The Ballard Terminal Railroad Company LLC operates two 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 from Snohomish to Woodinville, Washington, and Meeker Southern Railroad , a segment from East Puyallup ("Meeker") to McMillin, Washington. Eastside Freight Railroad has ceased operation as of mid 2020. Foundation 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. Locomotives 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. Eastside Freight Railroad once operated an EMD SW1200 locomotive now numbered MSN 109 built in 1963 for the Missouri Pacific. Eastside Freight purchased the locomotive from Tacoma Rail in 2009, which had it listed as surplus property. Meeker Southern Railroad operates an EMD SW9 locomotive numbered 103. Routes The Ballard Terminal Railroad operates three rail lines in the greater Seattle area. Ballard Terminal The Ballard Terminal Railroad spur begins at its connection to the BNSF mainline at the Shilshole yard just north of N.W. 68th Street. The line follows a route along Seaview Avenue N.W. toward Shilshole Ave N.W. which the line parallels until N.W. 45th Street. The line follows N.W. 45th Street until Leary Way N.W., which the line then parallels, passing the Bright Street Yard, then reaching its terminus at N.W. 40th Street and 6th Ave N.W. near the border between the Ballard and Fremont neighborhoods. This route runs parallel to and has multiple crossings with the Burke–Gilman Trail. The Ballard Terminal Railroad owns its tracks outright,