Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
Go to this thread regarding the Washington State Rail study update.....<a href="/TRC/CS/forums/1010875/ShowPost.aspx">http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1010875/ShowPost.aspx</a>..or straight to the source itself....<a href="http://www.wstc.wa.gov/Rail">http://www.wstc.wa.gov/Rail</a>There you can scroll down and find a capacity map for the rail lines in Washington.  According to their map, the Stampede Pass line runs 6 trains a day and has a "practical" capacity for 10 per day.  To find out why BNSF needs this line, just look at the usage of the Stevens Pass line, which has a practical capacity of 22 trains per day but is currently hosting 27 trains per day e.g. it is currently in a state of overusage.Why BNSF only hosts 6 trains max is that the tunnel clearances do not allow for double stacks and auto racks, and the 2.2% grades each way (not to mention the curvature) make it unpractical for loaded grain trains.The question many of us have asked on this forum is why the ex-Milwaukee grade over Snoqualmie Pass wasn't utilized by BNSF and/or the State to replace Stampede.  That line had ruling grades of 1.6% eastbound and 0.7% westbound, ideal for grain trains bound for the Puget Sound ports, and had tunnel clearances ready made for double stack heights.  In truth, it is a superior line to not only Stampede Pass but also Stevens Pass.One reason that was hypothesized is that BNSF has some old Northern Pacific bonds that would be due with a balloon payment in full if any part of the ex-NP mainline was abandoned.  So BNSF just keeps it in trackage for that reason, even when it was embargoed.  BNSF did buy the Snoqualmie Pass line but let it go, apparently not realizing how valuable it would be right now.If BNSF was to ask my advice....[(-D][(-D][(-D]...I'd tell 'em to go ahead and embargo the Stampede Pass line with tracks in place, and go ahead and develop the ex-Milwaukee corridor with the help of the State.  Seems to me if the State is willing to rebuild the ex-Milwaukee line from Ellensburg to Lind, they would be just as willing to rebuild the Snoqualmie Pass line.  Just enhancing the tunnel clearances of Stampede as seems to be the current preferred plan is akin to that old Bible lesson of putting new patches on old wineskins......
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag