Western Railroad Discussion > Solving Sandpoint, ID

With BNSF reviving the second bridge across Lake Pend Oreille proposal, here is another idea from the past. Many years ago there was some informal discussion between UP and BNSF about doing directional traffic between Athol and Bonners Ferry. This would exclude the MRL traffic of course (unless they put back in the original NP-GN connection bridge across Sand Creek Slough). Part of the proposal involved avoiding the diamond crossing in Sandpoint by having northbounds on the ex-NP at Sandpoint Jct use a new mainline alongside the UP yard to connect to the SI while southbounds on the ex-GN would continue down the original GN mainline on the west side of town to the SI connection at Dover.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

---

Hauser Yard was key to BN planning. Paired track running with UP would screw up that investment.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hauser Yard was key to BN planning. Paired track
> running with UP would screw up that investment.

If it went all the way to Spokane, but not Athol.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Bigger Parking Lot!

TAW

Given where the BN overpass over the UP is BN trains yarding or fueling would be hanging out on the UP main and fouling the BN main for hours unless a massive redesign of the interchange and very expensive build was effected.

I think any proposals of UP and BNSF sharing track and setting up directional running will probably never develop beyond talk. UP probably feels "burned" for giving up their own right-of-way through Spokane and having to be at the mercy of BNSF dispatching through the city.

An expansion of that business model would be a "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" arrangement.