Dimensional Load
On July 2, Goderich-Exeter Railway Train 432 is eastbound at Guelph, Ont., passing GEXR Extra 516 carrying a dimensional load on a special 20-axle Schnabel car, BBCX 1000, owned by Emmert International. The car is transporting a 1,000,000-pound steam generator from BWXT in Cambridge to Hamilton, Ont., for loading onto a ship. The load will be interchanged to Canadian National at Georgetown, then delivered to Southern Ontario Railway in Hamilton for transfer to ship at Federal Marine Terminal at Port of Hamilton’s Pier 14.
PHOTO BY STEPHEN HOST
CANADIAN SHORTLINES GLENN COURTNEY
Cando Switches Mosaic Potash Mine
Cando is now switching the Mosaic Potash Belle Plaine Mine at Kalium, Sask., with GP38-2s 4201 and 4202, which wear the Cando paint scheme. The potash is used in the production of fertilizer. Cando switches at the mine site and also runs over Canadian Pacific’s Kalium spur to interchange with CP at Belle Plaine.
Northern Lights Rail Loco Wrap for
Northern Lights Rail, which operates 32 miles of former Canadian National track between Melfort and Birch Hills, Sask., has applied a colorful wrap to its former Arnaud Railway RS18 No. 906. The wrap features a background of yellow canola blossoms, with “Keeping You Growing” on the side of the cab and “Farm World” on the long hood. Northern Lights Rail is also on the long hood.
ONR to Refurbish Dome Cars
Ontario Northland has been selected
as the contractor to refurbish the Rocky Mountaineer’s bi-level dome cars. They are expected to refurbish 11 cars over the next four years at its North Bay, Ont., Remanufacturing and Repair Centre. The contract will create at least 50 jobs in the short term with a possible increase to 80 jobs, and will require the addition of a second shift. The privately operated seasonal passenger service was launched in 1990.
12 SEPTEMBER 2016 •
RAILFAN.COM
REGIONALS/SHORTLINES WEST GARLAND MCKEE
$11 Million Grant for Coos Bay Rail Link
The Port of Coos Bay, owners of the 134-mile line between Eugene and Coos Bay, Ore., has received an $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program. The grant will be used to do repair work on the line’s nine tunnels between Eugene and Coquille. The tunnels suffer from the wet climate and have drainage problems, and were a major cause of the line’s shutdown in September 2007 by then-operator and owner Central Oregon & Pacific. That shutdown eventually led to the purchase of the railroad by the Port and reopening of the line in 2011. Coos Bay Rail Link operates the railroad for the Port of Coos Bay and is averaging over 600 carloads per month.
Britton Line Upgrades Meanwhile
on Dakota, Missouri
Valley & Western’s Britton Line (the 77-mile line from Aberdeen, S.D., to Geneseo Junction, N.D.) work is in progress to replace 32 miles of rail and install 1,500 ties with a mid-August goal of opening. Some $9 million is being spent on upgrading the line to handle traffic from the new $32 million Britton Grain Terminal. The Britton elevator plans to have its loop track constructed by the August wheat harvest. The Britton facility will be able to load 80,000 bushels per hour on its 120 car loop track and store five million bushels. Once completed, the fa-
cility will load 4,000-5,000 cars per year, as opposed to the 300 cars per year now loaded in Britton.
New Elevator Opens on Dakota Southern June 14 was the official grand opening
of the new $40 million Wheat Growers Elevator at Kennebec, S.D. The state-of- the-art facility can load 80,000 bushels per hour and has a 110-car loop track, still under construction. To serve the elevator, Dakota Southern is rehabilitating the line from Chamberlain to Presho, which is expected to be finished by fall. The 32 miles from Chamberlin to Kennebec has received new rail and 35,000 ties and is being ballasted. Meanwhile,
the South Dakota
Railroad Board voted to grant the Dakota Southern a six-month extension of its lease of the dormant Napa to Platte line. Control of the line is in dispute as the Napa Platte Regional Rail Authority, who has had the lease for the past 35 years, isn’t giving up the line without a fight. Napa Platte says authority to operate the line was granted to it by the Surface Transportation Board. The state wants that authority given to Dakota Southern. Now if there was any traffic on the line, this might matter. In the meantime it appears the STB will have to settle the issue.
Iowa Southern Ry. The new Iowa Southern Railway will
lease and operate 34.5 miles of trackage owned by the Appanoose County Community Railroad, Inc., extending from milepost 0 in Centerville, Iowa, to milepost 34.5 in Albia, Iowa. Iowa Southern is a Progressive Rail, Inc.,
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