Coal threat to the GRT and all of us!
 

Just in case you haven't heard, coal interests want to take the rail line that's in the process of becoming the Great Redwood Trail. The idea is patently ludicrous, as the Eel River Canyon makes it nearly impossible (video below), but it is going to interfere with the railbanking process. Below are some useful links. Check with your local government for actions to take, I'm pretty sure they're up in arms about this. We can't let this happen.

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beautiful area! that's gotta be a lot of work to make a bike trail or anything out of that old rail line. impressive engineering to have created it, to begin with! good luck!

You have no idea. When the train was running, there were crews stationed all along the canyon; every time a train went through, the crews would go out and push the rails back in place and stuff rocks underneath. Every. time. That railroad only ever broke even.

yikes. sometimes I think being a railroad engineer would have been an interesting career choice for me. it's fascinating

I must admit, being in control of that horn (whistle?) would be a power rush. :)

oh haha no I meant as-in engineering the railway, you know building it, not driving it. but yeah, the whistle!

I read an article somewhere about a railroad changing from creosote ties to cement. The new ties vibrated so much that they began sinking into the soil. What a mess

oh interesting! reminds me of some sunken rail road tires from the end of a rail trail yet to be continued in my area. w/ soft MTB tires they weren't bad to ride over, surprisingly
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f1f1d88f60.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...089f9639ae.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...42476ca31c.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4dd471edb5.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a3895d6c98.jpg

We have some like that, but with large rotted out voids.

Looks like Newsom signed the bill.

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2021/oc..._897cILN1C8utk

Movement in the right direction, at least.

He actually signed the bill before the shady LLC filed their objection. If the STB slips a mental cog and approves the trains, the GRT goes out the window, regardless of any bills, laws, or even the will of the people, because you Must Not Interfere With Interstate Commerce, Especially on Trains. The STB is all about trains. As insane as it seems, this is a real threat.

Just a quick update; No Coal Humboldt is still organizing; everybody, and I mean everybody, is up in arms about this, and now we wait. The Surface Transportation Board has to make their decision as to whether this ludicrous plan is feasible (spoilers; it isn't), which could take awhile. Keep your fingers crossed and join your local anti-coal organization.

We're still waiting on a decision from the STB; they've been sitting on this for months, which I understand is unusual. So, hurry up and wait.

We're still organizing, and working on the other threat; the Mendocino Railway, aka the Skunk Train is trying their level best to be a public agency, despite only running the train out and back since the tunnel collapsed again. They claim they'll make money by running Eel River gravel to the tiny port of Fort Bragg for barging to the Bay Area. Stupid, but their funding application accidentally made it through the first round. Mostly they don't want to have to clean up their toxic mess, which would bankrupt them; the City of Fort Bragg is suing to have them declared a private business and therefor responsible for cleaning up after themselves.

Check out No Coal in Humboldt for more info.