Re: End of line

One other aspect of the line that might be of general interest was the manner in which the county managed to block salvage of the line. INP had recieved permsission to abandon despite local protest and had let a salvage contract. The company that was to salvage the line started to pulls spikes and track bolts on the wye at Joseph. The county planning dept. had already notifed the salvage co. that they would have to file an enviromental plan with regard to removal of bridges across streams and trackage in the canyon adjacent to Salmon habitat. The local constabulary was sent to Joseph to deliver a cease and desist sort of thing before much got done as far as dismantling. This act bought the local entities the time to make a deal with INP. Unfortuanately, UP had kept all of it's property in the towns that was adjacent to the ROW and then sold it. This has left the rail authority with very few locations that they can offer acess to the rr for loading/unloading. Fortunatley in Joseph their Chamber of Commerce bought some of the adjacent property and other property owners have been pretty cooperative.
J.B.Bane member Freinds of the Joseph Branch