Today's Train of Thought- Limited Commercial Interruption, August 24th, 2014

Today's Train of Thought takes us to the Land of 10,000 Lakes- specifically, the gritty commercial, industrial, agricultural and transportation hub that is the Twin Cities.

In this era where seemingly every shortline, regional or industrial switching outfit is affiliated with conglomerates such as Genesee & Wyoming, WATCO or Omnitrax, a shortline operator that doesn't fall under that umbrella is something of a rare find. This is especially true of big-city terminal, transfer or switching roads such as the Minnesota Commercial. Back before there were more than six Class One rail carriers in the United States, the burdensome task of dragging cars from one classification yard to another or switching local industries along the way often fell to entities that jointly owned by the rail carriers serving a given area.

A few such examples exist today- Chicago has the Belt Railway of Chicago, St Louis has the Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis and since 1987, the Twin Cities has had the 150-mile Minnesota Commercial. Going by the MNNR abbreviation, the Minnesota Commercial was the successor to the Minnesota Transfer Railway which was at one time jointly owned by robber barons and fallen flags alike- the Northern Pacific; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Milwaukee Road; Chicago & North Western; Rock Island; Soo Line; Chicago & Great Western; Minneapolis & St Louis and Great Northern. By 1970, more than half of these railways would find themselves part of the Chicago & North Western or the newly-formed Burlington Northern. Most of the MNNR's trackage is within Hennepin county and includes numerous spurs, branches and yard tracks. By 1987, when the Minnesota Transfer was reorganized as the Minnesota Commercial Railway, the Rock Island had dissolved and the greatly-truncated Milwaukee Road had been taken over by the Soo Line.

Since the late 1990s, ownership of the MNNR has been more or less divided up between the four remaining Class 1 rail carriers that serve the Twin Cities- BNSF, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific. The MNNR interchanges with all four of those plus regional Twin Cities and Western in St Paul. The Minnesota Commercial also has something of a following among rail enthusiasts for its tendency to utilize oddball power, such as ALCos, MLWs or rebuilt GEs or EMDs. To this day, a pair of locals serving an industrial park on the north end of the MNNR reportedly utilize a pair of former Green Bay & Western ALCo RS27s.

More recently, the MNNR has moved towards adding older four and six-axle GE roadswitchers onto their roster- including the Santa Fe-rebuilt U36C, reclassified as the SF30C [other examples can be found in Brazil and Mexico- NANESB!]. And like nearby shortlines such as the Wisconsin Northern or St Croix Valley, traffic has heated up in recent years thanks to the oil and gas industry's appetite for frac sand from the upper Mississippi River valley.

Here, Minnesota Commercial SF30C #50 is seen with an MNNR MLW M630 and another 6-axle GE as it charges through the Westminster area of St Paul, MN with more than 100 gondolas of wet sand in tow on the BNSF Midway Sub on May 9th, 2012. According to photographer Brian Kays, the unit sand train also required two B23-7s as mid-train helpers as the Texas bound sand train scaled the line out of the Mississippi River Valley.

Today's Train of Thought- Scout's Honor, July 1st 2013

Just in time for Canada Day, today's Train of Though takes us north of the border for a shortline that was a bit ahead of its time.

Starting in the mid 1990s, Canadian Pacific began undergoing some drastic changes, starting with the move of their headquarters from Montreal out west to Calgary. The CP began selling off or abandoning lines that it considered marginal or unprofitable, often with local or US-based interests buying up the lines and forming shortlines or regionals such as the Goderich-Exeter Railway in Ontario or the New Brunswick Southern on the former CP line from Brownville Jct, ME to Saint John, New Brunswick.

Out west, on the prairies and badlands of southwestern Saskatchewan, the Great Western Railway began operations on a 700km cluster of former CP lines out of Shaunavon, SK in late 1999. The lines were purchased by WestCan Rail contractors of Abbotsford, BC, but within five years the line was sold off to shippers and local interests.

