most people in the USofA these days think of railroads, if at all, only as annoyances. I live in a small college town in NE Washington state, on the Northern Pacific (now BNSF) and UP lines to Spokane. Most of the town is within 10 blocks of the NP tracks and people, especially new people, in town are always complaining about the noise (whistles, switching the local flour mill) even though the tracks were here before the town. Over the last 10-15 years several new apartment buildings have been built on the far side of the tracks (both lines) and the residents there are always complaining about the crossings being blocked. Nobody seems to realize how much the local economy (for ex: the flour mill!) depends on the trains. Not to mention how much of the stuff they go to Spokane to buy traveled on a train at some point in its life.
A few years ago there was a fire east of here, near Marshall, Washington, caused by sparks from a BNSF train. There were actually people calling for the railroad to be shut down permanently. On a side note, there was a PBY used in fighting that fire, saw it several times going for water from one of the lakes to the west of here. Never had my camera with me at the right time.
People are always amazed to find out that there is Amtrak service from Spokane, and that I use it to go visit my adult daughter in Portland. (times at SPK stink, esp EB. Oh for a set-out sleeper!)
Most of us just don't have a clue as to how much of the 'murrican economy still depends on trains, large or small. People think of them as something from old movies, not part of today's world.
There's currently an argument about the old CMStP&P grade across Washington, which the state bought (most of) when MILW went under back in the early 1980's. Fight is between those who want the section east of the Columbia river brought up to the standards of the section to the west as a hiking/biking trail and land owners who want the state to close it and give them the land. Nobody seems to mention that it could be used as the basis of a high(er) speed passenger service from here to Seattle/Tacoma.
As far as I can see, tis the same nationwide.
hank
