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N, BOX 10, GOLDEN COLO. 80402 (12 Issues) $18.50-1 Year $36 _00-2 Years 2. NOVEMBER 1988 November 1988 No. 300 P ACIFI C RAlL NE\f/S and P ACIFIC NEWS are Steve Schmollinger registered trademarks of Interurban Press, a Hot Sand and Drifting Snow . ..... 20 California Corporation. A look at Santa Fe's dynamic Seligman Subdivision in PUBLISHER: Mac Sebree northern Arizona EDITOR: Jim Walker NEWS EDITOR: Dick Stephenso n Commuter Train Fever Sweeps Southern ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Mike Schafer California ................ ......... H.G. Ready 29 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Don Gulbrandsen ART PRODUCTION: Mark Danneman Six serious rail proposals are under study in the quest for PRODUCTION MANAGER: Ray Geyer solving the region's transit problems CONTRIBUTING ARTIST: John Signor CIRCULATION MANAGER: Bob Schneider Departments: STAFF: Rail News ................ 4 Shortlines ............ 33 Michael W. Blaszak, David R. Busse, P. Allen Copeland , R. C. Farewell , Thomas Higgins, Letters .................. 6 Transit Herb Horton, Don Jewell , Norm Johnson, PRN Expeditor ........... 7 West Coast Light Rail Ken Meeker, Steve Morgan, Brian Norden, Clifford Prather, Karl Rasmussen, John A. Railroads Update ............... 34 Rushton, Joe Strapac, Charles Vercelli. BN .................... 8 Portland .............. 34 Soo ................... 9 San Francisco/BART ... 35 P ACIFIC R AILNEWS (USPS 862840) is pub­ SP .................. 11 L.A. Metro ........ .. 36 lished monthly by Interurban Press (a corpora­ tion), 1212 South Brand Blvd. , Gl endale , CA C&NW ............... 12 San Francisco/MUNI .. 37 91204. Second-class postage paid at Glendale, D&RGW ............. 14 Preservation .. ... ........ 37 CA 91209 and additional offices. POSTMAS­ TER: Se nd address changes to: PACIFI C Amtrak .......... ... .. 16 Out West ..... ... ....... 38 RAILNEWS, P.O. Box 6128 , Glendale, CA AT&SF .............. 18 From the Past ........ .. 42 91205. ISSN 8750-8486. Rail Canada West ...... 19 Photo Stop ...... ....... 44 CORRESPONDENCE: Please use P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91205 for ALL correspon­ Mexico ............... 19 Interurbans Newsletter . .. 46 dence. UPS deliveries only to 11 5-C E. Palmer Regionals ............. 33 Extra Board Ads ...... .. 47 Ave. , Glendale, CA 91205. VIA ... .. ............. 33 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $27 (U.S.) for 12 issues , $49 for 24 issues. Foreign add $6 for each 12 issues . Single copy $2.75 (subject to COVER: GP50 No. 3849 is on the point of a Santa Fe intermodal train, X3849 East, caming through change without notice). First-class/air rates a rack cut in Kingman Canyon, Ariz., on a stiff uphill grade on April 30, 1988. The smake comes available on req ues!. from the stack af the second locamotive, C30-7 No. 8023. This scenic trackage is covered in "Hot Sand and Drifting Snaw" in this issue. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Post Office -STEVE SCHMOLLINGER does not regularl y forward 2nd Class Mail and P ACIFIC R!IIL N E I17S is not responsible for copies not forwarded or destroyed by the Post Office. Replacement copies/PO notifications will be bi lled. Please allow us at least four A NOTE ... weeks for any address changes. ADVERTISING RATES: On request, or call his issue marks an anniversary of sorts. Continuing a tradition (818) 240-4777 . T which extends back over 27 years, this issue is the 300th since Articles and photographs for the magazine are production was started in September 1961. welcome. When submitting material for con­ While not all of these issues were produced under the same leader­ sideration, include return envelope and post­ age if you wish it returned. P ACIFIC ship, they represent a continuing commitment by us here at Interurban R A ILN E\f/S does not assume responsibility