I recently watched a video taped back in 1995 of BN's single track main line, "the Funnel". Now, it say's someimtes up to 110 trains a day pass over this single track main line which seems REALLY high. Is this track still a single track main? If so, why? It would seem making this line double track the whole way through would increase traffic. Maybe I'm wrong and thee is some group who is afraid that a second track might kill off all of the forrest tortises! HA!
Craig, have you ever corresponded with Ted Curphey, known as "funnelfan" on the net? He is probably the biggest funnel railfan and posts all kinds of great stuff on trainorders and other places. I guess I need to persuade him to get involved here on trainboard.
You know Fitz sometimes I don't put things together untill someone else does for me! LOL Yeah, I have been reading Ted's posts for over two years now, and I know he would be welcomed here on TB.
Jim pointed me to this question, and it has a only mildly complicated answer. The 110 figure is a oft qouted erronous figure that was started by a Spokesman Review article a fews years ago. What the reported did in that case was to count the number of trains entering Spokane, and the number of trains leaving and add the two figures together. To most railfans this method would be very apperantly wrong, in that many trains would be counted twice as they moved through Spokane. In actuallity the number of trains running on the funnel in 1995 was about 50 with spikes of up to 65 trains per day during the busy grain rush. Back then the line was single track with sidings every 5-8 miles. Trains made mad dashes between sidings and there were always trains running, rarely was there a lull in traffic because the congestion kept everything evenly busy throughout the day. BN kept trains short and well powered to help keep the funnel fluid. But since the BNSF merger, a number of things have been done to temper what was once a railfan paradise. First BNSF threw lot's of money at the track structure, double tracking most of the line. Only four short sections remain single track. Once that was done BNSF nearly doubled train lengths and this greatly cut the number of trains down. And lastly the annual grain rush hasn't been what it used to be. There hasn't been the tidal wave of grain moving west since 1998 like there was in the mid 1990's. Now the line sees between 35-45 trains per day with frequent afternoon lulls (except on Friday and Saturday when traffic is high). So what used to take a train at least two, and as many as six hours to cross the funnel, now rarley exceeds a hour and a half. Toss in a dozen daily UP trains on the west end, and a whole variety of locals and transfer runs, you have the 70 daily movements in the Boyer West DS territory that my website states. <http://www.icehouse.net/funnelfan/>
Hello Ted, a very warm welcome to TrainBoard I too have been visiting your site ever since I got connected to the internet. It was Graham Doe's US Railfans site that pointed me in your direction, I have had links to you on my sites ever since. Thanks for the update on the Funnel since the BNSF merger. A logical step for the railroad, but not neccessarily so good for the railfan, although it still sounds like a place I want to visit! I can recommend a visit to Ted's site, full of great photos and lots of info.
<font color="336633">Welcome to TrainBoard Ted Its great to have you here, I also reccomend that everyone checks out his site </font>
Ted, welcome to Trainboard. Your great information on the funnel and all of the northwest will be a welcome additon. Stand by guys, for some really great photos as well. Thanks for responding to my invite, Ted.
