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Railroad Newsline for Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

BNSF ISSUES CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY OPERATING PLAN

HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE

This year the Christmas and New Year's holidays fall on Sunday, December 24, Monday, December 25, Sunday, December 31, and Monday, January 1, 2007.

TRAIN SERVICE

BNSF Railway Company's Christmas and New Year's operating plan will focus on meeting customers' expectations while allowing as many employees as possible to spend time with their families during the holidays.

To the extent possible, carload train service during the holidays will generally operate according to normal schedules, subject to crew availability. Train schedules will be adjusted in some cases on Christmas Day and New Year's Day to allow employees to spend time with their families. Trains will not operate out of origination terminals between 06:00 and 14:00 on Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, and between 22:00 New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31, and 06:00, Monday, January 1.

Since many merchandise unit-train customers plan reduced operations through the holidays, some merchandise unit-train service will be curtailed.

Throughout the two-day Christmas and New Year's holiday periods, BNSF may annul or consolidate trains in line with anticipated reduced traffic volumes. Additionally, consistent with the needs of customers, BNSF will reduce local, road-switch and switch engine assignments.

INTERLINE TRAFFIC

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

COAL TRAINS

Unit Coal trains--both loaded and empty--will operate normally over the Christmas holiday. However, BNSF will attempt to keep trains at the crew's home terminal between 10:00 and 14:00 on Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, if capacity exists at the terminal. On New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31, and New Year's Day, Monday, January 1, unit coal trains will operate normally.

Since many non-unit train coal customers plan reduced operations over the holidays, to the extent possible, BNSF plans to minimize the operation of freight trains out of origin terminals. Most originating trains will be held at terminals from 06:00 on Sunday, December 24, until 06:00 local time on Tuesday, December 26. The same suspensions will apply from 06:00 Sunday, December 31, until 06:00 on Tuesday, January 2. Where possible, crews that are away from home will be returned to their home terminals during this holiday window.

Throughout the two-day Christmas and New Year's holiday periods, BNSF may annul or consolidate trains in line with anticipated reduced traffic volumes. Additionally, consistent with the needs of customers, BNSF will reduce local, road-switch and switch engine assignments.
INTERMODAL TRAINS

BNSF will continue to operate Intermodal trains over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. However, due to lighter volumes of traffic and possible train consolidations, shipments that either originate or arrive at destination Sunday, December 24, through 12:00 on Tuesday, January 2, may experience extended destination availabilities of 24 to 48 hours.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TRAINS

Christmas Day

· Empty Shuttles

Customers with empty trains arriving at the loading facility after 06:00, Sunday, December 24, may elect to move their official spot time to 06:00, Tuesday, December 26. During this time frame, trains may be loaded if desired.

· Loaded Shuttles

Customers with loaded trains arriving at an unload facility after 12:00, Sunday, December 24, may elect to move their official spot time to 06:00, Tuesday, December 26. 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.

New Year's Day

· Empty Shuttles

Customers with empty trains arriving at the loading facility after 06:00, Sunday, December 31, may elect to move their official spot time to 06:00, Tuesday, January 2, 2007. During this time frame, trains may be loaded if desired.

· Loaded Shuttles

Customers with loaded trains arriving at an unload facility after 12:00, Sunday, December 31, may elect to move their official spot time to 06:00, Tuesday, January 2, 2007. 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 are no allowances for the Tuesdays after Christmas and New Year's Day. Origination Efficiency Payment (OEP) or Destination Efficiency Payment (DEP) will be lost if customer(s) elect to operate outside of these allowances.

Throughout the holidays, BNSF will attempt to keep the Grain Network running at a high level to match the increased demand. If crew and locomotive capacity is available, the train will run. We will coordinate with all customers who are willing to work during the holidays and use extra service if necessary to meet demand.

- BNSF Service Advisory

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BNSF'S CROSSING CLOSURE TEAM REPORTS SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The BNSF Railway Company's Crossing Closure team has once again exceeded its annual goal by closing more than 435 at-grade highway rail crossings in 2006.

"This has been a very good year for crossing closures," says Lyn Hartley, BNSF director, Public Projects. "When we started in 2000, we weren't sure how many we could close, yet this past March we surpassed 3,000 closures and are continuing to be successful," says Hartley.

The team's success is well known outside of BNSF as well. Earlier this year Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern met with BNSF's Crossing Closure team to gain a better understanding of the program. They plan to incorporate elements of the BNSF's closure program into their own.

The Closure Team consists of two workgroups: the Public Projects team in Engineering and the Field Safety team. Both teams work together to close public and private grade crossings that are redundant or not used frequently.

"The team's success is well-deserved because it involves a lot of hard work by a lot of individuals," adds Rob Roy, director, Field Safety Support, who's retiring at the end of this year after leading the Field Safety team for many years. "I'm proud of the team and proud to have been a part of this initiative." - BNSF Today

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2006 CPR HOLIDAY TRAIN WRAPS UP VERY SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER FOR FOOD SHELVES IN U.S. NORTHEAST AND MIDWEST

The Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train, which has been rolling across the U.S. Northeast and Midwest since December 1, supporting local food shelves, wrapped up a successful 2006 program this weekend with final shows in Carpio, North Dakota (December 16) and then right at the U.S.-Canada border crossing in Portal, North Dakota (December 17).

