Big Bend Railroad History: Moses Lake

Showing posts with label Moses Lake. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Milwaukee Trainorders

Friday, September 11, 2026

Moses Lake Port Buys More Land For Railroad Project

The Port of Moses Lake agreed to purchase this 1.38-acre parcel (outlined in blue) during a regular meeting on Monday as part of its project to extend the Columbia Basin Railroad from Wheeler into the port.

Screenshot, Grant County GIS Website

by CHARLES H. FEATHERSTONE

Staff Writer | June 28, 2022 11:56 AM

MOSES LAKE — With the approval of a second land deal on Monday, the Port of Moses Lake continues to buy the land needed for its Wheeler Corridor railroad project.

During a regular meeting, port commissioners voted unanimously to purchase a 1.4-acre parcel on the north side of Wheeler Road near the intersection of Wheeler Road and Hamilton Road for about $210,000 plus closing costs.

Commissioners also invoked eminent domain as part of the purchase, though the claim was not used to seize the land.

“So once again, gentlemen, this is not us using eminent domain to purchase the property, but it allows the property owner to get out of excise tax,” Port of Moses Lake Facilities Manager Milton Miller told commissioners during the meeting.

According to data available from the Grant County Assessor's Office, the 1.4-acre parcel was last assessed with a market value of $103,675, and according to data available from the Washington State Secretary of State’s office, was owned by 915 Third Avenue LLC, a corporation registered to James Anderson, Jr., and Grace Anderson.

Unlike the previous land purchase earlier this year, the port is buying the entire parcel, and not just a portion for the rail corridor.

“We’re purchasing all of it,” said Port of Moses Lake Finance Director Kim DeTrolio of the deal on Monday.

In early May, the Port acquired a 1.55-acre portion of a 7.7-acre parcel immediately to the north for $246,000.

The two purchases are part of the port’s continuing project to extend the Columbia Basin Railroad from Wheeler out to the Port, bypassing the railroad’s current line going through downtown. The project will involve securing right-of-way for new railroad tracks paralleling Wheeler Road, a new rail bridge over Crab Creek, and extensive rehabilitation of the existing rail line from Stratford Road into the port.

The Port has secured $30 million in state and federal funding to pay for the rail project and will continue to purchase land along its proposed Wheeler Corridor in preparation for construction, which port officials hope can begin sometime in early 2023.

“We’re going to do this again,” DeTrolio said of the land purchase.

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Moses Lake Port About Halfway To Railroad Right-Of-Way Acquisition

Moses Lake port about halfway to railroad right-of-way acquisition

Port of Moses Lake officials hope to go out to bid early next year on a contract to build new rail connections and rehabilitate some existing rail to the port and along Wheeler Road.

FILE PHOTO

by CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Staff Writer | October 15, 2024 2:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake officials hope to go out to bid in early 2025 on a project to rebuild railway connections to port property. Commissioners approved the purchase of two parcels at their regular meeting Monday.

Kim Detrolio, the port’s director of finance and administration, told port commissioners that the purchases approved Monday brought the port about halfway to the goal. The port purchased property for a railroad right of way from AMJ for $324,100 plus closing costs, and a second parcel from Circle C for $170,750 plus closing costs.

In a later interview Milton Miller, port facilities director, said right-of-way acquisition is moving pretty quickly.

“We’re hoping to have them all done by Christmas,” Miller said.

Miller told commissioners there are eight parcels left that require rights of way, with four separate owners.

The port is not buying entire parcels, just the right of way.

“Our right of way varies,” Miller told commissioners. “The track itself is only 50 feet wide, but the right-of-way purchase that we’re buying is 100 to 125 feet.”

In an earlier interview, Miller said five miles of track will be built and about 4.5 miles of existing track will be rehabilitated. The new rail line will reconnect with the BNSF lines near Connell.

The new section of the rail line will run south of Wheeler Road, cross Wheeler about one to two miles west of State Route 17, run along Road 4 NE and connect with the existing line. The new section will require a bridge across Crab Creek and a rail crossing on Wheeler Road.

The project should go out to bid early next year, he said, with construction expected to take about two years.

Once the new rail line is completed, the existing rail line that runs through Moses Lake will be taken out of service. Miller said federal regulations prohibit abandoning the existing line until a new rail line is in place.

Commissioners approved an eminent domain declaration along with the sale of the AMJ property. Miller said that helps property owners take advantage of a tax break.

Eminent domain is the ability of a government to compel the sale of land for public purposes.

“They didn’t potentially want to sell us the property, but we need the property,” Miller said.

But the property owners are still subject to sales tax, and the eminent domain designation allows that to be waived, Miller said.

The rail lines through Moses Lake are owned by the Columbia Basin Railroad, and port officials would contract with CBRR for service once the new line is complete, Miller said.

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project Advertisement For Bids

In those moments where my site actually provides timely news...

Courtesy of the Port of Moses Lake.

September 1, 2026

Bid and contract specs below:

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Perishable Schedules From Milwaukee Road Point In The Columbia Basin

Thanks to Aaron Schwarz for pointing these out. From the PNRA collection.

Monday, June 22, 2026

The Ruth M.

From the Jerry Quinn Collection, SP&S Business Car "The Ruth M" in Moses Lake, WA in June of 1971.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Old McDonald

My photo.

June 16, 2026

A short train of the Columbia Basin Railway passes the McDonald sign on former Milwaukee Road track on the branch to Moses Lake. Power was an SD40-2 and SD9.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Big Power For Milwaukee Rail

My photo.

June 16, 2026

A short train powered by an SD9 and SD40-2 of the Columbia Basin Railway follow the west leg of the wye at Grow. The train is entering the Sugar Spur, which the Milwaukee Road built to reach to old U&I Sugar Plant at Scalley, about 5 miles north of here.

The train has carefully tread the 85lb rail to the siding at McDonald, on the Moses Lake Branch, to pick up and drop off a handful of cars. The remainder of the branch from McDonald to Moses Lake is out of service, and someday will be replaced by new construction off the Northern Pacific spur at Wheeler, to a connection with the Air Force built spur to the old Larson Air Force Base trackage.

Grow will not be found on any Milwaukee Road timetables, nor BN for that matter. The name was bestowed on the wye here by the Washington Central, who bought all this trackage from Milwaukee successor Burlington Northern. The WCRC had hired a number of Milwaukee men out of Othello to run it's trains in 1986, and had bestowed the Grow name to honor Chuck Grow, one of the more senior men that were left in Othello when the Milwaukee quit in 1980.