Moses Lake Sugar Beets

From "Northwest Railfan," October 1994

Starting in late October, Washington Central (WCRC) will begin handling about 20 loads of sugar beets per day for Holly Sugar from the Moses Lake area. These loads will be interchanged to the BN at Connell, Wa and then moved in regular trains from Pasco to Klamath Falls, OR. The beets will be interchanged to SP at Klamath Falls. Every third day when train size reaches 60 cars, Klamath Falls will originate a unit sugar beet train bound for Holly Sugar at Tracy, CA symbolled KFTRU for loads and TRKFU for empties. This operation is expected to last for 300 cars or so (approximately two weeks).

Upon completion of the Tracy beet moves, 20 sugar beet loads a day from Moses Lake will be moved via WCRC and BN to SP Klamath Falls and eventually to Hamilton City, CA. These loads will join up with 30 car blocks coming from south of Lkamath Falls for SP to move as 50 car unit trains from Klamath Falls to Tehama, CA. The loads will be interchanged to California Northern at Tehama for movement to the Holly Sugar plant at Hamilton City, CA. The SP unit trains will be symolled KFHAU (loads) and HAKFU (empties). The Moses Lake-Hamilton City move is expected to last the entire month of November into the first part of December.

Sugar beets should begin moving from the Moses Lake area to the Nampa, ID sugar refinery around Oct. 26. This move will e via UP's line through the Blue Mountains.

Posted with permission from Dean Ferris.