Final tabulations are still being completed, but after fundraising shows in 40 communities in 11 days, about 76,000 pounds of food and more than $190,000 have been donated to local shelves in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest to this point. What makes the dollar totals even more significant is that food shelves have indicated that every dollar can distribute $9 worth of food.

An estimated 80,000 people took in the spirit and magic of the fundraising events, while thousands more caught a glimpse of this unique fundraiser as the train, with its hundreds of thousands of lights rolled through the U.S., helping to build the awareness about the ongoing fight against hunger.

Many American Holiday Train fans have even sent video clips of the 'train of lights' to [www.YouTube.com] (Editor's note: best search results are under "Canadian Pacific Holiday Train") and there continues to be inquiries about the Holiday Train from people in States where the train does not run. As well, communities along the CPR track system have already begun requesting to be included on the schedule for the 2007 Holiday Train.

Right from the start of the U.S. Holiday Train in Scranton PA, there have been so many examples at every stop of the spirit of giving and generosity of Americans for their local food shelves. CPR is so grateful for the tremendous support for the Holiday Train program.

A second identically-decorated Holiday Train is currently still making its away across Canada taking the same message of goodwill and food shelf support to communities until December 19 when it will end its run near Vancouver, British Columbia.

Since launching in 1999, the Holiday Train magic, with its two trains that are each decked out with hundreds of thousands of bright lights and decorations, continues to grow as more communities request it to stop and perform. Going into this year, about $2.4 million (Cdn) has been raised and close to 1.3 million pounds of food collected in both Canada and the United Sates. Final numbers for 2006 for both countries should be confirmed by early January. - Ed Greenberg, CPR News Release

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FRA EXTENDS SAFETY COMPLIANCE AGREEMENT AGAINST DM&E RAILROAD

ROCHESTER, MN -- The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has decided that the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) will have to continue operating under a Safety Compliance Agreement because the railroad failed to satisfy the Agreement's safety requirements. DM&E is currently one of only two railroads in the United States whose poor safety record has forced it to operate under such a safety agreement with the FRA.

DM&E's Safety Compliance Agreement was scheduled to terminate on Oct. 17, but the FRA determined that a full one-third of the 30 terms and conditions must remain in effect. The extension provides independent verification of continuing safety problems at DM&E.

The FRA met with DM&E management on Oct. 17 to discuss its one-year assessment of DM&E's documented weaknesses in four major areas (track maintenance, training and testing on railroad operating rules, bridge inspections and warning devices at highway-rail crossings), but DM&E never announced this FRA decision. Instead, the latest information about DM&E's safety was obtained through a request under the Freedom of Information Act. The DM&E has repeatedly cited "old rail" for derailments and other accidents but has refused to acknowledge its consistent safety failures to meet its Safety Agreement obligations.

"We can only speculate on what other information DM&E is withholding from the public even while it attempts to secure $2.3 billion from the taxpayers by keeping them in the dark.

DM&E's safety problems just don't go away," said Chris Gade, spokesperson for the Rochester Coalition. "DM&E has failed to bring its operations up to industry standards, even when it's under a government microscope. DM&E's failure to comply with the Safety Agreement underscores why the public can have little confidence that it will perform more safely if given the means to operate 10-times the number of trains at four-times the speed every day through Rochester and communities all along the line."

The FRA report outlined six requirements where DM&E failed to meet its Safety Agreement obligations, including:

1. No documentation that DM&E conducted a quarterly internal audit of safety testing results for April, May and June 2006.

2. No written certification, on a monthly basis, that DM&E testing records are accurate and complete.

3. No specific policies or procedures requiring that malfunctioning active warning systems at highway-rail grade crossing be fixed in a timely manner.

4. FRA inspections found 10 violations and numerous defects related to highway-rail grade crossing signal inspection, testing and maintenance resources.

5. FRA is "not convinced DM&E can accomplish the required signal tests, repairs, and maintenance with its current staffing."

6. FRA is not convinced that DM&E made necessary revisions to allocations of signal and grade crossing resources.

Rochester Coalition member and Olmsted County Board Chair Ken Brown said this latest development further amplifies the coalition's concerns about DM&E's worthiness for a record government subsidy, stating, "If this isn't proof that this railroad shouldn't be given a $2.3 billion dollar government bailout, I don't know what is." Brown further stated, "DM&E continues to blame its poor safety record on the condition of its track -- some dating back to 1872 and purchased by DM&E more than two decades ago. DM&E refuses to accept responsibility for a cultural problem that would continue, even if they ran on brand new rail. The FRA is in the awkward position of enforcing rail safety regulations against a railroad with chronic safety issues while considering DM&E's application for a $2.3 billion taxpayer-supported loan."

FRA data on rail safety inspections also indicates persistent safety problems. As of today, inspectors have logged 4,737 safety defects during 2006 at DM&E and its Iowa, Chicago & Eastern (IC&E) subsidiary. The running total is already more than triple DM&E's 1,400 safety defects for all of 2004.

The six issues will remain open for 90 days, until Jan. 17, 2007, while the FRA conducts audits and inspections to determine whether further action is needed. In addition, the Safety Compliance Agreement outlines four provisions on track maintenance that will remain in effect another two years. DM&E blames its high number of derailments on old track, but the Safety Compliance Agreement holds DM&E responsible for maintaining its track, which can eliminate many track-related derailments.

Although it terminated a requirement related to bridge maintenance, FRA expressed concern about bridge conditions in western South Dakota. FRA noted that "some bridges are still in very poor condition" and issued a word of caution: "if at any time FRA finds a bridge that is an imminent hazard, FRA has the ability to remove the bridge from service with an Emergency Order if DM&E fails to act appropriately."