Interstingly, power for the Great Western is predominantly Canadian, although many of the units were purchased secondhand from American shortlines and regionals. The M420 (4 axles and 2000 HP) was introduced by the Montreal Locomotive Works in the early 1970s and was one of the first models to sport the 'comfort cab' or 'Canadian cab' on the Canadian National roster. Although Canadian Pacific didn't purchase any of the M420s, MLW found purchasers from as far away as Venezuela and Rhode Island. British Columbia Rail also ended up purchasing 16 brand new M420s, although those would be sold off by the time the CN acquired BC Rail in 2004.

As they began approaching the end of their service life with newer GEs arriving on the roster in the 1990s, CN began selling their M420 fleet off to shortlines on both sides of the border, including the Great Western in Saskatchewan. However, the GWR purchased two additional M420s from Michigan's Lake State Rail (formerly Detroit & Mackinac) in 2008 when the Michigan line was switching and three years later, a pair of former BNSF B40-8Ws arrived on the roster.

But the 4-axle MLWs continue to soldier on in southwestern Saskatchewan. Here, Fredrick Wolter caught GRW M420 #2000 leading a trio of MLWs through an S-curve at Scout Lake, SK as they take an 18-car train to the Canadian Pacific interchange in Assiniboa, SK on July 12, 2010- less than two weeks after Canada Day. Besides the MLWs, the often overlooked shortline also features track that traverses gently rolling hills and classic wooden grain elevators along the line.

Today's Train of Thought- Fall Classics, Nov 25th, 2012

Today's Train of Thought takes us to Pennsylvania's northern tier and gives us a glimpse of some old war horses doing what they were built for some 40 years after their manufacturer shut down.

The Western New York & Pennsylvania got its start in 2001 on a dormant former Conrail (nee- Erie) line between Meadville, Pa and Hornell, NY. Even before the 1999 takeover of Conrail by Norfolk Southern and CSX, the line had been taken out of service by Conrail.

After some legal wrangling, the line was re-opened by the Western New York & Pennsylvania railroad in 2003. In addition to attempting to generate traffic along the 190-mile Meadville line, the WNY&P also reached an agreement with the Norfolk Southern to use the line as a shortcut between the coal fields of Southwestern Pennsylvania and a number of power plants in the Northeast, bypassing the Buffalo area altogether.

By early 2007, the WNY&P had expanded further with the lease of a portion of the former Conrail Buffalo line from Norfolk Southern between Machias and Driftwood, PA. The former Pennsylvania railroad line used to run all the way between Buffalo and Harrisburgh, PA- the WNY&P leases about 90 miles which includes 5 miles of 2.6% grade at Keating Summit, PA.

Besides hauling water, pipe and frac sand for increased drilling in the Marcellus Shale along Pennsylvania's northern tier, the WNY&P got an unexpected revenue boost in 2009 when their portion of the Buffalo line was used for the filming of a number of scenes from Tony Scott's Unstoppable.

Here, railpictures.net photographer Aaron J Border caught burly 6-axle ALCO C630M #630 heading southbound with train DFT [the Driftwood Turn- NANESB!] at Sinnemahoning, PA on October 20th, 2009, framed by some trees changing color at WNY&P's southern end of the Buffalo line.

The WNY&P locomotive fleet is exclusively ALCO or Montreal Locomotive Works- an anomaly in these days. The steep grades around Keating Summit, PA justify the presence of the vintage 3000 HP beasts- management of the Arkansas and Missouri in northwestern Arkansas has also cited the steep grades on their former Frisco line through the Ozarks as the reason why they maintain an all-ALCO fleet. In fact, the #630 is still painted in Arkansas & Missouri colors- the locomotive started out life as Canadian Pacific #4500. The trailing unit is still wearing the colors of Quebec-Cartier mining.

While the WNY&P has experienced a number of setbacks since then- Norfolk Southern's overhead traffic has virtually dried up and a steep decline in the price of natural gas has cut back in drilling activities along the Marcellus Shale- the line still handles commodities like steel, aggregates, wax and cheese on both the Buffalo and Meadville lines.

