Tunnel fire continues to disrupt rail traffic.Byline: Jeff Wright Jeff Wright can refer to:
OAKRIDGE - A stubborn railroad tunnel fire east of here continues to frustrate firefighters, rail passengers, freight-dependent businesses and Union Pacific stockholders. The 3,100-foot-long tunnel, 33 miles east of Oakridge on the west slope of Willamette Pass Willamette Pass (el. 5128 ft.) is a mountain pass in the Cascade Mountains in the U.S. state of Oregon. The pass is traversed by Oregon Route 58. Willamette Pass ski area is located there. , has been closed since Saturday afternoon. Seventeen freight trains travel the pass between Eugene and Klamath Falls Klamath Falls, city (1990 pop. 17,737), seat of Klamath co., SW Oreg., at the southern tip of Upper Klamath Lake; inc. 1905. It is the processing and distribution center of a lumber, livestock, and farm area. each day, as does Amtrak's north- and southbound south·bound adj. Going toward the south. southbound Adjective going towards the south Adj. 1. Coast Starlight star·light n. The light from the stars. starlight Noun the light that comes from the stars Noun 1. . Union Pacific officials have said the rail line may not reopen until Aug. 29, but acknowledge that even that is just a guess. "The honest answer is, we don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. ," said spokesman John Bromley at company headquarters in Omaha, Neb. Sparks from a train are believed to have the caused the fire, which was spotted about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Bromley said. Heavy smoke has spewed from both the north and south portals, and flames were still visible Thursday, he said. Part of the tunnel is lined with timber rather than concrete, Bromley said. Also, packing material used to fill hollow spots between the concrete lining and original rock wall consists of wood chips and other combustibles, he said. "We know we have burning behind the concrete lining," he said. "It's very difficult to put out." Heat from the fire has buckled track, and ceiling timbers have collapsed onto the tunnel floor, he said. Union Pacific firefighters have put down foam retardant re·tar·dant adj. Acting or tending to retard. Often used in combination: flame-retardant pajamas for children; a fire-retardant security chest. and worked to establish a fire line but have made little headway into the tunnel as of Thursday, Bromley said. Crews haven't yet been able to assess the extent of damage and needed repair, he said. The fire is not the first to plague the tunnel, but appears likely to be the longest-running. Earlier fires closed the tunnel, known as Tunnel No. 7, for three days in May 2001 and six days in October 1999. Bromley said he believes that the tunnel was built in the 1920s. The closure has stymied Amtrak's Coast Starlight runs between Eugene and Oakland, Calif. About 1,460 people ride some portion of the Starlight between Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and Seattle daily. The Starlight continues to run from Eugene north and from Oakland south, said Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run spokeswoman Sarah Swain. The passenger rail company hopes to announce a bus alternative for travelers between Eugene and Oakland within the next day or two, Swain said. About eight freight trains, meanwhile, are being rerouted daily from Portland to Klamath Falls via the Columbia Gorge and Bend on Burlington Northern-Santa Fe tracks, Bromley said. Another eight trains are being rerouted through Salt Lake City, a 700-mile detour expected to add at least two additional days to transit time transit time the time required for ingesta to pass through the gastrointestinal tract; a shorter transit time is seen in conditions associated with gut hypermotility, such as diarrhea. Delayed passage from any cause results in a longer transit time. , Bromley said. The fire - on a primary route for lumber shipments, during peak shipping season - is bad news for rail-dependent businesses. It also bodes ill for Union Pacific, which has been trying to overcome a spate of shipping delays since late last year. The delays have contributed to a 55 percent drop in first-half net income this year, the railroad has said. The company's stock has declined 19 percent this year, Bloomberg News reports. TUNNEL FIRE Closure stymies Amtrak's Coast Starlight Northbound: Service to Portland and Seattle continues Southbound: Rail service disrupted. Motorcoach alternatives may be announced soon. More information: Call (800) USA-RAIL |
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