FRA slapped DM&E with the Safety Compliance Agreement in October 2005, making DM&E one of only two U.S. railroads under a federal safety watch. In November 2005, FRA published its 2004 Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report, which ranked DM&E worst in total safety and train-accident rate among the nation's 43 largest railroads. In December 2005, DM&E applied for the biggest federal loan to a private company in U.S. history.

Background

The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) is seeking the largest federal loan to a private company in American history -- a $2.3 billion subsidy from U.S. taxpayers to finance a major rail expansion project through the Midwest. The loan far exceeds the famous Chrysler bailout, which was debated vigorously in the halls of Congress and by the American people. The proposed $2.3 billion taxpayer loan to DM&E has not been subject to a single minute of debate in Congress, and the public has been barred from examining details of the loan application and the company's finances.

According to the New York Times ("Lobbyist Turns Senator But Twists Same Arms," Feb. 28, 2006), DM&E's loan was made possible in 2005 when Sen. John Thune, a former DM&E lobbyist, championed legislation to increase the Federal Railroad Administration's loan program from $3.5 billion to $35 billion and modified the loan criteria to benefit his former employer.

A recent poll, conducted by KRC Research, showed that a majority of registered voters in Minnesota's First Congressional District and more than two-thirds of Rochester residents oppose the DM&E's request for the $2.3 billion federal loan. The same poll conducted statewide in South Dakota found a plurality of residents also opposes the railroad's loan request.

The Rochester Coalition represents the city of Rochester, Minnesota, Olmsted County, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and Mayo Clinic. The coalition opposes DM&E's $2.3 billion federal loan and the railroad's efforts to expand its rail line through Rochester. DM&E, which according to government statistics has the worst safety record in its class, currently operates three to four slow-moving trains carrying mostly grain products each day through Rochester. The federal loan would enable DM&E to haul as many as 34 mile-long trains each day through the heart of Rochester at high speed, carrying coal and unspecified amounts of hazardous materials a few hundred yards from Mayo Clinic, Rochester Methodist Hospital, several nursing homes and other health- care facilities. The project threatens Mayo Clinic patients, many of whom are critically ill and unable to evacuate in the event of a DM&E derailment involving hazardous materials.

Detailed information on the FRA's Safety Compliance Agreement extension can be found at: [www.dmetraintruth.com] . - PRNewswire, Source: Rochester Coalition

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DANTEL ANNOUNCES RAILROAD DEPLOYMENT OF ITS THIRD GENERATION WEBMONT EDGE AND MATRIX REMOTE SURVEILLANCE PLATFORMS

Dantel, Inc. the leader in network surveillance and management systems, announced Tuesday that its WebMon Edge and WebMon Matrix were selected for deployment to monitor and protect the track side assets of a major railroad operating in the northwestern United States.

"The railroad industry has recently been acknowledged for their proactive efforts in designing and implementing a comprehensive, intelligence-driven, priority based blueprint of actions designed to enhance freight rail security," said Dave Lauger, director of business development for Dantel. "The railroads are vital to our economy. In 2005, railroads carried 1,898,721 tons of commodities over 171,061 miles of track throughout the States."

"Our WebMon Matrix and WebMon Edge were selected to monitor and alarm the track side assets deployed throughout this railroad's network. Some assets include microwave radio sites, emergency generators, signal road crossings and other remotely located sites. The Matrix was selected for the large remote sites and the Edge was selected to monitor and protect the smaller remote locations," added Lauger.

"Dantel has been providing the railroads with innovative remote monitoring solutions for over 30 years," said Alan Hutcheson, president and CEO of Dantel. "Due to elevated security concerns throughout the industry we believe we will see strong interest in railroad applications for our third generation remote monitoring platforms." - PRWeb.com, Source: Dantel, Inc

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MAGAZINE RANKS CARSON CITY A TOP WESTERN TOWN

CARSON CITY, NV -- A historical magazine ranked Carson City in its top 10 Western towns, lauding its efforts to preserve downtown and rebuild a famous Comstock railroad.

An editor with True West magazine said Monday that the capital city embodies what many love about the American West. A local tourism official said this ranking in the magazine's January/February issue will bring more tourist dollars into the area. The Cave Creek, Ariz.-based magazine has a readership of 200,000, according to the managing editor.

"I think the people who read True West magazine have an affinity for Western communities and are looking for a true Western experience," said Candy Duncan, Carson City Convention & Visitors' Bureau executive director.

Megan Saar, managing editor of the magazine, said its editorial board ranked Carson City as No. 3 in the top 10 because of the work on the Virginia & Truckee Railway this year and the historic downtown.

The $40 million V&T Railway will link Carson City to Virginia City with 18 miles of reconstructed rail along the historic right-of-way. Project boosters expect it to attract 73,000 tourists in its first year of operation in 2010.

The magazine's annual list is compiled from nominations sent by city tourism bureaus and chambers of commerce. Saar said it had 100 applicants.

"Our magazine is all about preserving Western heritage," she said. "In doing that, we like to promote towns doing the same efforts that we are. These towns do a wonderful job of keeping the West alive by having historic museums and preserving sites."

She said Carson City probably wouldn't reach the pinnacle until after the railway is complete.

