I have’nt heard any news on progress clearing the big slide on UP in the Cascade mountains in Oregon. Does anyone know more?
It’s not cleared yet–UP is clogging its other main lines in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and California with detour moves. I heard mid-March as a possible opening date. Plenty of logs and dirt to be removed and right-of-way to be rebuilt. UP’s visual description was an earthmoving project the size of a football field and the height of Chicago’s Sears Tower.
Just caught this today–should give you the info you want.
Working with the data in the UTU press release, the opening date could be in early April at this point.
Have they said anything on how they are gonna stabilize the side of the mountian? If they just clean it up and rebuild, they are asking for disaster again.
Has anyone seen any “pictures” of this slide?
Yes.
The pictures I’ve seen were from above, taken by or for the UP. Don’t know if I can provide a usable link to them.
They aren’t very good, because of the altitude needed to show the whole thing. Because of the way the track curves around to lose altitude, the same slide actually covers the line in two spots, several miles apart from each other. They’ve brought out carloads of logs already, which I presume will be salvaged. From what I heard a while back, they hadn’t even gotten to the lower slide yet.
EDIT: The pictures and a diagram were posted on the UP employee site, and apparently aren’t available to the general public. There are, however, some reports and updates that can be accessed on UP’s web site. Latest report confirms that they don’t expect an opening of the line before the end of March. Lots of logs are being moved by both train and helicopter.
My understanding (mostly from local news reports) is that the track is cleared on the lower slide but the upper slide was a lot deeper as well as wider. (The picture in the article linked above shows the debris train on the section of track between ends of the slide.)
http://www.uprr.com/customers/service/update.shtml
What UP has to say on the project as well as pictures.
I’m sure the “rail fans” ’ questions were more rhetorical than anything. Also sure that UP would listen if any “rail fans” provided a viable alternative.
Sure makes for poor railfanning on the Shasta line.
When did UP move its headquarters to Roseville? I wonder if they are refering to a company that was contracted to clean up the mess.