tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57643221413428602772024-03-13T18:55:35.682-07:00Highball 661 West"Saw your blog post, it's really fantastic.
That was sarcastic . . . 'cause you write like a spastic." Word Crimes - "Weird Al" YankovicThomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-57254434903012123362020-07-02T10:14:00.000-07:002020-07-02T10:14:20.124-07:00Burnt River Rails: Addendum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURe2QZ2zce5h1TknZLEB_aHl8tOP0aYPyEt06Ia1O_CdfRffNA_ZyLqfEu2XzbPvvHYQHqbGRBX9ufqNSjO5sCv1yOBQGwK8TuMIEgvzjGwBImf3tpvG6uamsM1MDmt1AiGmSEKuQMJA/s400/rfr-jul2020.png" /></div>
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The July 2020 issue of <i><a href="http://railfan.com/" target="_blank">Railfan & Railroad</a></i> magazine features an article I wrote about Union Pacific's line along Eastern Oregon's Burnt River. To illustrate the story, I provided several photos, from which the editor selected only a few to run with the article. Here then are the remaining images I submitted, in (mostly) chronological order, with their respective caption information:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZitryV9giwfr0U5BcxButkjf-q5hw4ZIe6UBJoJxQj7Nhin3UZPSVmECAgHi2xcOtcaLrnma2JcI01FTZhfDKD_YpEnzse3mzUa4QeJ79lJ1L4x2pJvMb7OWbCxEI68VLc43heE_dLc/s1600/851004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZitryV9giwfr0U5BcxButkjf-q5hw4ZIe6UBJoJxQj7Nhin3UZPSVmECAgHi2xcOtcaLrnma2JcI01FTZhfDKD_YpEnzse3mzUa4QeJ79lJ1L4x2pJvMb7OWbCxEI68VLc43heE_dLc/s640/851004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seen from the open vestibule window of a
Superliner car, Amtrak’s <i>Pioneer</i> approaches its final crossing of the
Snake River and its entry into the Burnt River Canyon near Huntington, OR in
April 1985.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vdJKMSNMd2nb-o9s-xlrcYX_uI7uoLual4fnhUUe8bgaIcdUrI-zJrzn3x05DtfnuQ-TZKSF0To3foYXrb7AdUkUVmXN7ANNbAK-OdMmVn0-8Ej2gqpY6ZgCepYEGlNQr9wWl7vQbsk/s1600/851007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vdJKMSNMd2nb-o9s-xlrcYX_uI7uoLual4fnhUUe8bgaIcdUrI-zJrzn3x05DtfnuQ-TZKSF0To3foYXrb7AdUkUVmXN7ANNbAK-OdMmVn0-8Ej2gqpY6ZgCepYEGlNQr9wWl7vQbsk/s640/851007.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Taken from the opposite side of the train in April 1985, the abandoned
cement plant at Lime, OR appears almost ready to start production at any time,
but that will never happen. Gradually, the remaining structures were removed
over the next three decades until the last remnants finally came down in late
2018.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2TtEvLOTWh6bOYgFwu35o27-s5YwyPAepsTRLG8TZ9ZwmCBzaUEhy6aAFKy9CaBSgBFC5B7SgmUVV8ipHoGiY09iujWHJoIzEoRkaTOZG9HryNKSxqj4hrg058pffiL8me5yNnvIKrY/s1600/P1030227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2TtEvLOTWh6bOYgFwu35o27-s5YwyPAepsTRLG8TZ9ZwmCBzaUEhy6aAFKy9CaBSgBFC5B7SgmUVV8ipHoGiY09iujWHJoIzEoRkaTOZG9HryNKSxqj4hrg058pffiL8me5yNnvIKrY/s640/P1030227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Union Pacific’s
mainline across Eastern Oregon has been a preferred route for shipping windmill
components to Inland Northwest windfarm projects. In June 2009, a trainload of
windmill pylon sections rolls west through Durkee, OR behind SD70M 4998 and two
EMD companions.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVoZwvLt6coAXHG19RUtnimuWFjqonHN5fLe7-W1bbr6zpXHcA_IrILPYg5cifVpmWK_mRJE8rUL2dq_XD8cDObUXSq4iOWt8TW6ZT_yoFKIqdOFus3qIwnWpP7YXhSK6mjVXS2r5hFM/s1600/UP-12-08-03-002-PleasantValleyOR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVoZwvLt6coAXHG19RUtnimuWFjqonHN5fLe7-W1bbr6zpXHcA_IrILPYg5cifVpmWK_mRJE8rUL2dq_XD8cDObUXSq4iOWt8TW6ZT_yoFKIqdOFus3qIwnWpP7YXhSK6mjVXS2r5hFM/s640/UP-12-08-03-002-PleasantValleyOR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A westbound stack train, led by AC45CCTE 5536 and SD70ACe 8519, heels to
a right-hand curve just west of Pleasant Valley, OR in August 2012 on the final
leg of its climb toward the summit at Encina, OR. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5sivi31A7_cPkOyIIU4_Vwyw0zAoS5o4jELXRECAjEAHXJevGzlROsLuVnl1SGBz_zsQ0qlaOGkvDxR0de9ry3sPS-zJfipFPBXYR0vPsesOVt-SNc0hjKA5My-yHy9z3cThez_FMGM/s1600/UP-19-03-28-002-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5sivi31A7_cPkOyIIU4_Vwyw0zAoS5o4jELXRECAjEAHXJevGzlROsLuVnl1SGBz_zsQ0qlaOGkvDxR0de9ry3sPS-zJfipFPBXYR0vPsesOVt-SNc0hjKA5My-yHy9z3cThez_FMGM/s640/UP-19-03-28-002-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If there were any windows remaining in
this abandoned trackside house at Durkee, Union Pacific ET45AH 2685 would be
rattling them hard as it rolls east in March 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJb5XVYq5XPcDe0I145SFdhkn9T0bFmSUAAyubdficez8BhfJz7IBhDsecisRdkqIFkNcT1QLeCPGn2s2TxIbHiKA1wTozQ0nMAk3LmiSKly3-gj5nRO6QKY04MFgWnzhvpBopVLG4M8/s1600/UP-19-03-28-005-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJb5XVYq5XPcDe0I145SFdhkn9T0bFmSUAAyubdficez8BhfJz7IBhDsecisRdkqIFkNcT1QLeCPGn2s2TxIbHiKA1wTozQ0nMAk3LmiSKly3-gj5nRO6QKY04MFgWnzhvpBopVLG4M8/s640/UP-19-03-28-005-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No less than five high-horsepower
locomotives lead a short manifest east at Nelson in March 2019. The cement
production plant at left replaced the old plant at Lime many years ago, and it
still provides a modest supply of traffic for UP’s Huntington Local. This is
also the location where the railroad and freeway leave the broad Durkee Valley
and enter the lower Burnt River canyon.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Sx4n5XvGEfAOVB5Mhs-Izk9IBPR5D_vJNNTX4o-u3EfyLI37eDEqg4v8A1aJIdBqEDEV8s9bA8p_DwWUKvOyIhBQr5t7IrxqYQpGcugIAjv4RrhI1sSB5Ebiy2dv8O9z8vj_b_ezbtM/s1600/UP-19-03-28-010-Lime_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Sx4n5XvGEfAOVB5Mhs-Izk9IBPR5D_vJNNTX4o-u3EfyLI37eDEqg4v8A1aJIdBqEDEV8s9bA8p_DwWUKvOyIhBQr5t7IrxqYQpGcugIAjv4RrhI1sSB5Ebiy2dv8O9z8vj_b_ezbtM/s640/UP-19-03-28-010-Lime_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An eastbound manifest splits a pair of
intermediate signals just east of Lime, Oregon in March 2019. The Old Oregon
Trail Highway crosses the railroad at this location midway between Lime and
Huntington sidings and right alongside Interstate 84.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwfqlbqEokI22HhI6HsexyP5s_ic87CBMDHn14Y498SYDajCnvk-p5J5ljWMOZxGPDQYtLAyfCor1WD9XG17EJKBHovyas6sBTRfUQB6QzN4dbEsO2veDx4brV2P1AkkImOeXvivsfRw/s1600/UP-19-03-31-014-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwfqlbqEokI22HhI6HsexyP5s_ic87CBMDHn14Y498SYDajCnvk-p5J5ljWMOZxGPDQYtLAyfCor1WD9XG17EJKBHovyas6sBTRfUQB6QzN4dbEsO2veDx4brV2P1AkkImOeXvivsfRw/s640/UP-19-03-31-014-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having nearly surmounted the steepest stretches of Durkee Loop, AC45CCTE
5545 leads a westbound stack train under the Old Oregon Trail Highway again as
it approaches Oxman in March 2019. In
the early 1990s, UP extended Oxman Siding several miles to the east,
effectively double tracking the entire length of the loop. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jabZKZLPlpOzzUzievnneE8gvC6H6ChwvvlDR3l_HFk8_i_AxPfFKeroU89Dj6aGA9r7qaQXiSW3Ww_VVLvTUfhp-rK5JG4ji0GjvqJJthsRPtdesQRTWjQVcmh7Q-MHtOHa2o-54lI/s1600/UP-19-03-31-019-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jabZKZLPlpOzzUzievnneE8gvC6H6ChwvvlDR3l_HFk8_i_AxPfFKeroU89Dj6aGA9r7qaQXiSW3Ww_VVLvTUfhp-rK5JG4ji0GjvqJJthsRPtdesQRTWjQVcmh7Q-MHtOHa2o-54lI/s640/UP-19-03-31-019-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In this image, the same westbound stack
train is seen continuing uphill through Oxman in March 2019. None of the track
between Durkee and the summit at Encina is level; there are only varying
degrees of gradient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgOsrNEodF7l3klIWuV-P6MWwhAoW8x-nuhR7IePfpmh-NtcyieSvUTleoXWMZ_w90g8Aauk_Eq5az2JgHpLyClKI51RIh0IYMnuRh_23mWz8zmg2CbCB5AQ6rQfG5AOx_wHCGBp0u-U/s1600/UP-19-04-24-004-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgOsrNEodF7l3klIWuV-P6MWwhAoW8x-nuhR7IePfpmh-NtcyieSvUTleoXWMZ_w90g8Aauk_Eq5az2JgHpLyClKI51RIh0IYMnuRh_23mWz8zmg2CbCB5AQ6rQfG5AOx_wHCGBp0u-U/s640/UP-19-04-24-004-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The flesh-and-blood horses are not impressed with the passing iron
horses leading this westbound stack train at Durkee in April 2019. In about a
mile, the train will begin getting very serious about the stiff climb up and
around the Durkee Loop, which includes two separate mile-long stretches of 2.2%
grade.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIiHFW_JxrBOq9oCNF0OdWWQ_1aK1ymtPL7oDfUXndBwsedJbJlRdhRk9LZ4mIklrZK_d1yOFk6DBwF6HkmZ8J8HKrP9TVwCG3HbjflaDmR4I-AbvutGls0Zm3FNhXDyRnP8CND6OSH0/s1600/UP-19-04-24-005-Huntington_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIiHFW_JxrBOq9oCNF0OdWWQ_1aK1ymtPL7oDfUXndBwsedJbJlRdhRk9LZ4mIklrZK_d1yOFk6DBwF6HkmZ8J8HKrP9TVwCG3HbjflaDmR4I-AbvutGls0Zm3FNhXDyRnP8CND6OSH0/s640/UP-19-04-24-005-Huntington_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Snaking up and away from the Snake River
in April 2019, this westbound unit potash train will reach Huntington, Oregon
in a matter of a half mile or less. Huntington was once a major division point
and crew change location, but trains today do not need new crews until reaching
La Grande.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa4XbyFHmUIdr0Yd5B_canbpmDQvZZtAThCqHYKusWRLTmyIIfjhP1qI7Z7089FMkenmjH_VqrHx39CFjy0zGz9LaAC-pMa3honw47ewm17ZJW6gVCovNLATp8DPFY959-RID2i6BnA8/s1600/UP-19-05-09-003-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa4XbyFHmUIdr0Yd5B_canbpmDQvZZtAThCqHYKusWRLTmyIIfjhP1qI7Z7089FMkenmjH_VqrHx39CFjy0zGz9LaAC-pMa3honw47ewm17ZJW6gVCovNLATp8DPFY959-RID2i6BnA8/s640/UP-19-05-09-003-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The golden beams of the morning sun have just cleared the mountain
ridges to the east to illuminate an eastbound stack train at Durkee in May
2019. The Old Oregon Trail Highway passes underneath the Huntington Sub right
below the second locomotive.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BMjqc_G14v4tk1kneCFkpcZx3ghzf-WxukTVgIDLcDCbeTgS6OlaOy_H1TSnOWQaKblt6exEicHkfz_hkZjuemDTyVfLuwPIRHiq9eKfpIoZg5GM626C7jPMeSOP1I5ozZH7_K-L22w/s1600/UP-19-05-09-008-Weatherby_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BMjqc_G14v4tk1kneCFkpcZx3ghzf-WxukTVgIDLcDCbeTgS6OlaOy_H1TSnOWQaKblt6exEicHkfz_hkZjuemDTyVfLuwPIRHiq9eKfpIoZg5GM626C7jPMeSOP1I5ozZH7_K-L22w/s640/UP-19-05-09-008-Weatherby_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Eastbound out of the tunnel near
Weatherby, a hot stack train crosses the Burnt River on a two-span girder
bridge in May 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JcNBGvndaAqNf7kd_QF6JQo_6ip_FEp1koyfKruzE204tR56stWb27PG7Z0TQYhYTyA0uPeUPcmlk_n2qDvIPMIe9KdKNixnysSJb4rquiJSSIoLbdPur766Z0Cez5WC5KfBp-zw1-Q/s1600/UP-19-05-09-014-Huntington_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JcNBGvndaAqNf7kd_QF6JQo_6ip_FEp1koyfKruzE204tR56stWb27PG7Z0TQYhYTyA0uPeUPcmlk_n2qDvIPMIe9KdKNixnysSJb4rquiJSSIoLbdPur766Z0Cez5WC5KfBp-zw1-Q/s640/UP-19-05-09-014-Huntington_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having departed Huntington moments ago, an eastbound stack train drifts
down the last remaining mile of the Burnt River before crossing the Snake in
early May 2019.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDoVEovZaoRyFsfk8dLrUk_kvL0cvEmZo46yNjfPQq3_pu4qZv8W3kPyxJKuKYEP7sxFGQ9OLPbCOrB6MGk2qOWsU5ivb-_nva6_pbr3xbop9e3dO6MxTudU3gQRv1chLmYawySPfI_Y/s1600/UP-19-05-12-002-Weatherby_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDoVEovZaoRyFsfk8dLrUk_kvL0cvEmZo46yNjfPQq3_pu4qZv8W3kPyxJKuKYEP7sxFGQ9OLPbCOrB6MGk2qOWsU5ivb-_nva6_pbr3xbop9e3dO6MxTudU3gQRv1chLmYawySPfI_Y/s640/UP-19-05-12-002-Weatherby_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">SD70ACe 8942 and ES44AC-H 2754 roll an
eastbound train of empty soda ash cars past a small homestead located alongside
Weatherby siding in May 2019.</span><u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiU-DrLNMeUkPd7sMCISSvuYlc8ohsfGM-HIKJsrBuIpPQ2KvbGfVFUvcXCGJeVnsC3rZdaF6VV1iBOVFwQIjMiGF7aeHgZsPtp4P4wGpD7YOoycO0QX4_17BfL8CaB55d_ronJKI6CKs/s1600/UP-19-05-12-001-Lime_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiU-DrLNMeUkPd7sMCISSvuYlc8ohsfGM-HIKJsrBuIpPQ2KvbGfVFUvcXCGJeVnsC3rZdaF6VV1iBOVFwQIjMiGF7aeHgZsPtp4P4wGpD7YOoycO0QX4_17BfL8CaB55d_ronJKI6CKs/s640/UP-19-05-12-001-Lime_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">SD70ACe 8942 leads an eastbound train of empty soda ash cars through
Lime and across the Burnt River on a through-girder bridge in May 2019. The
extra-wide bridge abutments once supported a parallel spur track used to serve
the cement plant that stood nearby.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7fNTiUFsJk-u7AuXgST_gXRdZtssBaggxuU4tJnXc9sCbYnqeR-Offj5Y4sILYZElt6OqTgTSfIfzJo_ii0JY2eSmGXNTtOrYr0c9JMYuOJYWvo4RxYsiNwP4raoP_qzIVvC-6MLexE/s1600/UP-19-05-12-005-Oxman_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7fNTiUFsJk-u7AuXgST_gXRdZtssBaggxuU4tJnXc9sCbYnqeR-Offj5Y4sILYZElt6OqTgTSfIfzJo_ii0JY2eSmGXNTtOrYr0c9JMYuOJYWvo4RxYsiNwP4raoP_qzIVvC-6MLexE/s640/UP-19-05-12-005-Oxman_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A westbound intermodal train behind AC45CCTE 7961 and two EMDs heads
upgrade around the Durkee Loop in May 2019. This valley is drained by Pritchard
Creek, which flows through the culvert seen just to the right of the lead
locomotive. UP double-tracked this loop in the early 1990s, making it much
easier for dispatchers to keep the Huntington Sub fluid in times of heavy
traffic.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8DBZuorWQLf26YEPN-MIyewYsv4mDd5z9VGUz7rNKLnwkZDh00PQfZ138F4yoURPBc7_0EsLfv1kMkFtSpZrxzuvn2Wtu0LxSuAL5M6bK3HeYcn_tmACc8MoSpLNmIvUupRp8yZP0aE/s1600/UP-19-08-24-001-Durkee_OR.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8DBZuorWQLf26YEPN-MIyewYsv4mDd5z9VGUz7rNKLnwkZDh00PQfZ138F4yoURPBc7_0EsLfv1kMkFtSpZrxzuvn2Wtu0LxSuAL5M6bK3HeYcn_tmACc8MoSpLNmIvUupRp8yZP0aE/s640/UP-19-08-24-001-Durkee_OR.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A westbound
manifest with several auto racks at the front of its train exits the Burnt
River Canyon itself and enters Durkee Valley here at Nelson in August 2019. A
“dead in consist” former Norfolk Southern GP38-2, now GECX 5094, is visible
behind AC45CCTE 7938 and SD70ACe 9010 in transit to a new lease assignment with
a shortline or industrial railroad. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dt8VkJ3SDxPIuJwmrNL8-eyVtHgnJQMVToavd_8NzHcT3ZqTcWuIOiBDty9cM_Wz_amTneuxCW7KPJ8Q20_TtJ7dYu7wSf29VnODlYpwnQXdrAmlK_obfFmONYjhwuniF-3RCXatsAQ/s1600/P1030256bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dt8VkJ3SDxPIuJwmrNL8-eyVtHgnJQMVToavd_8NzHcT3ZqTcWuIOiBDty9cM_Wz_amTneuxCW7KPJ8Q20_TtJ7dYu7wSf29VnODlYpwnQXdrAmlK_obfFmONYjhwuniF-3RCXatsAQ/s640/P1030256bw.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The fireman
of Sumpter Valley Railroad’s Mikado 19 prepares to give his charge a healthy
drink of water at McEwen, Oregon to get ready for a busy day of excursion runs
in June 2009. There is very little, if any, visible evidence that this photo
was taken in 2009, and not 75 years earlier when the SVRR was still hauling
logs.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-5265468176599501672020-01-06T15:57:00.005-08:002020-01-06T20:21:29.776-08:00Favorite Rail Images from 20192019 did not present quite as many new photo opportunities for me as 2018 did. However, I really can’t complain. I still managed to shoot plenty of train photos in my “backyard," and I took several trips farther afield. Here are a few of the photos I shot during the year with which I am most pleased:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIOnNlOuuIYb1IWh9UlT4V5K0sMRXPWGGZtUZpRuJYJqQ7s3NS3qzzO1XMrfpNjIwTLbRjzNy0fU8LVT3rv45-sTQyZ1FrqqY1kiGDukwU2cupwpscIKh5tsa9h1X8u6FaNKi6cuVba0/s1600/AMTRAK-19-03-30-002-Span_Frk_Cnyn_UT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIOnNlOuuIYb1IWh9UlT4V5K0sMRXPWGGZtUZpRuJYJqQ7s3NS3qzzO1XMrfpNjIwTLbRjzNy0fU8LVT3rv45-sTQyZ1FrqqY1kiGDukwU2cupwpscIKh5tsa9h1X8u6FaNKi6cuVba0/s640/AMTRAK-19-03-30-002-Span_Frk_Cnyn_UT_Mod.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arguably the single best image I shot this year. Driving west from Soldier Summit on a trip to Utah in the spring, the railroad signals indicated another eastbound train was imminent. I set up at the turn off to Thistle Slide Rd., and was very pleased to see the train in question was Amtrak's Number 6, the Zephyr, running somewhat late. Overall, the light and other conditions resulted in a near-calendar-quality shot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v-LxK0yep7SwFjE2ZvkV9wQ-zN1Qw7uRW7bKYAPdlm421olvyqENWlFlpTw6AZdIVm0Qr-ux6OsAxuncO5GbT8R5eo4AI8ryiXpvioBsUG3ZO-mImo2Of0FJ2mZVlTMwrRWnQK7MCQk/s1600/BNSF-19-01-19-001-Spokane_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v-LxK0yep7SwFjE2ZvkV9wQ-zN1Qw7uRW7bKYAPdlm421olvyqENWlFlpTw6AZdIVm0Qr-ux6OsAxuncO5GbT8R5eo4AI8ryiXpvioBsUG3ZO-mImo2Of0FJ2mZVlTMwrRWnQK7MCQk/s640/BNSF-19-01-19-001-Spokane_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although I no longer live in Spokane, WA, I visit there frequently. Last year, a new pedestrian bridge opened over the BNSF mainline to link the city's new "University District" with East Sprague Ave. Both the aesthetics and the location of the bridge have been criticized by many, but railfans cannot ignore the interesting new photo angles it offers. Here is one I shot in the late morning of Jan 19th.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQKawFOevsb5bjfYic8NtSYKlGHo2CsLs5eRpz3EaU3u2bDOhissqUjuJM-VHZzVyInG0IKhsMc6D78oWFY-l6YABvhHXCp5yGFeiA_Be5spgQe4zvG0PiWH9YuXLOy45AOe3tyPmxUY/s1600/PCC-19-02-05-013-Walla_Walla_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQKawFOevsb5bjfYic8NtSYKlGHo2CsLs5eRpz3EaU3u2bDOhissqUjuJM-VHZzVyInG0IKhsMc6D78oWFY-l6YABvhHXCp5yGFeiA_Be5spgQe4zvG0PiWH9YuXLOy45AOe3tyPmxUY/s640/PCC-19-02-05-013-Walla_Walla_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city of Walla Walla, WA loomed very large in the early <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">history </span>of Washington State. As a key gathering point for the agricultural wealth found in the southeast corner of the state, several railroads converged on Walla Walla, creating a bewildering maze of tracks north of the city center. Only a few of these remain in service, but on a snowy February morning, I shot a Palouse River & Coulee City RR train shuffling freight cars on the last active former NP track in town.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKz5XUUOsQKSL1Nv6QE5vrmBnyRLp8UcpG-lj0aFM6bClstVTrhqTbbPLlz6HDljx6zQ96jYoaEVH0G9Sl6CbRUDWHRYDYxjngjRJfytvKbeRflX5S5GP54QXGshnjPIrl1qZkCJDLbg/s1600/BNSF-19-02-24-002-Scenic_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKz5XUUOsQKSL1Nv6QE5vrmBnyRLp8UcpG-lj0aFM6bClstVTrhqTbbPLlz6HDljx6zQ96jYoaEVH0G9Sl6CbRUDWHRYDYxjngjRJfytvKbeRflX5S5GP54QXGshnjPIrl1qZkCJDLbg/s640/BNSF-19-02-24-002-Scenic_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking of snow, returning from the annual railroad show and swap meet in Monroe, WA, friend Rich Olson and I caught up with an eastbound train of empty oil tanks at Scenic. The crew had just received a green signal indication and began notching up the throttle to get rolling again. Ahead, the train will enter Cascade Tunnel for 7+ miles, and then roll down the east side of Steven Pass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3xbQOEpfSHr_acqbbxKFNkqu_QmdLeYPJCtxhPvHcD0Ha071P67MJqlqhYcxpLUFQGU-RoNVE8Qdhu_NG5DuDF_553ngdGIDKCSDFhMpeFOd8p-rMftITTb4BkKKaNVLoxlFBm0uXbk/s1600/UP-19-01-20-002-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3xbQOEpfSHr_acqbbxKFNkqu_QmdLeYPJCtxhPvHcD0Ha071P67MJqlqhYcxpLUFQGU-RoNVE8Qdhu_NG5DuDF_553ngdGIDKCSDFhMpeFOd8p-rMftITTb4BkKKaNVLoxlFBm0uXbk/s640/UP-19-01-20-002-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Local trains operating in and around the Tri-Cities are always interesting to me, especially with the varied mix of older locomotives they run. On a drizzly January afternoon, a UP local runs past the iconic Farmers Exchange building in downtown Kennewick.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lxGGlz1O7xT5oiq-KNTelkX3x5KW7gF4q2eIfMqE_k8jv_0LaC1t5JB3M9FTvjiXLn5Wqnz0iK0rrn5v_jXpD61_SzBROnj_DmhvB6FFtD-HRQzcfc3OrzO6MtefEUKPx0qn4tZF874/s1600/UP-19-04-11-004-Hedges_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lxGGlz1O7xT5oiq-KNTelkX3x5KW7gF4q2eIfMqE_k8jv_0LaC1t5JB3M9FTvjiXLn5Wqnz0iK0rrn5v_jXpD61_SzBROnj_DmhvB6FFtD-HRQzcfc3OrzO6MtefEUKPx0qn4tZF874/s640/UP-19-04-11-004-Hedges_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Later in the year, a similar UP local pulls through the small yard at Hedges, on the east side of Kennewick.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UKJucGWtdsctEHeoJd5BQ7mvWqFL0eWnx-it5SrvtSiVdJKlCVpEzr4pZCz2qIgIOdWX7w9tkAOkqqVtAcvtOC5p_GBPwEHJZBIX3zRyboMegmjK58JbmvJOUfsPOulhAfNIubcgSJo/s1600/BNSF-19-09-04-010-Richland_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UKJucGWtdsctEHeoJd5BQ7mvWqFL0eWnx-it5SrvtSiVdJKlCVpEzr4pZCz2qIgIOdWX7w9tkAOkqqVtAcvtOC5p_GBPwEHJZBIX3zRyboMegmjK58JbmvJOUfsPOulhAfNIubcgSJo/s640/BNSF-19-09-04-010-Richland_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Any BNSF locomotive still wearing Cascade Green paint is worth a photo or two. In this instance, one such SD40-2 leads as the Byron Turn cruises through Richland on its way back to Pasco Yard.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_acx7OAI0uR6AFVRyq75S9bz4Pg3OIMYDqjujswt17lIO6iSBPTXw47QpwBp1V6E5iRLhfWvNaaSFndlRQJi8JJFikFdvwdsSjI2E3DV69GV-6QRVaq4AkXawIYZ4Zc3CnXRcouhqcc/s1600/BNSF-19-05-31-019-Richland_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_acx7OAI0uR6AFVRyq75S9bz4Pg3OIMYDqjujswt17lIO6iSBPTXw47QpwBp1V6E5iRLhfWvNaaSFndlRQJi8JJFikFdvwdsSjI2E3DV69GV-6QRVaq4AkXawIYZ4Zc3CnXRcouhqcc/s640/BNSF-19-05-31-019-Richland_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very recently, the Byron Turn has operated behind matched pairs of freshly repainted former ATSF SD75i locomotives, as seen here passing Desert Gardens cemetery in Richland. Without being too morbid, this may be a good place to be buried when that time comes, so close to an active rail line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5p62YZWdOIPVoD49PVZUmKkZexjLXKMWTMxlsIn3GlhNZdY0wCRZxqLJUAHfKwX0fhbAk74Ji75PdJqiMq6y7nqPE0mNHrL0xGC1tFtJjEpZXSQCrxS9MaoIK_GNUwSesMKKCdiS_Pg/s1600/BNSF-19-09-21-002-Pasco_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5p62YZWdOIPVoD49PVZUmKkZexjLXKMWTMxlsIn3GlhNZdY0wCRZxqLJUAHfKwX0fhbAk74Ji75PdJqiMq6y7nqPE0mNHrL0xGC1tFtJjEpZXSQCrxS9MaoIK_GNUwSesMKKCdiS_Pg/s640/BNSF-19-09-21-002-Pasco_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technically not a local train, this grain train is inbound to Pasco Yard, crossing the long former NP lift bridge across the Columbia River in mid-September. The cut of WSDOT Grain Train cars immediately behind the power will most likely move north to the CBRW with the next Connell Turn out of Pasco.