Tongue River Railroad Montana

[Jeff Smith]

I assume this line, since it's joint ownership, will end up being a Class III, but for now, I'll park it in here since BNSF is involved.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/p ... p?id=33230

The decision directs TRRC to file supplemental information related to the transportation merits, sets a new procedural schedule for the parties' submissions on the merits and requires TRRC to publish new newspaper notices consistent with the decision. The due date for comments in support of, or opposition to, TRRC's application is March 1, 2013, and the due date for TRRC's reply comments is April 15, 2013. A Federal Register notice of the STB's decision to accept or reject the application is anticipated on or about Jan. 9, 2013.

TRRC plans to construct and operate an 83-mile line between Miles City, Mont., and two ending points, one near the site of a previously planned Montco mine near Ashland, Mont., and the other at the proposed Otter Creek mine in an area east of Ashland. The line's owners include BNSF Railway Co. and Arch Coal Inc.

This proposed line has a long, interesting history, originally proposed by BN.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue_Riv ... #Railroads

The current venture is the Tongue River Railroad, cussed and discussed over the past 25 years. Despite frequent press releases of imminent construction, not a single cubic foot of dirt has been disturbed in those 25 years. The impetus for the current venture is the prospect of hauling coal from strip mines which are existing and to be developed along the proposed route. Along the same proposed route, ranchers fear the effect of the proposed right of way upon their holdings in the Tongue River Valley, and the effect of newly developed strip mines and coalbed methane gas wells on the quality of water, since strip mines and coalbed methane wells can increase sodium content in surrounding water sources. Proposed construction of the Tongue River Railroad is a divisive issue between energy developers, landowners, and inhabitants, and is sure to spark spirited debate anywhere in Southeastern Montana.
The BNSF railroad operating between Sheridan, Wyoming and Billings, Montana runs along the Tongue for a distance of about 10 miles, starting from a point about 7 miles north of Sheridan, Wyoming. Though this segment of rail line along the Tongue was limited, from 1900 to 1940 coal was shipped by the railroad from underground coal mines located in the Tongue River valley, along this stretch of track. This railroad was a part of the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q, or "Burlington") railroad system, which has now been merged in the present Burlington, Northern, Sante Fe (BNSF) railroad system.

and.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_and_South_Railway

During the first years of the twentieth century, residents of north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana advanced multiple proposals for the construction of a new railway line between Sheridan and Miles City. The proposed route, which generally followed the course of the Tongue River, would access the vast and remote ranching country between the two towns, and would provide Sheridan with a second railway outlet to the east. (The city was already served by a main line of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.)
The N&S line to Salt Creek operated only until 1935, when it was abandoned. Substantial evidence of the old railroad grade remains visible today, in both Wyoming and Montana.
Interestingly, the never-completed alignment of the N&S in Montana continues to receive attention as a possible rail corridor today – this time by the Tongue River Railroad, a proposed coal-hauling line between the Decker, Montana area and Miles City.

[recklessendangerment]

For a while they even planned on having this branch out of BNSF track's at Sheridan WY, But Forrest Mars Jr (The Candy empire Billionaire) decided he didn't want it going through his land, so he bought a 3rd of the Permits for the railline to stop it from going all the way to Wyoming.

http://journalstar.com/business/local/a ... 78bb3.html

[Jeff Smith]

STB moving forward: Progressive Railroading

STB to consider Tongue River's supplemental coal line application

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) yesterday announced it accepted for consideration the Tongue River Railroad Co. Inc.'s (TRRC) supplemental application to build and operate an 83-mile line in southeastern Montana that would be used to move low-sulfur, sub-bituminous coal from area mines.

TRRC filed a revised application for construction authority with the STB in October 2012, but modified the planned project via a supplemental application submitted in December 2012. The supplemental application describes the railroad's preferred route on a 42-mile alignment between Coldstrip and Ashland/Otter Creek, the southern portion of which had been approved for construction by the former Interstate Commerce Commission, STB officials said in a prepared statement.