Re: Tacoma Rail in Olympia, WA
Author: TR Conductor
Date: 03-01-2014 - 14:00
Let me try to shed a little more light on this. In general we operate the Belmore line on Tuesdays and Fridays at this point in time. We have 5 industries all close together near the current end of the track up at the Mottman Industrial park in the Black Lake area. We typically service the Port of Olympia on the return trip. If we have empties FOR the port we cut them off on the main near Plumb Street before we head over to do Mottman. When we return, we leave the Mottman empties in the tunnel, grab the Port cars and head down the middle of the street down the lead to the Port. Inside the port we do whatever shuffling needed to put away the empties and then gather the loads, pull back out toward the tunnel, pick up the empties in the tunnel, and head for East Olympia, where we interchange with the BNSF. Our normal 2 GP-38's can only get about 25 loads up the hill back to E. Oly so any more (or if its wet) and we have to double. The day shift often runs out of time somewhere around the Port on the return trip so often a swing relief crew is sent out to complete the trip.