Shortline/Regional Railnews Last Logger, Last Run
On June 9, 2015, the last train on Simpson Timber operated from Shelton to Dayton, Wash. It was one of two trains that left Shelton to head to Mill No. 5 in Dayton to retrieve center beam bulkheads cars. The mills are being closed after being sold to Sierra Pacifi c Industries. While Mill No. 3 closed on this day, Mill No. 5 operated until the end of June. All output was trucked to Shelton for loading onto the Puget Sound & Pacifi c and hauled to BNSF and UP connections. The caboose was used to give Simpson managers one last ride over the line, bringing to a close more than 100 years of timber railroad operation.
PHOTO BY DANIEL E. SIMMERING
CANADIAN SHORTLINES GLENN COURTNEY
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The 126 members of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 7000, repre- senting the Southern Railway of British Columbia’s operating employees, voted on May 4 to accept the company’s latest contract offer. The ratification vote end- ed a lockout that began on January 5. During the lockout, the railway provid- ed limited service with 36 management employees. The new contract is for seven years, retroactive to April 1, 2014.
Saskatchewan Shortline Railway Association
The Association has reported that the weekly grain targets for Canadian Na- tional and Canadian Pacific implement- ed by the federal government in early 2014 have harmed its membership. The targets have reduced the number cars distributed to shortlines, causing ship- ping delays. This has resulted in traffic losses for the short lines and increased truck traffic, in turn causing damage to rural roads.
IOWA INTERSTATE ALLAN HUNT
Passenger Specials
A shippers’ special passenger excursion ran from South Amana to Newton, Iowa, and back on May 7. IAIS GP38-2 719 pulled the two IAIS business cars, and on the westbound trip, the special departed South Amana at 8:20 a.m. and went by
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RAILFAN.COM
Victor, Iowa, at 9:10 a.m. On the way back east, the train departed Newton at 10:45 a.m. and arrived South Amana at 1:15 p.m. The train was turned at Yocum Connection. The 2015 Chicago Regional Superin- tendents Association ran a passenger ex- cursion special from LaSalle Street Sta- tion in Chicago to Bureau, Ill., and back on May 13. The train utilized two Iowa Pacific E units, SLRG 515 and 100, and six passenger cars. The special arrived Bureau around 12:45 p.m. and departed back east shortly after that.
A third passenger train that benefited two western Iowa fire departments ran on June 6. The train utilized IAIS GP38-2s 708 and 716 and eight RRDX passenger coaches. Three runs were made between Casey and Menlo.
IRON ORE ROADS DAVE SCHAUER
Missabe Upgrades
The old searchlight signals located on the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range at Shelton Junction in northeastern Min- nesota were replaced on May 27 with new hooded LED masts as part of Ca- nadian National’s continuing upgrade of signals in that area. A number of older signals still remain but are expected to be removed this year. In early June, CN was planning a 72- hour work window on its Iron Range Subdivision at Two Harbors, Minn. The window was to allow contractors to bore a pedestrian tunnel under the southbound mainline into Two Harbors. During this period both loaded and emp- ty ore trains were to use the nearby Two Harbors Subdivision, a line that typical- ly handles only empty ore trains due to
its more favorable, but longer, grade.
Steel Dynamics Plant Idled
After announcing that its iron nugget plant near Hoyt Lakes would extend its shutdown, Steel Dynamics announced that the plant will now stay idle for two years until the price of pig iron rebounds above the cost to produce iron nuggets, which are used along with scrap steel in electric furnace mini-mills. Canadian National handled finished iron nuggets from this plant in gondolas.
LTV Ore Cars Sold
The last remaining 93 LTV Steel Min- ing Company ore cars have been sold to an unidentified buyer, and in early May were being relettered and having new air hoses installed for movement off the property at Hoyt Lakes, Minn. These cars were built by Difco and ordered to replace a like number destroyed in a runaway wreck at Taconite Harbor on January 13, 1997.
U.S. Steel Saves Granite City Mill
In late May, U.S. Steel announced that it will not idle its mill in Granite City, Ill., near St. Louis, saving more than 2000 jobs. This mill receives iron ore from the temporarily shuttered Keewatin Taco- nite mine in Minnesota, and it is expect- ed U.S. Steel’s Minntac operation will now supply Granite City’s ore needs. Ca- nadian National serves Minntac while BNSF serves the Granite City mill.
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