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51lHZyq_Ek4MK4jiA_-XmE7wKws6rRcOaGJdUjcGGJyYBtoGYhh_Ng65bI_ZXzXCUkQMH5AM_aYf0pQhzYvyDNH9oJgg-2Sn8Tj4kyHCsHtl-XToGJmmqVgy4FYOoU7adqXdTRBz3Nt8/s1600/CBRW-19-10-25-010-Warden_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51lHZyq_Ek4MK4jiA_-XmE7wKws6rRcOaGJdUjcGGJyYBtoGYhh_Ng65bI_ZXzXCUkQMH5AM_aYf0pQhzYvyDNH9oJgg-2Sn8Tj4kyHCsHtl-XToGJmmqVgy4FYOoU7adqXdTRBz3Nt8/s640/CBRW-19-10-25-010-Warden_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the Columbia Basin Ry. itself in October, running south out of Warden, WA headed to the BNSF interchange at Connell. The CBRW is know for its stable of early, albeit heavily rebuilt, six-axle EMD locomotives.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipA-rSPQRq2k3IO3bBBQUkEwvp3p7Lec_1qB6uoX-M7yddmR_LXXGnVCZMnh-16Ej4mpbm1VLvcqGHn7dlNGqnfx3UCJ18ak2q8lMBZgJD6CQGQm2XvRQ1Lvaq5cFmn4v1lOhnZaRysYQ/s1600/Gold_Spike_NHP-19-05-10-041-Promontory_UT.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipA-rSPQRq2k3IO3bBBQUkEwvp3p7Lec_1qB6uoX-M7yddmR_LXXGnVCZMnh-16Ej4mpbm1VLvcqGHn7dlNGqnfx3UCJ18ak2q8lMBZgJD6CQGQm2XvRQ1Lvaq5cFmn4v1lOhnZaRysYQ/s640/Gold_Spike_NHP-19-05-10-041-Promontory_UT.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my "bucket list" items has been attending the festivities surrounding the 150th anniversary of completing the Transcontinental Railroad, held May 10th at Promontory, UT. I did not allow myself to get caught up in all the 'Big Boy' commotion. Instead, I made an early morning visit to the Golden Spike Nat'l Historic Park to avoid the crowds, hiked a few stretches of the right-of-way, and then attended an in-person get-together with some Facebook friends in Ogden. While at the site, I shot this photo of the Railfan & Railroad magazine editorial staff getting their shots of the Jupiter as she rolled out of the enginehouse for a day of posing with her sister, UP 119.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-yG5hXEHmA6_rS30kShGuLlEnhYcfPuyAVaPq5_J8IjcOR_Dv9X8xCMnoSLZAxrsevy4DsJzSZeM0jpr3JrkIZ5BeFoOWNvDwRfN1IeVQaoOTvt2BcsktviB_g9VTa9Lb-Wv7MF_PmM/s1600/UP-19-04-24-006-Tremonton_UT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-yG5hXEHmA6_rS30kShGuLlEnhYcfPuyAVaPq5_J8IjcOR_Dv9X8xCMnoSLZAxrsevy4DsJzSZeM0jpr3JrkIZ5BeFoOWNvDwRfN1IeVQaoOTvt2BcsktviB_g9VTa9Lb-Wv7MF_PmM/s640/UP-19-04-24-006-Tremonton_UT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It seems I shot a lot more Union Pacific activity than in previous years. From April, I managed to finally be in the right place/time to catch a train on the Malad Branch out of Brigham City. I had other places I needed to be, but I managed to catch a few run-bys as the train passed through Tremonton, UT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLhVaGrLo8WoYVF05mZCl30wplzLDCTIN7_ErqJMBf4IncCJIEWXPSgFdFM33AzoRohLHMsvs669hUTBJDC_MuTmJRB4awStIG3V3yB8BIUpMZ2f3fWq8IQq9d5vTH3aZ0PJzA1WVCA8/s1600/UP-19-06-04-008-Portland_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLhVaGrLo8WoYVF05mZCl30wplzLDCTIN7_ErqJMBf4IncCJIEWXPSgFdFM33AzoRohLHMsvs669hUTBJDC_MuTmJRB4awStIG3V3yB8BIUpMZ2f3fWq8IQq9d5vTH3aZ0PJzA1WVCA8/s640/UP-19-06-04-008-Portland_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After dropping family members off at the Portland, OR airport in June, I looked around a little prior to heading home and managed to bag this local train switching cars on the Kenton Line with a clear view of Mt. Hood. A closer look in the distance will reveal an oncoming road train.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdNDwFARATn8nLJP4eutagBBRdQJTtGywbkUbQZRV5J7Q-Sj9NhwLsyhM9aCapfYOmstvSL2I2EOqohPyARHLAcinQVvOsTyxJiQDlz9e_H9eIdW-2sZf37XJkfFyAvbVEA_4DZxG5Cc/s1600/UP-19-06-08-001-Pocatello_ID_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdNDwFARATn8nLJP4eutagBBRdQJTtGywbkUbQZRV5J7Q-Sj9NhwLsyhM9aCapfYOmstvSL2I2EOqohPyARHLAcinQVvOsTyxJiQDlz9e_H9eIdW-2sZf37XJkfFyAvbVEA_4DZxG5Cc/s640/UP-19-06-08-001-Pocatello_ID_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I attended two funerals with my sister this year. Unfortunately, the latter of the two was for her husband, but the former involved a June road trip to Pocatello, ID to say goodbye to a favorite uncle. Early in the AM before the service, I managed to slip away and catch this westbound mixed freight entering the yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3t6QZdewUyhns3PGBg33Md2tH8UEpvvrsKvZlWIhMcSykwWKDIRb_ksajuH0KEPPjw7U4uGaBnNf9WT8Qt01HnVtpStgYLYDaoqsCjXggyH32I_uRhR2hBwAVfJyJjKzPkOrPe6QUgk/s1600/UP-19-08-24-004-Oxman_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3t6QZdewUyhns3PGBg33Md2tH8UEpvvrsKvZlWIhMcSykwWKDIRb_ksajuH0KEPPjw7U4uGaBnNf9WT8Qt01HnVtpStgYLYDaoqsCjXggyH32I_uRhR2hBwAVfJyJjKzPkOrPe6QUgk/s640/UP-19-08-24-004-Oxman_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent a lot of time in Eastern Oregon this year, working to capture images of UP in the Burnt River canyon to support an article I was writing. This picture did not make my cut for the article submission, but it's still a solid shot of a westbound manifest train climbing up through Oxman, OR.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94oSDmdTuCjGjln5HgWr0xqDdERMkdCFOWxyByncwIh_xapUNPx3nf1xkf_nbThasaY57aN1VeKQoWtL4tp4PXTaG5wSIVbMQnelFb_IC0ViuWd8MgbRzGYnf1L_Krn8R5LcMthEagMQ/s1600/UP-19-11-15-005-American_Fork_UT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94oSDmdTuCjGjln5HgWr0xqDdERMkdCFOWxyByncwIh_xapUNPx3nf1xkf_nbThasaY57aN1VeKQoWtL4tp4PXTaG5wSIVbMQnelFb_IC0ViuWd8MgbRzGYnf1L_Krn8R5LcMthEagMQ/s640/UP-19-11-15-005-American_Fork_UT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another UP shot in a location I've never seen a train running came the morning before my brother-in-law's funeral service in Provo, UT. I chased a UP local train working the branch through Pleasant Grove and American Fork, UT and got this shot of the train paralleling Highway 89.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI8QL6Qm3iTslK0TrKx9X24DqSjLdVJbfqHGPTHz_zNiRqvXiujrB0Y6ucGZG-2mEbXd1BVH8AFN41qsCDrkCv46OS54qtQ3ieu8LS4aYtjp07QVb1shJ2hCoLKNT18rgZ4NphZOyqkE/s1600/MRL-19-06-09-002-Nagos_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI8QL6Qm3iTslK0TrKx9X24DqSjLdVJbfqHGPTHz_zNiRqvXiujrB0Y6ucGZG-2mEbXd1BVH8AFN41qsCDrkCv46OS54qtQ3ieu8LS4aYtjp07QVb1shJ2hCoLKNT18rgZ4NphZOyqkE/s640/MRL-19-06-09-002-Nagos_MT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the return trip from our uncle's funeral, I was driving my sister and her kids west out of Missoula, MT. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a westbound Montana Rail Link Gas Local train on the Evaro Pass line (MRL's 10th Subdivision). We had just eaten, so the kids were pacified enough that they could tolerate a short side trip to bag this image. Then it was back on the freeway for the rest of the way home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rc0kaGGCqgCQpvtgxBCPAeoy-grof2mJefadqT14L8quexz2oWTLwArRmBvyRzXETFy0N3GgcY_TkemcTevCO9gDgSEJyb3ZT1OaW3zvdAoKmQhzxkcE6Eh_P7_df_8de-xq-lWjd9U/s1600/MSN-19-03-08-005-Puyallup_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rc0kaGGCqgCQpvtgxBCPAeoy-grof2mJefadqT14L8quexz2oWTLwArRmBvyRzXETFy0N3GgcY_TkemcTevCO9gDgSEJyb3ZT1OaW3zvdAoKmQhzxkcE6Eh_P7_df_8de-xq-lWjd9U/s640/MSN-19-03-08-005-Puyallup_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a February trip to the coast with my wife (for yet another funeral), I dropped her off at a favorite quilt shop in Puyallup, WA, and then made a pass along the tracks. Lo and behold, the elusive Meeker Southern was at word that day and I was able to shoot this image of their former NP SW-1200 shuffling cars in the industrial park they serve.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXOk-Q6wBLU-0SXWviyg76TozgV_-Qx5_4hNMVGd937vzP06Iyb6IHwIps_IFjLXySqo5iIZGeyiRrUZUz7re2Fz4P_OEq4O9v-16ILaUDvgJ1I5scA6PTN32WGPnZQNI0JGAe8sNYNE/s1600/OR_EASTERN-19-05-09-011-Vale_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXOk-Q6wBLU-0SXWviyg76TozgV_-Qx5_4hNMVGd937vzP06Iyb6IHwIps_IFjLXySqo5iIZGeyiRrUZUz7re2Fz4P_OEq4O9v-16ILaUDvgJ1I5scA6PTN32WGPnZQNI0JGAe8sNYNE/s640/OR_EASTERN-19-05-09-011-Vale_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down to Promontory, I had planned time for a few side-trips. This trip to Vale, OR was well timed, as I just managed to catch the Oregon Eastern RR's train departing for their UP interchange near Ontario. The GP7 is a former Toledo, Peoria & Western locomotive. Other than a "chopped" short hood for improved visibility, the locomotive is otherwise stock and sounds just like an early "geep" should!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0Db52wF0Gy9POgWymURDJaY1evio6uOGrXeKhGxUerZJGQXYdfDf0iqLFz0JPRxR0vsjo56n-fXzTQE77-tIhrJTLJgRCWLJ1-8FLqFk9fXCNO1HqGCyS-j_8HlPJp7bni0pMDRlJR8/s1600/NW_Rail_Museum-19-10-19-009-Snoqualmie_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0Db52wF0Gy9POgWymURDJaY1evio6uOGrXeKhGxUerZJGQXYdfDf0iqLFz0JPRxR0vsjo56n-fXzTQE77-tIhrJTLJgRCWLJ1-8FLqFk9fXCNO1HqGCyS-j_8HlPJp7bni0pMDRlJR8/s640/NW_Rail_Museum-19-10-19-009-Snoqualmie_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On my way to see The Who at Seattle in mid-October, I stopped past the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, WA and followed their Halloween family excursion train from North Bend to their end-of-track near Snoqualmie Falls. This "grab shot" as the train passed the Snoqualmie depot turned out the best. Maybe others would call this shot busy or crowded, but I think the classic depot, misty mountains, green-haired flagger, colorful trees, and stopped jeep framed the bright orange locomotive just right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouEMuDDuB9UaYezDYv9OG-O5vyX526xLNEqEABJmCe1SXTLmBTUJS30TSXVIhl3IJPFfgl9RpJKABHV6U90aDdKwGriE1ZMMY77yVHmLUs9YWHnO5sNiggn6nuEiPcdUazJpbflr3y9g/s1600/BNSF-19-08-09-004-Terrebonne_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouEMuDDuB9UaYezDYv9OG-O5vyX526xLNEqEABJmCe1SXTLmBTUJS30TSXVIhl3IJPFfgl9RpJKABHV6U90aDdKwGriE1ZMMY77yVHmLUs9YWHnO5sNiggn6nuEiPcdUazJpbflr3y9g/s640/BNSF-19-08-09-004-Terrebonne_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet another rock concert made a great cover story for an August railfan trip. On my way to see the B52's with OMD and Berlin at Bend, OR, I took a day to explore the former SP&S Oregon Trunk line. Although I live relatively close to the line, it is not the most accessible route to follow, and I have seldom had much luck with trains on family trips taken along Highway 97. This time, I did much better. One of the early shots I got was this southbound crossing the famous rail bridge over the Crooked River near Redmond, OR.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP_nqe6es2adTBKLUKE8cSLVNdkN3oGLCBXy0QlCXMQbVDLH3pTjaWSooFfmwUodaq3r5FSwBQ4HEJXwowaI4iIB5GUCiTh1szDpqwsL40vkT39_N3-iFXAMG-BO3g76RIpOUHizcQnc/s1600/BNSF-19-08-09-011-Gateway_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP_nqe6es2adTBKLUKE8cSLVNdkN3oGLCBXy0QlCXMQbVDLH3pTjaWSooFfmwUodaq3r5FSwBQ4HEJXwowaI4iIB5GUCiTh1szDpqwsL40vkT39_N3-iFXAMG-BO3g76RIpOUHizcQnc/s640/BNSF-19-08-09-011-Gateway_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After staking out a campsite near the Oregon Trunk's Trout Creek trestle, I heard a southbound freight working its way around the canyon. Although I got shots of this military equipment train crossing Trout Creek, this image turned out particularly well as the train reached the high ground between Gateway and Madras, OR.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcniA9pWiN5LCI2g5ixlmjgQowtqQhNuVyQS32Pb6uZn72w2oTIQ9u-ZjlBpayeXFhRuCbfBk0HclbsBZbZOMqAKPx8nYlX8VZRqzxMfgDojWZyHBTDVXU4qgRjw6wLb0sOdVCZ0EP_bs/s1600/BNSF-19-08-11-010-Maupin_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcniA9pWiN5LCI2g5ixlmjgQowtqQhNuVyQS32Pb6uZn72w2oTIQ9u-ZjlBpayeXFhRuCbfBk0HclbsBZbZOMqAKPx8nYlX8VZRqzxMfgDojWZyHBTDVXU4qgRjw6wLb0sOdVCZ0EP_bs/s640/BNSF-19-08-11-010-Maupin_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another military train the following day crosses over the Deschutes River and enters a tunnel here at the upper of the "Twin Crossings." After transiting the tunnel, the train immediately crosses the river again at the lower crossing. This is a classic OT photo angle that I'm glad I finally managed to shoot for myself.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrByUf_6D0jRgGNbep-EVoD0_Czs5PbWnIOmNp3wUYMpfRO7u_Rjl0FOYfzmKyA7H4ysDLDP6nJgDhUaKiN_yUKIeNEveGtKopIGRxEDXTQgbQGJNbjVl9L3QohZWDqbuKOQZdbek6MCA/s1600/SSPR-19-08-05-007-Spangle_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrByUf_6D0jRgGNbep-EVoD0_Czs5PbWnIOmNp3wUYMpfRO7u_Rjl0FOYfzmKyA7H4ysDLDP6nJgDhUaKiN_yUKIeNEveGtKopIGRxEDXTQgbQGJNbjVl9L3QohZWDqbuKOQZdbek6MCA/s640/SSPR-19-08-05-007-Spangle_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In August, Washington State handed over operation of its "P&L Line," the former NP branch between Marshall and Pullman, WA, to a new contract operator, the Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway. I managed to be on hand for their first day of operation and, among many other images, I got this shot of "GP39M" 3904 (a former ATSF GP35) and its train at Highway 195 on an unusual over/under crossing of the northbound and southbound lanes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IbBI5bIwV7sF9-UMkw1pM71zU-MqZzi8MXwZ4CKSdpcktnjdHnQ286SlnVG7tpleyBHxNrz5a4KhrxYleHPxM3QkQF3qxH64Ic4D67ZCosU1jfh1uJ4ZqELhycZDdYpLmEcC-kBtG74/s1600/SSPR-19-12-06-014-Marshall_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IbBI5bIwV7sF9-UMkw1pM71zU-MqZzi8MXwZ4CKSdpcktnjdHnQ286SlnVG7tpleyBHxNrz5a4KhrxYleHPxM3QkQF3qxH64Ic4D67ZCosU1jfh1uJ4ZqELhycZDdYpLmEcC-kBtG74/s640/SSPR-19-12-06-014-Marshall_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a late fall trip to Spokane to drop my wife at the airport, I had a chance meeting with good friend Maddie Farnsworth. She gave me a hint that the SSPR had been working at Spangle, WA and might be headed back to Marshall at any moment. Acting on the tip, I managed to chase the train the full distance and got a few good shots. Normally, "going away" shots are seldom very good, but I was pleased with this one as the train approaches Marshall. The only thing that could make it better would be if the train had been long enough to be visible on the near end of the S curve. More sunlight would've helped too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0VJvCajUt2fkAr7AtNtreR95tx3Tg7js6Kc_fBKE6QxRLPKd5P_fGi-zCY8s6ECjXfLy35EZeCkoPvfLFybjMYi2OKv6XBI_PQBwsG_fc6VAzGGqfRn825q4F3Ee534TShCQRBmPrZg/s1600/WNYP-19-06-13-004-Turtlepoint_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0VJvCajUt2fkAr7AtNtreR95tx3Tg7js6Kc_fBKE6QxRLPKd5P_fGi-zCY8s6ECjXfLy35EZeCkoPvfLFybjMYi2OKv6XBI_PQBwsG_fc6VAzGGqfRn825q4F3Ee534TShCQRBmPrZg/s640/WNYP-19-06-13-004-Turtlepoint_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saving the best for last, the most exciting trip I took this year was to Olean, NY in hopes of seeing giant six-axle Alco/MLW Century- and M-series locomotives in action. The Western New York & Pennsylvania RR runs its Driftwood (PA) Turn, which is famous for its steep northbound climb up Keating Summit as it returns to Olean. Newer GE locomotive were rumored to be on their way to supplement (and certainly replace) the older Alco/MLW units. The Driftwood train runs 2-3 times per week, and on the first day of my visit I caught it arriving at Turtle Point, PA to deliver its loads of rock. The train had stopped to allow a local from Olean to clear the former Pennsylvania RR mainline, and then its three monster Alcos roared to life bringing the train back to track speed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmliF1Z1JTbbaXYXM4_tPvBjUicvAdvmWNY4FbvT6_pZIKFGDs9SfqaGnGR8wo8LFBI1YMoLVYW_5H1NJzifKu1U7epsqCxRJgs7mjnMRSJ16jJK_PVf_AlgXSLBYtFJ7MKgHcRicXFE/s1600/WNYP-19-06-14-014-Eldred_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmliF1Z1JTbbaXYXM4_tPvBjUicvAdvmWNY4FbvT6_pZIKFGDs9SfqaGnGR8wo8LFBI1YMoLVYW_5H1NJzifKu1U7epsqCxRJgs7mjnMRSJ16jJK_PVf_AlgXSLBYtFJ7MKgHcRicXFE/s640/WNYP-19-06-14-014-Eldred_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The following day, a Friday, got off to a good start with a railfan report that at least three trains would be running that day and a Driftwood train should run on Saturday. Unfortunately, I somehow missed (slept through?) the first train that departed Olean! In my scrambling to figure out where the train had gone, I guessed wrong and followed the southward rail line into PA. When it was clear I had completely missed that first train, I cut over to Bradford, PA where I had an AirBnB lined up for the night. Serendipitiously, I saw a few other railroad locations of interest to me, so it was not a total loss. Once checked in, I drove back toward Farmers Valley, PA where the second of the hoped-for trains should be. I caught up with it (as did a sizeable contingent of other railfans) and got several shots of the train on the branch and on the mainline toward Orlean, as seen above. The bad news was that the Driftwood train would not operate the next day, which actually cleared up some time to see other sites of interest to me on my way back to the airport at Rochester.</td></tr>
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<br />Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-81622904880938693342019-01-17T15:09:00.001-08:002019-02-07T09:48:00.080-08:00An Exceptional YearIn terms of my railroad photography, 2018 was an exceptional year! It wasn't a bad year either in other aspects of my life: my last child graduated high school, my other kids all took big strides toward full adulthood, I had a book published, and a bunch of other good things happened.<br />
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As for my rail photography, there are three basic reasons this year stood out: 1) I had several opportunities to travel outside my "natural range" and see for myself rail operations I had only read about before, 2) Whether by planning or by luck, I managed to be at the right place and time within my natural range to capture moments not seen before, and which may not occur again, and 3) maybe, after years of simply "pointing and shooting," I'm finally developing better photography strategies and skills!<br />
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In mostly chronological order, here are some of the photos that resulted:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_TTBZmtrmBTXPwJQhYZ0okwQy49qEU8FOerunh-z2y4lU1JSpcgcQtY1YehLdf3eVl5Hqdq7FBZ7_N6HulV-wDIdB3vEd_4oK3RBA0ewVIlCOmSvzc2Zhff2mP1NbIBd6Z6UkRKN_5U/s1600/P%2526W-18-01-12-007-Portland_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_TTBZmtrmBTXPwJQhYZ0okwQy49qEU8FOerunh-z2y4lU1JSpcgcQtY1YehLdf3eVl5Hqdq7FBZ7_N6HulV-wDIdB3vEd_4oK3RBA0ewVIlCOmSvzc2Zhff2mP1NbIBd6Z6UkRKN_5U/s640/P%2526W-18-01-12-007-Portland_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">During the first week of January, I traveled to Portland, Oregon to do research for my book. Having a little time to kill after I'd found what I was looking for and before catching a MAX train out to the airport, I lucked out that a matched set of Portland & Western "Geeps" hauled their train through the East Portland interlocking and into UP's Albina Yard.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbYfqEZmlf3a7HbXeYxgtkhyphenhyphenmYPxL-hyv_D_PfkJ1rRDvkBhZI4dPbqkXpTQhA50TgARtFvqMe66n89orXas_N19F7ykLM_HRJC3oEqGxF0sHq_MzbgKCpoCOA3wUG8P0EpweNkytTjo/s1600/WAMX-18-01-13-006-Wallula_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbYfqEZmlf3a7HbXeYxgtkhyphenhyphenmYPxL-hyv_D_PfkJ1rRDvkBhZI4dPbqkXpTQhA50TgARtFvqMe66n89orXas_N19F7ykLM_HRJC3oEqGxF0sHq_MzbgKCpoCOA3wUG8P0EpweNkytTjo/s640/WAMX-18-01-13-006-Wallula_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Closer to home a week later, I happened to spot the Palouse River & Coulee City's "grain shuttle" train arriving at Wallula, Washington. I have seen the PCC's grain shuttle operations before, both on feeder branches in the western Palouse and on the UP mainline near Hooper, but this was my first time shooting the arriving train. Within a year, this operation would cease.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sDPl6OEVuQg3FRmI1ec9riZdQ8sf0H2YH1k-DX1do7PsYngzXXCSy55t6Q68AK-bjlBcw6-ksfyAOf7w6v3JK8HiyFD5EvObbSPTqh48iOhzqJv0z0701mZHDyBRxo0NjYcrdbna70I/s1600/BNSF-18-04-14-005-Spokane_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sDPl6OEVuQg3FRmI1ec9riZdQ8sf0H2YH1k-DX1do7PsYngzXXCSy55t6Q68AK-bjlBcw6-ksfyAOf7w6v3JK8HiyFD5EvObbSPTqh48iOhzqJv0z0701mZHDyBRxo0NjYcrdbna70I/s640/BNSF-18-04-14-005-Spokane_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">During an early spring visit to my son and daughter-in-law in Spokane, I spotted BNSF's inbound Chewelah Turn. Making a sharp turn of my own, I was able to line up this shot of the train s-curving across the Spokane River. The train itself teamed with the light green of the trees to offset the gray clouds and surroundings. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngBsdGEQy_ouKl2ne_Xx-jB4HOOWJBiH_9sbyJJA7RqvJRorytNoSFRSSl43u7ZsHoNnyRfKTfABzEIC_pehfophiM3K-e19b7f0RpUGP5WzBkDGmiTPZXUiWj95Z3usHmGAy7ExrL9g/s1600/BNSF-18-01-26-005-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngBsdGEQy_ouKl2ne_Xx-jB4HOOWJBiH_9sbyJJA7RqvJRorytNoSFRSSl43u7ZsHoNnyRfKTfABzEIC_pehfophiM3K-e19b7f0RpUGP5WzBkDGmiTPZXUiWj95Z3usHmGAy7ExrL9g/s640/BNSF-18-01-26-005-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Photographing BNSF's Byron Turn in Richland and Kennewick is not unusual for me. However, shooting the train pulled by an SD40-2 in the orange/green Heritage I scheme, rather than the usual orange/black "swoosh" painted GP28Ms, is a rare treat with no promise it will be repeated any further into the future.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Shooting photos "against the sun" is seldom easy. Fortunately, the light on the distant flora contrasts with the shadowed nose of the oncoming BNSF SD70ACe on the former SP&S mainline approaching Cushman siding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On another trip to Spokane, I traveled by way of Providence Hill along the former Northern Pacific mainline and caught a side-lit grain train as it rounded a curve near the crest of the grade.