BG&CM Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=BG&CM Railroad
marks=BGCM
locale=Idaho
start_year=2004| end_year=present
hq_city=
The BG&CM Railroad or Bountiful Grain and Craig Mountain Railroad reporting mark|BGCM is a Class III shortline railroad operating between Spalding and Cottonwood, Idaho, along the former route of the Camas Prairie Railroad. Spalding is located about mi to km|10 east of Lewiston along Idaho's western border with Washington. BGCM connects with Great Northwest Railroad at Spalding. At this writing, BGCM also operates the portion of the former Camas Prairie Railroad which runs from Spalding to Orofino, then to Kooskia along the river grade of the Clearwater River.

BGCM's route consists of the former Camas Prairie Railroad's Grangeville Branch, which is mi to km|66.5 long. As of 2005, only the mi to km|52 between Spalding and Cottonwood were operated, with the mi to km|14.5 of tracks between Cottonwood and Grangeville having been removed in about 2003.

In 2005, Watco Companies, owner of the BGCM's Spalding connection Great Northwest Railroad (GRNW), leased to BGCM the entire mi to km|75 long GRNW route east of Lewiston of mainline track, including the railroad from Orofino to Konkolville).

The BGCM route had been acquired from Camas Prairie RailNet in December 2002, which itself had acquired the entire Camas Prairie line from the line's previous owners, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Camas Prairie RailNet had officially abandoned the Grangeville Branch in September 2000.

The Camas Prairie Railroad was formed in 1909, and was jointly owned and operated by the former Northern Pacific Railway (later Burlington Northern Santa Fe), and the former Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company (later Union Pacific). The two railroads were competitors throughout the Pacific Northwest, competing to capture railroad traffic, such as timber, minerals and agricultural products. Camas Prairie Railroad was sold by UP and BNSF to Camas Prairie RailNet in April 1998. Camas Prairie Railnet (owned by North American RailNet of Bedford, Texas) was sold to Watco's Great Northwest Railroad in March 2004. There were about mi to km|177 of track in the transaction: mi to km|72 from Riparia, Washington, east to Lewiston, Idaho; mi to km|74 from Lewiston east to Kooskia; and mi to km|31 from Orofino northeast to near Jaype, both in Idaho. The Orofino to Jaype segment was out of service.

BGCM is owned by Railroad Materials Salvage of Richmond, Missouri.

Connection

Great Northwest Railroad (GRNW) at Spalding, Idaho. GRNW is a WATCO company, which owns 17 shortline railroads nationwide.

Motive Power

BGCM operates an ex-ATSF GP30, numbered as BGCM 2404. (EMD 27191, 7622-5, April 1962; ex-BNSF 2404; ex-ATSF 2704:2; ex-ATSF 3204; nee-ATSF 1204)

External links

* [http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/BGCM.html TrainWeb.org Rosters]
* [http://cl.idaho.gov/lmi/pubs/idempnews/archived/ieseacurfeb6.pdf#search=%22Bountiful%20Grain%20Craig%20Mountain%20Railroad%22 North Central Idaho News, February 2006]
* [http://www.depotnews.com/KRUG/040217KRUGa.htm Railnet sale to Watco]