Stephen Lincoln, vice president of the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation, said Carson City still has that feel of a small Western town, despite its proximity to two large tourist areas.

"To the south of town you have all one-acre homes, to the north is all one-acre lots, so you still have that rural feel in town," said Lincoln, who is a real estate agent with Re/Max Realty Affiliates.

"We have subdivisions but they're localized and concentrated. Because of the open space you get the true feeling of being in the Old West," Lincoln said.

He said that is in danger of ending as the city's population grows. - Becky Bosshart, The Nevada Appeal

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DREAM OF TRAIN TO RAINIER: CAN RAILROAD LINE GET BACK ON TRACK?

TACOMA, WA -- Between serving rural industrial development and creating a possible tourist train to Mount Rainier, Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division has a lot of potential.

A Tacoma News Tribune photo by Russ Carmack can be seen at this link:

[www.thenewstribune.com]

But potential doesn't pay the bills. In the past two weeks, the Tacoma City Council approved new loans and extended old ones - totaling $4.5 million - to keep the Mountain Division up and running.

The city-owned railroad - which connects the Port of Tacoma to Frederickson, Morton and Chehalis - has been operating at a loss for two years and saw a downturn in business in 2006.
Its present financial situation has some City Council members and the mayor wondering whether the city's general government should continue to own the railroad.

"There's not a lot of sense in being in the position we are in with that," said council member Jake Fey. "It's costing the city's general fund money. . It's money that could have been spent for the core purposes of the city."

Losing money

The city originally bought the railroad in the mid-1990s with the hopes of creating a "Train to the Mountain" for tourists and subsidizing that operation with a freight business. The city's general government owns the railroad, while Tacoma Rail - a part of Tacoma Public Utilities - is the operator. Tacoma Rail also owns and operates the Tidelands Division, which serves the mainlines and customers in the port, and the Capital Division, which works in East Olympia.

The original purpose of purchasing the line - the dream of a "Train to the Mountain" - has yet to come to fruition because of lack of funding.

Tacoma Rail received a $700,000 federal grant to study the feasibility of the project. The study should be completed by mid-2007.

The city created the freight operation of the Mountain Division in 1998.

Mark Crisson, TPU's executive director, said there's been a few years when the railroad made a profit. In 2005, the division operated at a loss but still recorded a net profit once revenues such as leases, storage fees and grants were added in, according to financial documents from the city.

This year is a different story.

The division is operating at a loss and losing money at its bottom line.

By September of this year - the most current figures available - revenue for the Mountain Division was down 24 percent compared to 2005. Operating expenses accounted for $2.1 million, while the railroad generated $716,000 in operating revenue. The division has posted a net loss of almost $200,000 for this year.

Paula Henry, Tacoma Rail superintendent, said business dipped as existing customers cut back on the number of rail cars they ordered, pilot projects ended and customers expected to boost business started later than the railroad expected.

"We had a few one-hit wonders and then they went away," Henry said.

The Mountain Division hauled 3,076 rail cars last year. As of the end of November, the division had moved 2,324 rail cars.

To stay afloat, the division borrowed money from the city's general fund and extended loans it already had.

The city has lent the Mountain Division $4.5 million in the past three years. Last week, the Tacoma City Council extended the payment deadline for two of the loans - $450,000 and $2 million. Two weeks ago, the council approved a new $2.1 million loan.

Changing owners?

To some City Council members and the mayor, Tacoma Public Utilities is the more logical owner of the Mountain Division.

The freight line is an artifact of more than a decade, when the purpose of the city buying the tracks was creating a "Train to the Mountain." But now having Tacoma Rail's three divisions and their finances split between two owners makes little sense, said Fey and Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma.

"It seems reasonable that all the rail lines be under one operation," Baarsma said. He also added that the Port of Tacoma could play a bigger role in supporting the Mountain Division, saying "the port has a direct interest and we could explore potential partnerships with them as well."

Baarsma said he hadn't broached the subject with the port.

Jeannie Beckett, the port's senior director of inland transportation, said the port and its customers have limited use of the Mountain Division now. That could change with development of 700-plus acres in Maytown that the port purchased this year. The Mountain Division runs through the property, according to Tacoma Rail. How the division might fit into the future development, Beckett didn't know.

"It's too early to say what that partnership would look like," she said.

The council and TPU plan to tackle the ownership topic in 2007, most likely after the study on the "Train to the Mountain" is completed.

Crisson, head of TPU, has his concerns.

Transferring ownership of a rail line isn't easy and involves working with the federal government.

"This isn't like an operation you just walk away from," Crisson said.

Plus, a Mountain Division that loses money could put financial pressure on Tacoma Rail's larger and usually more profitable outfit - the Tidelands Division.

That division has also suffered this year. It handled 14 percent fewer railcars than in 2005 as shippers sent cargo that had been coming through Tacoma back to Southern California and the main railroads - key customers of Tacoma Rail's - used less railcars in an effort to be efficient. Because Tacoma Rail charged per car, the change cost them revenue.

Tacoma Rail has restructured its Tidelands rates for 2007 - its first increase in six years.

Doug Ljungren, the port's business planning manager, doesn't expect the cargo that went to California back anytime soon.

To help with Tidelands costs, Tacoma Rail took out $2 million line of credit.

"It's there if we need it, but so far we haven't touched it," Henry noted.

New business

Council members have voiced concerns about whether the Mountain Division will be able to repay its loans.