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWDNyiNXKN1DDYdKYFVCDfFND7xvnKH8hA83dbe9E00lg8tX1BlqYresFDPUO4R05kfo_TOu1CAKvwb7BHdTYoaW64gNJvftjTutCMM0d27QM1tljYbD_pgfWvlSngVMAzPzWRUix1jw/s1600/BNSF-18-05-19-002-E_Tokio_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWDNyiNXKN1DDYdKYFVCDfFND7xvnKH8hA83dbe9E00lg8tX1BlqYresFDPUO4R05kfo_TOu1CAKvwb7BHdTYoaW64gNJvftjTutCMM0d27QM1tljYbD_pgfWvlSngVMAzPzWRUix1jw/s640/BNSF-18-05-19-002-E_Tokio_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I was in Spokane a lot during the spring and summer, and on another trip there, I got this "golden hour" shot of a BNSF westbound grain train at Tokio siding. This is a very popular photo location for other railfans, probably for this very reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Returning from the David Byrne concert in Seattle in May ("The best live show of all time."), I slept in my car at the top of Stampede Pass, and then worked my way down the Yakima from there. Near Bristol, downriver from Cle Elum, I shot this eastbound empty grain train.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIpwJM9v6p1aUmtgRwHE4jEZnaBQqm4MNdRx4Nr0z8V8cyDFlx21w4hoca17wf6dWbKH6UQnGhMgrH_ZloN0AlPzsHg8heSjLervYO_0YjwJbV_bbKHfFXZsvQ49qbSeNXMwKdxV96QE/s640/BNSF-18-05-25-001-Roza_WA_16x9Mod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Following the same train past Ellensburg, I also shot it here approaching Roza. I really liked the slightly purple tinge of the basalt cliffs.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIpwJM9v6p1aUmtgRwHE4jEZnaBQqm4MNdRx4Nr0z8V8cyDFlx21w4hoca17wf6dWbKH6UQnGhMgrH_ZloN0AlPzsHg8heSjLervYO_0YjwJbV_bbKHfFXZsvQ49qbSeNXMwKdxV96QE/s1600/BNSF-18-05-25-001-Roza_WA_16x9Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRRj14HHORbv1nGYqrAZbgheS88n32e16hoFlxn_rw45IbJRMH2Cm8jWw0VLxe7dI5Oz4f7I-B8sjX3Jk84jJ8fvM7hi_z_aIxWYrwfoY0GidY0qMPaa-xIrxlt-oBSRD9-tleTP1g4g/s1600/Amtrak-18-06-22-002-Seattle_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRRj14HHORbv1nGYqrAZbgheS88n32e16hoFlxn_rw45IbJRMH2Cm8jWw0VLxe7dI5Oz4f7I-B8sjX3Jk84jJ8fvM7hi_z_aIxWYrwfoY0GidY0qMPaa-xIrxlt-oBSRD9-tleTP1g4g/s640/Amtrak-18-06-22-002-Seattle_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Less than a month later, I drove my daughter and her friend over to attend a three-day ComicCon in downtown Seattle. While they were at the con, I naturally spent my time chasing trains. I even connected with a few friends from social media who shared locations and tips for good "hunting". Here, one of the new Siemens locomotives leads a Cascades train north into King Street Station.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nSZf43dALuUjsWw1gQdCeC6jOfP5lluHNF2cWUxuLUnxsYrZJnA4v0HP4O61lolu6RqOQoypGJTcbsNVEOhEIaxiwzUrrmXi5aiuSx-FcDgyzuqSuWcHPm24C9Bac_izRJZ3CfhqFo4/s1600/UP-18-06-23-051-Seattle_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nSZf43dALuUjsWw1gQdCeC6jOfP5lluHNF2cWUxuLUnxsYrZJnA4v0HP4O61lolu6RqOQoypGJTcbsNVEOhEIaxiwzUrrmXi5aiuSx-FcDgyzuqSuWcHPm24C9Bac_izRJZ3CfhqFo4/s640/UP-18-06-23-051-Seattle_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A two-man UP crew works the industrial trackage along Seattle's Marginal Way, using a belt pack remote to operate GP38-2 631. It turned out when I posted this image to a Facebook group, the pictured crewman identified himself and I was able to send him a full resolution copy of this photo.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh332FH292F49nWt5SKAq7O6AkGIP1phTWjQTCc09NXDfUOzgFiBBqRWWoB9oL7Oj48RmJLOcItlrGl8UB1hf1qJgRi6rBk59Hub20sMnZRLYj3xRxkjFXeQ_dAu4X0zlteJTAjgJq_szY/s640/BNSF-18-06-24-013-Renton_WA_Mod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Another Seattle-area operation I've been wanting to see for myself for some time is the "Renton Rocket" which mostly operates to haul 737 fuselages to and from the Boeing plant in Renton. It was fun to witness the part where they run down the middle of Houser Way, but I was too close to the action for those photos to be very interesting. This one, however, turned out pretty well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh332FH292F49nWt5SKAq7O6AkGIP1phTWjQTCc09NXDfUOzgFiBBqRWWoB9oL7Oj48RmJLOcItlrGl8UB1hf1qJgRi6rBk59Hub20sMnZRLYj3xRxkjFXeQ_dAu4X0zlteJTAjgJq_szY/s1600/BNSF-18-06-24-013-Renton_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh332FH292F49nWt5SKAq7O6AkGIP1phTWjQTCc09NXDfUOzgFiBBqRWWoB9oL7Oj48RmJLOcItlrGl8UB1hf1qJgRi6rBk59Hub20sMnZRLYj3xRxkjFXeQ_dAu4X0zlteJTAjgJq_szY/s1600/BNSF-18-06-24-013-Renton_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPhiTw-G8LB2KgcI3zvKDRKl8Jkm5ecyze2h8w5j1KNd4uJAya9tBv3e7eUOYeHEmiFtZV0AoLNlHahW3TcF4ZKoAuqdUrR6PM3uqk4p1pOWUKwdYfFIcaAgV-UKViPHPFIBpam_0agU/s1600/WIR-18-06-29-011-Potlatch_ID_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPhiTw-G8LB2KgcI3zvKDRKl8Jkm5ecyze2h8w5j1KNd4uJAya9tBv3e7eUOYeHEmiFtZV0AoLNlHahW3TcF4ZKoAuqdUrR6PM3uqk4p1pOWUKwdYfFIcaAgV-UKViPHPFIBpam_0agU/s640/WIR-18-06-29-011-Potlatch_ID_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Less than a week later, I acted on a tip that a train would be running on the WI&M tracks east of Palouse WA and took a spur-of-the-moment overnight trip there. My wife was out of town for a couple weeks, so I could get away with it. The early-morning westbound train ran "against the sun" so I had to get creative with my photo angles. I thought this shot from the hillside above the Potlatch ID depot worked particularly well.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFsEOeBTV9sg3ZznBXzr_PvmRVTQUd0CJ9DO5WEXCVBEhiAEoSFPB8KYVNys2j1CfrOrN6-RW8iEcgU4ZUA6os-tsFemI8BuhcJu8KyfIngZMt53iJks9jMlIJhOx5wl4NiWrFONRG6c/s1600/WIR-18-06-29-013-Palouse_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFsEOeBTV9sg3ZznBXzr_PvmRVTQUd0CJ9DO5WEXCVBEhiAEoSFPB8KYVNys2j1CfrOrN6-RW8iEcgU4ZUA6os-tsFemI8BuhcJu8KyfIngZMt53iJks9jMlIJhOx5wl4NiWrFONRG6c/s640/WIR-18-06-29-013-Palouse_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">As the same train approached the end of its run to Palouse, I snapped this shot. I've photographed trains on Whitman St. several times before, but this image turned out the best of them all (so far, I hope).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoetLQ7FtP6z2xFIrDD9IA7_Zgwrh3Owcd2MBhuoevQmXHP4uqy9_eOtEAkRlWrdkRj75XDoKTI1A-xA1JgAvg_CPHzZDHm60tnu_ze7t4a6KHiArJIgBXaegAhQVHcHrc5mwwoRdcpyY/s1600/BNSF-18-07-07-001-Tyler_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoetLQ7FtP6z2xFIrDD9IA7_Zgwrh3Owcd2MBhuoevQmXHP4uqy9_eOtEAkRlWrdkRj75XDoKTI1A-xA1JgAvg_CPHzZDHm60tnu_ze7t4a6KHiArJIgBXaegAhQVHcHrc5mwwoRdcpyY/s640/BNSF-18-07-07-001-Tyler_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">On a mid-July return trip from Spokane, the sun was just beginning to set, allowing me to shoot westbounds in really good light. The partially collapsed fence and gates added some interest to the foreground. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1ZCfpQ501JzW1YXyyW-jGZeCyd7RegH8tMjGz08s-48r1-wYEsOSF0uHcj3Gzr_x0kETb92PNKLBGzMTFNdTNZH5WrCezod0i9XQDL5-aNXnVL-NzVht-H8_X_5X7fqMETph2o00nRw/s1600/BNSF-18-07-17-005-Tokio_WA_BW_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1ZCfpQ501JzW1YXyyW-jGZeCyd7RegH8tMjGz08s-48r1-wYEsOSF0uHcj3Gzr_x0kETb92PNKLBGzMTFNdTNZH5WrCezod0i9XQDL5-aNXnVL-NzVht-H8_X_5X7fqMETph2o00nRw/s640/BNSF-18-07-17-005-Tokio_WA_BW_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's that curve near Tokio again. I took this shot in color, and it was pretty good, but I liked it a lot better in black and white.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkQX2q3WZpPFboNcSnByRJbSfPVCqGpIZb2S0QPTOmgqp_uOnYxpLM-VqN0PevSP37QgaY32cCCM0g5mj3R8iXOm_Zg9vPbE8Iq3KnBM1qv3AtF8LK002Lb7tR0DqMnbeEpNEL5ChR2c/s640/IATR-18-07-27-007-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">My "big trip" this summer, courtesy of my wife's employment in the airline industry, was flying out to Iowa in late July to spend a day photographing the last electric freight railroad in the U.S., the Iowa Traction Railroad in Mason City. In the early morning, just after the crew went to work, I took this shot of a single freight "motor" hauling a single empty tank car toward an interchange with Union Pacific's former Rock Island route through Mason City. If it weren't for the single minivan on the parallel highway, it would be difficult to tell this was taken in 2018, not 1928.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkQX2q3WZpPFboNcSnByRJbSfPVCqGpIZb2S0QPTOmgqp_uOnYxpLM-VqN0PevSP37QgaY32cCCM0g5mj3R8iXOm_Zg9vPbE8Iq3KnBM1qv3AtF8LK002Lb7tR0DqMnbeEpNEL5ChR2c/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-007-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDPqeNOogIZhMJm9ItR82bin_36mgWen6meq6f9Ib2vWoyztBC0fPGYMasbeOCRvBaPgWvJrwrRNq2gH7Hvwd3EzRjlq2-mDH9pAcaLT8-oUj70zzGOa9-9XdRUP30Kt0LwrbEjlyAu8/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-057-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDPqeNOogIZhMJm9ItR82bin_36mgWen6meq6f9Ib2vWoyztBC0fPGYMasbeOCRvBaPgWvJrwrRNq2gH7Hvwd3EzRjlq2-mDH9pAcaLT8-oUj70zzGOa9-9XdRUP30Kt0LwrbEjlyAu8/s640/IATR-18-07-27-057-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't think this photo has any particular artistic value, but it's hard to beat a well-lit shot of a 90-year-old locomotive still doing the job its builders intended on a daily basis.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0-MckY-cWkyCNhQLRc2E8SbbVpwcAjU4f6Gt8BAwN6J5PO5DlriEh-7MimrLzeg1JCf1GCeC_OcJTx27LoR5PyBjUyImtMI2bsKYj9M-H4mD4iz0AzcFYkFk36leM3_JIjOKzujt-Lc/s1600/CP-18-07-27-012-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0-MckY-cWkyCNhQLRc2E8SbbVpwcAjU4f6Gt8BAwN6J5PO5DlriEh-7MimrLzeg1JCf1GCeC_OcJTx27LoR5PyBjUyImtMI2bsKYj9M-H4mD4iz0AzcFYkFk36leM3_JIjOKzujt-Lc/s640/CP-18-07-27-012-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">No less than five separate steam railroads (i.e. separate from the electric interurban) once intersected Mason City. Today, that number is down to two, although only a few of the former routes have been removed; the rest are simply operated by different railroads now. Most exciting to me was seeing Canadian Pacific running on former Milwaukee Road tracks, with a heavily re-built "geep" leading a local train from a nearby scrapyard into the Mason City yard.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7hLuT2l-Rga2rHUtzRpS5mpWgTaARzaGP00T7Pb_da6R9lwrQWBrA1cdN2nwExmdSbSiqZytFaznmbLfvYGTiSG-HKDAJRyx0Ae4PxpnUCs3van39JOnYepaJAIrB2m2aFPIBZhO5b8/s1600/Amtrak-18-08-24-003-Coal_Creek_CO_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7hLuT2l-Rga2rHUtzRpS5mpWgTaARzaGP00T7Pb_da6R9lwrQWBrA1cdN2nwExmdSbSiqZytFaznmbLfvYGTiSG-HKDAJRyx0Ae4PxpnUCs3van39JOnYepaJAIrB2m2aFPIBZhO5b8/s640/Amtrak-18-08-24-003-Coal_Creek_CO_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also got to spend part of a day on my own in Denver in mid-August, and decided trains or no trains, I wanted to see the East Portal of Moffat Tunnel for myself. Getting out of downtown, I spotted the westbound California Zephyr making its station stop, so I had time to select and set up at a location of my choosing. Had I known how long I would be waiting, I'd have probably headed up higher into the mountains, but I settled for the crossing of Coal Creek Parkway. Once I snapped the shutter on this scene, I knew I hadn't "settled" for anything.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBaQjxNLmzXKP9kAEqSfp3a4Y76hVj5roa0VI6my70FsKjfBAiqyajdPqQEdyRmqhOpDT8UcgRqwXA_HOVKqSddhDARiPUg0YVPWWVtegOmEeyH2e-tCuGb8pP9WQWtxxz7cilTj22Wo/s1600/BNSF-18-08-24-006-Tolland_CO_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBaQjxNLmzXKP9kAEqSfp3a4Y76hVj5roa0VI6my70FsKjfBAiqyajdPqQEdyRmqhOpDT8UcgRqwXA_HOVKqSddhDARiPUg0YVPWWVtegOmEeyH2e-tCuGb8pP9WQWtxxz7cilTj22Wo/s640/BNSF-18-08-24-006-Tolland_CO_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">On my way back down from East Portal, I was also able to capture several shots, including this one at Tolland, of a westbound BNSF manifest climbing the grade. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcYutgtrr2bLeBVi1eJ1dbGJzQk6HVONAlSdzqDAU9a8AH1lztHymZmyOx0ZQwPVBeZICFiOLCKzB1xJgBQ_34SGHc9hD8HjVHqy5ZjYu4H0BW6gMWo1bzRWex8J-XQFN8_De-AQEBQs/s1600/UP-18-09-12-002-Hedges_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcYutgtrr2bLeBVi1eJ1dbGJzQk6HVONAlSdzqDAU9a8AH1lztHymZmyOx0ZQwPVBeZICFiOLCKzB1xJgBQ_34SGHc9hD8HjVHqy5ZjYu4H0BW6gMWo1bzRWex8J-XQFN8_De-AQEBQs/s640/UP-18-09-12-002-Hedges_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">It usually doesn't take much to get a rail enthusiast excited. Back in the Tri Cities, UP had assigned a slightly oddball locomotive to its local trains, one of only three GP40P-2s constructed for use on Southern Pacific commuter trains on the San Francisco peninsula. To most observers (and most likely to the train crews) it's no different than any one of hundreds of UP four-axle EMD locomotives, so I'll leave it to the viewer to look for the differences. Here the 1373 has just brought its train across the Columbia River for some local work in Kennewick and Richland.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4fh4smnow9PKFVjOMXC0hPBGfTIQ1FodJ8HlmeOXzks_iZDrf46kREBmmyve5rjDSs9kTRYWlRZ8UKoEQfcO2typ4j96ptgUvI0oyxCzNjRVQI1mbr9yVwm0-C6fxzuqIsPaKiNqX9k/s1600/BNSF-18-09-14-001-Glade_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4fh4smnow9PKFVjOMXC0hPBGfTIQ1FodJ8HlmeOXzks_iZDrf46kREBmmyve5rjDSs9kTRYWlRZ8UKoEQfcO2typ4j96ptgUvI0oyxCzNjRVQI1mbr9yVwm0-C6fxzuqIsPaKiNqX9k/s640/BNSF-18-09-14-001-Glade_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over on BNSF, the minor spotting features of a group of otherwise look-alike wide-cab diesels, got fans excited about former Santa Fe SD75Is. The clean "swoosh" scheme helped these capture their share of the attention on local trains in and around Pasco yard, including this inbound Connell Turn in mid-September.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9hsK-D1SSWQLzsQFrjaqFTMS9PPguLOB0cWw2snwB2mf_RApdEcWJ9O7z3BojeiAq93j0vy_NizfOwPyDvnvFLzIhEgi3OK3FaJhysZi33XSpSyxJfa5x4MNQCIAP-yz-OLDUf1rVmM/s1600/BNSF-18-09-21-005-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9hsK-D1SSWQLzsQFrjaqFTMS9PPguLOB0cWw2snwB2mf_RApdEcWJ9O7z3BojeiAq93j0vy_NizfOwPyDvnvFLzIhEgi3OK3FaJhysZi33XSpSyxJfa5x4MNQCIAP-yz-OLDUf1rVmM/s640/BNSF-18-09-21-005-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">SD40-2s on local freights also got me a lot more excited about them than when they pulled mainline freights in the 1980's.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NHC9ici0R3Z57RNTLw7Z0H_uHaRik7OAl-cip46lf_l2EiwRY4PnKAiGcxPxk6DD_a0rYO-nlJyyT6akx8evoIrxkwoAoLqIGtRgPEPmV9zxtgp2cZun1hFzw4QTec8_Ohyphenhyphenv-fTigVQ/s640/WIR-18-10-05-027-Palouse_WA_Mod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took a second trip east to the Palouse in early October for a couple events kicking off my new book release. Luckily, I also managed to be in Palouse (City) to witness the Washington & Idaho RR crew switching out well cars stored on a former S&IE spur.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1pOpkxfZeawV0FQwumAZ8I0uMgqI7_qy0dBqracaaCpQvCLghdEcWVWARrcdq_bOl8b6fjnkU4b7JaI8RxadNsgxEp6G18YLOTuNihOx8g55wjFDAMy7RbX7sGYkRfiAJnHq6whF31s/s1600/WIR-18-10-05-005-Kennedy_Ford_ID_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1pOpkxfZeawV0FQwumAZ8I0uMgqI7_qy0dBqracaaCpQvCLghdEcWVWARrcdq_bOl8b6fjnkU4b7JaI8RxadNsgxEp6G18YLOTuNihOx8g55wjFDAMy7RbX7sGYkRfiAJnHq6whF31s/s640/WIR-18-10-05-005-Kennedy_Ford_ID_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The same crew then headed up the old WI&M shoving empty cars for Bennett Lumber, and dragging the well cars behind for storage on the Kennedy Ford siding. I don't find a locomotive sandwich very photogenic, but working the angles I found a few ways to shoot the train with the well cars hidden as much as possible by trees or rocks.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Vpw4o-gtzQy6cOaAU7LX5lbQJRYyZerScVC9M79n1Y-hsJLQx7FXwl7-6C5MgPaK-KQ2pn8OLckVyI9eO1Cw6LmllISSggHlusgIX6-msDT-kYKEggY-9aqamO1KC6sKv6gLiuZ8lq0/s640/MMR-18-10-17-019-Kalispell_MT_Mod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The <i>tour de force</i> of my year was a multi-day road trip I took to Montana in mid-October. An old railfan friend of mine was getting married at the Izaak Walton Inn near Glacier Park, giving me a chance to see him again, meet his teenage son, and even participate in the wedding ceremony itself. The day before the ceremony, the teenage son and I chased down the latest celebrity relic in the Treasure State: a former Milwaukee Road locomotive now owned by Watco and used on their Mission Mountain Railroad, seen here on tracks in Kalispell that may not be in service much longer.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Vpw4o-gtzQy6cOaAU7LX5lbQJRYyZerScVC9M79n1Y-hsJLQx7FXwl7-6C5MgPaK-KQ2pn8OLckVyI9eO1Cw6LmllISSggHlusgIX6-msDT-kYKEggY-9aqamO1KC6sKv6gLiuZ8lq0/s1600/MMR-18-10-17-019-Kalispell_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Vpw4o-gtzQy6cOaAU7LX5lbQJRYyZerScVC9M79n1Y-hsJLQx7FXwl7-6C5MgPaK-KQ2pn8OLckVyI9eO1Cw6LmllISSggHlusgIX6-msDT-kYKEggY-9aqamO1KC6sKv6gLiuZ8lq0/s1600/MMR-18-10-17-019-Kalispell_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Me2-SBLJcylRDONoQMBxBctHUx2bJ2Z7MOqVYQecyaTZ549gY6b53lxkZH4o7GQOi85jnd69BKfAlg7Lctvgqyx5QbOSi1e0jUmaASknkSaP2C6gNZUGA1aEvu-9XSu3lSYqRvUlPM/s1600/BNSF-18-10-18-006-Bison_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Me2-SBLJcylRDONoQMBxBctHUx2bJ2Z7MOqVYQecyaTZ549gY6b53lxkZH4o7GQOi85jnd69BKfAlg7Lctvgqyx5QbOSi1e0jUmaASknkSaP2C6gNZUGA1aEvu-9XSu3lSYqRvUlPM/s640/BNSF-18-10-18-006-Bison_MT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">While the blushing bride was getting ready for the ceremony, the groom and I re-lived our glory days by pacing the eastbound <i>Empire Builder</i> over the summit to East Glacier, and then shooting a few eastbound freights on our way back toward the inn. This shot turned out best, and I would have considered submitting it to BNSF for a calendar if it weren't for their policy of accepting shots only when the leading locomotive (at least) features the current paint scheme. (Also, I think they only accept photos from employees, ruling me out as well.)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXprDMulmkXiwVPFkgZwMgLBtqKcg6KAA3RjCusKrQjYTkYqcabPFLLtQcfuMOSFg1AAcrVlqJTzFApZwejUq9mwMQg12WEOXXsMH6dqjcpABAb_qXN55Kfxm_5amtUCdHsxHJKsWdrA/s1600/Amtrak-18-10-19-004-Bison_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXprDMulmkXiwVPFkgZwMgLBtqKcg6KAA3RjCusKrQjYTkYqcabPFLLtQcfuMOSFg1AAcrVlqJTzFApZwejUq9mwMQg12WEOXXsMH6dqjcpABAb_qXN55Kfxm_5amtUCdHsxHJKsWdrA/s640/Amtrak-18-10-19-004-Bison_MT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The following morning, the rest of the wedding party hopped on the <i>Builder</i> for a return trip to their homes in Chicago. The weather had been perfect the previous two days, and with that trend appearing to continue, I chased their train back across the pass, resulting in near-perfect shots like this one near Bison . . .</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50JZ647DuKpCuj6aWyKPfHzQJcqiOV1idAngE5wfUw16Za39AbuOnmjx2jtdN7VqnCO5GvwAmyj41Frjgp-EEu9mn05QtHWlPdKDerNaRehaWwqsJOfjBi1lf-2AtwsvFzJjM7-WG99Y/s1600/Amtrak-18-10-19-005-E_Glacier_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50JZ647DuKpCuj6aWyKPfHzQJcqiOV1idAngE5wfUw16Za39AbuOnmjx2jtdN7VqnCO5GvwAmyj41Frjgp-EEu9mn05QtHWlPdKDerNaRehaWwqsJOfjBi1lf-2AtwsvFzJjM7-WG99Y/s640/Amtrak-18-10-19-005-E_Glacier_MT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">...and this one at the Two-Medicine Bridge.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvpTjwV4c23FB65UEuBaVEAi1koPxKFRFyGclGuurnuhoFujR1cmv1ZEdDIYt2qu3ruoJUqZ6VLIriGMecGgJazuHmjOyE3V56zRFeM-9VqwkTnUz1PzyRIEzdlNZq9XsBN3qIrUpY8U/s1600/BNSF-18-10-20-015-Plains_MT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvpTjwV4c23FB65UEuBaVEAi1koPxKFRFyGclGuurnuhoFujR1cmv1ZEdDIYt2qu3ruoJUqZ6VLIriGMecGgJazuHmjOyE3V56zRFeM-9VqwkTnUz1PzyRIEzdlNZq9XsBN3qIrUpY8U/s640/BNSF-18-10-20-015-Plains_MT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">With the happy couple on their way, I finally got down to the business of Montana Rail Link. This scenic and operationally diverse railroad runs within 200 miles of my hometown, and yet it has never worked out for me to spend any real time checking it out. Not that I had lots of time this trip, but enough to chase this train, the eastbound Gas Local, from its origin at Thompson Falls back as far as Paradise. This was one of the better shots.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnagoPHvjq7j5kE4GxmmldzT_418lKctBsQPIX_RuIrVgSV5rs8_4409eiGZGMAKPKqu7_WO-yFPjpZaKdoHcnuTaGUkCJ6lbqXzzwz99DlUqcHhjsGO-LdZmPwLMhAEpA5xrhRaa_W0o/s1600/BNSF-18-10-20-003-Clark_Fork_ID_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnagoPHvjq7j5kE4GxmmldzT_418lKctBsQPIX_RuIrVgSV5rs8_4409eiGZGMAKPKqu7_WO-yFPjpZaKdoHcnuTaGUkCJ6lbqXzzwz99DlUqcHhjsGO-LdZmPwLMhAEpA5xrhRaa_W0o/s640/BNSF-18-10-20-003-Clark_Fork_ID_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took a favorite photo of a Burlington Northern freight crossing this bridge at Clark Fork, Idaho nearly 34 years earlier, and now it was time for me to shoot it again. This time, I shot an eastbound BNSF train from the opposite shore of the river from the earlier shot.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTPzdiW8kICEQEeQHRordLE8ckmy2AsxZwjlIry_3Ek1l1gvwjDX86w_GcMo52ayadJUZTWufMJaZFQCaG52h9bpV0aVgiVWMo3C9FNXDAZdkouK95lXUGAwPCJ8KnEy1a6sI1s2MCpo/s1600/BNSF-18-10-20-004-Hope_ID_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTPzdiW8kICEQEeQHRordLE8ckmy2AsxZwjlIry_3Ek1l1gvwjDX86w_GcMo52ayadJUZTWufMJaZFQCaG52h9bpV0aVgiVWMo3C9FNXDAZdkouK95lXUGAwPCJ8KnEy1a6sI1s2MCpo/s640/BNSF-18-10-20-004-Hope_ID_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did I mention that in addition to perfect weather on this trip, I also enjoyed near-perfect fall colors, for Montana, at least. I think the blue locomotives of MRL look better against a backdrop of orange and yellow trees, but the matching orange of BNSF diesels doesn't look half bad either.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM1q_w1xL_w5fVCboagTWlwTGcyp8xVrW7in8q3b3pRbMydcsnlBe45Obfn8nhesYWNf68kip-a2WhZDZycJ5KmQ83en2DhgcH52_Ez09gAkPXhkzeIg1hmEKpMIM4ONrASb3bIN9vYs/s1600/GNWR-18-11-10-006-Lewiston_ID_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM1q_w1xL_w5fVCboagTWlwTGcyp8xVrW7in8q3b3pRbMydcsnlBe45Obfn8nhesYWNf68kip-a2WhZDZycJ5KmQ83en2DhgcH52_Ez09gAkPXhkzeIg1hmEKpMIM4ONrASb3bIN9vYs/s640/GNWR-18-11-10-006-Lewiston_ID_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">In early November, I made a trip down to Lewiston, Idaho for a book signing event. Being a Saturday, there was very little rail activity going on, but I managed a shot of the Great Northwestern Railroad (a Watco outfit) switching crew working the west end of the former Camas Prairie Railroad yard. GP35 3523 was originally built for the Reading RR before coming to the Palouse River & Coulee City RR in about 1997. It now carries WAMX reporting marks, and is the last one in the Inland Northwest still wearing its Palouse River & Coulee City paint. