Camas Prairie

[blet447]

Does anyone know what became of the Camas Prairie Second Sub?  I browsed around online and it appeared that it was not yet abandoned or tore up.  What I have read is that numerous business along the line including local and State Governments would like it reopened. 

[pmsteamman]

The second sub is "somewhat" abandoned. It has something like 1200 centerbeam flatcars in storage up there.

[Bruce Kelly]

Empty centerbeams and a few empty log flats have been stored in nearly solid cuts from Sweetwater to just south of Culdesac, a distance of more than 10 miles. Cars broken only where there are crossings or bridges. At last count, they were shoved right up to the Rock Creek Trestle near the bottom of Lapwai Canyon. Original plan was to store cars up on the prairie, but UP and/or BNSF began delivering huge cuts of empties for storage before BG&CM could finish necessary trestle and track repairs to allow movement beyond the top of the canyon. They just recently ripped up another stretch of track, from Cottonwood to Lawyers Canyon Bridge. Revenue service has not resumed as hoped because BG&CM, the State of Idaho, and local shippers have not been able to come together and agree on who will pay for maintenance and operating costs. BN and UP were losing money on the 2nd Sub when they handed it over to CSP RailNet, and RailNet was only able to regain a bit of revenue with their grain shuttle service. Only if BG&CM can win back a majority of the grain haul from trucks (which now move the grain from prairie elevators to barge ports or rail reloads), and do so at extremely low operating cost will they be able to turn the 2nd Sub back into a money-maker.