My recollection having been over the line numerous times is that yes, there is some room for relocation / realignment of the tracks after this latest blow to the POTB. It won't be easy or the SP would have done it long ago and much of this is the same area damaged by the 1996 floods.

I would expect to see some use of sheet piling (the corrugated interlocking stuff driven by piledrivers and torched off to form a retaining wall) as well as use of the precast concrete modular blocks such as used in highway overpass retaining walls.

One of the big considerations the SP never had was the fiberoptic lines running the length of the affected area which can be seen in many of the photos posted on various websites. While it was a good source of revenue that funded track upgrades it now is something that must be worked around to avoid furthur damage and is sure to slow the reconstruction process.

POTB does own a rock quarry (at least they did at one time) at Cochran so there is a source of riprap or other needed fill material close by with a spur running into it.

Another consideration in relocating portions of the track is the curvatures involved--up to 17 degrees in places and the necessity to use 6-axle locomotives--not a good combination which somewhat limits the amount of additional curvature you can live with.

While I'm sure that the POTB will be rebuilt, the challenges here are similar yet different from the 1996 damage in that most of the damage is around Salmonberry and the highway bridge at Salmonberry is washed out limiting the access to the canyon only by rail.

I admit fully that I have only seen photos of the damage and have not been onsite; as a shortline operator these are my observations and opinions on the situation (and you know what they compare opinions with; everybody has one)!!!

Shortline Sammie