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUFMfFF8ACbfs3lH0YxL_oXzqABUs9RgvcgsrmeFw2svzl8_Hr1IJNYE67KkiBwP1jM067y55ATs5PL5F3FISlk62pVC-d7o1EnUFwwr3_PbeaRyQsS1wDS8d8lYL6zsq-c_EpQQ8HUQ/s1600/CP-18-12-08-003-Mason_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUFMfFF8ACbfs3lH0YxL_oXzqABUs9RgvcgsrmeFw2svzl8_Hr1IJNYE67KkiBwP1jM067y55ATs5PL5F3FISlk62pVC-d7o1EnUFwwr3_PbeaRyQsS1wDS8d8lYL6zsq-c_EpQQ8HUQ/s640/CP-18-12-08-003-Mason_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">In late November, I took another trip to Spokane and was able to shoot this westbound Canadian Pacific grain train on UP's Hinkle-Spokane-Eastport mainline a few miles west of Cheney. There's just a hint of frost on the grass. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih51RAPWMSXFPk36V1s5GbLcGhWmz8ojcx8eZloG9Bv46nuduIK-z7zDMCzEkY8OLSRgTNs897lTE5dv_qYdo2lPaOoR0oU4HNJGvSV1Z7LPCU1UOFFkQ47aLB1Oon4KOJ_JuZW9RNZyo/s1600/UP-18-12-21-007-Brigham_City_UT_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih51RAPWMSXFPk36V1s5GbLcGhWmz8ojcx8eZloG9Bv46nuduIK-z7zDMCzEkY8OLSRgTNs897lTE5dv_qYdo2lPaOoR0oU4HNJGvSV1Z7LPCU1UOFFkQ47aLB1Oon4KOJ_JuZW9RNZyo/s640/UP-18-12-21-007-Brigham_City_UT_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">On a quick trip to Utah to fetch a child home from college for the holidays, I slipped out of my Brigham City hotel room early in the morning hoping to catch a low-light shot of any trains that might pass through. The local crew was in the yard putting a train together, and I waited at this spot hoping they would roll past me. They never got any farther out of the yard than this before I had to head back and meet up with the family for a day-long drive home. Still, the photo turned out pretty well with only the glow of the headlight shining out from behind the trees.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-yCMgP7zZIc0nPYkCg2azyTXZzwq1bXmiKC1k5GIs6VBOwM3QaOZEoPKjRWoe7MVtMmxCPHkqlsOs3EIdun3RcQyctfbTj5aMf3Rb0-L9BKFkoG41hccZqK48hhIUeV_q3LZXVDoTLg/s1600/BNSF-18-12-28-002-Burbank_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-yCMgP7zZIc0nPYkCg2azyTXZzwq1bXmiKC1k5GIs6VBOwM3QaOZEoPKjRWoe7MVtMmxCPHkqlsOs3EIdun3RcQyctfbTj5aMf3Rb0-L9BKFkoG41hccZqK48hhIUeV_q3LZXVDoTLg/s640/BNSF-18-12-28-002-Burbank_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back at home in the lull between Christmas and New Years, I managed to get out and shoot a few trains, despite less-than-ideal lighting conditions. One day, I was able to chase the Lowline Local between Pasco and Wallula, with a BN green SD60 leading past the station sign at Burbank</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYIOajcJdSa2gMiE4uaveJKhmfF1LgKovHpJv3SOTHqWWKv_Y5m8L7MBK0ZxUkiTY6IX9ON1OyXzKBfYgCyBgYmpFzUm3UjN4QEdqyakSFEFEghvSPN65x2M_t3V6Vqp9WaH3QxPpl88/s1600/WER-18-12-29-001-Medical_Lake_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYIOajcJdSa2gMiE4uaveJKhmfF1LgKovHpJv3SOTHqWWKv_Y5m8L7MBK0ZxUkiTY6IX9ON1OyXzKBfYgCyBgYmpFzUm3UjN4QEdqyakSFEFEghvSPN65x2M_t3V6Vqp9WaH3QxPpl88/s640/WER-18-12-29-001-Medical_Lake_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another low-light shot, taken out of opportunity rather than by intent, was this westbound Washington Eastern RR train of grain empties approaching Medical Lake, WA. The WER is a new railroad operating on the state-owned line between Cheney and Coulee City, and their ex-Santa Fe GP30 looks great leading their trains.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxDe8zb-i87qVveS-hEkDLVBmJv0lxRYcr7NkdDFea4nV8mBLWLe23YTOr_CwSnW6vi7srchRb-Hc2PCnkJxg58JOnn-9hcIBy_PjGxA1cKwx97OHVx0NyZvuoO4rW69FVMIfF4hTUF8/s1600/UP-18-12-31-009-Wallula_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxDe8zb-i87qVveS-hEkDLVBmJv0lxRYcr7NkdDFea4nV8mBLWLe23YTOr_CwSnW6vi7srchRb-Hc2PCnkJxg58JOnn-9hcIBy_PjGxA1cKwx97OHVx0NyZvuoO4rW69FVMIfF4hTUF8/s640/UP-18-12-31-009-Wallula_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taken on the last day of 2018, I shot this westbound potash train snaking along the shore of the Columbia just downriver from Wallula.</span></td></tr>
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To repeat myself, I think this is the best collection of photos I've ever taken within the arbitrary confines of a calendar year. I guess it wouldn't be wise to rest on my self-awarded laurel wreath, so I plan to get out trackside and see if I can say the same thing at the close of 2019.<br />
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Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-62977346206637100952018-09-18T16:57:00.001-07:002018-09-20T16:21:07.288-07:00Getting to Know the Territory<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LibXFhyphenhyphenf5I2LrLBF7pNT56-Rs2kb9Cfljsxj2CnsMrMmsn1hJGaT5im7M5cvkDvJR1DlbK2sfhIHZ5Ezk_076XgLNJs_6G7MySZC46WJwSmF0nOyljpckvdAwEEM4c-g7tOHNIb4z1Q/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-057-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LibXFhyphenhyphenf5I2LrLBF7pNT56-Rs2kb9Cfljsxj2CnsMrMmsn1hJGaT5im7M5cvkDvJR1DlbK2sfhIHZ5Ezk_076XgLNJs_6G7MySZC46WJwSmF0nOyljpckvdAwEEM4c-g7tOHNIb4z1Q/s640/IATR-18-07-27-057-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As of July 2018, electric traction still rules the rails on the southern fringes of Mason City, Iowa</td></tr>
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Earlier this summer, I was again blessed with an opportunity to witness an unusual railroad that I have wanted to see in action for many years: the Iowa Traction Railway in Mason City, Iowa.<br />
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When I told friends I was making a trip to Iowa, most of them looked at me funny (like they usually do), so I tried to explain. The Iowa Traction Ry. (IATR) is, to my knowledge, the last electric-powered freight railroad in the US. It was originally built as a passenger-carrying "interurban railroad" linking Mason City (a.k.a "River City" to fans of the musical <i>The Music Man</i>) with nearby Clear Lake, Iowa. Today, we would call this a "light rail system."<br />
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Interurbans first became popular about 1900. They were cheap to build and operate, and they were fast and clean compared to steam-powered railroads. However, when automobiles became increasingly popular and affordable in the years following World War One, the masses soon flocked to roads and highways, leaving the interurbans under-patronized, especially those connecting smaller communities. Most soon went broke; their wires were torn down, and their tracks pulled up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFNkmEOBegUDdhzdRnMxe0Edhzk0J_ZfhQvatCeekXfJ4Utq95wsmhCN-CDmuDIpCIGXGMPrxjA1BeBrsPgvED01uJHyyRfAh_ee3FIEboLWIxCPGZA0dtxn69xAzsBIotofuUrGTFPA/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-004-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFNkmEOBegUDdhzdRnMxe0Edhzk0J_ZfhQvatCeekXfJ4Utq95wsmhCN-CDmuDIpCIGXGMPrxjA1BeBrsPgvED01uJHyyRfAh_ee3FIEboLWIxCPGZA0dtxn69xAzsBIotofuUrGTFPA/s640/IATR-18-07-27-004-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IATR motor 50 heads east from the small yard near its shops at a place called Emory, near the southwest corner of Mason City.</td></tr>
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The few rural interurbans that survived did so only if there was sufficient freight traffic for them to at least break even financially, and their ranks dwindled quickly until there were only a handful left. One freight-hauling former interurban, the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend, still runs electric commuter trains, but its freight ops are all handled with diesel locomotives. For various reasons, the Mason City & Clear Lake Railroad stayed active, even through a couple name changes, until today as the Iowa Traction Ry., it is the sole survivor still moving freight using electric "motors."<br />
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Electric locomotives are "motors," not "engines". Diesels have engines, steam locomotives have engines, but electrics do not, so don't call them engines - they are motors. And the "engineer" is a "motorman," who will look at you funny if you call his motor anything else. The IATR's motors in particular motors are nearly all Baldwin-Westinghouse 50-ton "B" motors, very similar in function and appearance to motors that operated in the Palouse region earlier in the last century.<br />
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Electric locomotives are know for their longevity, as there is no "engine" to wear out over time. The youngest of the IATR's group is 90 (that's right, N-I-N-E-T-Y) years old this year!! These are, without question, the oldest locomotives still in regular service in the US. That's kind of a big deal.<br />
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I had very little up-to-date intel about the line and its operations, other than a knowledgeable friend telling me it was a Mon-Fri operation only, the crew gets an early start in the mornings, and depending on their workload, they could be done already by 9 a.m. Oh yeah, she also told me sometimes they don't run on Fridays at all. Suspense!<br />
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The only way the trip would work for me was to squeeze it into a Friday-Saturday time window, meaning I would have to fly out of Pasco on a late Thursday afternoon and hope to arrive at Minneapolis in time to make the 2-hour drive south to Mason City, and be there just as the sun came up on Friday. My friend had suggested a couple other rail operations I could check out if the IATR wasn't running at all that Friday, but they would only be consolation prizes.<br />
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So on my chosen Thursday, I hit the ground at MSP right about 8 p.m. CDT and got my rental car with no problems. Driving south on I-35 as the sky darkened, I realized it had been a long time since I had been in the Midwest. A couple times during my visit, after concentrating on some aspect of the railroads, I would look up and have to remind myself where I was. At Albert Lea, Minnesota, I got off the Interstate and started investigating the railroad scene for real, despite the darkness.<br />
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I could've done a lot more homework prior to my trip, but I did bring a few maps and magazines with me hoping they would show where the tracks were, where they went, and which railroad used to own them. However, it turned out some of these were pretty out of date (no surprise) or incomplete, so I had to do some guessing. At Albert Lea, there was a closed up, brick interlocking tower that used to guard the crossing of the Rock Island "Spine Line" and a secondary Milwaukee Road route. I hoped I could use that tower as a photo prop sometime during my stay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSBYabcAdxJobsInA780hf3B7fRol2sJtH3kh_YtWCtzZo_JOOeRTTwkwhmuPab3GHfkUYgVMke-IgT5YIcLETDdnFpCH0rSDEE6j17eLKzEbfxXzvbZeR2DgUyFGY4qQ55dZiLmS50c/s1600/UP-18-07-27-001-Manly_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSBYabcAdxJobsInA780hf3B7fRol2sJtH3kh_YtWCtzZo_JOOeRTTwkwhmuPab3GHfkUYgVMke-IgT5YIcLETDdnFpCH0rSDEE6j17eLKzEbfxXzvbZeR2DgUyFGY4qQ55dZiLmS50c/s640/UP-18-07-27-001-Manly_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken the following morning, this UP local has just gotten a clear signal to roll south out of the siding at Manly, IA.</td></tr>
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Driving south, I found that US Hwy 65 closely parallels the former Rock Island (now Union Pacific) line all the way to Mason City. This is a signaled line, but it appeared some signals were "approach lit" and dispatcher-controlled, while others were constantly lit and only displayed either green or amber unless one of the blocks were occupied. This led to at least one false alarm, because back home a green signal means the dispatcher has it lined that way for a quickly approaching train. Dead ends like that were OK, I had some time to follow them.<br />
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Approaching midnight, I arrived at Manly, Iowa. I know now this was a much more important junction point on the Rock Island than its current appearance would suggest. However, I understood that the Iowa Northern, a newer shortline, terminated here for interchange with UP. Off in the shadows, I could detect the presence of two IANR locomotives, so I logged this as another secondary location to check out sometime during daylight. Also while looking around here, I encountered my first train of the trip, a northbound UP manifest.<br />
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Finally, just at midnight I made my triumphal entry into Mason City, disappointed but not surprised at the lack of cheering crowds. Again, despite the darkness, I nosed around town to get a feel for where the tracks were and the easiest locations to view trains from. Along 19th Street, which parallels the IATR for its full length, I could see two of the motors, one on a spur track and another parked on the main and coupled to several cars. If I didn't see them running, I would at least see them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRy1L5P7th3JY6pUSj8P5HcRCyqu1QvsDHq5XqaPy7ogYdx7GvZBqpp8J81BxExbem0mXJHgOtIRmgGxpnmtcw-1qLBEC6eSxxbgnM5VM5bK_wOs3WO59tgp-edwt8p7vm0-falBaTeVU/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-007-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRy1L5P7th3JY6pUSj8P5HcRCyqu1QvsDHq5XqaPy7ogYdx7GvZBqpp8J81BxExbem0mXJHgOtIRmgGxpnmtcw-1qLBEC6eSxxbgnM5VM5bK_wOs3WO59tgp-edwt8p7vm0-falBaTeVU/s640/IATR-18-07-27-007-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the short train continuing east in the early morning, and with little traffic on the highway, this photo could almost have been taken sixty or seventy years ago. If I cropped out that minivan, very few would be able to say this was taken in 2018.</td></tr>
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Approaching the Emory shops at sunrise after snoozing in my rental car for a couple hours, I could see a lit headlamp indicating one of the motors was already at work. The crew of IATR number 50 shuffled a few cars in the yard, and then began rolling east with a single empty tank car. Interurbans, especially those in the Midwest, often closely paralleled early highways between towns, so even on this short run it was easy to imagine this was all taking place 40, 50, 60 or even 70 years earlier. Only the single mini-van on the highway spoiled the illusion.<br />
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The train made another stop about a mile east of the shops to retrieve two more tank cars from a lineside industry - possibly an ethanol plant. It appears that plant is served both by the IATR on the south and by Canadian Pacific (a former Milwaukee Road line) on the north. I also noted the plant had its own "trackmobile" to move cars around the facility and out to the IATR siding for pickup. Another mile or so of eastward travel brought the IATR train into Mason City proper.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEac-kANZHcOFmOClIdCovL6u24X6Li91-qOMHs2RSOtHnKT3qKPLgBAfUJ9-WhyphenhyphenJ3Zokw5vbp95yI4aRgzcCLDIq22p46k34sK_4i6DizyEEhK0IEub-t8r8gqDznCoQIUf_39CctC4A/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-022-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEac-kANZHcOFmOClIdCovL6u24X6Li91-qOMHs2RSOtHnKT3qKPLgBAfUJ9-WhyphenhyphenJ3Zokw5vbp95yI4aRgzcCLDIq22p46k34sK_4i6DizyEEhK0IEub-t8r8gqDznCoQIUf_39CctC4A/s640/IATR-18-07-27-022-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eastward Iowa Traction train passes a classic Iowa schoolhouse, now re-purposed as a community center. Get rid of that compact SUV on the highway, and this could have been taken in 1980. Remove the pontoon boat and the Ford Ranchero in the background and we could go back as far as 1940 perhaps.</td></tr>
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Before the train could continue any further, its way was blocked by a string of covered hoppers coupled to another one of IATR's motors, number 54. Easy peasy, the crew uncoupled from their three tank cars, rolled forward with the 50 to couple onto the soybean hoppers and uncouple them from the 54. They then hauled the hoppers back onto a siding, set the brakes, and pulled down the trolley pole on number 50. Then, hopping on the 54, they rolled west to grab the tank cars before proceeding east again to work the Union Pacific (former Rock Island) interchange.</div>
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I took this opportunity to make another run out to Manly, hoping to catch some action on the Iowa Northern. I didn't know how much longer the IATR crew would be working, but I didn't want to miss out on anything else interesting. As I approached Manly, I could see a locomotive headlight on the IANR tracks. Perfect timing, I thought as I parked and looked for a good location to photograph the departing train. However, the train then shoved backward into the yard and it became clear this was not a departing train, but only a switching crew at work. I still hoped for a good photo, but the engines were soon so deep in the yard that became impossible.</div>
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Dejected, I headed back to Mason City and found the IATR crew still at work. Now they were switching the CP interchange yard, which yielded some cool photos. When that work was done, the crew now headed west a short distance past the local Budweiser distributor, then "tied down" motor 54 and the motorman climbed back onto motor 51 for the final act of the day, working the AGP soybean plant across 19th Street from the IATR "mainline."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling cars out of the Canadian Pacific (ex-Milwaukee Road) interchange yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Westbound past the local <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Anheuser</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">-Busch distributor</span></td></tr>
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As had been the case since sunup, the skies were perfectly blue and clear, and the angle of the AGP spur relative to the sun made for several near-perfect photos, including the shot seen at the beginning of this blog entry and the image below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo35nPot4_yJgXDWyQ5rYKOhyphenhyphen0-IO3S1gH72Gt2DRNaJboD6qw7La0CxMFLswFV7homLKyAM71GHJVJydG6AWyM9I9WQrQ5eeMO-SLIwA7brdgHhbmOpm24YdNRwZnhVFdyJ6VzvDzvE/s1600/IATR-18-07-27-055-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo35nPot4_yJgXDWyQ5rYKOhyphenhyphen0-IO3S1gH72Gt2DRNaJboD6qw7La0CxMFLswFV7homLKyAM71GHJVJydG6AWyM9I9WQrQ5eeMO-SLIwA7brdgHhbmOpm24YdNRwZnhVFdyJ6VzvDzvE/s640/IATR-18-07-27-055-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working the AGP soybean plant</td></tr>
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For the rest of the day, I checked out a few other photo opportunities. I spied a CP train on their ex-Milwaukee line and spent an hour or two shooting their bright red GP20C-ECO at several locations. This was my first time faced with this model, a nearly new locomotive built by EMD but with enough parts from retired locomotives for it to count as a rebuilt locomotive for tax purposes.<br />
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Unfortunately, I shot photos at enough different locations that the CP crew called me in to the city police as a "suspicious person." The officer I spoke with took me at my word that this was simply a recreational pursuit. He said the crew claimed they'd never seen someone so interested in their work. Either they're total newbies who've never seen a "foamer," or they know enough about rail enthusiasts to cause me a little grief as a prank.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuQF3aoRiDlaGjaWiWuZhdf7LnOedjpgiMQ2XPPQy_MS1sMRNUfTazHO1tQ6G3cGQ68XHqqqZ_8qkXuuyCpIfTza0MirErCOMPQRLn6NQUcVIJaG6L2itVjfj0shF1mAfzjAZC33nv0g/s1600/CP-18-07-27-012-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuQF3aoRiDlaGjaWiWuZhdf7LnOedjpgiMQ2XPPQy_MS1sMRNUfTazHO1tQ6G3cGQ68XHqqqZ_8qkXuuyCpIfTza0MirErCOMPQRLn6NQUcVIJaG6L2itVjfj0shF1mAfzjAZC33nv0g/s640/CP-18-07-27-012-Mason_City_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing Chelsea Creek in Mason City</td></tr>
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After a few more passes around Mason City and its surrounding rail lines (six separate railroads once served Mason City, down to only three now), with a few other interesting photos "in the can," the sun began to sink and I looked for a place to eat. I found a restaurant in Clear Lake, right across the highway from the CP line, and hoped I'd get a crack at a train heading west, but no luck. Of course, after my meal as I headed to my AirBnB, I saw a westbound train on the CP line getting ready to depart Mason City, but it was too dark and I was too tired to do anything about it.<br />
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The next morning, I checked out a few artifacts I'd seen the day before, but where better photos would be obtained in the morning sun rather than the afternoon. These included the former Milwaukee Road depot, which may not be around much longer, and a very well-restored and well-presented Minneapolis & St. Louis RR locomotive on display in East Park (both seen below).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tjNGDADEDhXtkQHlCbXSp8EtCUrdPIXoIBktu-5MbF40T71Pa2Y0qkZud59-GyIKAfKw3GRlRhimPwSb9V0RGsFGrgybwXRszSC4VTkkWijyaIfa_TwVVN-GCI9wFF5wckIKXUciEww/s1600/CP-18-07-28-021-Mason_City_IA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tjNGDADEDhXtkQHlCbXSp8EtCUrdPIXoIBktu-5MbF40T71Pa2Y0qkZud59-GyIKAfKw3GRlRhimPwSb9V0RGsFGrgybwXRszSC4VTkkWijyaIfa_TwVVN-GCI9wFF5wckIKXUciEww/s640/CP-18-07-28-021-Mason_City_IA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD0AujptcAlnWKmqU2vyZ75hoIthNWMc6W5W47kvfE9o63HOqLd2eyZjqdFyYokeWjplj4dK_apVHi4KB1mWa1hd2picAceWgAryJFEVRQtdXkNAPkPBlf4ERYWkxnF6tmYtsj00UZl0/s1600/MSTL-18-07-28-001-Mason_City_IA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD0AujptcAlnWKmqU2vyZ75hoIthNWMc6W5W47kvfE9o63HOqLd2eyZjqdFyYokeWjplj4dK_apVHi4KB1mWa1hd2picAceWgAryJFEVRQtdXkNAPkPBlf4ERYWkxnF6tmYtsj00UZl0/s640/MSTL-18-07-28-001-Mason_City_IA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also went back over to Clear Lake to pay my respects to Buddy Holly and his fellow early-rock-and -roll immortals at the site where their plane crashed on Feb 3rd, 1959, a.k.a. "The Day the Music Died." Rolling north back up US 65, I bagged a southbound UP train on the Spine Line at two locations, one on each side of the IA/MN border. Hoping for similar opportunities as I continued north toward the Twin Cities, I got "skunked" at the Albert Lea interlocking tower and at a really cool river crossing just south of Owatonna, MN, giving me additional reasons to come back to the area sometime.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNRZedEAOpz9f1CvcLz75F4Kped1GCQzxM7PYHL4jTwKZYZWRjP-WHSQdL8WzIjxHU58oMzNm3nmMRa4PA_AHLLxrAilF1MN_kyHZG2ln5k1DejkaGGFapYcVLViH_UJYTLzmQJHL5NM/s1600/UP-18-07-28-002-Northwood_IA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNRZedEAOpz9f1CvcLz75F4Kped1GCQzxM7PYHL4jTwKZYZWRjP-WHSQdL8WzIjxHU58oMzNm3nmMRa4PA_AHLLxrAilF1MN_kyHZG2ln5k1DejkaGGFapYcVLViH_UJYTLzmQJHL5NM/s640/UP-18-07-28-002-Northwood_IA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing the Rock Island proud - Southbound UP freight on the Spine Line approaching Northwood, IA</td></tr>
