West Isle Line
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| West Isle Line | |
|---|---|
| Reporting marks | WFS |
| Locale | San Joaquin Valley (Tulare County), California |
| Dates of operation | January 7, 1998–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Alpaugh, California |
The West Isle Line (AAR reporting marks WFS) is a private railroad and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Farm Service. The line is operated by a contractor and the line does not have any employees. The line began service on January 7, 1998 after being acquired from the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway. The line runs for 5.25 miles from Alpaugh, California to a connection with the BNSF Railway at Stoil (milepost 936 on BNSF's Bakersfield Subdivision). Western Farm Service is the only customer on the line.
Western Farm Service bought the line from the BNSF in order to avoid having the BNSF's "Alpaugh Branch" abandoned. The line was formerly part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and was constructed by the ATSF in 1914.[1]
The railroad, as of 2001, averages 400 carloads per year, primarily chemicals used for fertilizer.
[edit] Motive power
The West Isle Line has one EMD GP9 (serial number 21332) that was manufactured in February 1956 for Southern Pacific Railroad. It is presently marked in a green paint scheme with yellow marking as "West Isle Line" engine number "3399". It was formerly known as SP 3399, 3472, and 5639.[2]
