be little necessity or demand for facilitating reverse commutes. Supervisor Murray recently visited Merrilon Avenue train station during morning rush hour and found that the eastbound LIRR trains were virtually empty.

"This latest rationale is entirely ridiculous. Eastbound LIRR trains are hardly used, yet the Governor and the MTA are asking us to disrupt our communities to make way for more? We simply cannot tolerate a project that puts our communities and way of life in peril, only to allow for more unnecessary and virtually uninhabited eastbound trains," said Murray.

Murray and Ambrosino observe that alternative avenues-including increased use of double-decker trains, newly engineered train schedules, increased train length, and "work hour shifting" proposals-have not been sufficiently explored. They insist that the MTA and Governor Spitzer evaluate these alternatives before adversely impacting the quality of life of local residents. "There are several alternatives that have yet to be adequately addressed with the public. We will continue to pressure the MTA to explore them further before it so carelessly tears through the heart of our communities and wastes our tax dollars," concluded Murray.

Echoing the frustrations of countless Long Islanders, Murray and Ambrosino expressed their outrage at the MTA's attempt to fundamentally change the character of Long Island without even seeking the consent of Long Island residents. "The MTA's failure to consult affected residents about such a far-reaching proposal is an insult to Long Islanders who care deeply about their communities. The future of Long Island belongs in the hands of Long Islanders. The MTA apparently believes the future of Long Island is its prerogative," stated Ambrosino.

Many Long Islanders fear the proposal would undermine the suburban appeal of Long Island, making it unrecognizable from the sprawling urban environments surrounding such major rail hubs as Jamaica Station. "Long Island's tranquil, suburban environment is precisely what makes it an attractive place to live. This proposal would virtually destroy the vision of Long Island as a refuge from the commotion and commuter congestion of urban environments. The question is simple: are we going to allow the MTA to remove the very essence of Long Island, or are we going to fight to preserve the integrity of our communities?" said Murray.

Murray and Ambrosino have also pointed out the decrepit condition of many LIRR stations, pressing the MTA to improve the infrastructure of area train stations. "How can we permit the MTA to undertake a project of this magnitude when it has shown itself to be incapable of maintaining its current facilities? I don't believe we can entrust to it any task of this nature, let alone an ill-conceived and potentially devastating one, especially in light of its lackluster maintenance of its existing facilities," said Murray.

"We will convey to the Governor and the MTA that we will fight tirelessly to ensure that Long Islanders determine their own future. Both the MTA and the Governor have demonstrated an unwillingness to listen to the concerns of affected residents," concluded Murray. "But, with a united and concerted effort, I am confident that they will be forced to listen," declared Murray. - The Garden City (NY) News

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

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LAWYER'S BOOKS ANALYZE LINCOLN'S APPELLATE CASES

O'FALLON, IL -- Abraham Lincoln's brilliant mind, humble personality and strong work ethic helped him become one of Springfield's most successful lawyers in the mid-1800s.

He argued 168 cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, according to official reports. It was the state's only appellate court at the time.

"That's a huge number," said O'Fallon attorney John Long. "I've practiced law longer than Lincoln, and I've been a specialist in appellate cases, and I've argued maybe half that number. I've only been in the Illinois Supreme Court twice."

Long, 57, has been studying Lincoln's legal career for more than 30 years. He's writing his third book in a series that gives legal analyses of all 168 cases.

One of Long's favorites showed Lincoln to be both clever and mischievous. It pitted McLean County against Illinois Central Railroad, a corporation formed in 1851 by the Illinois General Assembly to lay tracks and make the state accessible by train.

Lincoln argued the railroad was exempt from county property taxes on land acquired through federal grants. The Illinois Supreme Court agreed.

"Lincoln got on a train and went to Chicago to present his bill (to railroad officials) for $2,000," Long said. "But he was met with a rebuff that such a bill cannot be allowed, that the great Daniel Webster himself would not have charged so much."

Lincoln felt the bill was justified since he had worked on the case off and on for more than three years and presented two oral arguments before the Illinois Supreme Court. He also saved the railroad hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Buoyed by support from his lawyer friends, Lincoln sued the railroad for $5,000 in McLean County Circuit Court. He apparently knew the amount would seem exorbitant to jurors from a rural county.

Lincoln represented himself at the trial. At one point, a button on his suspenders popped off, and he made a show of sitting down with a knife and stick and whittling a peg to attach the suspenders.

"There's no way that was an accident," Long said. "He probably spent the night cutting through the threads so that button would pop off at just the right strategic moment. Then he could convince the jury that he was just an ordinary man and they could be comfortable awarding him 5,000 bucks. And he won the case."

Lincoln had three law partners between 1837 and 1861, handling appellate cases from all over the state. His Springfield office was across the street from the old Illinois State Capitol.