Sour Grapes- Napa Valley Wine Train No-Bid Stimulus Project Facing Massive Cost Overruns

Photo- Steven M Welch

Readers of this blog in its earlier days might remember the sweetheart no-bid contract Alaska Native Corporation Suulutaaq was awarded with stimulus money to do some work on a new bridge for the Napa Valley Wine Train- a project that Suulutaaq turned right around and subcontracted to Kiewit and Sons while pocketing nearly $20 million for doing next to nothing in the process.

Well, in perhaps the most surprising news since the tide coming in or sun rising in the east, the Napa Valley project that Suulutaaq subcontracted is looking at cost overruns of at least $6.2 million.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may need as much as $6.2 million to keep work on the relocation of railroad facilities and Napa Creek flood defenses on track, Julie Lucido, local project manager, told the Napa Flood Control District's board of directors Tuesday.

"If we don't get those dollars for those two projects, we could be stopped," Lucido said.

Any disruption would undoubtedly end up increasing construction costs when work was resumed, Lucido said. Taxpayers would end up paying more, she said.

Dave Cook, one of the Army Corps' Napa managers, said he expects to know within 30 days if the companies working under federal contracts in Napa can keep working.

The corps is dealing with two issues, Cook said. The company with the $65 million railroad contract racked up substantial unanticipated costs last fall, he said. Also, the corps' overall budget has been reduced by Congress, he said.

In March alone, Cook said he approved more than $3 million in additional costs for Suulutaaq Inc., the general contractor for the new railroad bridges and related street work.

Suulutaaq and its partner, Kiewit Corp, ran into major complications last year in building a new rail bridge over the Napa River. It took working seven days a week to finish the bridge's foundation prior to the winter flood season, which allowed construction to occur throughout the winter, Cook said.

Although these construction problems ran up the price, the alternative was to delay the rail project a year, Cook said. "It saved the federal government millions and millions by having those guys work seven days," he said.

The Army Corps negotiated with Suulutaaq over the bills for unanticipated work, then reached a settlement, Cook said.

To keep work going, the corps shifted money from its construction management account, leaving a construction management deficit that must be filled if work is to continue this summer, Lucido said.

With money tight for many flood projects across the U.S., Cook said the corps was developing contingency plans on how to proceed. Some projects will need to be scaled back, he said.

Don Ridenhour, the county's public works director, suggested that Napa may ultimately end up paid for. "We seem to be a very popular project in the eye of the corps," he said.

Lucido agreed, noting that Napa has been the corps' "poster child" for flood control. The Napa project was one of the first federal efforts that provided major environmental benefits as well as flood control, she said.

Until this latest bad news, local officials thought that both the rail relocation and a two-year, $15 million contract with Proven Management for Napa Creek were fully funded.

The Napa Creek project and most of the rail contract are paid for by a $99.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal government's effort to jump-start the economy and end the recession.

Because Proven's winning bid was $14 million less than estimates, the corps ended up returning $14 million to Washington last September.

Keeping the $14 million in a contingency fund would have defeated the goal of the economic stimulus grant to "put people to work" right away, Cook said.

Even if this fiscal year's budget shortfall can be solved, the Napa flood project still faces an uncertain future in the new federal fiscal year that starts in October, Lucido said.

Until now, the Napa project was mostly paid for by federal "earmarks," or specific appropriations that elected officials such as Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, put into the federal budget, she said.

But Congress and President Obama have since banned earmarks, meaning there will have to be "some other process" for keeping the Napa project going, [emphasis mine- NANESB!] Lucido told the flood board.

This is where Napa's "poster child" reputation may save the day, she said.

"Some other process"? I'm dying to know what that will be. Since California is serving as an object lesson in out-of-control government spending by being about $43 billion in the hole, I doubt the state will be riding to the rescue. The municipalities in the Golden State are hardly better off, either.

So that would most likely mean Lucido and Congressman Thompson would somehow find another way to continue federal funding in some way, shape or form. Which means we will ALL get to foot the bill for this ill-concieved, wasteful fiasco in some way shape or form.