"I'm willing to stand by Tacoma Rail, but now that the taxpayer is in effect a banker to Tacoma Rail, I have a responsibility of representing the taxpayers to closely monitor that investment," said deputy mayor Mike Lonergan.

The division's future could be bright.

Tacoma Rail has made use of $23 million in federal and state grants to repair the Mountain Division's tracks, which were in a sorry state when the city bought them. It's an investment Henry believes will be worth it.

"We are turning the corner right now to where all that investment is paying off," she said.

The Mountain Division enlisted two new customers last week. Another new Frederickson customer - MacMillan-Piper, Inc. - could eventually double the Mountain Division's business. The company transloads grain from hopper cars to shipping containers headed for the port.

Still Henry can't make any guarantees that the line will make money. She made that clear to the City Council before its members approved the recent $2 million loan. "I can't control the economy," she said. - Kelly Kearsley, The Tacoma News Tribune

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ETHANOL PLANT UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED

DODGE CITY, KS -- Ford County Commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit to Boothill Biofuels LLC for the building of an ethanol plant in Wright. The decision was greeted with a standing ovation from a packed audience in the Ford County 4-H building.

"Some of the decisions we make adversely affect those people we care about," said Commissioner Kim Goodnight. "But I think we have to remain optimistic."

Whether for or against the plant, turnout for the meeting showed just how much Ford County residents care for their community and are concerned with its future.

That sentiment was echoed by Bob Wetmore, president of Ford County/Dodge City Development Corporation.

"I applaud all of you for being so concerned and for being so involved and caring so much about your community," he said.

Many people took the stand to show both support and opposition to the plant.

"The thing we need to do to revitalize and bring youth into this community is to provide opportunity," said Matt Durler, one of the many people who stood up to support the project.

Durler said he remembered when Wright was much more prosperous than it is now.

"Gone are both schools, gone is the Little League baseball team, gone is the hardware store, the tire shop, that cafe or bar and grill is now a senior center and even the Knights of Columbus softball tournament is now a horseshoe tournament. These are all signs of an aging community."

Many people in opposition of the plant said they were for ethanol but said that Boothill Biofuels did not correctly file an application for a conditional use permit.

Jack Schultz, attorney for Wright residents who signed a protest petition, said that Boothill Biofuels did not submit a complete and valid application in a timely manner as set forth by Ford County Zoning Regulations in Article 12.

"This was not set about according to the law," he said.

In Article 12, it states: "The Development Plan shall be submitted at the time the application is submitted."

Lowell Brakey, a paid consultant for the opposition, has said that if the Ford County Commission approved a conditional use permit, they may take legal action against the commission.

Mark Shriwise, director for Ford County Planning, Zoning and Environmental Health, said the application was turned in on Nov. 3 and the development plan was turned in Nov. 20.

"While that language says 'shall' it's been determined to not necessarily require, it's not mandatory with regards to the development plan and its being filed," said Glenn Kerbs, legal council for the commission. "So it has been my opinion that while the plan was not filed at the same time of the application, it was filed in advance of the hearing by a week and the opportunity was there for it to be considered."

Kerbs counseled the commission that they are in their legal right to approve the resolution.
Boothill Biofuels LLC plans to build the plant east of Wright between 119th and 120th Road, south of the right of way for the BNSF Railway Company. The plant will produce 110 million gallons of ethanol and 908,000 tons of wet distillers grain annually. The plant provide between 40-45 jobs with a combined payroll of $2 million. Estimated plant start-up date is September 2008. - Ashley Nietfeld, The Dodge City Daily Globe

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COON RAPIDS, MN -- Sean Novack, a lifelong Coon Rapids resident, was used to hearing the sound of trains.

But Sunday morning that noise was different, according to Novack, who lives next to the double-line BNSF Railway Company tracks at 106th and Killdeer Street.

As he and his wife, Cheryl, were sitting on the sofa in the living room of their home shortly after 09:30 Dec. 17, the noise from a train passing their home grew louder and louder and there was "rattling" inside the house, according to Novack.

Novack has two views of the tracks from his residence. As he looked out of one windows, he saw the front of the train had stopped.

But Novack said when he looked out of the other window, he saw train cars and their containers going off the tracks in what he described as a "cacophony" of sound.

And it was a large berm that was constructed by the railroad between the tracks and his and other homes that abut the tracks that prevented two of the derailed cars from threatening his property, he said.

"When Cheryl (his wife) and I ran to the window, we saw two of the cars coming toward us," Novack said.

But as his wife grabbed their 15-month-old son Ian and backed away from the window, the train cars got no farther than the berm, he said.

According to Novack, the berm is about six feet high and 35 feet wide.

"The railroad did a good job with the berm," Novack said. "As the train cars came off the tracks, they hit the berm and stopped in all the dirt."

Photos by City of Coon Rapids Fire Marshal, John Piper can be seen at these links:

[hometownsource.com]

[hometownsource.com]

Novack described the impact of the derailment as "amazing" and "shocking."

But his daughter, Miranda, who came up from her downstairs bedroom when she heard the noise, called it "cool," Novack said.

After witnessing the derailment, Novack said he immediately called 911 and was told they had had several calls before his about the derailment.

"In the years I have lived in Coon Rapids, I don't recall anything like this," he said. - Peter Bodley, Managing Editor, ABC Newspapers

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CSX RAIL YARD WORKED STRUCK BY TRAIN

BETHLEHEM, NY -- An employee crossing tracks at the Selkirk rail yards around midnight was killed when a freight train struck his ATV, officials said Tuesday.

