Palouse rail paving leaves cars stranded

Garth Meyer | Oct 25, 20120

A smoother ride greets motorists at the Highway 272 entry into Palouse since two railroad siding crossings were paved over in August.

The project cost was paid by the Washington State Department of Transportation as part of a longer-term plan.

“We’ve been wanting to do it for some time and the funding became available,” said Bob Westby, DOT manager of the 296-mile Palouse River and Coulee City Railway System. “We’re gonna come back at some point and take those tracks out, that whole spur on the east side of the highway.”

The two spurs that crossed Highway 272 link to the P & L line which is operated by Washington & Idaho Railroad and connects with the BNSF main line at Marshall.

The mainline used by the W&I for shipments to and from Marshall will not be paved over.

Palouse Grain Growers operates the storage tanks located on the west side of the highway as it enters Palouse. The cooperative now loads cars for rail shipments at its facility on the west end of town off Main Street.

“We’d been struggling with that crossing for a long time,” said Ben Barstow, a member of the board of directors for PGG.

Grain had been loaded into rail cars at the storage site next to the paved-over tracks until June of this year. When PGG decided to cease car loading at the 272 site, they gave their blessing to the state to pave over the rail siding crossings.

“This is a good solution for everybody in the short term,” said Bruce Baldwin, PGG manager.

The paved crossing left several rail cars stranded on the remaining spur line that extends to the east of the highway.

Stan Patterson, president of the Washington and Idaho Railway Co. which hauls freight on the state-owned railroad, said approximately eight rail cars are being stored on the spurs.

“We let them know it’s okay to pave over the crossing, but when we have to get the cars out we’re going to have to rip the road out,” said Patterson, who noted the pavement would be replaced after the cars depart.

The stranded rail cars are owned by one of the W & I storage customers.

Patterson stressed car storage is integral to his railroad’s operations. Revenue the W&I receives from firms for storing rail cars is used to lower shipping rates for rail users, he said.

“Those cars are paying the bills. That’s money all the shippers see,” said Patterson. “I don’t like the looks of them either, but ask the folks at McCoy how the storage money is working out.”

The McCoy Grain Terminal, located on the P&L between Oakesdale and Rosalia, is a $17 million grain train loading facility which is scheduled before next harvest.