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In St. Paul, I tried to check out the Minnesota Commercial RR, and even saw a train at work. But, I had placed myself at an overhead vantage point, and when the train headed down the line, it took me too long to get back to my rental car and I missed what would've been some much better ground-level photos. I did spot a former Green Bay & Western RR Alco C-424 resting near the MCRR's enginehouse, which was kind of a big deal for me. Finally, with only an hour or so until I had to be at the airport, I checked out the rail lines along the Mississippi River between downtown St. Paul and the former CB&Q Dayton's Bluff yard and former Milwaukee Road's Pig's Eye yard, which yielded a couple more images of GP20C-ECOs.</div>
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So overall, it was a very good trip. I met my primary objective and saw a bunch of other cool things. Despite the IATR's electric locomotives having had exceptionally long careers already, I have a reasonable hope to see those motors still at work, even if it may be a very long time before I return to Mason City.<br />
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P.S: Mason City maintains a very close association with <i>The Music Man</i>, which was written by one of the city's favorite sons. The city promotes that connection heavily to boost what would probably be otherwise meager tourism spending. Although I can appreciate their civic pride, I also found it particularly annoying to find <i>76 Trombones</i> blaring inside my head <u>the whole time I was there!</u> Curse you, Meredith Willson!!! At least I wasn't chasing trains in Gary, Indiana - that song is even worse.</div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-25708482779600511812018-07-31T19:26:00.000-07:002018-07-31T19:28:26.401-07:00Eddystone Excitement (subtitle: Bonkers for Baldwins)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pl1YVYtmgxkAgU76Wk10b5Wp1ToLh-xVSt4DY4nG-IZ43B4I5M7BUux-p7qWTZuMMXL1iFkLVf-jbbmXej2NdlOFqHB51LIXf29KIND9rm_aI8SysChLTWgIymEmlB3XIpibT_0zq7k/s1600/DSC_0075_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pl1YVYtmgxkAgU76Wk10b5Wp1ToLh-xVSt4DY4nG-IZ43B4I5M7BUux-p7qWTZuMMXL1iFkLVf-jbbmXej2NdlOFqHB51LIXf29KIND9rm_aI8SysChLTWgIymEmlB3XIpibT_0zq7k/s640/DSC_0075_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DS 4-4-750 number 102 is a normally-aspirated, 6-cylinder, 750 hp locomotive built in 1951 for Youngstown Sheet & Tube's industrial railroad in that Ohio community. This day, it was assigned to SMS' contract switching railroad at Morrisville, PA</td></tr>
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As I've mentioned on previous blog entries (<a href="http://highball661west.blogspot.com/2015/10/ho-key-railroad-backstories-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://highball661west.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-railfans-bachelor-party-road-trip.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://highball661west.blogspot.com/2016/10/my-utah-rail-encounters.html" target="_blank">here</a>), one of my many side interests within the larger sphere of my railroad enthusiasm are the diesel locomotives once produced by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Eddystone, Pennsylvania, an industrial suburb of Philadelphia. Not only are the remaining examples of Baldwin diesels extremely few, they are also extremely far between.<span id="goog_1902739503"></span><br />
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As of 2017, nearly all the Baldwin diesel locomotives produced between the early 1930's and 1956 have been scrapped. Of the few that remain intact, all but an extremely small handful are either found in museums or on display somewhere. And, of the tiny number of operable Baldwins left, even fewer are still used to generate actual revenue for an operating railroad. Because of my interest in these relics, I have visited several museums and/or display locations across the country to see, and possibly even touch them.<br />
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(Sorry, I hope the touching part doesn't sound weird - honestly having a chance to grip a handrail or run my hand along the sill for a moment helps cement in my mind that such fascinating objects actually exist and are not just a mental fabrication.)<br />
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The only two times I have seen Baldwins working for real was during a road trip to <a href="http://highball661west.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-railfans-bachelor-party-road-trip.html" target="_blank">Arizona in 1990</a> and several times while driving past the Geneva Steel plant in Orem UT between 1988 and 1993. The one problem with the Geneva versions I saw in action is that they all had been re-engined with EMD diesels, so although their appearances did not differ much from their former all-Baldwin selves, they did not sound like a "real" Baldwin.<br />
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But over on the east coast, a small contract switching railroad has been serving several industrial parks for the last 15 or 20 years with a growing fleet of cast-off Baldwin products. I only knew about this because of articles in print and online (plus a lot of YouTube videos) showing actual Baldwins earning their own keep instead of relying on donations to shuffle around a museum. I looked up Pureland, New Jersey on Google Maps - that's the name of the industrial park where this SMS Rail Lines (<a href="http://www.smsrail.com/" target="_blank">www.smsrail.com</a>) has its office and shops - and found it conveniently located just across the Delaware River from the Philadelphia airport.<br />
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And, incidentally, it's also right across the river from Eddystone, the land of those Baldwins' birth.<br />
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It took some time, but I finally saved up enough frequent flyer miles to obtain a standby ticket from Pasco, WA (my nearest airport) to Philadelphia with one stop on the way there and two stops on the way home. I also found a relatively inexpensive rental car deal and relied on <a href="http://airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBnB.com</a> to help me find a cheap place to lay my head for a couple nights.<br />
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I made some unusual travel plans to ensure I would have the maximum amount of time "on the ground" in PA/NJ and still minimize my paid vacation time away from work. So I hopped on a flight on a Wednesday after work and arrived in Philadelphia right about midnight Eastern time. Getting into my rental car, I drove immediately to SEPTA's Eddystone commuter station, which also lies along Amtrak's famed high-speed Northeast Corridor. I figured a relatively well-lit public space would be a safe spot to take a nap and make up for missed sleep. I was partly right: it was safe enough, but my naps kept getting interrupted by Amtrak and SEPTA trains zipping past. Darn!<br />
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When the sun came up a few hours later, I started looking around a little. The first freight train I spotted was this one (below), running on an ex-Pennsylvania Railroad secondary line along the waterfront. I don't know for sure where it came from or where it went, but the spot where I photographed it may well have been right inside Baldwin's massive manufacturing complex when it still stood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub0FNJJI8bZSIsb_ETHohBcocx2rLE-a4H4S5mtdmruEk2KvZlCeWbBMjMPUCh4PvNdASoAzS14YIZCOGDJ5vYlzLC-CwpLuX_rBjzmoTQHLIk6BLPMR7fiQXycRqbaKmzmJK814ANhk/s1600/CRSA-17-09-28-001-Eddystone_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub0FNJJI8bZSIsb_ETHohBcocx2rLE-a4H4S5mtdmruEk2KvZlCeWbBMjMPUCh4PvNdASoAzS14YIZCOGDJ5vYlzLC-CwpLuX_rBjzmoTQHLIk6BLPMR7fiQXycRqbaKmzmJK814ANhk/s640/CRSA-17-09-28-001-Eddystone_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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About 9 am, I headed across the Delaware and quickly found my way to the Pureland Industrial Park. Hearing the sound of a locomotive horn, I turned down one of the side streets expecting to see a real live Baldwin diesel hard at work. Not so fast! It was a middle-aged General Electric B23-7, still painted in it's former Santa Fe paint. This caused me some concern. Had I come all this way only to get "skunked" in my quest to experience working Baldwins?<br />
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The same road I turned onto was also the right one to access the SMS office, but I drove around the industrial park a little to get familiar with the area beforehand. I could see into the shop area from an access road slightly west of there, and could see several Baldwin locomotives parked there. Finally, I approached the office. I had sent an e-mail to the general manager several weeks prior, and he had welcomed me to drop in during my time in the area, so I went in the front door and asked for him.<br />
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Without going into much detail, Brian, the GM gave me a tour of the shop area, where two Baldwin diesels were undergoing work while the boiler, firebox and running gear of a steam locomotive sat in another corner and a nearly-complete project to restore a Reading RR caboose resided on the other side. Out on the apron of the three-track shop sat nearly a dozen Baldwin diesels in various stages of repair. Brian walked me around to each one and gave me a rundown on their current status. Several are operable, others need minor work to get to that point, and others are long-term projects. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwzgvFJrHi3ykeKuDmL58rhgwIQwgqnf_iiFdeVDBZe2bry4OI9iify66GxKYEPkiUFSYs3AcoUiPiec4VNmCzHrNZ7vSjnNHhEpTszmaEkeaL6SxzE_-EBK2QfQ85UOVdfErQkTeq-c/s1600/SMS-17-09-28-018-Pureland_NJ_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwzgvFJrHi3ykeKuDmL58rhgwIQwgqnf_iiFdeVDBZe2bry4OI9iify66GxKYEPkiUFSYs3AcoUiPiec4VNmCzHrNZ7vSjnNHhEpTszmaEkeaL6SxzE_-EBK2QfQ85UOVdfErQkTeq-c/s640/SMS-17-09-28-018-Pureland_NJ_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since the crew out working in the industrial park was using the bigger GE unit for the day, Brian did not expect I would see much Baldwin action that day. But, he did fire one up (A former Pennsylvania RR DS-4-4-1000 number 9069, restored by SMS to its as-delivered scheme and number) and let me ride along while he moved it over to the adjacent track. Not long after that, as I was examining more Baldwins, one of the crew came over and told me they needed to reposition a few cars spotted on one of the side tracks to make room for a HazMat training course they would be hosting the next day. If I wanted to ride along while they did that, I was welcome. So I got about another hour of cab time in the 9069 which was fantastic.<br />
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Earlier, I had signed a liability release form, so I was allowed to roam around and take a few more photos of the units out on the apron and the equipment in the shop. Brian had suggested that, since the HazMat program might put a crimp on any trains operating at Pureland the next day, that I should head up to their Morrisville operation on Friday morning. He would let the crew know to look for me and maybe give me another chance to ride along.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogtaJ20XElJW28hEV1fEp3DvrC5zqi4jYqtydzE6Zkr7yJbKi8x2Ri-DoRCKqo0VmtwOmP7nH9WxtF0_he_IrZuyCqVmsZwGV544M_ZI11vLLPRNjSTisYx1mtj8Vh4Xw-0CskrOmRxo/s1600/SMS-17-09-28-032-Pureland_NJ_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogtaJ20XElJW28hEV1fEp3DvrC5zqi4jYqtydzE6Zkr7yJbKi8x2Ri-DoRCKqo0VmtwOmP7nH9WxtF0_he_IrZuyCqVmsZwGV544M_ZI11vLLPRNjSTisYx1mtj8Vh4Xw-0CskrOmRxo/s640/SMS-17-09-28-032-Pureland_NJ_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A real prize! One of only four operable Baldwin road-switchers (that I'm aware of, at least) and the only one of those four still working for a living instead of sitting in a museum. Throughout its career, SMS 554 worked for the Eagle Mountain ore hauling line in SoCal, ITT Rayonier's logging lines on WA's Olympic Peninsula, Trona Ry in the Mojave Desert, Johnston Terminal's switching ops in Oklahoma, and now the Pureland Industrial Park in NJ. Currently it is not in use, but will only require minimal maintenance to get it ready for whatever's next. And, once I know its running in regular service again, I plan to make another trip to the area.</td></tr>
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By this time, it was about 1 p.m. and there was nothing more to see at Pureland for the day. I tried checking out the Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) line that interchanges with SMS by driving all the way down to Penns Grove NJ, where that line terminates. But, the CSAO local must have already turned and was well on their way back to Camden by that time.<br />
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This left me time in the day to investigate other rail ops in the area. While there were probably dozens of places I could have gone, I knew from a series of YouTube videos that Norfolk Southern's ex-Reading line between Reading (where else?) and Harrisburg, PA is a relatively busy mainline. Plus, there's a town on that line named Richland. Since I currently live in Richland, WA, this other Richland seemed a natural target. The map app on my phone showed Richland was only 60 miles away, so off I went.<br />
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But holy cow, that's the most time I think I ever spent driving 60 miles. Between slow traffic on the spider's web of freeways west of Philadelphia, plus even slower traffic on the side roads (most of which appear to be colonial-era cow trails), it was nearly 3 hours before I got there. When I finally arrived in Richland, it looked about like what I'd expected from the videos. I set up my tripod, ready to shoot video action just like the guy on YouTube, but the absence of trains after nearly an hour's wait gave me concern.<br />
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About this time, two young men approached me and asked if I was railfanning. No one who isn't already a railfan uses that term (the uninitiated usually use the shudder-inducing term "rail buff" - no thanks, I prefer to keep my clothes on while railfanning), so I figured these guys were worth hanging out with. We chatted for almost an hour. They were brothers and mentioned living a few miles outside town on a farm, but now working in town at an auto repair shop. I wondered if maybe they were Mennonite, based a little on their speech and dress; I was too far north for them to be Amish, and I'm not sure even the most worldly Amish carry a Canon DSLR under the front seat of their car.<br />
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An eastbound garbage train passed us while we spoke. I shot a video, but I was using my manual-focus 50mm lens (for better low-light performance, I think) but must have bumped it out of focus, so the video wasn't worth much when viewed later. After that, DeVon (the younger and more talkative of the two) and Curtis took off. I was watching the shadows getting longer and bemoaning the loss of the otherwise fantastic early-autumn light, when finally I heard a horn off to the east. The oncoming train turned out to be a local, like the one featured in an issue of Trains a few years ago, with a standard cab "geep" on each end. This (cropped) photo shows how close I came to not getting a decent shot at all because of the long shadows:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwnOE_9-YWdmBvRjYipwRFyQGFPK2T1rLRo9HtwkC_YttiQm5bNWDAxP0-oILRfqZDn_NsfQOs0yl0wiZMCJrSwChMm-inrvJt1vC43YbUGXj_45AznZMqUctbR98QtgjGNAA38F3yA4/s1600/NS-17-09-28-005-Richland_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwnOE_9-YWdmBvRjYipwRFyQGFPK2T1rLRo9HtwkC_YttiQm5bNWDAxP0-oILRfqZDn_NsfQOs0yl0wiZMCJrSwChMm-inrvJt1vC43YbUGXj_45AznZMqUctbR98QtgjGNAA38F3yA4/s640/NS-17-09-28-005-Richland_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once I had committed this train's passage to my SD card, I headed back toward Philadelphia for check-in at the AirBnB I had arranged in the suburb of Rutledge. On my way, I also caught a glance of two East Penn Ry locomotives tied down at Reinholds, which is another railroad I'm familiar with from YouTube. The light was <u>really</u> low by now, so the shots I took with my f1.8 lens wide open still aren't very sharp. After meeting my host in Rutledge (nice lady - if you ever need a place to stay in the Philadelphia area, let me know and I can connect you with her), I went to sleep for a few hours.<br />
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Up the next morning before first light, I headed back down to the Eddystone SEPTA stop. One observation I'd made there the day before was two high-speed Amtrak trains, one in each direction, passing that stop pretty close to 6:20 am. Since the NE Corridor is known for its (relatively) on-time performance, I figured being there a little after six would set me up to see them pass again. Sure enough, the two trains appeared within minutes of each other.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxGFOG7jQN3Npl71P95bHkPo0bdPgyaTWpBqfhAw_JL6vpqZvrH9nle5Qlvu_loAiCjpnn8ZvClTWgFK07bQzjYBVrZAc9oKdPcGcnPAKWCc8E_ubVA0XstlgXB3f-zwZzXX0FHSagFs/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxGFOG7jQN3Npl71P95bHkPo0bdPgyaTWpBqfhAw_JL6vpqZvrH9nle5Qlvu_loAiCjpnn8ZvClTWgFK07bQzjYBVrZAc9oKdPcGcnPAKWCc8E_ubVA0XstlgXB3f-zwZzXX0FHSagFs/s640/DSC_0001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly where he said it would be . . . </td></tr>
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After shooting cell phone videos of them, I headed north toward Morrisville, and soon found the SMS Baldwin parked exactly where Brian said it would be. The crew appeared not long after, and upon seeing me, walked up and introduced themselves - Brian had told them to look out for me and help me get some good photos and video, plus to offer a cab ride, which they promptly did. I opted to stand back for photos and a bit of video while they switched out a nearby lumber distribution center. Once they were ready to head over to the interchange (again with CSAO), they stopped for me to board the diesel.<br />
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Rolling slowly toward the CSAO yard, we stopped again to retrieve an empty bulkhead flatcar from a steel service center. The crew let me off here so I could shoot more photos of their locomotive at work. After climbing back on the diesel, the crew left the two empty cars on a siding, from which a CSAO train would retrieve them later. We continued up to the yard, but held short of another track. Very soon, a local CSAO train with one NS "geep" on each end passed on the track ahead of us. My hosts explained it was heading off to work an industrial site where US Steel's Fairless Works once stood.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlIKPVeLkv7UYN_kHutafwDq0bxlGou9f6xYA7J_ChMABOEYjk_b65fajERgDKwVqNbBKLjEdC3EwzUsH-SILHuPKeYz-xfNGPODtpM1AmwAjBqhI4WLhRt1ax39la7GsKpZ29XXdprY/s1600/SMS-17-09-29-034-Morrisville_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlIKPVeLkv7UYN_kHutafwDq0bxlGou9f6xYA7J_ChMABOEYjk_b65fajERgDKwVqNbBKLjEdC3EwzUsH-SILHuPKeYz-xfNGPODtpM1AmwAjBqhI4WLhRt1ax39la7GsKpZ29XXdprY/s640/SMS-17-09-29-034-Morrisville_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling an empty bulkhead out of the steel yard</td></tr>
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Hot on its heels, another train led by a nearly-new GE ES44-AC / EMD SD-70ACe pair crossed in front of us. This train, however, only had three loaded lumber flats behind the power, and it stopped nearly as soon as the last car cleared the switch - these were the cars meant for us. The CSAO ground guy, Big Jim they called him, threw the switch, we pulled ahead and then backed onto the lumber cars. Pulling ahead, Big Jim got the switch for us again, and we shoved them back toward our industrial park.<br />
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Passing the SMS "yard office", a former PRR caboose spotted on a spur, we pushed the lumber loads back to the distribution center. I hoped to hop off and shoot another photo or two of a green Baldwin switcher handling a train of finished lumber, but conductor Dan finished his job too quickly and soon we were back at the office, where they would now tie up for the day. Dismounting the venerable Baldwin, I thanked the crew again and headed out.<br />
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I had a few other things I wanted to see while in that area, mostly Revolutionary War sites and the campus of Princeton University. I also checked out the two-mile NJ Transit branch from Princeton to Princeton Jct., and in about 10 minutes at the junction, I also bagged a couple NJT and Amtrak trains rolling through at high speed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J8jwq7eyEnPiBRabiMHTIv1aS6qTMDlL17v8SIg-XrWnHcYgHzcIj-6lYFUpiW-NtAWPTMXOzKg7HPA-nnyx9t_aAbCwUjHdIe7engg4s0HjrV1wN6iNDgNbcyxHA4z2iBLhxBbQriM/s1600/NJT-17-09-29-012-Princeton_Jct_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J8jwq7eyEnPiBRabiMHTIv1aS6qTMDlL17v8SIg-XrWnHcYgHzcIj-6lYFUpiW-NtAWPTMXOzKg7HPA-nnyx9t_aAbCwUjHdIe7engg4s0HjrV1wN6iNDgNbcyxHA4z2iBLhxBbQriM/s640/NJT-17-09-29-012-Princeton_Jct_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2MXGK8gToLMFP1EKZB-ZSrGpCOI-v8bambp5ZwW-oVq9cCZw2q24e0VOkUIEYlC7gFCDVQDuXxyTMug-1ngT6Vq3XtNHAd3O0-Qg3lZgpnWHnT2-dziLnxRjxybUOMEIk7ZoO_DWDGM/s1600/Amtrak-17-09-29-003-Princeton_Jct_PA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2MXGK8gToLMFP1EKZB-ZSrGpCOI-v8bambp5ZwW-oVq9cCZw2q24e0VOkUIEYlC7gFCDVQDuXxyTMug-1ngT6Vq3XtNHAd3O0-Qg3lZgpnWHnT2-dziLnxRjxybUOMEIk7ZoO_DWDGM/s640/Amtrak-17-09-29-003-Princeton_Jct_PA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Heading back south to Philadelphia, I walked around Independence Hall (but would like to have declared my independence from the parking ticket I got while there!), drove past the new LDS temple, and then up the Schuylkill River (because I missed the turn to see Philly's famous 30th St. Station). I ended the sunlit part of the day in a suburb called Manayunk, and walked a rail-trail where the PRR once crossed the river on a cool concrete bridge.</div>
