Western Railroad Discussion > A bit of Montana in Eastern Washington

The sudden grain rush this spring caused the Eastern Washington Gateway to hold on to the MRL 290 longer than expected. I used it last night along with NIWX 9129 (C40-8) to take up to 48 grain loads east. I got down to 5.6mph on the tough grade out of Wilbur, WA. But that was the last of the regular "scoot" trains handling grain from the numerous online elevators to the Highline Shuttle Elevator at Four Lakes, WA. Those online elevators are just about cleaned out of last years harvest and getting ready for the next harvest in a few weeks. The CBRW Washington State Grain Train cars will be loaded one more time and sent offline. When the customers unload them, they will return to the Columbia Basin Railway. Sometime next week a shuttle train with hard red winter wheat will come in for the local ADM flour mills to be unloaded at Highline. After unloading, it will be reloaded with soft white wheat for export. With the coming slow period before the next harvest, the MRL 290 might be returned to the MRL. But I have not heard for certain. We keep finding uses for it!  ;^) 
Below is from early June when the MRL 290 was used on a Geiger Turn.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Nice one.  Always appreciate the standard cab  shots.
Brian Stevens

The MRL 290 is a nice looker!

Larry

Yes, thanks for the photos, and also for the explanation of what is moving where and when.  Always interesting to understand the nuts and bolts of what is moving in those rail cars.

Tell John H. that NIWX needs to buy 290 and make sure it winds up at IRM when he's through with it!

<grin>

NZ

How far do those Washington Grain Train hoppers roam.I have some models of em ,but never see them in real life.
Regards,dK

If they are the CBRW cars, I have seen them in central California (only a few times).