Iron Horse Roundup for May 2011- Off to the Races

Ex-MARC GP40WH-2 #59 Arriving in Ayer, MA with train #417- David Hutchinson photo- NE Rails.org

MBTA: Boston's commuter railway agency has acquired some new motive power to augment their aging fleet. In addition to purchasing two MP36PHC's from the Utah Transit agency earlier this year, the T is also leasing three former MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) GP40WH-2s with an option to lease additional units until the first new locomotives from a 20-unit order are expected to arrive in 2013. The commuter agency placed a $115 million order for 20 HSP46 locomotives with Wabtec [NYSE: WAB] subsidiary Motive Power International of Boise, ID.

The T is also hoping to persuade the Utah Transit agency to lease them two additional MPI MP36PHCs, although the Salt Lake City based agency has expressed a reluctance to part with them. Aside from two genset switchers purchased from National Railway Equipment in 2009, the MPI order is the first time the MBTA has ordered new locomotives since the 1970s.

Accoring to MBTA estimates, one in every four trains were delayed systemwide in the first two months of 2011. Of those delays, half were attributed to mechanical problems with the T's aging fleet of eighteen F40PH-2, which the agency is hoping to retire.

NEW ENGLAND CENTRAL: A May 31 derailment on the NECR mainline between Palmer, MA and St. Albans, VT sent eight cars off the rails, damaged some fiber-optic cable from Sprint and blocked the Station Rd crossing in Amherst, MA. The cars weren't carrying any hazardous materiel and did not tip over, but the derailment did damage to several yards of track.

The following day, crews from Sprint [NYSE: S] were repairing the damaged cable and RJ Corman was working to clear the derailment. The deralied cars were carrying steel billets, and it was one 65ft gondola car that was blocking the crossing in Amherstt.

Besides mixed freight between St Albans, VT and New London, CT on the former Central Vermont line, that portion of the New England Central also regularly features unit ethanol trains between North Dakota and Providence, RI as well as Amtrak's Vermonter service.


KENTUCKY: Each year, a number of VIPs arrive at Churchill Downs [NASDAQ: CHDN] by train for the Kentucky Derby, and last month's wasn't any different [to be honest, I have no idea whether or not ESPN's Erin Andrews arrived by train, yet I somehow thought it was worth posting the picture regardless- NANESB!].

Outbound NS Office Car Special at Lawrenceburg, KY- JL Scott photo

Every year for the last couple of years, both CSX and RJ Corman have run their own passenger trains over the former Louisville & Nashville Old Road division between Louisville and Frankfort, KY. While RJ Corman uses equipment from their My Old Kentucky Dinner train, CSX uses motive power and passenger cars from their executive train and is referred to as the Governor's Special.

In years past, RJ Corman has expressed an interest in running their Chinese-made 2-10-2 QJ steam locomotive on the excusrion, but since the final leg of the trip to Louisville is made over CSX rails, the CSX has veto power over whether or not steam can be used.

Norfolk Southern typically operates their Derby train between Pennsylvania and Louisville using their duo of F9A units painted in a Southern-inspired paint scheme.

Canadian Pacific would frequently operate their own Derby special on the former Milwaukee Road line between Chicago and Louisville, but the CP sold that line to the Indiana Railroad in 2005.

However, over the past few years private varnish from Northern Sky Charters and Amtrak locomotives were used in special charter trains operating between Indianapolis and Louisville on Anacostia Pacific's Louisville & Indiana Railroad, including this year.

KENTUCKY: Kentucky governor Steve Beshear announced last month that the Commonwealth will award a total of $3.1 million in grants towards Kentucky shortlines to replace ties and repair bridges, crossings and right-of-way. Among the recipients include RJ Corman's Central Kentucky Lines, the Paducah and Louisville, TransKentucky Transportation, TennKen, Louisville & Indiana and the Kentucky Railroad Museum. Aside from one project on the Paducah & Louisville, the money is the Commonwealth's portion of a matching grant, with the railroads paying the other half.

RJ CORMAN: While not used for the Kentucky Derby this year, RJ Corman announced that their Chinese QJ 2-10-2 steam locomotive would be making a shakedown run between Frankfort and Lexington on the first weekend in June and would be available for up-close public viewing in Frankfort on June 4.