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After another night at my AirBnB, I got up early to cram in a few more rail photos before I had to catch my flight home later that morning. Being a Saturday, I held little hope that SMS would be running at all across the river in Pureland, but I drove over there anyway. I was right about no SMS trains running, but I took another walk around the perimeter of their facility to snap a few photos of locomotives from their sunnier sides.</div>
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Then, as I headed back to the bridge with only a little time left before I had to check in my rental car, I took one more look down the CSAO branch through Bridgeport, NJ, I caught a glimpse of some movement. Sure enough, there was a CSAO freight heading south toward the Pureland interchange track. Even better, to get from Bridgeport to Pureland, the train had to wait for a small pivoting drawbridge to align with their tracks. I watched this operation, and then photographed as the train, led by two SD40-2s, one each from CSAO owners Norfolk Southern and CSX, rolled slowly across Raccoon Creek and through the marshlands. With that event capping a very exciting trip, I got on my plane and headed home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ehiVJq3EynxndAAHXb59gDFV9bKUfscYesjPdajbmbhAEiI0MtDAV8nEdNdCRzHoe_IUY763Ku4eJtZDQ6Y-XAeDFIX6TSL9myaQmzjVwGEn0v2Q6FXLo_xeQB5TX18wa946dYM5fCQ/s1600/CRSA-17-09-30-014-Bridgeport_NJ_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ehiVJq3EynxndAAHXb59gDFV9bKUfscYesjPdajbmbhAEiI0MtDAV8nEdNdCRzHoe_IUY763Ku4eJtZDQ6Y-XAeDFIX6TSL9myaQmzjVwGEn0v2Q6FXLo_xeQB5TX18wa946dYM5fCQ/s640/CRSA-17-09-30-014-Bridgeport_NJ_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gbXSbYirsuOAeOjruTlwaUlkQAfCjrH_WVDl3dPhCGSa4J40a2bGBmNoyMmIY9wsF7gIGn3q2oTkB4piA4pCXM46j4KF2BZSOFpsB919_d-qTTvNcFeW0PbNveOVkNAQgo-eVS_s2Bo/s1600/CRSA-17-09-30-024-Bridgeport_NJ_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gbXSbYirsuOAeOjruTlwaUlkQAfCjrH_WVDl3dPhCGSa4J40a2bGBmNoyMmIY9wsF7gIGn3q2oTkB4piA4pCXM46j4KF2BZSOFpsB919_d-qTTvNcFeW0PbNveOVkNAQgo-eVS_s2Bo/s640/CRSA-17-09-30-024-Bridgeport_NJ_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a sampling of more Baldwin diesels on the property at SMS:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCCqso3mauJpivXOxMLmDSllJQIJIESqvTPNhfmY28768Y-3E1y2sQAwxZT2LSq_xjH6DM0IP1vQzPd50dfYfjO1sqOLfpqReE5xEN_qQg_DMrP8PNqmmt4j-OFWqLTlzzs9KnlzEqG4/s1600/DSC_0118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCCqso3mauJpivXOxMLmDSllJQIJIESqvTPNhfmY28768Y-3E1y2sQAwxZT2LSq_xjH6DM0IP1vQzPd50dfYfjO1sqOLfpqReE5xEN_qQg_DMrP8PNqmmt4j-OFWqLTlzzs9KnlzEqG4/s640/DSC_0118.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a VO-1000, originally built in 1945 for the US Navy. It is owned by a New Jersey railroad historical society, but for now is kept at SMS' shops. It wears the colors of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34tmZqYnUMXHMywzUEeY9r80Tf6BWkvRk3KAh_9APnBM-JhQ2FScbuDtKOuMo1QsTY8dExKzvcFlLQeVeOCT0c1oYnDMYoF8eJcXUiR2OqJjwwrBf9fBBHYQ2CRaAWKOVszFoPDZtKaw/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34tmZqYnUMXHMywzUEeY9r80Tf6BWkvRk3KAh_9APnBM-JhQ2FScbuDtKOuMo1QsTY8dExKzvcFlLQeVeOCT0c1oYnDMYoF8eJcXUiR2OqJjwwrBf9fBBHYQ2CRaAWKOVszFoPDZtKaw/s640/DSC_0139.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SMS 300 is also a former Navy unit, built in late 1952. It is a supercharged, 1200 hp S-12 model, as are the majority of SMS' Baldwins.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVlM09d4-IZZuBjgKoKW9A1gAXx1qytbdXy-f9rvismjo5rLN4C5F__Vxd-j9Sw554MLBuMBCDWFdrrURHxzcpyr5B0SYG5YJdlVSPZyf5ljZYrqTNFDFldIJPolh64DRT1Ow5-wgWwY/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVlM09d4-IZZuBjgKoKW9A1gAXx1qytbdXy-f9rvismjo5rLN4C5F__Vxd-j9Sw554MLBuMBCDWFdrrURHxzcpyr5B0SYG5YJdlVSPZyf5ljZYrqTNFDFldIJPolh64DRT1Ow5-wgWwY/s640/DSC_0140.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This S-12 worked a long time in the iron fields of Northern Minnesota, but was originally built as Great Northern Ry. number 27 in early 1953.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI1FG7WtfB_ZfUNaXuKXF2Kg4IWIqqQToeCxF9RtCJKDL-NEbzHNHK5tJPKRcqO6zx7-XTDEXAnEFz0wjVsqb-MeKIGffq3b95OFexZfY9ulCFT58OOqsJXoSbX9p03POZUrJ1H1IHAk/s1600/DSC_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI1FG7WtfB_ZfUNaXuKXF2Kg4IWIqqQToeCxF9RtCJKDL-NEbzHNHK5tJPKRcqO6zx7-XTDEXAnEFz0wjVsqb-MeKIGffq3b95OFexZfY9ulCFT58OOqsJXoSbX9p03POZUrJ1H1IHAk/s640/DSC_0150.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a normally-aspirated 8-cylinder inline DeLaVergne engine, which may one day be used to keep another Baldwin in operation. This came from a Baldwin owned by a farmers' co-op in Northern Indiana that was scrapped several years ago. Also, this may be the only remaining example or this particular engine model.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmTuYQ6xG_FmXe1iNW_EXhNidE2JwdnOLBfwvjS_oQth-PaH-T0ipY3ExmLZYSqfoUd88OjMoOXh9al7s4x0t1uYVWMqKPkR_tk68qRqn2i5vHZBLR7FywtPOQ6tANxQxPZeMgOO2g5E/s1600/DSC_0172+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmTuYQ6xG_FmXe1iNW_EXhNidE2JwdnOLBfwvjS_oQth-PaH-T0ipY3ExmLZYSqfoUd88OjMoOXh9al7s4x0t1uYVWMqKPkR_tk68qRqn2i5vHZBLR7FywtPOQ6tANxQxPZeMgOO2g5E/s640/DSC_0172+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SMS 308, also an S-12, was built in late 1953 for the Michigan Limestone Co. and served as their number 116.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNMszL17WL7gH5gWadnNkda0NAfMSbxXLHPFuJB9Fwe46OYybRKXPqLQKq1EKNMSOXwKlFckj8feA80LQNZo1-9jRWP1F1AaM234TEP7psZHC3tgQ5JRekfG-fn1E9DqH1SbsXzUnGDs/s1600/SMS-17-09-30-011-Pureland_NJ_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNMszL17WL7gH5gWadnNkda0NAfMSbxXLHPFuJB9Fwe46OYybRKXPqLQKq1EKNMSOXwKlFckj8feA80LQNZo1-9jRWP1F1AaM234TEP7psZHC3tgQ5JRekfG-fn1E9DqH1SbsXzUnGDs/s640/SMS-17-09-30-011-Pureland_NJ_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The granddaddy of all SMS' Baldwins is the VO-660, originally Standard Steel number 12 (whose logo it still bears), was built in early 1940. The oval-shaped radiator grille was an early design element of Baldwin's diesels, until the more utilitarian looking rectangular grille took precedence. This is likely the oldest remaining example of Baldwin's diesels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-44683567096197923822017-05-13T22:26:00.000-07:002017-05-22T16:08:39.116-07:00"Ud og Se med DSB" = [Go] Out and See with DSB<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbES5X1SVomlCo2rkWa9FvrxLiA3YPNXmvJGRz3VQ7i32uOtqNjeo5k-6178FSSomMhYrCO6IftbO3Ix09X0RTEFY8pGveG6sPXkVcHsAYpApvDzm_n3JYt_st6WvSk5dcKUF2gheOowQ/s1600/Aeldste+Hugh+with+DSB+MX+at+Middelfart+June+1986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbES5X1SVomlCo2rkWa9FvrxLiA3YPNXmvJGRz3VQ7i32uOtqNjeo5k-6178FSSomMhYrCO6IftbO3Ix09X0RTEFY8pGveG6sPXkVcHsAYpApvDzm_n3JYt_st6WvSk5dcKUF2gheOowQ/s640/Aeldste+Hugh+with+DSB+MX+at+Middelfart+June+1986.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my missionary friends, Ældste Karl Hugh, greets a passing freight train in proper Danish fashion.<br />
Middelfart station, June 1986</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As a much younger man, I spent 22 months working in Denmark as an LDS (Mormon) missionary. And during that time
I rode a lot of trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Did this break my heart? No, it did not.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;">The first train I rode in Denmark was “hyggetoget” leaving from the
main Copenhagen train station (Københavns Hovedbanegård, or KBH for short) on the way to my first
area in Kolding.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;"> Each month for transferring missionaries around the country, the mission </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;">office relied mainly on two trains.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;">It worked like this: the
intercity train that left KBH about 8 AM would haul all transferring
missionaries moving west/north, and the train leaving the far end of the line
at Fredrikshavn at the same time would haul all the transferring missionaries
moving south/east.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; text-align: center;">Wherever you were in
the mission, your transfer letter would instruct you to travel toward the mainline such that
you ended up on the same train as the rest of the transferring missionaries.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfloMnHRHVh2AU5Fku8m_RjHYJjTBcfWJrv9kQ0pm-v63HCkQ0WrtPW27IUntW8GdSkfSyJW5nqCGiZhObxTgna_1hjnpj1XbERtGpaS6j4SKZ4PM5OA7WRKrnweMJCmkOOKDf1hhzlQ/s1600/IMG_20170419_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8DFoQhNz5q82yIFApLy9hDCCehZ442LdBkcXvn4sJgH4txpDGIXEkXE4LIX4xk_Nbe8AEsGVOiGXcKBpUDXFuldmtSFV1XpcfBn7U4FlpRthuW8YD4_i2RsjZkM0PJ5p4ciwLbjg7Kg/s1600/kort+over+DSB+ruter+i+engelsk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8DFoQhNz5q82yIFApLy9hDCCehZ442LdBkcXvn4sJgH4txpDGIXEkXE4LIX4xk_Nbe8AEsGVOiGXcKBpUDXFuldmtSFV1XpcfBn7U4FlpRthuW8YD4_i2RsjZkM0PJ5p4ciwLbjg7Kg/s640/kort+over+DSB+ruter+i+engelsk.jpg" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical DSB route diagram. Frederikhavn is at the end of the rail lines at the upper (northern) end of the country, while Copenhagen is at the far east (right) edge of the map where all the lines converge.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Hyggetoget" (the hygge train) was a nickname missionaries gave these two trains, because once you had boarded the train, it was easy to find and make friends among the other missionaries transferring that same time. Hygge is a uniquely Danish word that implies comfortable companionship with good friends, and that's what we usually enjoyed for those few minutes traveling together.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp666l-IDASDyhxPs3DwlUWlBxiRbCtPKondwb2D7bX-fvLehElJWJoMxPPljB0nM3ykNoI0Mw18x9uYikJpFdYKwf-ZhVlDyKWCZrxzoHsRjgNye2pMgRNyNVFITHcIdf_fAGTCQP-Bc/s1600/930622mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp666l-IDASDyhxPs3DwlUWlBxiRbCtPKondwb2D7bX-fvLehElJWJoMxPPljB0nM3ykNoI0Mw18x9uYikJpFdYKwf-ZhVlDyKWCZrxzoHsRjgNye2pMgRNyNVFITHcIdf_fAGTCQP-Bc/s640/930622mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
This will always be my ideal passenger train - a Danish State Railways Intercity train with an MZ-class diesel leading a long string of B-class carriages. This eastbound IC train was photographed in my wife's hometown of Middelfart in May of 1993. The then-recent advent of mainline electrification to support the new IC-3 trainsets, meant this type of train did not have long to live.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, on that first train there were several other
missionaries leaving Copenhagen for new areas elsewhere in Denmark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cities we stopped where other missionaries
may have hopped on or off the train included Roskilde and Slagelse on Sjælland,
then Nyborg and Odense once we crossed Storebælt by ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Middelfart could also have been one of those
stops, except I’m pretty sure neither Ældste Lund nor Peterson transferred in or
out of there that time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For me, I got
off the train at Fredericia and found my way to the train heading west toward
Kolding and Esbjerg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Søster Asplund,
whom I’d met in the MTC, was transferring to Esbjerg, so we changed trains
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With my Danish not being 100%
yet (or even 10% for that matter), I had difficulty understanding the station announcements on the
loudspeaker. I almost got off at the first stop, Taulov, but Søs. Asplund
helped me avoid that mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next
stop was Kolding, where I stepped off and met my trainer, Ældste James Jensen.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh3OfJwKcW9nyQ-knDIU0ALdAdudkt0AcDigYbVyQL7a3XP48_TiDvHO7MRVIXJJ29SwukB0pNvubqdXYi13CyAnE-GnSEzYgbUTlH1uFs-dqXifab-YqBcEKC_lEhvqxH7U78wId6uA/s1600/Sis+Bradley+Transferring+out+of+Odense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh3OfJwKcW9nyQ-knDIU0ALdAdudkt0AcDigYbVyQL7a3XP48_TiDvHO7MRVIXJJ29SwukB0pNvubqdXYi13CyAnE-GnSEzYgbUTlH1uFs-dqXifab-YqBcEKC_lEhvqxH7U78wId6uA/s640/Sis+Bradley+Transferring+out+of+Odense.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travel by train was a very frequent occurrence for all missionaries serving in Denmark, not just during the time I served. This photo was taken of my district while in Odense when Søster Bradley (front left) hopped on a train for a new assignment in København, August 1986. Søster Bradley's companion, Søster Dansie, is at my right. In the rear are (from L to R) my companion, Ældste Jeff Hill, then Ældste Chad Lambourne and Ældste James Healy. Within less than a year, I would have served as a companion to both of the other elders in this photo.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There was too much new stuff for me to process all at once,
but after further experience with DSB, the Danish State Railways,
I can now comment on the equipment used during this May, 1986 time frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main Intercity trains, which ran the
length of the KBH to Fredrikshavn mainline usually consisted of one or two 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
class cars (A vogne) and a long string of 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> class cars (B
vogne).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only difference between the two classes were fewer, larger compartments in the 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> class cars and more,
smaller compartments in the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> class cars.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">These were the European style compartment
cars, similar to those seen in the Harry Potter movies, with six-seat
compartments along one side and an aisleway on the other side of the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the privacy afforded by the
compartments, the best part of the cars was that the top half of the windows
slid down! And if your compartment mates didn’t want it open, you could also
stand out in the aisle and open one of those windows. "L<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">æ</span>n Dem endelig ud!"</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEoDL8mcRzs4dGOLRJEwAROc8xkltrSxp6urXHI7I1Hc9E7rt5gaOCkK7XfcXTU63p3O8a-VUfZavp4tTTGbW0Xc23KcAgwuwz7N6vuV7wvDjtpJjhBVQEapLugQXW4WrBLh6qo6zLUs/s1600/IMG_20170419_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEoDL8mcRzs4dGOLRJEwAROc8xkltrSxp6urXHI7I1Hc9E7rt5gaOCkK7XfcXTU63p3O8a-VUfZavp4tTTGbW0Xc23KcAgwuwz7N6vuV7wvDjtpJjhBVQEapLugQXW4WrBLh6qo6zLUs/s640/IMG_20170419_0008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical DSB MR-tog, seen crossing Gudenaaen (Denmark's largest river) as it approaches Silkeborg in June 1987</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">MZ class locomotives pulled the IC trains almost exclusively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These Swedish-built locomotives had EMD 16-cylinder, turbocharged 645 engines and rode on three-axle “C” trucks, so except for having two
cabs pushed as far as possible to the opposite ends of the frame, these were
equivalent to the SDP-40F locomotives once used by Amtrak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Plus they were "dual-purpose", meaning </span>MZs powered high-speed freight trains just as often as they did passenger trains.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV0PXz2e2lN2ZUhY6xKypOS6jvN5-VlNf66FdNPTpZgfpJk6csKq1x_loL3kIcbiKdn0NqSYCeiThfe_wADNt2zX9-yL3R0dXwVLbeFWb5xhK64e_T2Om6gSInIrUgl2cd11ioXQOQLA/s1600/DSB_MY1009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV0PXz2e2lN2ZUhY6xKypOS6jvN5-VlNf66FdNPTpZgfpJk6csKq1x_loL3kIcbiKdn0NqSYCeiThfe_wADNt2zX9-yL3R0dXwVLbeFWb5xhK64e_T2Om6gSInIrUgl2cd11ioXQOQLA/s640/DSB_MY1009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eastbound freight just west of Slagelse. It is led by an MX-class locomotive, with an MY-class and MH-class switcher in tandem behind the MX.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The smaller MX and MY classes with A-1-A
trucks had EMD </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">567 engines, 12-cylinder versions for the 1425 hp MX class and 16-cylinder versions in the 1900 hp MY class, so they looked and sounded just like double ended American "F-units". These saw use primarily
on freight trains, although from photos in books
I understand MYs may still have been used as passenger power on some of the more obscure
routes while I was in Denmark.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Most of the DSB branchline passenger runs I rode were the
MR-class self-propelled cars, very similar to the Budd RDC cars that ran some
places in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The MRs were two cars,
each with a cab at one end, and semi-permanently coupled at the non-cab end to
form an articulated dual-end car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
had a more American-style seating plan with a central aisle and pairs of seats
facing each other to form four-seat “pods”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was actually a two-seat compartment at the end of one of the cars,
which were nice to ride in if not already occupied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were the trains serving much of the
Esbjerg-Fredericia traffic, so Ældste Jensen and I rode them a lot to and from
our Saturday post-P-day district meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also rode them frequently while serving in Silkeborg a few months
later.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11pfeC780tCwF8_mLRXttUm7KCN_Lbn1STxI2Xt2j8Unjmdo-zs_wqOpYQhcqMFxQ0eMrJJYY2sNQ1sLl_yAFtOMRNusharldimss5nYIT9SdMEA151u497vZSK_KISib01xs3Z__b3s/s1600/Transferring+by+Ferry+at+Storebaelt+1986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11pfeC780tCwF8_mLRXttUm7KCN_Lbn1STxI2Xt2j8Unjmdo-zs_wqOpYQhcqMFxQ0eMrJJYY2sNQ1sLl_yAFtOMRNusharldimss5nYIT9SdMEA151u497vZSK_KISib01xs3Z__b3s/s640/Transferring+by+Ferry+at+Storebaelt+1986.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another enjoyable aspect of rail travel in Denmark, up until about 15 years ago, was the need to cross Storebaelt (the Great Belt) between the islands of Sjælland and Fyn by ferry, instead of the bridge/tunnel now in place. Riders could leave their rail car and ascend to the upper decks of the ship, purchase refreshments, and enjoy the view and fresh air from the open decks. Sisters Dansie (left) and Asplund (right) join Elder Healy (center) and two I don't remember, November 1986.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwtPsU4EUS4mIb40rvlVZNiyNGrjb_4UoKPIhjiDSb9jBttTwUtdmx8hQNxIMJI2R-N_4SKkaiX68IGQODskhEkH0k-yHa825RkpDc2Ja1wS-0WrGRRkaHjfWxAVBRaqqQxk5vu-1978/s640/Ferry+loading+at+Korsoer+1987.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hers's a shot taken at Korsør of an MT-class switching locomotive shoving half of an intercity passenger train into the lower deck of the ferry Kronprins Frederick. August, 1987</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nearly all my train travel while in Denmark consisted of
trips on either local passenger trains to and from meetings, and occasionally
on the IC trains either during transfers or to Zone Conferences.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>There was a “hobby” among the missionaries at
that time of “collecting lines”, meaning one would trace on a map all the
highway and rail routes they travelled during their mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fell easily into this hobby because of my
interests in geography, travel and railroads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I collected some interesting routes by bus on a few occasions, but my
favorites were those I covered by rail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of these were part of our missionary work, and some were as tourists on
P-days:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Kolding, we rode the train out to
Esbjerg (July ’86) with other missionaries and members to attend a music
fireside at the ward there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nici King (a recently returned missionary from Fredericia Ward, and my future wife) was
also on this trip, and she regretted wearing the shoes she did because of the
long walk from the station to the church.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Shortly before leaving Odense (Nov ’86), I
arranged for a cab ride with a DSB engineer we’d met while tracting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I got transferred shortly
beforehand, and Ældste Hill and Dozier had the most boring day of their lives
on that trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may have ridden an
MY, but I’m not sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1RmqGnvVFlzaPDVBTxw2deRMvI-YuIQ5EGVUQ4XwJst08cLnRYXUO-Z9o1kT0V4DxbvU_XyfvMnA3Hj11fVbF4kY2kTeZnhEnp6tq5okPkWuVMN-pqILs3ZIXd4Q3eNiGuJln_uGexw/s1600/LB+Y-tog+at+Nykoebing+F+Dec+1986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1RmqGnvVFlzaPDVBTxw2deRMvI-YuIQ5EGVUQ4XwJst08cLnRYXUO-Z9o1kT0V4DxbvU_XyfvMnA3Hj11fVbF4kY2kTeZnhEnp6tq5okPkWuVMN-pqILs3ZIXd4Q3eNiGuJln_uGexw/s640/LB+Y-tog+at+Nykoebing+F+Dec+1986.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Lollandsbanen Y-class arrives at Nykøbing F station, December 1987</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While assigned to Nykøbing-Falster for a few
weeks (Nov-Dec ’86), Ældste Talbot and I rode the private railway Lollandsbanen
from Nykøbing out to Nakskov and back (equipment note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>all the private railways I rode used Y-class
trains for passenger service, basically older versions of the MR trains DSB was