for Press to bring you a quality product each and every issue. the safe return of material. Payment is made The actual issue number, whether 300, 400 or 500 is only a point of upon publication. reference. The significance lies in our determination to bring you a © 1988 INTERURBAN PRESS Mac Sebree, President variety of news stories, features and photos on Western rail subjects Jim Walker, Vice-President each month. Share with us this observation of a significant milepost! ARt.. ~ MAC SEBREE. JIM WALKER. DICK STEPHENSON and all the PACIFIC R AILNEws Staff PACIFIC RailNEWS - 3 DA-I- · · -~ Montano Roil Link has acquired second-hand locomotives from a number of sources. Seen here at Livingston, Mont., on July 3, 1988, are ex-N&W 5035 1546, ex-BN GP9 1934,5040202 in MRL livery, Grand Trunk {ex-OT&ll GP35 6355 and BN GP9 1930. MRL also has ex-B&LE S09s and ex-SP S07s ond S09s. -LARRY ZEUTSCHEL Quite a bit of real estate comes with the Grande's bid for SP would be best for the SP+D&RGW=SP, SP, noted Anschutz, adding that much of public and the railroad industry. Present Comments Anschutz it underlies the track and yards. He em­ at the meeting was Sen. Larry Pressler, a phasized that although what land is sur­ South Dakota Republican who urged the The 4-0 vote of the ICC to approve sale of plus "we will endeavor to sell, . we commission to swiftly approve the merg­ Southern Pacific Transportation Co. by will not dispose of property which is need­ er. This formidable array of support for the SFSP Corp. to Rio Grande Industries ed to support the railroad now or in the Rio Grande's bid came as a blow to Kan­ and its concurrent denial of the bid of future." One of the main positive aspects sas City Southern (KCS), which was also Kansas City Southern Industries on of the ICC decision is the end of months seeking ICC permission to buy SP. KCS Aug. 9, 1988, has set in motion the me­ of uncertainty as to SP's future. presented its plan for the future based on chanics for actual transfer later this year. Merger of SPT and the D&RGW will being the successful SP suitor. Rio Philip Anschutz, head of Rio Grande create America's fifth-largest railroad sys­ Grande Chief Counsel and Vice President Industries, released comments on Aug. 9 tem, ranking behind UP-MP-WP-MKT Sam Freeman quickly noted, however, which seem to answer some questions (24,074 miles), BN (23,476 miles), CSX that the KCS offer would leave SP sad­ about future plans. He said the combined (21,494 miles) and NS (17,254 miles). dled with a debt of more than $1.5 bil­ SP-D&RGW would operate under the The new system will go into business with lion vs. roughly $400 million under Rio banner of SP, although the Denver & Rio 15,046 miles of route and about 26,300 Grande's proposal. Moreover, because of Grande Western will "continue its own employees. Gross revenues for the two a massive antitrust judgement pending proud heritage of service as an integral lines last year was $2.5 billion ($2.3 bil­ against KCS of up to $600 million, an and pivotal part of the overall system." lion of which was generated by the SP). amount larger than the present assets of Noting that the Cotton Belt has for some ICC Ruling Specifics KCS, Freeman questioned whether KCS time used its own name while marketing ICC chairman Heather Gradison said is financially a viable suitor for SP. Final­ its service as part of the Espee system, the combined SP/D&RGW will "produce ly KCS indicted that if the ICC approved Anschutz said the Rio Grande identity substantial public benefits" not now the Rio Grande merger on Aug. 9 KCS would be continued. Headquarters for available. She added that "There are no would go to court to block the transac­ the combined railroad system will be in discernible harms to competition or to tion. San Francisco, with Denver being re­ essen tial railroad services." Union Pacific was represented at the tained as a major regional office.