John A. Williams, a mechanic with 13 years of experience at the railroad, was traveling an access road from one part of the yards to another when the New Jersey-bound freight train struck him at a crossing.

The 53-year-old Albany man was found under the engine, police said. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene.

Crossings at the yards don't have barriers to prevent people from crossing when a train passes, said Bob Sullivan, a spokesman for CSX Transportation, which owns the yards.

But Sullivan described the crossing where Williams died as ``clearly marked,'' apparently with stop signs.

Authorities had no word on what caused the accident.

``We are working closely with the Bethlehem Police and with the Federal Railroad Administration to thoroughly investigate and make sure we understand what happened here,'' Sullivan said. ``So, if there's a lesson to be learned, we learn it.''

Authorities have not filed any charges.

Scores of rescue personnel and equipment converged on the accident scene in an area just off Bell Crossing Road.

Williams worked in the mechanical department, which handles inspections and repairs.
CSX took over the property in 1999 as part of its acquisition of ConRail. - Marc Parry, The Albany Times-Union

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THEORIES FLY ABOUT ORIGIN OF MYSTERY SHIP

PORT COSTA, CA -- Legend is full of unsolved mysteries of ships that vanish without a trace. Port Costa offers a variation on the theme: the ship that appeared, apparently out of nowhere.

It's about 150 to 200 feet long, looks like a retired ferry and is tied up about two dozen feet from shore alongside a boat-hull-shaped object at the waterfront of the closed Port Costa brickyard.

"It just showed up," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Andrea Bidowski; she could not say when.
Painted a ghostly white, the boat has no immediately visible markings except what appears to be a spray-painted letter or number in a circle.

"The owner of that pier has called here and asked it to be removed, because it's not his," Bidowski said. But the matter is out of Coast Guard jurisdiction.

"It's a private pier," she said.

She could not say whether the pier belongs to the brickyard, which owner TXI Pacific Custom Materials has closed and mostly dismantled. Two men working there Monday said they did not know when the boat appeared or anything else about it.

"Something like that doesn't just pop out of thin air," said Jimmy Lee, spokesman for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. "Somebody has to have put it there."

The Sheriff's Office is investigating.

"We're still trying to establish who owns the boat," Lee said.

He asked anyone with information to call the Sheriff's Marine Patrol at 925-427-8507.

Crockett resident Gene Pedrotti, who owns Pedrotti Ace Hardware in Benicia and alerted the Times to the boat, said he first saw it Thursday when he was walking his dog at the foot of Benicia's First Street. He offered the theory, bolstered by comments he said were made by someone in the know, that the boat was being towed by a tug when the rigging broke, requiring the boat to be moored temporarily.

Judy Bulfer, the officer-in-charge at the Port Costa Post Office, said residents mentioned the boat perhaps as far back as two weeks ago. One, she said, believed the boat is supposed to become a floating restaurant.

Water-based gastronomy has a turbulent history along this shore. In 1983, an arson fire destroyed the old ferry Garden City, with its famed restaurant, ballroom and bar, off the shore at Eckley just west of Port Costa.

Several contributors to a railroad buffs' Web chatroom claimed to know something about the mystery boat. One, who saw it from Interstate 780 in Benicia, said it resembles an old Southern Pacific Railroad ferry. Another tentatively identified it as the ferry Fresno -- formerly the Willapa -- and the object next to it as the hull of the ferry San Leandro. Both were long docked at Mare Island, the writer said.

"My fear is that all this metal is going to the scrapyard (sigh)," the writer said.
Another said the ferry and the hull were destined for Stockton but offered no further details. - Tom Lochner, Media News, The San Jose Mercury News

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TRANSIT NEWS

CTA TRAIN DERAILS

CHICAGO, IL -- As investigators try to figure out what caused a CTA Orange Line train to derail in the South Loop just before noon today, a spokeswoman said the incident will affect the afternoon rush.

Map here: [www.chicagotribune.com]

Chicago Tribune Photos by Ryan Smith, Chuck Berman and Zbigniew at the following links:

[www.chicagotribune.com]

[www.chicagotribune.com]

[www.chicagotribune.com]

[www.chicagotribune.com]

"Information specialists" will be available at train stations and bus stops in the Loop to assist commuters, said spokeswoman Ibis Antongiorgi.

Ten ambulances were sent to the scene of the derailment, which forced the evacuation of the train. The rear car of the northbound Orange Line train came off the tracks around 11:40 just south of the Roosevelt Road station, authorities said. A second car partially derailed. The train was four cars long and carried about 150 people, according to the CTA.

Initial reports indicated that two cars derailed and a third car partially derailed.

The Fire Department escorted stranded passengers from the train and transported them to the ground using a snorkel basket, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Chicago Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco said eight people were taken to various hospitals suffering minor injuries including bumps and bruises. One may have had an asthma attack, Orozco said.

Passenger Aisha Parker, 28, was in the rear car when it derailed. "The train was going around the turn, and it started shaking real loud," she said.

Immediately after the derailment, the train came to a stop and passengers started to stand up, Parker said. She then noticed the car was leaning and said she feared a shift in weight might cause the train to fall off the elevated tracks.

"I said: 'We're leaning, we're leaning. Everybody sit still,'" she recalled.

Power was temporarily shut off along the tracks, which are shared by the Orange and Green Lines, and the CTA was providing a shuttle bus for riders to continue on to their destinations, said CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor.

