Owners of the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad are at odds over performance
The fate of a Washington state railroad company could be decided in a courtroom, following a dispute between the two brothers that own it.
Late last year, at a meeting of the Clark County Washington Rail Advisory Board, Eric Temple, vice 
president of Temple Industries, announced he had made an offer to his older brother and company president, Nicholas “Brig” Temple, to purchase all three of their railroads – the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad, Columbia Basin Railroad and Central Washington Railroad. According to the board, because the offer was not accepted, the railroads were put on the market for sale.
Eric said the dispute with his brother has been going on internally for years. Now, he said it’s simply performance-based.
“Two of the railroads are run by my brother and one is run by me,” Eric explained. “During a historic period of growth in the railroad business, the two railroads he runs are each down 40 percent and the railroad I run is up 400 percent. At the end of the day, something has to give and I need to wrest control of the companies to save them or I’m going to get bought out. I prefer to take them over because I know what I’m capable of doing.”
According to the board, a Washington D.C. attorney is marketing the railroads for sale and Eric Temple will have first right of refusal. However, Brig disputes that fact as well as the idea that his railroads are under performing.
“Eric has no first right of refusal. That’s untrue,” said Brig, in an effort to “set the record straight.”
“The Yakama lines, which are the Central Washington Railroad, had its most profitable year ever in 2010,” Brig added, not wanting to comment on the issue further.
Despite the drama playing out behind the scenes, Eric said the railroad continues to operate normally.
“I think the friction has adversely affected the railroads a little bit, but I don’t think it has had a great deal of impact yet,” said Eric. “We’re maintaining the status quo for now until we resolve this.”
Eric said he’s prepared for anything at this point, though he hopes to have a resolution as soon as possible.
“I just want to get it over with,” he said. Hopefully it doesn’t end in a lawsuit, but I’m making all the preparations to go that direction if I need to. The end game is near one way or another.”
