City of Prineville Railway summary
The City of Prineville Railway (COP) is a Class III short line railroad that operates in central Oregon. It is the oldest continuously operated municipal short line in the United States. Heading west from Prineville, 18 miles of standard-gauge track is used to connect with the BNSF Railway’s Oregon Trunk Subdivision at Prineville Junction.
History
The City of Prineville Railway began operations in 1918 after the Oregon Trunk Railway bypassed the Crook County town. Prineville city officials approved the sale of bonds to construct the short line and connect with the new main line. Hauling finished lumber from the area sawmills allowed the railroad to repay its debts, financed city infrastructure and built up a reserve fund that could sustain it in years when expenses exceeded revenues. Through trials and tribulations, most recently in 2004 when the bottom dropped out of the woodchip market, the COP continues to evolve and help sustain its namesake town.
Operations
Since 2005, the City of Prineville Railway has used transloading as its primary business. The Prineville Freight Depot, a 30-plus acre site located 3 miles west of town, is a regional multi-modal transportation hub that specializes in transloading and warehouse storage for the railroad. A bulk handling facility is located at Prineville Junction where shipments of dried distiller grain for local feedlots are received. Transloading on the COP has led to a diverse mix of commodities for the railroad to haul. Inbound freight includes tires, lumber and panel products, while outbound shipments contain finished wood products and woodchips.
The short line uses three EMD diesel locomotives: two GP20s and one GP9.
Interchange is made with the BNSF in Prineville Junction. Railcars destined to and from the Union Pacific Railroad are shipped on BNSF’s Oregon Trunk Submission between Prineville Junction and the Dalles. The relationship with the Class I railroads has the COP recognized as a premiere transloading short line.
Read more about the City of Prineville Railway in Trains’ June 2014 issue.
