A large mudslide has blocked the UP north/south mainline a little east of Oakridge. UP expects clearing the line to take weeks.
newspaper link: http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=52797&sid=1&fid=1
what are typical commodities that move between CA and OR? mention was made on another thread about these loads being rerouted via Salt Lake/Ogden.
dd
Lumber and paper are probably the biggest commodities. I know that there are empty auto trains from Mira Loma, CA to Portland, OR. I do not know how frequently these run. There are also chemicals and steel products that come down from the Pacific Northwest.
According to the newspaper article, UP is detouring via BNSF’s Inside Gateway. I wonder if all of the detours are going that way or if any are going via Utah.
Here is UP’s announcement about the slide. There is not much information.
http://dx01.my.uprr.com/pubdir/inetbull.nsf/10ad5b33cfbd82148625705a000ea680/276c3adc4b457179862573d7005e6e09?OpenDocument
Perhaps they will post more information.
http://dx01.my.uprr.com/pubdir/inetbull.nsf/$$customernewsByNumber
when service on that line was interrupted before, high revenue stuff went via the BNSF - low revenue loads, backhauls, etc., went via SLC/Ogden. I expect the same plan this time. Seems like SLC/Ogden routing would be more than a 48 hr delay.
dd
Most UP Trains are being routed via Ogden/Salt Lake City, then to Sacramento or a few direct to LA. Very few trains via the Oregon Trunk so far (2 maybe 3)
I suspect this will cause extreme heavy traffic between Portland and Wishram on the Columbia River. Wish I could be there to watch it!
A railfan’s mind wanders to the former SP Siskiyou Line (not owned by UP anyway).
It’s currently closed as a through route between Eugene and Dunsmuir, isn’t it? It seems like there was some more big-$$$ tunnel trouble up there, and a major shipper (?) was getting involved in the rehabilitation of the line.
The problem with the Siskiyou line is tight curves combined with tunnels, Plate C boxcars or smaller, cars much over 60 ft. in length face stricter height limitations. And then UP has to round up a lot of SD40-2s as very few newer locomotives will fit either, standard cab SD60s might fit, but no widecabs or GEs will, etc.
There is a considerable amount of grain from Canada bound (presumably) for California, and some gondolas of scrap steel northbound.
The steep grades on the Siskiyou route are famous, but I hadn’t thought about it having those clearance problems as well.
All the more reason that the Natron Cutoff is the favored route.