using).</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkD3Uv18pj46w38jlJNCfJQSD6wEWdG_e1BHPWcCI-xa0ixLzXKnApTdHJZ7sKi02MjM8Wh-PkFyx4BReekJb-RmX0vOcaG9nPsZ-YceH_yyJNAlSbkvrxU1l0Sz0P4MUjfpEvvAzHuw/s1600/IMG_20170419_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkD3Uv18pj46w38jlJNCfJQSD6wEWdG_e1BHPWcCI-xa0ixLzXKnApTdHJZ7sKi02MjM8Wh-PkFyx4BReekJb-RmX0vOcaG9nPsZ-YceH_yyJNAlSbkvrxU1l0Sz0P4MUjfpEvvAzHuw/s640/IMG_20170419_0010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical DSB railroad depot for medium-size towns such as Silkeborg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Silkeborg (May of ’87 maybe), Ældste
Linford and I were invited to spend a night at the President’s home in Greater
København (can’t remember exactly where at that time - President and Sister Jacobs later lived in Holte).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the standard route to get there, but
then received permission to return via the Kalundborg to Aarhus ferry, with
some “rare mileage” (for missionaries, at least) by rail out to Kalundborg and
between the Aarhus ferry dock and the station.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNr9md9tQLtCAA60J_ek2So6qESiPgytWY12H2KZSDu8OuV904ufQYDDcwFmnC8BKd3DzfbrvMyQV2EKkd60SlLybV4C2F971BSOqthSo2c4W6QAVUtfQBDW6CSgh61kseq_nc38dlN4/s1600/20170513_212508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNr9md9tQLtCAA60J_ek2So6qESiPgytWY12H2KZSDu8OuV904ufQYDDcwFmnC8BKd3DzfbrvMyQV2EKkd60SlLybV4C2F971BSOqthSo2c4W6QAVUtfQBDW6CSgh61kseq_nc38dlN4/s640/20170513_212508.jpg" width="612" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A section of my line map showing roads, railways and ferry routes I traveled while on my mission. The line from Herning, in the extreme upper left, angling southeast down to Vejle required special permission from the Mission President, since it deviated from the route I was directed to take when I transferred out of Silkeborg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While transferring out of Silkeborg (July ’87),
I called the office and received permission (after a lengthy and pointless
discussion with Ældste Jakobsen) to deviate from my assigned routing
(Silkeborg-Skanderborg) and travel via Herning to catch “hyggetoget” at Vejle,
resulting in another rare mileage line on my map.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Slagelse (Aug ’87), Ældste Saunders and
I rode to Høng on the Høng-Tølløse Jernbane at least once to visit some
potential investigators.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Also while in Slagelse (Sep ’87), Ældste Lambourne
and I rode down to teach a potential investigator living on the north edge of
Falster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the return trip, we missed
the next-to-last bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we then
caught the last bus and successfully made our rail connection at Nørre
Alslev, we were too late into Næstved to catch the last bus back to Slagelse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we ended up hitchhiking halfway and walking
the rest to arrive at our apartment about 5am the next morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJs4-2xXzwEEUcMoz0KEXP5lNA0NuhnuQW1eCzPnwPEYukc6597QMD2-8wtxS2XArUgLSw15rN-VMh9seq5dJi_JETauA7PcGARj5ETukwhYZoeM_2OeHZqavePdg9AHg4IBpbQKA8gU/s1600/DSB+EA+on+Kystbanen+March+1988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJs4-2xXzwEEUcMoz0KEXP5lNA0NuhnuQW1eCzPnwPEYukc6597QMD2-8wtxS2XArUgLSw15rN-VMh9seq5dJi_JETauA7PcGARj5ETukwhYZoeM_2OeHZqavePdg9AHg4IBpbQKA8gU/s640/DSB+EA+on+Kystbanen+March+1988.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electric trains on Kystbanen - during my mid-1980's mission, this was the only electrified mainline in Denmark. Since then, nearly every mainline has been electrified. These locomotives were designated EA-class.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Næstved (Fall ’87) Ældste Lambourne and
I took a P-day to visit a bunch of tourist sites in and around København on a
P-day (equipment note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the local trains
on Sjælland almost exclusively used Bn class coaches in a push-pull
configuration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end car facing toward København had a control cab, and the cars themselves were a center aisle
style with two doors at the one-third and two-thirds points of the car’s
length.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not like these cars very
much. Power was either a Sjælland-only ME-class or an MZ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and I were no longer companions, but he was the
DL for our district. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Neither m</span>y companion, Ældste Morrow, nor Ældste Lambourne's comp wanted to travel that day, so we paired them up at our apartment, and then Lambourne and I
headed out. This arrangement probably would not be allowed today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t remember our exact routing, but I’m
pretty sure it included the electrified Kystbane (Coast line) up to Helsinør, and the private railways
to Hillerød and Fredriksværk before returning home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Also at some point while in Næstved, I believe
Ældste Roe and I returned from a meeting in København via Køge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would also have been rare mileage for
missionaries back then.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I also seem to remember a trip to Gedser, at the
far southern tip of Falster, and then back to Nykøbing, again just for the sake
of a “line”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In my last area, Birkerød (Jan-Mar ’88), Ældste Kolditz and I
probably rode the Hillerød to Helsinør route at least once more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, we also rode a lot of S-tog commuter
trains in the Greater København area.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStIOkmhSc5znegXk_ppSFBx8PQs5bTp7dueA05JLugez92ErctbAZFLWo1ldnQoPrxWICQQwi-pFZ1F68dMfbgYgHOIkWiATOVCphrrwZymIFAR324ik5hYxY_So9_2FReushci4Qhls/s1600/DSB_10-07-22-016_Marslev.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStIOkmhSc5znegXk_ppSFBx8PQs5bTp7dueA05JLugez92ErctbAZFLWo1ldnQoPrxWICQQwi-pFZ1F68dMfbgYgHOIkWiATOVCphrrwZymIFAR324ik5hYxY_So9_2FReushci4Qhls/s640/DSB_10-07-22-016_Marslev.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denmark's own IC-3 <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">trains. Great for riding, but kinda awful to look at.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> have returned to Denmark five times since my mission and
ridden trains for some portion of all these trips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My biggest disappointment has been the
onslaught of diesel and electric IC-3 trains that now carry passengers on
nearly all DSB routes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pretty sure
things hadn’t changed too much rail-wise when I visited Nici for Christmas of
1989, but on subsequent trips it has all been IC-3s and newer versions of the
old MR trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The IC-3s are designed and built in Denmark by Scandia of Randers. Yes, they are sleek and functional, but the blunt ends - intended for ease of coupling multiple sets in series - represents the absolute lowest point ever for Danish design (my opinion). Great for riding, but kinda awful to look at.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfloMnHRHVh2AU5Fku8m_RjHYJjTBcfWJrv9kQ0pm-v63HCkQ0WrtPW27IUntW8GdSkfSyJW5nqCGiZhObxTgna_1hjnpj1XbERtGpaS6j4SKZ4PM5OA7WRKrnweMJCmkOOKDf1hhzlQ/s1600/IMG_20170419_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfloMnHRHVh2AU5Fku8m_RjHYJjTBcfWJrv9kQ0pm-v63HCkQ0WrtPW27IUntW8GdSkfSyJW5nqCGiZhObxTgna_1hjnpj1XbERtGpaS6j4SKZ4PM5OA7WRKrnweMJCmkOOKDf1hhzlQ/s640/IMG_20170419_0009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Sølvpilen” captured at speed just west of Slagelse in the summer of 1987</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The high point of my ’89 trip,
besides spending time with my intended, was returning to København aboard DSB’s
“Sølvpilen”, the silver-bodied “lightning train” that was the ultimate in speed
and comfort in its day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride wasn’t
that much more exciting than a standard IC train, but at least I can say I rode
it before it was gone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKz5sv-7pPrOfwq9UTu29BpyeT5CoMjfr9buJJIdQID_Mr6bPmVdrqLqO2AsNyNklaWbfr0NWRgriSuSoBvCRkwjpypeizzNo2RJEg6-XiJxaPvVz-kLgBoaVkLl5W3HwQdwXweWvQfKg/s1600/SB_NJ_10-07-12-009_Napstjaert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKz5sv-7pPrOfwq9UTu29BpyeT5CoMjfr9buJJIdQID_Mr6bPmVdrqLqO2AsNyNklaWbfr0NWRgriSuSoBvCRkwjpypeizzNo2RJEg6-XiJxaPvVz-kLgBoaVkLl5W3HwQdwXweWvQfKg/s640/SB_NJ_10-07-12-009_Napstjaert.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A newer self-powered passenger train passes the tiny community of <span style="font-family: "calibri";">Napstjært, where some of my 19th Century Danish ancestors were born. July, 2010.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On that trip, we also rode the train up to Fredrikshavn to
visit Nici’s cousins Marianne and Kaj. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was my first time traveling north of Aarhus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their home sits only a few meters
away from one of the platforms for another private railway, Skagensbanen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited them again in May of 1993, and that
time I arranged to ride the Y-train up to Skagen and have Nici and Marianne
meet me up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This ride also took me
through my “ancestral home” (at least on Grandpa Brady’s maternal side) of
Napstjært, so I videotaped part of the ride for posterity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">During this visit, I also made a side trip to Silkeborg, with a stopover in
Aarhus to see Shad and Ulla Roe, my former companion and his wife. He had also married a Danish girl but they chose to live in Denmark rather than the US - I can't always say I blame them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They lived
south of Aarhus and I rode another private railway Y train with him down to their home, and then by myself back up to Aarhus after our visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I did not have much time for recreational train riding
during trips 3 and 4. Number 3 was to see the Copenhagen LDS Temple and to visit my mother-in-law Ellen King one last time,
and number 4 came a year later to arrange Ellen’s funeral with Nici.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59Bzg2hys9FvgdEV-RaVx3UN8s3tzYMJbp4Z3erawZNwBXYe-b3qyy0RHHPJnyaAlgJ4CZFMLZvvPgaafYADxaI-Cr1IOeGTqRjTAp0NIyhYH46V3cSa8gnk-_dthEuuv0_Q11Qh8q90/s1600/Station_10-07-16-001_Malmo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59Bzg2hys9FvgdEV-RaVx3UN8s3tzYMJbp4Z3erawZNwBXYe-b3qyy0RHHPJnyaAlgJ4CZFMLZvvPgaafYADxaI-Cr1IOeGTqRjTAp0NIyhYH46V3cSa8gnk-_dthEuuv0_Q11Qh8q90/s640/Station_10-07-16-001_Malmo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The main railway station at Malmö, Sweden. July 2010</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">However, when our whole family went over in July 2010, I managed a
little better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of our travel was driving
a rented Citröen, but I did catch an IC-3 to Slagelse one evening to
meet up with another former missionary friend. At the time, he worked for Railion - the current contract operator of freight trains on DSB rails. I rode with him over to Malmö, Sweden
for my long-awaited cab ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time
it was aboard a German DB electric locomotive, at the head end of a high-speed
freight on the routing the new Øresund and Storebælt bridges has opened
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A</span>nother engineer took over for my friend at Nyborg, but my friend continued with me as far as Odense, where my rental
car was parked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between the late hour,
welded rail, an electric locomotive, and green signals nearly the whole way, it was
a pretty anticlimactic trip and I’m sure I dozed at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I was grateful for the experience!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Z5QzYit2NSkconIsj7IruP-Ha103E-9sC4QfKDCc77qXfJ4aYzXq9nqNkLQntb58hs5oul-gSPS9_zQxJ_4Ofl_X4rdEZhz7n6CLHAmTe0Lj7LnUs0uibHVY7gXoHZQIzyt5zF2XUcs/s1600/Railion_Cab_Ride_10-07-16-001_Roskilde.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Z5QzYit2NSkconIsj7IruP-Ha103E-9sC4QfKDCc77qXfJ4aYzXq9nqNkLQntb58hs5oul-gSPS9_zQxJ_4Ofl_X4rdEZhz7n6CLHAmTe0Lj7LnUs0uibHVY7gXoHZQIzyt5zF2XUcs/s640/Railion_Cab_Ride_10-07-16-001_Roskilde.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late-night, speed-blurred view of Roskilde Station from my 2010 cab ride.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Here are a few more images of favorite Danish locomotives:</div>
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKn65Gf2XXS0znC-Y2CzghFTW0JS3WJKNyxnQMOqXLCTP_uG5GwoyTNMVl0pWjFFsn5AX5J9Cy7a8ANC0NIh5F5Uf3U09ZBw0iAKmOzdE91wG3InAW8zt61LXMQ3Uex7LCqU4Pny0OOw/s1600/861831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKn65Gf2XXS0znC-Y2CzghFTW0JS3WJKNyxnQMOqXLCTP_uG5GwoyTNMVl0pWjFFsn5AX5J9Cy7a8ANC0NIh5F5Uf3U09ZBw0iAKmOzdE91wG3InAW8zt61LXMQ3Uex7LCqU4Pny0OOw/s640/861831.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">With lines very similar to the classic American "F-unit" locomotives, and with diesel engines identical to them, DSBs MY- class are easily my favorites. I shot this particular one at Nykøbing-Falster, and by chance MY1154 was one of the last two to operate in regular service on DSB twenty years later.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsEeWHX3Ed4vm_mB6MOUl72elPBKVU-yF5svbVCTo6Was3ORqMiqgj2bhbfAy4wifygE1rcyXD7VLjx3On5uD3LGMXKhTi_3OTI9THRkej9zDlJ86rfeSdt9pdh0q7gEmE1iM-mqYREs/s1600/LB+Marzipanbrod+at+Nykoebing+F+1987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsEeWHX3Ed4vm_mB6MOUl72elPBKVU-yF5svbVCTo6Was3ORqMiqgj2bhbfAy4wifygE1rcyXD7VLjx3On5uD3LGMXKhTi_3OTI9THRkej9zDlJ86rfeSdt9pdh0q7gEmE1iM-mqYREs/s640/LB+Marzipanbrod+at+Nykoebing+F+1987.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By luck, I also managed to photograph this rare specimen at Nykøbing-F. Manufactured by Frichs, a Danish builder at Aarhus, the eight examples of this model, only owned by Danish privatebaner - private railways, did not have a class designation. Instead, they came to be known as "Marzipanbrød" because their curved roof and ends bore resemblance to chocolate-covered marzipan candy bars.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyWwPmPQiZN7ftTXEdh-L34Ka6WDsTo8E-XWkVF5XjwM9IGkPUUrlrdNAoEeCI7RrkhxCHtB0YP5mPvVwmcDiwyimc2cGEkbezTbQ58_E-Phy3uaSoFzvzPkEbDfEvuPPdtEVg0EhXtg/s640/DSB_Railion_10-07-24-004_Odense.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most Danish trains today run off the electrified catenary wires. This one is an EG-class hauling empty container cars westbound near Odense in July 2010</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Plus, here are a few segments of video I've shot on post-mission visits to Denmark:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">From May 1993:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VPXKCafOpcU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VPXKCafOpcU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">From February, 2007:</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OI3ouDKISdg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OI3ouDKISdg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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And from <span style="font-family: "calibri";">July 2010:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span> </div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-30776832831077306532017-01-08T19:58:00.003-08:002017-04-19T13:08:37.365-07:00A Dozen Favorites from 2016At the close of another year, here's a collection of twelve favorite photos I've taken in 2016.<br />
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I call them favorites, which is not entirely fair because I still have lots of favorites that will not be included here. It was a good year for me - I made at least eight successful field trips to photograph shortline railroads within my travel radius, and I shot lots of photos of other railroad activity closer to home. <br />
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So here's a sampling of my bounty, presented in reverse chronological order just for the heck of it:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg0NOrbMFzdkhvoOgDCPMQndGaptZFIA7QQAmps0z-Ik_2_RG8DDdn27_XWs36MnWr7zFGa8JhWUR3wMOhUAf7MnRJR0SeNJ_sIX-si3Ku5VTLi5TJXHwpZ2D7r4UZ4V6C0MXHg5ublU/s1600/BNSF-16-12-31-004-Wallula_WA_Mod2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg0NOrbMFzdkhvoOgDCPMQndGaptZFIA7QQAmps0z-Ik_2_RG8DDdn27_XWs36MnWr7zFGa8JhWUR3wMOhUAf7MnRJR0SeNJ_sIX-si3Ku5VTLi5TJXHwpZ2D7r4UZ4V6C0MXHg5ublU/s640/BNSF-16-12-31-004-Wallula_WA_Mod2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An "experienced" SD-40-2 still in Cascade Green leads BNSF's "Low Line" local train toward Wallula WA and a connection with Union Pacific's "Washy" subdivision, where BNSF has running rights to reach an interchange with the Great Northwest Railroad (former Camas Prairie RR) at Ayer, WA. This was taken on the last day of the year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdQvaoE-wj9-B4rQbRiTJtgMyh9fHL_QMBVOldKu0NycroOGfn7Fy2yNnI6zjs_bW5ivVHVYO_u-jsf08y1mUNGTWahUhSeIYYZZZYo6fYxNdsnHYcxvgz-ajGU8kNQAYc2_vwP8pg-0/s1600/BNSF-16-12-31-003-Finley_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdQvaoE-wj9-B4rQbRiTJtgMyh9fHL_QMBVOldKu0NycroOGfn7Fy2yNnI6zjs_bW5ivVHVYO_u-jsf08y1mUNGTWahUhSeIYYZZZYo6fYxNdsnHYcxvgz-ajGU8kNQAYc2_vwP8pg-0/s640/BNSF-16-12-31-003-Finley_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eastbound BNSF stack train cruises through Finley WA while a white heron wades in the drainage ditch looking for a meal. This shot was also taken on New Year's Eve.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vcqDEgRJpWawXOtVygUu8NfXUz1WfKVHuKJ_9yiCJCW5tQddOGglSS25dAYnGZ0-NXu9cBPve1_1aDMLJgFwUx-aAZGeiqtN8FazDKGMLaK8GMltIKFl465RChC-TifshFL1D4pWHv8/s1600/CP-16-12-26-008-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vcqDEgRJpWawXOtVygUu8NfXUz1WfKVHuKJ_9yiCJCW5tQddOGglSS25dAYnGZ0-NXu9cBPve1_1aDMLJgFwUx-aAZGeiqtN8FazDKGMLaK8GMltIKFl465RChC-TifshFL1D4pWHv8/s640/CP-16-12-26-008-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A loaded Canadian Pacific unit grain train heads through Kennewick WA on Union Pacific's truncated Yakima Sub to reach a grain transload loop track in nearby Richland WA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YLNgMNY0snVVuI401JqtTQ0-VdcqnnUoYWvPBnAEJkcXtpePhsnMeg6YDJrHxg_7Q9pFV9hmZoWxDyLkg-3tzz_OTf_nENAhB9MqBHm7Soux_fDVLDn4sEu_PFmBcK-CMd3Yk5oW3Mk/s1600/BNSF-16-12-02-016-Pasco_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YLNgMNY0snVVuI401JqtTQ0-VdcqnnUoYWvPBnAEJkcXtpePhsnMeg6YDJrHxg_7Q9pFV9hmZoWxDyLkg-3tzz_OTf_nENAhB9MqBHm7Soux_fDVLDn4sEu_PFmBcK-CMd3Yk5oW3Mk/s640/BNSF-16-12-02-016-Pasco_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having just left Pasco Yard, BNSF's Byron Turn waits for its turn to cross the Columbia River drawbridge before heading west to work in Richland. I had a chance here to try a slow shutter speed, keeping the stationary locomotive in focus, while giving the passing grain train some motion blur.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUjsQS69YQ_4krhZzSMv9FcdxYl1mElV2tGm_yINBDzoCrxppTK3D3AeV1k7R_6VTPoUTFGJn1H2H7_NioTVeBlAq61-oFCp7gX2XqOBtGcp2fvkOBF9tFZfcV2OklC4rYREGaWry3RI/s1600/BLMR-16-10-19-016-Blue_Mtn_Stn_OR_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUjsQS69YQ_4krhZzSMv9FcdxYl1mElV2tGm_yINBDzoCrxppTK3D3AeV1k7R_6VTPoUTFGJn1H2H7_NioTVeBlAq61-oFCp7gX2XqOBtGcp2fvkOBF9tFZfcV2OklC4rYREGaWry3RI/s640/BLMR-16-10-19-016-Blue_Mtn_Stn_OR_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally got a chance this year to photograph a train on the Weston Loops, just south of Milton Freewater OR. As this Palouse River & Coulee City RR train headed up the hill and around the main loop, I took a bunch of photos. Normally, with the angle of the sun placing the train in silhouette, this would be a throwaway shot. However, I felt the silhouette effect wasn't too terrible, and the backlighting gave some real interesting contrasting effects to the foreground trees and bushes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7IeCpToBP15oDORcBhCMCNVLfV4lZAgnfxiXpyDS9xWyac74-sa5g1-ZzC3nCWM8tt1oEAmC6qNdP-W3DRRIewBPE3j_4IiZT1F8yU8QZjYb_KE8oJ6igVfoJ64c5HPOrp6S_VxnZ1g/s1600/BNSF-16-10-17-002-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7IeCpToBP15oDORcBhCMCNVLfV4lZAgnfxiXpyDS9xWyac74-sa5g1-ZzC3nCWM8tt1oEAmC6qNdP-W3DRRIewBPE3j_4IiZT1F8yU8QZjYb_KE8oJ6igVfoJ64c5HPOrp6S_VxnZ1g/s640/BNSF-16-10-17-002-Kennewick_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another photo where the lighting was less than ideal, but I still like how it turned out. With this day's Byron Turn headed home for Pasco, I knew it would be crossing this bridge over the Kennewick Irrigation District's main canal. To get this shot, I had to speak with a homeowner to ask permission to shoot this from his back yard. KID had just shut off the water for the season a few days prior, leaving the canal less than photogenic. I tweaked this one with some electronic post processing, and I think the colors are a little stronger than I wanted them, but any less saturation and the image would be really flat. Come spring, I will try to take this shot again with the canal full and, hopefully, with better lighting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwfdXrgUc4bDJxlzE_PhYfbbi0UIS-QQOiKGBD1nTD1dDSMIKar5CChYPiCGTrw8mj6GaKWEBhOhj6G7W8LJjxccGIvRF4ptOavdPmEWmCVHAW0I4NZQmZAPs0dZ-Tpwi9I4oZHfhaNk/s1600/UP-16-09-22-004-Rockford_WA_Mod_Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwfdXrgUc4bDJxlzE_PhYfbbi0UIS-QQOiKGBD1nTD1dDSMIKar5CChYPiCGTrw8mj6GaKWEBhOhj6G7W8LJjxccGIvRF4ptOavdPmEWmCVHAW0I4NZQmZAPs0dZ-Tpwi9I4oZHfhaNk/s640/UP-16-09-22-004-Rockford_WA_Mod_Light.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On one of my few ventures into the Palouse this year, I had a chance to chase Union Pacific's Fairfield Turn. Just up the line from Rockford WA I found this short trestle over Mica Creek, so I waited a few minutes for the approaching train and then snapped this image.