There remains the possibility that QJ #2008 could be used in limited excursion service later on in the summer.

CP #2816 Arriving in Swift Current, SK- June 11/Paul Sincerney photo

CANADIAN PACIFIC: The Canadian Pacific announced a series of excusrions throughout western Canada featuring 1930-built Montreal Locomotive Works 4-6-4 Hudson #2816, starting with a special between Moose Jaw, SK and Medecine Hat, AB via Swift Current, SK. Proceeds from ticket sales on the excursions go towards the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. Besides this weekend's train ride between Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat, a number of other excusrions are on tap throughout Alberta and British Columbia between June and August- Schedule and ticket information is available here.

GWRS M420 #2000 Smokes it up hauling ballast and empty tank cars out of storage at Willows, SK in September 2010- John Leopard

GREAT WESTERN: Canadian Railway Observations is reporting that the all-MLW Saskatchewan's Great Western Railway has recently acquired a pair of BNSF B40-8Ws. The units were dropped off by Canadian Pacific at the interchange in Assiniboia at the end of April and reportedly made their first revenue run for the GWRS on May 23rd.

The Great Western is reportedly looking to sell off two of the five M420s, which they've had since beginning operations in the l990s when they purchased a cluster of light density branchlines from the Canadian Pacific in southwestern Saskatchewan.

Also of note on the Great Western system, the province's first tourist train is set to start running excursions this summer between Ogema and Pangman, SK. Equipment will include a former Conway Scenic GE 44-tonner, an ex-Canadian Pacific baggage car and a former Delaware Lackawna & Western coach car and operations will be based out of the restored former CP depot in Ogema (which is really the former Simpson, SK depot, that a nearby farmer used for grain storage for a few years).

TEXAS: General Electric [NYSE: GE] announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art facility in Ft. Worth, TX that could start building locomotives as early as next year. The 500,000 sq foot facility on the north end of Ft Worth could be increased by nearly double according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.

The project initially will create more than 500 high-tech manufacturing jobs and the possibility of 275 more in coming years, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce said today.

The company is expected to invest $96 million expanding the building at 12850 Three Wide Drive, located west of the Texas Motor Speedway, into a 900,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art locomotive manufacturing facility. It is being supported by $4.2 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE Transportation, said the Fort Worth facility will allow the company to better serve its customers.

"We see robust growth in the U.S. and around the globe," Simonelli said. "A new site will help us to effectively respond to the cyclical demand in the transportation industry and to strengthen our overall position."

GE Transportation will use the Fort Worth facility to assemble and remanufacture the company's rail and transportation-related products, the chamber said. That includes GE's signature Evolution Series locomotive, an energy-efficient product that it says reduces fuel consumption 5 percent while reducing emissions by 40 percent over the lifetime of the locomotive.

GE Transportation will start hiring salaried employees and production workers such as welders, assemblers, painters and related skilled trades by the end of the year. Production should begin by the second half of 2012.

In addition to the Ft Worth facility, GE also plans to expand capacity at it's Erie, PA facility.

CALIFORNIA: California's Modesto & Empire Traction has begun taking delivery of the first of their 5-unit order of RP20BD genset engines from RJ Corman-Railpower. M&ET already has 7 Railpower Gensets, gradually phasing out a fleet of 50 year old GE 70 tonners and a pair of EMD SW1500s.

Today's Train of Thought- A Flurry of Activity, March 5 2011

While baseball teams from Boston to Seattle start making their way towards the warmer weather in Florida and Arizona, today's train of thought takes us back to the snowy northeast.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Mike Lockwood caught Western New York & Pennsylvania's Driftwood Turn (symbol DFT) heading northbound on the former Norfolk Southern Buffalo Line in an early season snow squall on October 17, 2009 with WNY&P C630M #630 leading an all Montreal Locomotive Works consist. Today's 20-car train is somewhat overpowered with no less than 12,600 horsepower of Montreal muscle making it's way up the grade at Keating Summit, PA. Each one of the units are more than 40 years old.

