There never seemed to be a complaint about how long trains were until there was talk about building coal export terminals in Oregon and Washington. Now it seems that a mile-long coal train is too long and could block crossings on Evergreen Boulevard. I’ve sat down there and watched and counted different kinds of trains that go by — many that are longer than proposed coal trains. Trains hauling grain that have two engines on the front and two engines on the rear go by. Freight trains that are much longer than a mile go by.
If you have some kind of medical problem and you think you need to go to the hospital and a train is blocking a crossing, then you should not buy a house with the only access going through a train crossing. So live with it or move.
Coal trains have been coming down these tracks longer than many have been around. They are not going to stop. Washington needs these jobs to cut down on unemployment.
Steven Wayne
Vancouver
