Went for ride last Friday, and saw much ballast staged along the line to Coos Bay from Eugene. Also many carloads of new ties at Mapleton on siding. Good news. The little blue SW switcher is at Noti mills now. I thought they kept it on the other end of the line, to make up the trains. Doesn't matter, really, as long the trains keep rolling back and forth. Have not heard much more about the proposed coal trains through Eugene to the coast, although the protesters are still active, in the paper and on tv, radio, and posters.