Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Capacity improvements

An article from the news in Bonner County [ID] says, in part:

Work recently began on constructing a second set of tracks parallel to existing ones from BNSF's refueling depot near Hauser through Rathdrum and into the Athol area to address a bottleneck and ease congestion,........"

What other double tracking projects or improvements are in the offing? Do they still intend to lay another track out to Snowden, MT? What about the west leg of the wye at Shelby, MT?

These were to planned improvements that I think were put on the back burner.

Fascinating that we have heard nothing about compliants from the Nimbies! With the Bull Shit UP has had to endure at Mosier in the Columbia Gorge, it just ain't fair! I am not a staunch UP fan, but I can't help but feel that the system is skewed, not just against UP. but in most cases it seems. I know BNSF got some flack when Hauser was built, but it still doesn't seem like it was this bad.

Just my nickles worth.

Rob

I am no expert but seems to me the additional tracks will only give them additional holding tracks to clear Hauser fuel points I thought I read someplace that at least one more fueling track at Hauser was in the plans

Dale Smith

Posted from iPhone

OregonOldGuy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fascinating that we have heard nothing about
> compliants from the Nimbies! With the Bull Shit
> UP has had to endure at Mosier in the Columbia
> Gorge, it just ain't fair! I am not a staunch UP
> fan, but I can't help but feel that the system is
> skewed, not just against UP. but in most cases it
> seems. I know BNSF got some flack when Hauser was
> built, but it still doesn't seem like it was this
> bad.
>
> Just my nickles worth.
>
> Rob

Funny thing about people, they seem to get upset when corporate negligence sets fire to their town.

radar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OregonOldGuy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Fascinating that we have heard nothing about
> > compliants from the Nimbies! With the Bull
> Shit
> > UP has had to endure at Mosier in the Columbia
> > Gorge, it just ain't fair! I am not a staunch
> UP
> > fan, but I can't help but feel that the system
> is
> > skewed, not just against UP. but in most cases
> it
> > seems. I know BNSF got some flack when Hauser
> was
> > built, but it still doesn't seem like it was
> this
> > bad.
> >
> > Just my nickles worth.
> >
> > Rob
>
> Funny thing about people, they seem to get upset
> when corporate negligence sets fire to their town.

Since when was it determined UP was negligent?? I have not seen one factual media statement (so far) indicating UP was not in compliance with FRA track inspection protocol.



Allen



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/17 21:35 by bradleymckay.

bradleymckay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I have not seen one factual media statement (so far)
> indicating UP was not in compliance with FRA track
> inspection protocol.
> Allen

How about this:

http://www.opb.org/news/series/oil-trains/oregon-mosier-oil-train-derailement-federal-regulators-blame-union-pacific/

bmarti7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bradleymckay Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> I have not seen one factual media statement (so
> far)
> > indicating UP was not in compliance with FRA
> track
> > inspection protocol.
> > Allen
>
> How about this:
>
> http://www.opb.org/news/series/oil-trains/oregon-m
> osier-oil-train-derailement-federal-regulators-bla
> me-union-pacific/

That's from right after the derailment and proves nothing. The FRA later admitted UP was inspecting the track according to FRA guidelines. UP is only negligent if they knew using lag bolts (screw spikes) had the potential to shear at or below tie level and installed them anyway. UP must of had a good reason to believe the lag bolts would hold better on curves or they wouldn't have installed them in the first place.

The big unknown is who manufactured the lag bolts, where they were manufactured and if the forging was done within specifications.



Allen

bradleymckay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bmarti7 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > bradleymckay Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > I have not seen one factual media statement
> (so
> > far)
> > > indicating UP was not in compliance with FRA
> > track
> > > inspection protocol.
> > > Allen
> >
> > How about this:
> >
> >
> http://www.opb.org/news/series/oil-trains/oregon-m
>
> >
> osier-oil-train-derailement-federal-regulators-bla
>
> > me-union-pacific/
>
> That's from right after the derailment and proves
> nothing. The FRA later admitted UP was inspecting
> the track according to FRA guidelines. UP is only
> negligent if they knew using lag bolts (screw
> spikes) had the potential to shear at or below tie
> level and installed them anyway. UP must of had a
> good reason to believe the lag bolts would hold
> better on curves or they wouldn't have installed
> them in the first place.
>
> The big unknown is who manufactured the lag bolts,
> where they were manufactured and if the forging
> was done within specifications.
>
>
>
> Allen

Topic seriously derailed.

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> An article from the news in Bonner County says,
> in part:
>
> Work recently began on constructing a second set
> of tracks parallel to existing ones from BNSF's
> refueling depot near Hauser through Rathdrum and
> into the Athol area to address a bottleneck and
> ease congestion,........"
>

This is a good improvement. Right now, there is only about 4,500 feet of two main tracks off the east switch at Hauser, which is not enough to allow a train coming into the fueling facility to wait at the switch. Instead, a westbound that has to hold for an EB coming out of Hauser has to wait at Ramsey - by the time the train leaving Hauser passes the WB and the WB runs to Hauser, there is a 20 - 25 minute time period where there is no train in the fueling track that was just cleared. This improvement will allow WBs to close up to the east switch, so as soon as the departing train is clear, the arriving train can move into the fuel racks. Do that three or four times per day and you've created over an hour of capacity for one fuel rack.

If they go all the way to Athol with a second track, then you have two main tracks from Hauser to Athol, and you can line up multiple trains for quick moves into Hauser.

I believe it was Funnelfan that previously noted there is already a 4th fueling track in Hauser, only it's just used for local power. I suspect that BNSF will reconfigure the approach tracks to that rack so that main line trains will be able to utilize it as well. That will also add much needed capacity.

They still need a second track from Boyer to the SP bridge (better if they would DT the bridge as well, but that will be a longer proposition) and they also need the second track between Algoma and Cocolalla. I suspect the analysts in Ft. Worth have all these on their radar scope, but the question is will Uncle Warren cough up the cash to "make it so, No. 1". I'd think they should also be looking at Pasco and some fixes around that terminal - maybe a second track over the Columbia River. If Millennium gets approved by the Gov, then they better figure a way to stage coal trains waiting to be sprayed at Pasco so they don't interfere with trains changing crews or moving into or from the yard.



> What other double tracking projects or
> improvements are in the offing? Do they still
> intend to lay another track out to Snowden, MT?
> What about the west leg of the wye at Shelby, MT?
>
>
> These were to planned improvements that I think
> were put on the back burner.

Haven't heard much about work east of Whitefish - before that does a lot of good, they are going to have to come up with a solution for the Flat Head tunnel that I believe is now approaching capacity as well. Between the FHT and capacity issues on the MRL, BNSF is going to be faced with a lot of tough issues to accommodate additional traffic moving to/from the PNW.