In the spring and fall, Lincoln rode the 8th Circuit with other lawyers and judges. They stayed at local inns and tried cases in rural counties that didn't have fully staffed courthouses.

"They said Lincoln was as happy as he could be when he was out riding the circuit," Long said. "He just liked that environment. ... Lincoln was a very good jury trial lawyer. Herndon (one of his partners) said that his adversaries trembled in fear lest Lincoln should ring in some interruption not on the program. He was inventive and creative."

After 30 years of studying Lincoln's legal career, Long is most impressed by how hard the future U.S. president worked. He had at least limited involvement in more than 5,000 cases.

"Nobody can figure out how he did it all," Long said. "Here's a man who didn't have a secretary. He didn't have a telephone. He didn't have a typewriter. He didn't have a copy machine. He did it all himself. It's amazing." - Teri Maddox, The Associated Press, The Matoon Journal Gazette

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MODEL TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS BECOME GARDENERS, TOO

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO -- It's a world where acorns loom as ominous as boulders, where a pebble can trigger a major derailment, where moles can topple a farmhouse.

For garden railroad enthusiasts, that's part of the fun.

"I sit back and think, how in the world did I do all this?" said Tony Vetter of St. Charles, Missouri, sitting in a plastic chair overlooking his 1,000-square-foot backyard railroad domain, which is a little larger than a racquetball court.

About half a dozen homeowners in St. Charles County have built model railroads in their backyard gardens, says Skip MacEwen, president of the Gateway Garden Railroad Club. The club has about 85 members, and about 20 in the metro area have the railroads at their homes.

The trains are commonly known as "G" scale, with cars about the size of a loaf of bread. They are built to withstand the outdoor elements, though members commonly take their cars outside only when they want to run them.

Enthusiasts say it's a hobby that's not just for the guys -- while the men enjoy tinkering with the trains and reliving their youth, their wives often enjoy the challenge of creating garden landscapes, where dwarf elm trees tower over villages and creeping thyme becomes track side underbrush.

They also like the larger scale because they can add more detail, but they can get away with using buildings or plants that may not be exactly to scale. Many follow the "10-foot rule— " if it looks good from 10 feet away, then you're OK.

Vetter and his wife, Carroll, started building their backyard railroad in 2002, a few years after he retired. It's unofficially called the "Vetter Valley Railroad," though the Vetters have yet to have customized logos made for their engines and cars.

Their layout is a rough oval and figure eight just off their back patio, covering a spot about 45 feet long and 25 feet wide. A trestle bridge crosses a pond with a waterfall, and the train travels around a tiny village, complete with a cemetery surrounded by a stone wall and a flagpole with a tiny American flag. A lounging hobo even peeks out from a rail car doorway, relaxing for his trip around the yard.

The Vetters both enjoyed trains growing up, and Carroll's father worked for a railroad as a baggage handler. They admit they're not crazy about the gardening aspect of the hobby. Carroll Vetter recalls the time her husband went to a railroad gardening trade show and came back with nine new plants for their layout.

"He was as proud as a peacock," she said. "I said, 'It's February. How are we going to keep these alive until April?' We didn't."

"It was a good price," her husband counters.

They've hosted meetings of the Gateway Garden Railroad Club so other members can see their layout, and their next-door neighbor loves bringing his grandson over to see it. "I think he's almost more proud of it than I am," Tony Vetter said.

Denny and Karen Karner, both 64, live in the Harvester area of St. Charles County and also are garden railroad enthusiasts. They've built their backyard railroad alongside a hill that drops into woods.

Their love of all things miniature began when they were 15-year-olds at Jennings High School, and they won a kitchen modeling contest sponsored by the former Union Electric Co. Their model was of the kitchen of Karen's parents, down to hammered-out copper wire for tiny handles on the handmade wooden cabinets.

Now, their railroad domain is a stretch of loops that reaches about 220 feet from one end of the hillside to the other, complete with sitting areas and trails to get a closer look.

"Instead of going to the movies or the show or something, you work for a weekend and at the end you see what you've accomplished," Karen Karner says.

They both love working in the yard and the challenge of turning nothing into something for their layout. The cedar bunk beds their two sons once snoozed in have been sawed into about 90 feet of railroad trestle. A red-and-white striped window valance Karen Karner found at a yard sale has been sewn into the covering for a garden-scale circus tent.

"You're always looking," Denny Karner said. "What piece of scrap can I use for something else?"

The Karners have plans to expand their railroad with an oil refinery, sawmill and a furniture factory. They may even buy a special computer program that allows them to run the trains on a schedule like a real working railroad.

Tony Vetter would like to put lights on some of his buildings, install a watering system and build a switching yard for a turntable and roundhouse.

The rest of his backyard is still a regular lawn, not overrun -- yet -- by the Vetter Valley Railroad. "There's room for more," he said with a wink. - Valerie Schremp Hahn, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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THE END

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