Large Scale Central

Coal trains through Spokane, WA

General Discussion
#1

There is a big ta-do going on today, here in Spokane, WA, whether or not to allow coal trains through the city.

Those folks against the proposal state two key facts, both of which are just not true. First, they say that up to 60 additional trains a day will go through Spokane, causing untold problems with this, that and the other thing. BNSF says that it is less than 10, more like 7-9 additional trains. If all projects came online at once, at maximum capacity, and both BNSF and UP routed their trains through Spokane, they might… might… get as many as 40 per day. There is no way that all projects will come on line at once, nor at full capacity. Also, UP routes their trains south, through Oregon, not Spokane.

This is their website: http://www.coaltrainfacts.org/ Not very factual, despite their name.

The other thing they are “concerned” about is more trains will create problems at all the highway crossings.

Due to infastructure improvements over the years, there is only one arterial, Pines Road, that would be affected. All others have cross-overs.

The pro site is: www.createnorthwestjobs.com

One of the local radio guys is talking about it now. He is a railfan and model railroader. It is fun to listen to him debunk the tree huggers.

#2

Steve,
They will go thru Spokane no matter what the tree huggers say. It’s the almighty dollar that wins.

#3

Two words: Interstate Commerce

As much as they (anti-coal folks & now anti-oil folks now that they ‘discovered’ that BNSF was running unit oil trains from the midwest to the Seattle area for unloading) want to stop these shipments they will have a hard time trying to work around the Interstate Commerce Act. The cities and people can try as hard as they want but I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
Next time you see/talk with someone who doesn’t want unit trains (coal, grain, oil, intermodal, etc) just tell them that the railroad will gladly transload the product to trucks and then the trucks fill up the highways along with all the wear and tear… Then see how they like it…
BTW Bozeman, and some other cities in Montana are trying the same thing. They are trying to get on the EPA environmental review process because of all the increased train traffic.

Craig

#4

Just stop shipping the commodities that these RRs transport to the towns in question and see how fast they change the tune they are singing.

Bob C.

#5

BTW how long are the coal unit trains they can handle through the mountains?

#6

I’ve counted 100 and more hoppers per train. They usually have 3 six axle locomotives as they pass through Spokane. How many locomotives are added in Wenatchee, I don’t know.

#7

There are usually 3 SD 70 Macs on the point and 2 pushing as they climb the hill westbound out of Spokane.
We see them go by often while we are out working on a big indoor layout in Marshall.

#8
Steve Featherkile said:
I've counted 100 and more hoppers per train. They usually have 3 six axle locomotives as they pass through Spokane. How many locomotives are added in Wenatchee, I don't know.
Most of the coal and grain trains are run down the Columbia Gorge, and then up from Vancouver to Seattle and other points north. For a while BNSF was putting loaded coal (17,000 tons) and grain (14,000 tons) over the hill. Power would be something like 3 on the head end, 3 in the middle, and 2 or 3 on the rear. Well the MOW track crews quickly told upper management that this was a plain stupid idea to run over the hill with that much tonnage. The heavy trains were literally and quickly destroying the track sub structure and the bridges. They weren't designed to handle that much tonnage on the hill, and it was speeding up the wear. I had heard at one point that if we kept running coal and grain over the hill for another 6 months all the bridges on the westside of the mountain would have had be been rebuilt! Now how true that statement was I'm not sure. But the track structure took a severe beating when the company experimented with running the heavy trains over the hill. This was all during the summer time as well a few years back. As fall transitioned into winter the train crews started beating on managements doors and said "do you realize what's going to happen in the winter time with 14,000 ton train on the hill? How much more power you're going to require? And how many more incidents/problems will be created?" I don't know who in Seattle finally got the courage to tell Fort Worth that this was a stupid idea, but the hill isn't used for loaded coal or grain anymore that often. It's a no brainier when you have a 2.2% grade run verses a 1.0% grade run along the water.... Coal and Grain loads for the water route are either 3 +1 or 2+2. 2+2 makes for nice handling train. :) A unit grain train is 110, unit coal train is 118-120 cars. Craig
#9

And then said trains will go down to the river through Vancover and up to Bellingham along the Tacoma/Seattle Corridor! That will make Spokane somewhat important! And there are way tooo maney at Grade crossings on the route. Maybe if all these city fathers had not bellied up to Railroad when it was built they would not have all the problems now, oh for good Fore Sight! That is called planning ahead. Paul

#10

Paul,

Political fore sight is only as far as the end of the current term of office.

Bob C.