Ballard Terminal Railroad
| Reporting mark | BDTL |
|---|---|
| Locale | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Dates of operation | 1997–present |
| Predecessor | BNSF Railway |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
The Ballard Terminal Railroad Company LLC (reporting mark BDTL) operates three Class III short line terminal railroads in western Washington, United States. Founded in 1997 to operate a three-mile spur through Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, the Ballard Terminal Railroad has expanded to operate two additional lines in the Puget Sound area, including Eastside Freight Railroad (reporting mark EFRX) from Snohomish to Woodinville, Washington, and Meeker Southern Railroad (reporting mark MSN), a 5 mi (8.0 km) segment from East Puyallup ("Meeker") to McMillin, Washington.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway stopped offering service on a three-mile spur through Seattle's Ballard neighborhood in January 1997 because only three companies were buying rail shipments, a traffic volume too low to sustain the line according to BNSF. To ensure continued rail service, the three previous customers served by the spur and a fourth company joined with other investors to form the Ballard Terminal Railroad Company, LLC in 1997. The Ballard Terminal Railroad refurbished two locomotives and approached the state of Washington seeking approximately $300,000 in financing to refurbish the track. The railroad began operation in early 1998 with a 1940s-era locomotive formerly belonging to the Milwaukee Road.
Ballard Terminal Railroad operates one locomotive, an EMD SW1 locomotive numbered 98 formerly owned by Milwaukee Road. The locomotive's black, red and silver livery and nickname, "Li'l Beaver", pay tribute to the colors and mascot of nearby Ballard High School.
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