(The following story by Karl Puckett appeared on The Great Falls Tribune website on June 8, 2010.)
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Giant wind blades headed for a wind farm in Alberta slowly wound through Great Falls Monday on a BNFS Railway train, stalling traffic, turning heads and highlighting growing commercial wind development in the region.
“They do receive a great deal of public attention,” BNFS spokesman Gus Melonas said.
The most common loads hauled on the Laurel to Great Falls to Shelby rail route, which connects southern and northern Montana, have been coal, general merchandise and grain.
Monday’s load, which contained pieces of equipment taller than most of the buildings in town, was one of the first shipments of wind equipment to move on the rail line, but it won’t be the last, Melonas said.
Wind farm construction is driving up demand, he said.
“It’s anticipated that thousands of these will move in the future as we become more green,” Melonas said.
Since 2003, various wind energy companies have been using BNSF service to transport wind blades and wind towers in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Montana and North Dakota, Melonas said.
Motorists waited more than 10 minutes at the 3rd Avenue South crossing near Applebee’s restaurant for the 66-car train to pass.
It was carrying 33 blades, each 140 feet long, which were sitting on cars 89 feet long, with auxiliary cars needed for the overhang, Melonas said. At times, the train slowed to a crawl so the turbines could make turns.
At the border crossing at Sweet Grass, the train interconnected with the Canadian Pacific Railway. It originated in Colorado and passed through Laurel, Great Falls and Shelby in Montana.
Melonas declined to release the name of the company that’s shipping the blades or their final destination.