Eastern Washington Gateway - Biodiesel and Deer

From Eastern Washington Gateway 2009

In the Summer of 2008 I commented on an article about Eastern Washington Gateway testing biodiesel in one of their locomotives. Just last month I got an email from a 10 year old girl in New Mexico on the subject, asking if the test was successful. I was able to get in contact with Bruce Butler of the EWGR, who not only replied to the girl with some sweet photos but also brought us all up to date on their testing:

We are not using the biodiesel anymore as the plant where they made it has closed. To the best of my knowledge the biodiesel worked just fine in the one locomotive (8925, a EMD model SD45) that we used it in, but with the plant closing, we lost our source. I have attached a couple of pictures of the 8925. #313 shows the 8925 being fueled from a truck. You should know that these locomotives can move a lot of weight for the fuel that they use; they are much more fuel efficient than trucks.

We see a lot of deer along our railroad. For some reason, they run alongside of the train, rather than away from the tracks. I haven't hit any of them yet, but we have had some close calls. Picture #612 shows a young mule deer doing almost 30 mph alongside of the train.

We haul a lot of wheat. Picture 689 shows a loaded grain train near Hite WA. It is after harvest, so the grain fields in the picture have already been cut. Picture 589 shows the fields right at harvest time; the field on the left hasn't been harvested yet while the field on the right has already been cut. Picture 590 shows a combine at work harvesting wheat. All of these pictures were taken from the train. You get to see things that you never see anyplace else. We do have some scenic areas on our railroad; picture 105 shows a view from the Engineer's seat last winter.

Regards,
Bruce Butler

Check out Bruce's pictures from along the line. If you don't see the slideshow below, click HERE to view the photos in Picasa!




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Blog: http://www.warail.com

Woodinville Sub Sale to Close Soon

Mark December 15th on your calendars, because after that time the BNSF Woodinville Subdivision will be under new ownership! Price: $107 million.

Since we are in tough financial times, a group of buyers joined forces to save this right-of-way from abandonment. And here's the best part: the new owners will include Port of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit, and the City of Redmond. The northern part is still being used for freight, and will be operated by the Port. An email from their spokesperson a few months ago indicated that they were still looking for a short-line carrier to manage the line; sadly, the Temple family - owners of Washington Central and the Dinner Train - chose not to bid at that time. Redmond is interested in the stretch between Woodinville and Redmond for trail and rail access. I've long considered this portion to be a sleeper of sorts, because it runs from the busiest part of Woodinville to the busiest part of Redmond. Also imagine this: an interurban ride between the two cities through the valley and surrounded by some of the finest views in East King County. Sweet!

King County is still interested in building into their extensive trail system, and considers this corridor a vital link to many of those trails already in use. With 100 feet of right-of-way in many spots along the Woodinville Sub, operating both rails and trails can be a reality. Will Sound Transit's Link Light Rail run on part of this route? Only time and planning will tell.

Ever since late 2005, when BNSF announced that the line was for sale, I've been watching this activity as closely as possible. I even started a simple one-page website called Save The Railroad to get the word out that a priceless opportunity was ahead. That one page put me in touch with several of our elected leaders and a fair share of community organizations who were all interested in seeing the line used for the good of all. It was a great lesson in activism. Redmond's current vision for their part of of purchase mirrors almost exactly the idea I had for it back in early 2006. Amazing!

Frankly I'm thrilled to see this sale happen for several reasons. Keeping rail on this route is far too important for addressing future transportation needs. Creating more trail opportunities also makes me happy, because they not only create safer routes for peds and bicycles, but also a place for rail fans to potentially see trains up close from the safety of a dedicated walkway.

Kudos to all the groups involved!
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Article Link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010221495_raildeal07m.html
More Subject Reading: http://www.warail.com/search?q=woodinville+subdivision