At a news conference this afternoon, CTA President Frank Kruesi said investigators are considering several possible causes for the derailment.

He said the train was passing an area where trains can be switched to other tracks, and it's possible a switch was accidentally tripped.

"The rail in the position to send the train in the correct path is not in that position now," Kruesi said.

He said two "signal maintainers" were working at a switching hut nearby at the time of the derailment.

Those employees and the train operator were undergoing alcohol and drug testing this afternoon, Kruesi said. The results were expected today.

He said investigators are trying to figure out where the command to trigger the switch came from. But he said investigators are also considering other causes.

"We don't want to rush to judgement or exclude any other possibilities," he said. For example, another possible cause is that debris from a construction site got on the tracks, he said.

Due to the derailment, Orange and Green Line service was interrupted in both directions near the Roosevelt station, according to the CTA Web site.

Orange Line trains were operating between Midway Airport and the Halsted station, where passengers were advised to transfer to the No. 62 Archer bus to complete their trips into the Loop. Also, shuttle buses were operating in both directions between the Halsted and State/Van Buren stations.

The two extremities of the Green Line were operating--from Oak Park and River Forest to the Loop on the north and west, and from Ashland/63rd and 63rd/Cottage Grove to 35th Street on the south.

Shuttle buses were operating in both directions between the 35th-Bronzeville-IIT station and State/Van Buren. Shuttle buses were also available for customers to get to the Red Line 35th Street station to continue north to the Loop.

Green Line trains from Oak Park and River Forest were traveling around the Loop along Wells, Van Buren, Wabash and Lake before heading back to the western suburbs, Antongiorgi said.

Chicago police cordoned off Wabash and State Street for several blocks south of 13th Street. - Jeremy Gorner and Mitch Dudek, The Chicago Tribune, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr

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STREETCAR LURCHES FORWARD

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NEW ORLEANS, LA -- The first step in the long road to restoration for the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line is set to take place Tuesday, as transit officials bring back daily service between Canal Street and Lee Circle for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.

Scheduled for 10:30, the ceremonial trip around Robert E. Lee's statue marks the completion of the initial phase of a three-part reformation project expected to last at least another 15 months.

Under plans still being developed, the Regional Transit Authority hopes to reopen a second leg of the historic St. Charles line, between Lee Circle and Napoleon Avenue, by next summer. The final segment, which will restore service from Napoleon to the terminus on Carrollton Avenue, likely won't be finished until spring or early summer of 2008, officials said.

"We're trying to do it right and make it as reliable as possible," Fred Basha, the RTA's capital projects director, said last week. "When we finish, everything should be in really good shape and much easier to maintain."

Since New Orleans' post-Katrina transit service resumed in October 2005, the RTA has operated buses on St. Charles Avenue, a service that will continue until the streetcars are ready to roll. The streetcar line, one of New Orleans' signature attractions, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

35 streetcars saved

The RTA resumed service on a portion of the Canal Street streetcar line about a year ago. In the spring, the agency added the Riverfront line and the remainder of the Canal Street line, including the Carrollton Avenue spur.

The 35 venerable Perley Thomas Car Co. streetcars used on St. Charles Avenue survived Hurricane Katrina because they were stored on high ground inside the RTA's Willow Street facility. The faded green cars are being used on the Canal and Riverfront lines to replace temporarily the newer, red street cars destroyed in the flood.

Basha said the St. Charles line -- historically the RTA's busiest route with more than 3.5 million boardings a year -- was long overdue for rehabilitation even before the August 2005 storm.

Coincidentally, the agency had planned to launch an end-to-end replacement of the electrical system that drives the streetcars on Sept. 6, 2005, about a week after Katrina shut down public transit in New Orleans for more than two months and forced the RTA staff to relocate temporarily to Baton Rouge.

The damage caused by the hurricane, however, transformed what would have been an inconvenience into a service shutdown.

Instead of closing the streetcar line one section at a time to replace overhead wires, the RTA now must install an entirely new network to supplant the one ripped apart by high winds and fallen tree limbs.

Substation ruined

Further complicating matters was the destruction of the electrical substation that supplies the juice to move the streetcars, as well as the heavy cables that relay the current. The now-defunct station is on Upperline Street, near the midpoint of the St. Charles Avenue stretch of the line.

The loss of that facility left the RTA with no way to get power to the streetcar line, Basha said.

A portable power plant, on loan to the RTA from the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, has been running the Canal Street line and will be used to drive the Lee Circle extension. The Riverfront line has its own power source.

The wrecked Uptown substation housed three "rectifiers," devices that convert the alternating current electricity that flows into homes and businesses into the direct current needed to run a streetcar. One rectifier was used for cars headed Uptown, one for downtown service and the third for a backup.

RTA administrators have long recognized that it was never a good idea to have all three rectifiers in the same location. The pre-Katrina upgrade included a provision -- to be paid for with an $11.8 million federal grant -- to place new stations at three points along the route. Basha said the agency will stick to that strategy.

The first of the new stations will be placed beneath the Crescent City Connection at Calliope Street. The second will be located near the old Upperline station, while the third will go inside the Carrollton Barn at the intersection of Dublin and Jeannette streets.

The Calliope Street location will allow the RTA to run streetcars to Napoleon Avenue.

"What's more important," Basha said, "is the additional flexibility this gives us. If something like this (Katrina) ever happens again and power gets knocked out, it won't take the whole line out of service."

