Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – BNSF Balmer Yard Ready Tracks

An orange-painted locomotive near silver-colored passenger cars in a rail yard.

The Seattle-centric postcards continue with Charlie and MRVP’s Kent Johnson visiting the locomotive ready tracks at BNSF’s Balmer Yard. From a prime street-side vantage point, the two investigate an eclectic range of vintage Santa Fe and BN equipment, plus modern BNSF diesel power idling and working the site. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Portland to Seattle on the Amtrak Cascades

Stone or brick tower and red roof of a train station in sunshine.

After attending the 2015 National Train Show in Portland, Ore., Charlie and Kent Johnson decided to leave the driving to Amtrak for the return trip to Seattle, Wash. In this video, the guys share the high-speed sprint from one classic station to another, and highlight numerous railroad interests along the BNSF main line! […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Portland to Seattle on the Amtrak Cascades

Stone or brick tower and red roof of a train station in sunshine.

After attending the 2015 National Train Show in Portland, Ore., Charlie and Kent Johnson decided to leave the driving to Amtrak for the return trip to Seattle, Wash. In this video, the guys share the high-speed sprint from one classic station to another, and highlight numerous railroad interests along the BNSF main line! […]

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A new short line to savor NEWSWIRE

PSAPOBphoto

A Puget Sound & Pacific locomotive working for the recently created Olympia & Belmore Railroad in and around Olympia, Wash. Miguel Guzman OLYMPIA, Wash. — Make way for the Pacific Northwest’s newest short line: the Olympia & Belmore. The new operation was possible after G&W signed a lease agreement with BNSF Railway to operate the […]

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Simpson Lumber to close sawmill, railroad NEWSWIRE

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Simpson Lumber at Shelton, Wash., in September 2013. Justin Franz SHELTON, Wash. – The Pacific Northwest’s last logging railroad will shut down at the end of June. On Tuesday, the Simpson Lumber Co. announced it had sold its sawmill operations in Shelton to Sierra Pacific Industries. In a separate announcement, SPI stated it would not […]

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Oregon Coast legal victory a win for restoration of tracks NEWSWIRE

OCSR2014Fall211

Oregon Coast Scenic along the Salmonberry Canyon. Martin E. Hansen SALEM, Ore. – In a case that captured the attention of Surface Transportation Board lawyers nationwide, the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad won a pre-emption lawsuit against the state of Oregon and is set to resume work on the former Southern Pacific Tillamook Branch in the […]

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Montana official asks BNSF to reopen Great Falls-Helena line NEWSWIRE

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Montana Agriculture Department Director Ron de Yong has informally asked BNSF Railway officials to reopen the Great Falls to Helena line to help deal with increased traffic and delays in shipping along the Hi-Line in northern Montana, the Great Falls Tribune reports. De Yong tells the Tribune he made the request […]

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