Kettle Falls International Railway

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Kettle Falls International Railway
International Rail
Road Systems
Cascade
Columbia Gardens
Grand Forks Railway
Waneta
Canada
United States
British Columbia
Washington state
Danville
San Poil
Goldstake
Northport
Dulwich
Dolomite
Boyds
Evans
West Kettle Falls
Kettle Falls
Colville
Arden, WA
Addy
Chewelah
BNSF Railway

The Kettle Falls International Railway (

Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia. This OmniTRAX subsidiary operates 44 miles (71 km) of track.[1]

Former operators

The 83-mile (134 km)

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway
(BNSF) in 1996.

KFR operation

KFR freight train in 2012

In 2004, OmniTRAX leased to purchase the eastern fork, and purchased the western fork, from BNSF, while having running rights on the Chewelah–Kettle Falls section. In 2006, the KFR abandoned the 28.5-mile (45.9 km) San Poil–Danville section.[4]

It is unclear whether the rails across the border were removed at this time or during the subsequent years. In 2019, the St. Paul & Pacific Northwest Railroad (STPP) acquired the Chewelah–Columbia Gardens section.[5]

Initial interlining was with BNSF to the south at Chewelah and Kettle Falls, Grand Forks Railway (GFR) to the northwest at Grand Forks, and International Rail Road Systems (IRRS) to the northeast at Columbia Gardens.[3] In 2010, ATCO Wood Products replaced IRRS, and was renamed the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway Corporation in 2012.[6] After the 2019 STPP acquisition, two KFR interlines remained, a new one with STPP at Kettle Falls,[5] and the existing one with GFR.[3]

In 2020, OmniTRAX announced the planned closure of the Grand Forks–

Laurier section of the KFR line within three years. A similar proposal in 2008 did not eventuate.[7]

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Kettle Falls International Railway". www.omnitrax.com.
  2. ^ Turner & Wilkie 2007, p. 158.
  3. ^ a b c "Kettle Falls International Railway - KFR Information". www.trainweb.org.
  4. ^ Turner & Wilkie 2007, p. 206.
  5. ^ a b "St. Paul & Pacific Northwest Railroad - STPP Information". www.trainweb.org.
  6. ^ "International Rail Road Systems - IRRS Information". www.trainweb.org.
  7. ^ "Grand Forks Gazette, 10 Jun 2020". www.grandforksgazette.ca.

References

  • Turner, Robert D.; Wilkie, J.S. David (2007). Steam Along the Boundary. Sono Nis Press. .
Passenger railways