Wires to be strung

But before the RTA can power up, it must finish stringing a new and improved network of overhead wires and cables.

To prepare for the job, RTA contractors already have replaced more than 150 of the 560 poles that line the route.

Work is under way installing new crossarms on the poles. Once that task is finished, heavy-duty cables from the electrical stations must be connected to system. Only then, Basha said, can the "trolley" wires be run along the line.

The good news is that the rails and crossties, along with the bed beneath the St. Charles Avenue track, survived Katrina intact. The RTA replaced that infrastructure in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and recent tests indicate that streetcars could operate now if a power source were available.

One aspect of the restoration that will have to wait is the landscaping of the St. Charles neutral ground. Because the work ahead will require repeatedly moving heavy equipment on and off the median, city officials have no plans to resod and replant anytime soon.

As for when the line will be back in service, RTA administrators declined to set hard and fast timetables, saying the process could be slowed by bad weather, unforeseen glitches and the still-needed approval of some federal dollars.

But Basha hopes to get service to Napoleon Avenue up and running before Labor Day. He said the entire St. Charles line should be running no later than summer 2008.

"We will do everything possible to speed that up," he said. "And of course, we will continue to run buses in the meantime." - Frank Donze, The New Orleans Times-Picayune

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HERE'S WHAT WILL TRAVEL THOSE LIGHT-RAIL TRACKS

SEATTLE, WA -- Sound Transit rolled out its first Central Link light-rail vehicle on Monday.

Two Seattle Times photos by Ellen M. Banner are here:

[seattletimes.nwsource.com]

[seattletimes.nwsource.com]

The vehicle is only one element of the construction that will stretch from Westlake Station, in Seattle, to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. When the light-rail line opens in 2009, riders can expect a 36-minute trip from Seattle to the airport.

Sound Transit plans to extend the rail so it will stretch to the University District. Other extensions have been proposed and could included lines stretching to Lynnwood, SeaTac, the Port of Tacoma and to the Eastside.

Trains will run every few minutes, 20 hours a day. Thirty-five light-rail cars will make up the initial fleet.

More than 45,000 daily riders are expected to use the link as part of their regular commute by 2020, said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who also sits on the Sound Transit Board.

He said recent federal approval to expand light rail to the University of Washington gives local transit a bright future and "sets the stage for the next phase of developing the entire transit network." - The Seattle Times

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NOTING PROGRESS ON LIGHT RAIL FOR CENTRAL CORRIDOR

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN -- We're for light rail between downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis -- the so-called Central Corridor -- for several reasons:

. It's an effective addition to the mix of urban travel options.

. It has ripple effects that will be good for St. Paul.

. It supports a vision of the future -- including a mass-transit hub that serves light rail, buses and big trains here -- that is important to St. Paul and the rest of the east metro.

So we cheer the latest development in the effort to get that train on track. Last week, the federal government gave the go-ahead for detailed engineering work on the Central Corridor route. Congratulations to all those who have worked long and hard to get the project to this point.

That federal OK for the next step is a big deal, but it doesn't mean the project is a done deal.

Since the federal government would pay for half of it, it wants to make sure it's cost-effective. At an estimated cost of around $930 million, the Central Corridor project is probably still too expensive. Peter Bell, chairman of the Metropolitan Council, has said the project needs to go on a diet.

It has love handles and a pot belly. The pot belly is a tunnel and accoutrements through the University of Minnesota. The love handles are a total remake of University Avenue in St. Paul (the train would run down the middle of the road) and connecting the route to Union Depot, the grand old train station in St. Paul. Union Depot used to handle about 200 trains a day and is envisioned as a "multi-modal" hub of the future -- serving light rail, big trains, fast trains, buses, etc.

Nobody's saying exactly how much needs to come off for the project to be fit enough to run.
Spot reduction might work. It could be that all it needs is to lose is a love handle.

It might be necessary to build that tunnel or some other safe accommodation for the U of M, so big savings might not come there. And running the line all the way to Union Depot is important to the east metro's vitality. Remaking University Avenue while it's torn up for train tracks makes perfect sense, but perhaps there's another way to pay for it.

Balancing among those interests will take more sweat. And, in the meantime, there are other exercises to do -- such as deciding whether the "Bennett Loop" makes more or less sense than the already-proposed route.

County Commissioner Tony Bennett has proposed that instead of running straight into the middle of downtown St. Paul and then straight back out, the train would instead make a one-way loop around downtown. That would take the route past several important stops -- including the Xcel Energy Center.

There's a certain elegance to Bennett's idea, though elegance doesn't always translate into efficiency. Preliminary analysis of the loop suggests it will cost more, increase the ride time and attract fewer passengers.

It's hard to believe it would attract fewer passengers, and the county is looking more closely at the loop analysis, to make sure it's as accurate as it can be. Talk about the loop at this stage makes some people nervous -- because it's coming after much study of the original route and could create the appearance of disunity, indecision or impractical thinking. But it's not that. Instead, it's a reasonable effort, now that the project looks more real than it ever has before, to make sure that what goes forward is the best plan possible. The loop is worth a quick closer look.

But there should be no doubt about this: The people responsible for the project are committed to a smart, cost-effective plan that serves the region's transportation needs and prepares for future growth, and that's what they'll deliver -- with or without a loop. - Editorial Opinion, The St. Paul Pioneer Press

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THE END