Even with gravity and the wet, slippery rails working against them, the quartet of six-axle MLWs likely made short work of the grade. Each until is still painted in the colors of the previous owner- #630 is still in Arkansas & Missouri colors, the black and orange units come from Quebec Cartier mining and the 3rd unit in the consist started out life for the Canadian Pacific but was purchased from the Minnesota Commerical Railroad.

Today's Train of Thought- Walkin' in a Windsor Wonderland, December 16, 2010

Today's rather snowy Train of Though comes to us from North of the Border in the province that's been sending the city of Boston a Christmas tree each year.

Established in 1994, the 55-mile Windsor and Hantsport is one of Nova Scotia's newest shortlines. Operating trackage formerly belonging to Canadian Pacific subsidiary Dominion Atlantic, the Windsor & Hantsport immediately went to work hauling carloads of gypsum behind a small fleet of former Canadian Pacific MLW RS23s.

The unique, high-hooded former Canadian Pacific RS23s operated until just a few years ago when they were replaced by chopnose former Canadian National GP9s. Here, railpictures.net contributor Rod Bushway braved a snowstorm to catch RS23s #8036, #8038 and #8047 hauling a string of empty gypsum hoppers through a snowy Hantsport, NS in January 2002.

Happy Canada Day from Not Another New England Sports Blog!

While our independence day is right around the corner, today marks Canada Day (formerly Confederation Day) for our neighbors up north. Sure- we may think of Canada as a safe haven for draft-dodging hippies back during the Vietnam era, but there's more to the Great White North than geriatric hippies and lengthy wait times to see a doctor under their healthcare system.

[Nose Art on WWII-era RCAF Lancaster]

Don't let the decades of Trudeau-esque nanny statism fool you, either- Canada's rugged individualism has been out there for all to see over the last few years [I could even make the case that it was there all along, just not noticed until fairly recently- NANESB!].

You want badass? How about driving 18 wheelers over frozen lakes? You want even more badass? Try being the first one to drive heavy vehicles across the frozen waters in the wilderness: that sounds like ex-soldier, ex-Mountie John Denison ,who began supplying remote mining camps in the Northwest Territories at first with 'Cat trains'- a bulldozer pulling several sleds loaded down with supplies and lashed together- and then with a secondhand Army truck in the 1950s. Today there is a fairly well co-ordinated system overseeing operations of the seasonal ice roads in the Northwest Territories; that's not to say it's no longer dangerous, but imagine heading out into the wilderness in not much more than a secondhand two and a half ton truck. Denison was considered the original architect of the ice roads and was awarded the Order of Canada in 1998. John Denison passed away in Kelowna, BC in 2001 at the age of 84.

Not badass enough? Try one of the longest confirmed sniper kills on record! Then-Master corporal Rob Furlong of Princess Pat's Light Infantry set a world record in 2002 with the longest confirmed kill during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kot valley, when he dropped a machine gun toting Al Qaeda fighter from a distance of more than 2600 yards (or just over a mile and a half). Having said that, Furlong's record was recently surpassed by a British sniper- also in Afghanistan.

Keep in mind that Canada entered WWII two years ahead of the USA. James Doohan- the actor who played Scotty on Star Trek- was with the Canadian Army when they stormed Juno beach on D-Day. He was hit by gunfire and lost his finger that day but would survive. Later on in his acting career, cameramen would ty and avoid filming his hand that was missing the finger.

Let's not forget ice-hockey, hardly a pursuit for the faint of heart. Sure, it's been awhile since a Canadian team brought home the Stanley Cup, but Canada provides a good deal of the manpower for those championship teams.

One possible upside of the 'Fairness Doctrine' being imposed on American broadcaster is that USA viewers could be treated to a 76 year old Don Cherry reducing Keith Olberman to a snivelling, incoherent shell of a human being with just one glance...well....I guess an even more incoherent snivelling shell of a human being during NBC's Football Night in America (a name NBC 'borrowed' from CBC's long-running Hockey Night in Canada). Hell, Cherry would probably make Olberman's awkward, gangly stepson Rachel Maddow hold his technicolor dream coat while he effortlessly sapped the MSNBC 'personality' of his will to live.
And let us not forget the First Canadians (an Anglo Canadian neolingism for 'Native Americans')such as the Baker Twins- Shannon and Shauna- from the Stellat'en First Nations Reservation in Northwestern British Columbia. OK....to be honest, since I don't watch Smallville, I only found out about them like 20 minutes ago. Apparently Shannon's appearance on Smallville was supposed to be a one-time deal that got extended when the producers found out she had a real-life identical twin.

