PLAN CALLS FOR RAILROAD TO MOVE RELOADING FACILITIES OUT OF TOWN Photo here: [www.dhonline.com] Caption reads: Photo by Patrick Lair/Democrat-Herald. An Albany and Eastern engine hauls lumber east of downtown Lebanon. LEBANON, OR -- The City Council is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Albany & Eastern Railroad Company on a project that could greatly reduce the amount of train and truck traffic through town, officials said. Under the Connect Oregon Program, the city and state will pay for the railroad company to move its reloading facilities northwest of town in the fall of 2008. One facility currently sits at the Weyerhaeuser site off the east end of Milton Street and the other is at the corner of Third and Grant streets, next to the Santiam Travel Station. They will be moved to 3 acres of railroad property west of the Entek plant on Hansard Avenue. The project also calls for the relocation of a rail switching yard from the former Champion Mill site to railroad property northwest of the Hansard Avenue railroad crossing. Moving the reloading facilities and the switch yard to the outskirts of town is expected to cut in half the number of trucks and trains that pass through the city limits. “Sometimes we need to move our long trains, which can be more than 50 cars, into the switch yard. That requires them to pass through town,” said Albany & Eastern President Mike Root. “We won’t necessarily have to bring them in anymore.” The reload facility on Milton Street draws about 20 trucks per day, Root said. The move is also expected to increase railroad efficiency by consolidating the reload facilities and train storage area, and enhance local business opportunities. The new location will be situated close to businesses in the northwest industrial area. Albany & Eastern is the short line operating on leased Union Pacific and Burlington Northern & Santa Fe tracks in Lebanon. Albany & Eastern trains currently haul lumber, frozen foods, scrap metals, fuel, seed and other products, Root said. The $2.4 million project will be partly funded by a grant from ODOT in the amount of $1.918 million. The city of Lebanon will pay $479,640, or 20 percent, with funds from the Northwest Urban Renewal District. Public Works Director Jim Ruef said Lebanon was one of two grant applicants from Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties that were chosen from a total of nine applicants in this area to receive the grant. One reason the state favored Lebanon was because they knew this would attract business, he said. The construction contracts are expected to be awarded in June 2008 with the entire move completed by the end of the year. - Patrick Lair, The Albany Democrat-Herald
It would be interesting to see a map of before (now), and after. To see how this might effect the town. Boxcab E50
I've been down to Lebanon to shoot the AERC motive power- they use one GP35 and one GP38-2 (both very nicely painted in green & tan), and also have an ex-SP GP9. The road interchanges with Portland & Western at Albany.The main highway thru town is US20, and there is a truck route around the town. I can see where truck traffic on city streets may be affected coming from the west, as the reload is on the east side of town (closed-down lumber mill). Moving the reload would also affect rail movements thru town, as AERC would most likely use the mill area for car storage.
I think the A&E is going to need a shoehorn to get everything into 3 acres. Besides the reload, there's a need for car repair, shop buildings, plus storage for MOW equipment. Incidentally, the A&E has 2 GP38-3's, a GP35E, and a GP9E. John
Welcome to Trainboard, ShastaFan! I'm up the road from you here in Salem, a stone's throw from the OE line. I shot one of the GP38-2s at the east end of Lebanon, but didn't see the second one. Did get shots of the GP35 and GP9 near downtown, tho. Have any info on the Portland & Western to share as well?
Thanks for the welcome, friscobob and John. I haven't heard much about the Portland & Western lately. I have a good friend who works for the A&E that stops by once in a while and fills me in on what's going on. Anyway, that's about all the news that's fit to print! John
Clean shortline diesels? I can show ya clean shortline diesels I have more to show, Grasshopper.............
How about this one? AERC GP35 2501, an ex-SP diesel, off for the holidays in Lebanon. Its two "sister" GP35s (2502 and 2503) are on the Willamette Valley Ry., another shortline just up the valley a ways.
