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Re: New siding on BNSF near Sprague, WA Thanks!!
Author: Tim
Date: 10-11-2013 - 10:40
BNSF has no set "plan" to double track the entire Lakeside. They are adding capacity as needed in critical places. So far that translates to:
W Paha to Sand with grading in progress. Alleviates crowding on a short steep and slow westbound grade.
Lamphier Siding addition between Fishtrap and Sprague grading in progress to cut-in April 2014. This alleviates crowding on a "long" stretch between sidings. My information shows this to be a regular CTC siding.
The W Babb and E Babb-Cheney grading has been done and in place for several years with no additonal action. BNSF even collected the signalling equipment that had been position out there and redeployed it elsewhere. BNSF could very quickly do something there, but no indications of such at the moment. Rumor has it that BNSF is talking with UP about creating a paired main running agreement with UP Jct to Cheney. The grade keeps westbounds very slow through there. Putting all the westbounds on the UP to Cheney would free up the eastbound flow and avoid a lot of EIS headaches through the sensitive areas of marshal canyon.
The state of Washington is receiving the coal terminal proposals at Longview and Cherry Point in a hostile manner. BNSF doesn't want to get too far ahead of itself when the state could severly hamper that traffic base. At the same time, exports through Roberts Banks are up significantly. We are seeing about a half dozen coal movements either way daily now. Other traffic is also up as the recession that never ends crawls upward. So expanded capacity to a point is being funded without regard to the new coal terminal proposals.
Watch for possibilities of extended twin main around Ramsey on the Funnel in north Idaho also.
UP is also slowly adding CTC Control Points on its Ayer Sub working nortward from S Ayer toward Spokane. Traffic on the UP has stabilized at roughly 4 times the historical flow levels on this line. The current practice is to issue a Track Warrant with instructions to "leave the siding switch at_____ lined for siding" to allow for head end only crews. The south end is already CTC.
Tim
Otis Orchards, WA
W Paha to Sand with grading in progress. Alleviates crowding on a short steep and slow westbound grade.
Lamphier Siding addition between Fishtrap and Sprague grading in progress to cut-in April 2014. This alleviates crowding on a "long" stretch between sidings. My information shows this to be a regular CTC siding.
The W Babb and E Babb-Cheney grading has been done and in place for several years with no additonal action. BNSF even collected the signalling equipment that had been position out there and redeployed it elsewhere. BNSF could very quickly do something there, but no indications of such at the moment. Rumor has it that BNSF is talking with UP about creating a paired main running agreement with UP Jct to Cheney. The grade keeps westbounds very slow through there. Putting all the westbounds on the UP to Cheney would free up the eastbound flow and avoid a lot of EIS headaches through the sensitive areas of marshal canyon.
The state of Washington is receiving the coal terminal proposals at Longview and Cherry Point in a hostile manner. BNSF doesn't want to get too far ahead of itself when the state could severly hamper that traffic base. At the same time, exports through Roberts Banks are up significantly. We are seeing about a half dozen coal movements either way daily now. Other traffic is also up as the recession that never ends crawls upward. So expanded capacity to a point is being funded without regard to the new coal terminal proposals.
Watch for possibilities of extended twin main around Ramsey on the Funnel in north Idaho also.
UP is also slowly adding CTC Control Points on its Ayer Sub working nortward from S Ayer toward Spokane. Traffic on the UP has stabilized at roughly 4 times the historical flow levels on this line. The current practice is to issue a Track Warrant with instructions to "leave the siding switch at_____ lined for siding" to allow for head end only crews. The south end is already CTC.
Tim
Otis Orchards, WA