[Image: CMT]

There's also a good number of country musicians that hail from Canada. In the interest of full disclosure, I hardly ever listen to country music but have to acknowledge that a disproportionate number of attractive women seem to gravitate towards that medium as performers. Montreal-born and Medicine Hat, Alberta-raised Terri Clark (shown above) has been in the business for the last 15 years.

Image: Rocky Mountain Rail Society

Let us not forget the iron horses that- just as in our history- played a pivotal role in the development and expansion of Canada. One could make the argument that Canada as a nation would not have survived were it not for the completion of the Canadian Pacific line between Ontario and the then-obscure pacific coast port of Vancouver. In fact, completion of the line was a condition for British Columbia's 1871 entry into the Confederation of Canada. Canadian Pacific's line was completed in November 1885, followed by Canadian Northern's transcontinental line (which would become Canadian National). Like their American counterparts, Canadians have also taken steps to preserve equipment and structures from that era- such as former Canadian National streamlined U-1-f 4-8-2 Mountain class built by the Montreal Locomotive works. #6060 (shown above) is such an example and is maintained by the Rocky Mountain Rail Society and frequently operated over the Alberta Prairie railroad in Stettler, AB (the Alberta Prairie has a smaller ex-US Army Steam engine of its own it will operate on a more regular basis).

This video from TLC also gives viewers an idea of what it's like to operate a train over the Canadian Rockies in more modern times (it starts about 40 seconds in):


So Happy Canada Day, our neighbors to the north! I'm not sure if you traditionally set off fireworks like we do on independence day, but raise a frosty pint of Alexander Keith's or Okanagan Spring to your underrated nation on this first of July!

Today's Train of Thought- The Ozarks Become the Smokies; April 30 2010

Despite being out of business for 40 years, there remains a certain brand-loyalty to locomotives manufactured by ALCO. Not surprisingly, a good number of the railroads that still use ALCO locomotives are in New York state, not far from the site of ALCO's Schenectady, NY headquarters. However, there are ALCO holdouts as far away as Arizona or even Argentina.

One such holdout is the Arkansas & Missouri railroad, operating 140 miles of former St. Louis-San Francisco ('Frisco') trackage from Ft. Smith, AR through the Ozarks and to a BNSF interchange in the Southwestern corner of Missouri. The line was completed by the Frisco in 1882 and stayed in company hands through the Burlington Northern's 1980 acquisition of the SLSF. In 1986, Burlington Northern decided to lease the line to Tony Hannold's Arkansas & Missouri Railroad. Almost immediately, the A&M cobbled together a roster of ALCO C420s from railroads like the Delaware & Hudson, Indiana Hi Rail and British Columbia Rail, along with smaller ALCO end-cab and road-switchers brought in from Hannold's other shortline operations on the Delmarva Peninsula. The A&M interchanges with the Kansas City Southern and Pioneer Railcorp's Ft. Smith Railroad in Ft Smith, AR; the Union Pacific in Van Bueren, AR and the BNSF in Monnet, MO.

The A&M purchased the line outright from BNSF in 2001 and upgraded the line over the next few years with continuous welded rail. Besides freight and switching, the A&M also offers seasonal excursions on their line between Springdale and Ft. Smith, AR with passenger cars provided by Boston Mountain chapter of the NRHS. Films like Biloxi Blues and Forces of Nature have been filmed along the A&M as well.

Of course, the A&M's bread and butter is freight- primarily grain and feed as well as scrap metal, plastics, food products and lumber. Above, we see A&M C420 #60 (former D&H 413, nee Lehigh Valley 413) on the northern end of the railroad at Butterfield, MO on April 15, 2010. Railpictures.net contributor Dane Carlisle caught the quartet of C420s doing what an ALCO does best as they throttle up getting ready to deliver a cut of cars to the nearby grain elevator. A quarter century of the hard-pulling, sure-footed ALCOs still working away in the Ozarks. What's not to love?

Wine Country Boondoggle- Contractor For Napa Valley Railroad Stimulus Project Pockets $20 Million For Doing Nothing

(Amy Miller)

According to California Watch and the San Francisco Chronicle, a project involving a new bridge and track realignment for Northern California's Napa Valley Wine Train as part of the larger Napa River flood-control project was awarded $54 Million in stimulus funds. The Napa Valley Railroad is a privately-run tourist railroad that takes tourists and sightseers between Napa and St. Helena, CA and serves meals and wine in restored coaches. The Wine Train began operations when the Southern Pacific announced it was abandoning it's Vallejo to Calistoga, CA branch in 1985. Former Rice-A-Roni and Ghiradelli Chocolate President Vincent De Dominico and local entrepreneurs would purchase the right-of-way from Southern Pacific, four 1950s vintage former VIA Rail Canada/Canadian National Montreal Locomotive Works FPA4 diesels and some former Rio Grande passenger cars. The wine train began operations in 1987, and aside from ballast for the railroad's maintenance-of-way, very little freight is hauled over the line.

The current project and the contractor that was awarded the funding in a no-bid contract have come under scrutiny. Anchorage, AK-based Suulutaaq Incorporated was founded by Alaska tribes and enjoys special access to Federal Contracts including the Napa River Flood Control project.

However, Suulutaaq turned around and subcontracted the project to Peter Kiewit Sons, Inc.

Federal records show that Suulutaaq is paying Kiewit $28.1 million - 53 percent of the total stimulus contract. Suulutaaq is keeping about $20.4 million, or 38 percent of the total. The rest, about $4.7 million, goes to other subcontractors, all from the lower 48 states.

So that means Suulutaaq basically pockets $20 million of taxpayer funds by subcontracting a public works project that was closed to bidding. In other words, the company made $20 million without even lifting a finger.

Walnut Creek, CA contractor Robert G. Brosamer had planned to put in a bid on the proposed project as early as 2008, but was told that no bids were being sought at the time as it was looking like the project was a "done deal with an ANC [Alaska Native Corporation]".

Brosamer, the Walnut Creek contractor, said the public was paying a premium for the Wine Train project, saying, "It would have been a hell of a lot cheaper if they had put it out to bid."
"The reality is, Suulutaaq isn't doing much," Brosamer said.

However, as the article points out, very few of the jobs awarded to ANCs actually go to Alaska Natives:

Critics have complained that the no-bid contracts provide relatively few jobs and little investment income to the tribes while costing taxpayers a fortune.

Alaska Native corporations don't have to prove that they're socially or economically disadvantaged," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said at a 2009 hearing. "They don't have to be small businesses. And they can receive no-bid contracts worth billions of dollars."The companies employ few Alaska Natives and "rely heavily on non-native managers," she said.

The current CEO of Suulutaaq is Samuel Boyle, who burned through an estimated $14 million worth of venture capital as CEO of sailnet- an online retailer of sailing and boating equipment that went bankrupt in 2005.

"My comment to anybody connected to this thing - if Sam Boyle is involved, watch out," said Arizona venture capitalist Kent Mueller, who said he lost more than $1 million in Sailnet.

[Hat tip: Zombie]

Today's Train of Thought: Going Green (With a Touch of White)- October 7, 2009

Today's Train of Thought is from railpictures.net contributor John Ireland, who caught Apache Railway C424 #98 heading south through the desert with two Alco C420s after picking up its' train from the BNSF interchange in Holbrook, AZ in September.

The Apache is fairly unique in that their motive power is exclusively Alco or MLW (Montreal Locomotive Works). Alco manufactured their last locomotive in 1969, making spare parts or replacements increasingly difficult to find over the years. However, there remain a handful of railways scattered across the country who continue to use nothing but Alco (or similarly-designed MLW) locomotives to this day. Now that's brand loyalty.