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb_SVPeJGGf9kr56Wgf_c8iU_NTHNLyovH3Ocpo80Naz_dRJAq3DJzvtFs8y5m0XVcSSX5U7dxm6LPv2HJ6Es7IlQiN3RPGBL3iDNgym7BHsxGHN3ENvmWeOLCZGnw4aM2yIelioaNRQ/s1600/UP-16-09-04-012-Marshall_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb_SVPeJGGf9kr56Wgf_c8iU_NTHNLyovH3Ocpo80Naz_dRJAq3DJzvtFs8y5m0XVcSSX5U7dxm6LPv2HJ6Es7IlQiN3RPGBL3iDNgym7BHsxGHN3ENvmWeOLCZGnw4aM2yIelioaNRQ/s640/UP-16-09-04-012-Marshall_WA_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a rare Sunday visit to Marshall WA, I found the UP train inching down the connecting track between the former NP mainline on the floor of the valley, and the former SP&S route on the raised fill. UP has rights to use the SP&S tracks between Fish Lake and here, so it can get onto the NP line, which is usually reserved for eastbounds entering Spokane. After waiting at the signal for several minutes, the BNSF grainer came up from behind on the NP line, allowing me to shoot this image of both railroads' trains.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuPN1NZpABljB_7CPE2uo6-YtiJXUi53hNqP0UKXq3skPcmh0Mfe7eRlF7S-DADBK09uvy-NHHBEwbHL2rtWJdiOwICBa-MNbHeJlcZ2L7F4ZgU2fiTpE9Fk5xENT9YlCRRD9OtIGy8M/s1600/POVA-16-09-03-013-Box_Canyon_WA_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuPN1NZpABljB_7CPE2uo6-YtiJXUi53hNqP0UKXq3skPcmh0Mfe7eRlF7S-DADBK09uvy-NHHBEwbHL2rtWJdiOwICBa-MNbHeJlcZ2L7F4ZgU2fiTpE9Fk5xENT9YlCRRD9OtIGy8M/s640/POVA-16-09-03-013-Box_Canyon_WA_Mod.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lions Club excursion trains on the Pend Oreille Valley railroad have been a Northeast Washington institution for over 35 years - I was able to ride them the first year they were offered. This year, POVA announced they could no longer maintain the tracks north of Usk solely for use by the excursions when there is no freight traffic on the line. This would be the last year for the excursions, at least on this scenic part of the line. Fortunately, they were running two trains each day, so I dragged my family up there on a Saturday in September. Thanks to their understanding why Dad wanted to leave so early for the trip, we managed to be at this scenic overlook to photograph the earlier train crossing the Pend Oreille River at Box Canyon Dam. With the photos saved on my SD card, we then rode the later train and enjoyed the view from another angle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAtU142sbP5sQEs65wcbKFJBuZjR88XspX0pY_n-pZnvX6vVBNWJQcGAngUY0UtCGdMYy15vUZJbJTAa3WJmt2Oa81yLvH3wAlTd6YqY54_EHYH25BgePOwDy08l8jlVsGAof5EXOw2s/s1600/UP-16-07-22-004-Honeyville_UT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAtU142sbP5sQEs65wcbKFJBuZjR88XspX0pY_n-pZnvX6vVBNWJQcGAngUY0UtCGdMYy15vUZJbJTAa3WJmt2Oa81yLvH3wAlTd6YqY54_EHYH25BgePOwDy08l8jlVsGAof5EXOw2s/s640/UP-16-07-22-004-Honeyville_UT.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite several trips to Utah this year, I had precious few opportunities to chase trains. Fortunately, this particular early morning shot, taken in April at Honeyville UT, turned out well. I especially like the GRS signal mast in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt2eT4kj87bJzzczvC87oqBVhqdQ7O2hV7U9Z1TmbKMwCQ4ePGk1VKR2I-DC7d95tFnfQF5PhqnNZjkPe9_Hjn-o3hisr9Ois317m_h5SRUINPFUJedez6a3AytZS75IWKpfmxMstVJk/s1600/CBRW-16-04-08-008-Grandview_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt2eT4kj87bJzzczvC87oqBVhqdQ7O2hV7U9Z1TmbKMwCQ4ePGk1VKR2I-DC7d95tFnfQF5PhqnNZjkPe9_Hjn-o3hisr9Ois317m_h5SRUINPFUJedez6a3AytZS75IWKpfmxMstVJk/s640/CBRW-16-04-08-008-Grandview_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a shot I've been wanting to take for several years now. The daily CBRW train passing the brick former NP depot at Grandview WA. The whole chase from Whitstran to Sunnyside that day resulted in several favorite images, this is just one of them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY63ZRAimo2j6iibowl4_fXO3Y7iW06pkhrg9d4jPrP_-mCtRH6-3W1KKhA28xh0YOMk3O_vsdZbxNdfp_YBMBDuR14hQf_T9Va1r0_i-LmPc9yzELacgLSbwPaTMj6EN6RdaDKKgG08/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-014-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY63ZRAimo2j6iibowl4_fXO3Y7iW06pkhrg9d4jPrP_-mCtRH6-3W1KKhA28xh0YOMk3O_vsdZbxNdfp_YBMBDuR14hQf_T9Va1r0_i-LmPc9yzELacgLSbwPaTMj6EN6RdaDKKgG08/s640/EWG-16-04-02-014-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From another field trip in April, I got a chance to follow an Eastern Washington Gateway train led by Montana Rail Link's ex Great Northern SDP-40. Again, a lot of great shots resulted from this trip, but this was one of the better with the train crawling up out of Deep Creek on its way toward Reardan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-77806051215661219482016-10-26T11:44:00.000-07:002017-08-25T22:16:52.538-07:00My Utah Rail Encounters<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRno5hETpAymqINKLhcVhoAAiwLMwK640WYdt1di0h3BgmuRIoX8c7g8zPLX9fJcz6WeRxK9PAqd4xr-PNz1kuCMQuNXMtvDBD-oPaPY1DGRpFb-qs3370juNcYSssf-3P7bsYSR4Nts/s1600/893816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRno5hETpAymqINKLhcVhoAAiwLMwK640WYdt1di0h3BgmuRIoX8c7g8zPLX9fJcz6WeRxK9PAqd4xr-PNz1kuCMQuNXMtvDBD-oPaPY1DGRpFb-qs3370juNcYSssf-3P7bsYSR4Nts/s640/893816.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Utah Railway coal train behind former SP SD-45's along the Spanish Fork River, Fall 1989</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Utah has always been a part of my life, although I don’t
consider that something to brag about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With both family and religious ties to the Beehive State, I visited
there many times as a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As my
interest in railroads coincided with my growing awareness of place and time,
later trips to Utah also became opportunities to see and learn about railroads other
than those I encountered at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljBiNqvr-tUux6cKbVRk93U01fNv3tocQuEyL-B5K5Aan8i-U8V9xn-Gs5SN6C0rijAev_PDlJx3IqxoDexQKUnb9Hgt4cV65udBCn7xj8Bp9ussZsiJOYdOOiH8h0Kg9ORj-4k1lT1o/s1600/811205_Mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljBiNqvr-tUux6cKbVRk93U01fNv3tocQuEyL-B5K5Aan8i-U8V9xn-Gs5SN6C0rijAev_PDlJx3IqxoDexQKUnb9Hgt4cV65udBCn7xj8Bp9ussZsiJOYdOOiH8h0Kg9ORj-4k1lT1o/s640/811205_Mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ECW2kXmmA1DhOHuSg_zkEHhzyaN7KYMNTEwYlIIsHufOZ2hLs-XlqGcGaU2ePbgpoez9mjdgXFl4M35zg_03WZsH_8usDq_fptnTmlXPD1VodYhWRfzAQMsTZCRwxi9XNCYyYeVNhX0/s1600/811233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ECW2kXmmA1DhOHuSg_zkEHhzyaN7KYMNTEwYlIIsHufOZ2hLs-XlqGcGaU2ePbgpoez9mjdgXFl4M35zg_03WZsH_8usDq_fptnTmlXPD1VodYhWRfzAQMsTZCRwxi9XNCYyYeVNhX0/s640/811233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two early rail photos from North Salt Lake yard, August, 1981</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So on one trip, circa 1978, the high point for me was riding
the Heber Creeper, then operated by the Wasatch Mountain Railroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, the trains turned at Bridal Veil
Falls, where the roadbed today is a hiking trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On another visit in 1981, Dad took me down to
Union Pacific’s North Salt Lake yard for an hour or so, where I shot photos of
an idling Union Pacific GP-30 and an arriving Western Pacific train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That 1981 trip may have been the last one
until my August 1984 arrival in Provo to attend Brigham Young University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here’s what I knew about Utah railroads prior to my actual
residence in that state: first, Union Pacific in Utah looked a lot like Union
Pacific in Spokane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was one
railroad to which I was not a stranger, so I certainly found it the least
interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, UP’s history is
inextricably linked with Utah’s history, thanks to the 1869 driving of the
Golden Spike in possibly the most god-forsaken corner of the state (more on
Promontory later, and no, it’s really not that bad out there).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I found other railroads in Utah much more intriguing than
UP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Southern Pacific met up with its
Overland Route partner, Union Pacific, in Ogden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Denver & Rio Grande Western connected
Denver with Salt Lake City (and Ogden) “Through the Mountains, Not Around
Them”, and no truer words were ever contained in a railroad motto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, there was Western Pacific, or at
least there had been until two years earlier when that proud road fell victim
to UP’s voracious merger appetite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CWhSOLXcTV9xOYlfIABwnMstUZPJn-2l-xuQOaVFBZ3eao5um7GlYFxGi1wGdDSaen_KGgNQFVrSTHzu_Sm0lh4cVgGZUi_0GprS3xxqUSKJQ-sDXPsT-81492GI-dW7uw50qStwWVU/s1600/850410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CWhSOLXcTV9xOYlfIABwnMstUZPJn-2l-xuQOaVFBZ3eao5um7GlYFxGi1wGdDSaen_KGgNQFVrSTHzu_Sm0lh4cVgGZUi_0GprS3xxqUSKJQ-sDXPsT-81492GI-dW7uw50qStwWVU/s640/850410.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Provo's "brick and mortar" depot, the location for many hours of "homework" my freshman year. That's my 10-speed propped against the light pole.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of the three remaining, SP stayed outside my reach, as it
did not serve Provo directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
the catch, my only transportation as a college freshman was my dad’s old
10-speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that was enough to make
the Provo depot accessible to me, and it became the backdrop for many hours of
train watching that school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was when the actual brick-and-mortar depot still stood at the foot of 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an active Amtrak stop, the
waiting room was open most hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though it was not staffed all the time, it did offer restroom facilities that
made long visits there bearable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When I had time available, most often on Saturdays, I would
load a couple textbooks in my backpack, hop on the 10-speed, and pedal down to
the depot for some “homework” while sitting out on the platform with my back
resting against the sun-warmed bricks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, a few assignments got completed, but most often I was craning my
neck up and down the tracks, or straining my ear, to detect the next oncoming
train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And frankly, the DRGW did not
slouch in that department.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xA9QKaefSZKzCREnlcsSj3IOGB3iqNGxAHnxcqOr-ic-_wV1epEMNKFUgLAE-h4ehlS-3a_77bDlkO5y9lg0L7LLXZ5lcHwzcGiv-Lssxge3QXBzE6sp4MrW5J4o8Ckr1lAmlzr9KYg/s1600/842409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xA9QKaefSZKzCREnlcsSj3IOGB3iqNGxAHnxcqOr-ic-_wV1epEMNKFUgLAE-h4ehlS-3a_77bDlkO5y9lg0L7LLXZ5lcHwzcGiv-Lssxge3QXBzE6sp4MrW5J4o8Ckr1lAmlzr9KYg/s640/842409.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCEe4s120D2bTdxRGk_nMGZrGiSI7aKU9J2Pv_k2fbZahuwnvfr7eWcvHKwqN8pSkcfmrqxECw6lj5yjDemBMu7vm91tMryFxORcBgtQkfrW31sQyIb-HNkM8h300SuSdFpqmIw23CJg/s1600/851000-A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCEe4s120D2bTdxRGk_nMGZrGiSI7aKU9J2Pv_k2fbZahuwnvfr7eWcvHKwqN8pSkcfmrqxECw6lj5yjDemBMu7vm91tMryFxORcBgtQkfrW31sQyIb-HNkM8h300SuSdFpqmIw23CJg/s640/851000-A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of perhaps hundreds of D&RGW trains I witnessed in Provo. Fall 1984 (top) and Spring 1985 (above)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There’s no way I could count all the Rio Grande trains that
passed on my visits – I don’t think I made any trips there where I didn’t see a
train.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqepIUlCvjMPM5b1ywhe2brgNK9LEadajebea-PD0Zz0TwuD6SHzDVfbQaBO4Xl98Rq8Be-jrqqzkKwotz5Y1VAFyXWbiMx0RESY8smijBW4KCRVajy_E8q6fCMDmFcXOepCuYtvrqNNw/s1600/85061x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqepIUlCvjMPM5b1ywhe2brgNK9LEadajebea-PD0Zz0TwuD6SHzDVfbQaBO4Xl98Rq8Be-jrqqzkKwotz5Y1VAFyXWbiMx0RESY8smijBW4KCRVajy_E8q6fCMDmFcXOepCuYtvrqNNw/s640/85061x.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this shot just because I was bored. I was not a fan of UP's "SW-10's" - EMD switchers modified with the radiator section from a retired GP-7 or -9. But now, everything has changed in this location except the mountains, and I'm really glad I took this photo when I did.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">Union Pacific also made periodic
visits, and provided some local switching activity as well when one of their
“SW-10” locomotives worked the scrap yard where the FrontRunner station is
today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Before I continue relating my experiences, I should list all
the things I did <u>not</u> see because of limited transportation, and really
crappy timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not see the Utah
Railway Alcos – they were all gone by then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if they were still operating in Fall of ’84, I’m not sure I would
have known about them as they never ventured west of Provo Yard, and that yard
was not easily accessible to me (plus, I didn’t have any good maps of Provo to
show me how to get there).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">By about 12 months I missed seeing the Rio Grande Zephyr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I had to settle for Amtrak’s pale
replacement, the California Zephyr, and it looked a whole lot like the Empire
Builder back home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I did not see Geneva Steel’s fleet of Baldwin switchers in
action. They still ran out there at the mill, but it was outside my travel
radius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And besides, most of them had
been re-engined with EMDs, so the thrill would not have been as great.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Another thing I did not see were cabooses on every passing
train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew from reading Trains magazine that
caboose-less trains would save the industry time and money, but this first year
in Utah happened to be when that trend first became apparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough, when I returned home the
following summer, only about half of BN's trains ran with cabooses, and that number
dropped off quickly from there.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhLCLrpg9CKPcXe5_y8J70HlyDLgQ8qNZ0NRj0WM4jYb13SK-oeMGf0x_FehzGq5MbSTouGddIpMFefYulZn9PoZ4kUwuTROSv4To7Lmkt4BLaceUEO0PO7AfK6XK2sliV4MSphsEajk/s1600/842621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhLCLrpg9CKPcXe5_y8J70HlyDLgQ8qNZ0NRj0WM4jYb13SK-oeMGf0x_FehzGq5MbSTouGddIpMFefYulZn9PoZ4kUwuTROSv4To7Lmkt4BLaceUEO0PO7AfK6XK2sliV4MSphsEajk/s640/842621.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fourth unit back is one of UP's Centennials hauling freight. Oct, 1984.</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One thing I did manage to witness in Utah, if only barely,
was the last gasp of Union Pacific’s “Centennial” fleet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this time, UP was experiencing a modest
traffic boom, so they had brought a few of their 8-axled, 6600 hp, 6900-series
locomotive out of storage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a quick
weekend jaunt home to Spokane with a friend, I had seen a few of these in the power
sets of UP trains up in Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our
return trip, when curiosity got the better of us, we drove down to Nevada from
Twin Falls then east along the salt flats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On that straight stretch of Interstate 80, I saw an oncoming
train on the parallel ex-WP mainline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
friend pulled over, and I took an into-the-sun shot of the passing train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Owing to the distance, the short focal length
of my Canon “Sure-Shot”, and the backlit train, I have in tiny silhouette my
own image of a DDA-40X locomotive in freight service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it wasn’t even leading the train.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Fittingly, my freshman year complete, I left Utah on a
train: <a href="http://highball661west.blogspot.com/2016/03/riding-amtraks-pioneer-april-1985.html" target="_blank">Amtrak’s Pioneer, which story has been recounted elsewhere in my blog</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After a three-year absence from the state, two years of it
on my mission in Denmark, I returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
first trip back was with my mom to retrieve my sister from her sophomore year
at BYU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rail-wise, this trip was
significant only because of a chance encounter with a rare and
long-ago-scrapped piece of railroad history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My interest in Baldwin diesel locomotives had grown significantly
in the past few years, so I couldn’t help noticing the squared off hood of a
Baldwin road switcher spotted on a rail spur out by the airport, along with
some other old rail equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom and Julie
were shopping somewhere, and I didn’t have to meet them for an hour or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled onto the shoulder of the freeway
onramp and took a short walk over to the siding.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2ceiKpdrQXuSdsEr8BaDCethNdIY_Gba-GsotgezQ40vrL-Np04MO5API8xu6DAkh65lRUd6qWhWmQ68UIAUpIdgbDmT6yFdIZLLlBmgQtYsaxLbZbSVRcSe2JQXuHnwLJNuoSbCgRA/s1600/881013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2ceiKpdrQXuSdsEr8BaDCethNdIY_Gba-GsotgezQ40vrL-Np04MO5API8xu6DAkh65lRUd6qWhWmQ68UIAUpIdgbDmT6yFdIZLLlBmgQtYsaxLbZbSVRcSe2JQXuHnwLJNuoSbCgRA/s640/881013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Baldwin Locomotive Works demonstrator DRS-6-4-1500 1501 languishes in the weeds near the Salt Lake Airport, April 1988. Despite its historic status, the local NRHS chapter let her go from their collection to a scrapper. Idiots.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaouqp5pfbt8wr6IiCQp6KmXi9jpXzciPGKH2aYNf_dq30y0zbFt0TBNIjXXP9_2Ng4dBN8ZLBd6uBCdcyPaZkF2kGNaDG3ZksNpqBlMXkcHx8Wv0WQWoLr1aJ1_hU5S_7_qOaxoacpQQ/s1600/TH_KCC901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaouqp5pfbt8wr6IiCQp6KmXi9jpXzciPGKH2aYNf_dq30y0zbFt0TBNIjXXP9_2Ng4dBN8ZLBd6uBCdcyPaZkF2kGNaDG3ZksNpqBlMXkcHx8Wv0WQWoLr1aJ1_hU5S_7_qOaxoacpQQ/s640/TH_KCC901.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I purchased this slide on eBay (photographer unknown), showing the same locomotive in better days. Note that even after receiving the chopped short hood, she retained a simplified version of her BLW demonstrator paint scheme.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sure enough, it was a Baldwin, but one with a “chopped”
short hood, which was odd - normal for an EMD “geep”, but odd for a
Baldwin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had no markings beyond its number painted in bold numerals, and it
clearly wasn’t going anywhere soon under its own power – there was a crankshaft
laying on one of the walkways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably
not a good sign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I snapped a couple
photos and got back to my car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good
thing I took those – this was actually a former BLW demonstrator locomotive
that Kennecott Copper had purchased, given a nose job after a collision, and
then donated to the local NRHS chapter upon its retirement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Unfortunately, NRHS chapters apparently have no love or
respect for Baldwin diesels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one
of two I can name where the NRHS guys were too lazy, broke or stupid to
preserve an historic Baldwin and let it go to the scrappers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I probably will never join the NRHS on
account of these failings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In August, 1988, I returned to continue my schooling at
BYU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My circumstances hadn’t changed
much as far as transportation, but I did manage to get out and see a little
more than my freshman year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most
significant experience I had that semester was seeing Soldier Summit for the
first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two former mission
companions were getting married the same day in September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While trying to figure out how to be in two
places at once, my new boss offered me the use of his delivery van.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLUFU4_GLV-P2hx-PEMnDNJL7REz0zVXOnkp22dgxFxqdbXBxbvLqvVISxGcxRGU0pj2rHMbgbTxnjU9pH8rKvQ14ihroRxeQl_sMnPsVS_NlD8_jTkMxZZztOkrXWpOryBTxPQtTR8A/s1600/882613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLUFU4_GLV-P2hx-PEMnDNJL7REz0zVXOnkp22dgxFxqdbXBxbvLqvVISxGcxRGU0pj2rHMbgbTxnjU9pH8rKvQ14ihroRxeQl_sMnPsVS_NlD8_jTkMxZZztOkrXWpOryBTxPQtTR8A/s640/882613.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Originally a Great Northern unit, Utah Ry. F-45 6613 still wears Burlington Northern's Cascade Green in this September 1988 encounter at Soldier Summit. Notice how the BN logo was altered to a "Flying U". Another F-45 can be seen as third unit in the consist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After attending my one friend’s ceremony in the Salt Lake
Temple, I hustled south to Price for my other friend’s reception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Julie joined me for this leg of the trip, and
she had to put up with a lot of wows uttered under my breath as I realized
what a fantastic place that series of canyons was to watch trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And (bonus!), at the summit I found two Utah
Railway trains with former SP and BN SD-45s and a couple ex-BN (originally Great
Northern) F-45s!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Christmas at home in Spokane, I returned to Utah armed
with a proper 35mm SLR camera, a Nikon N4004.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another difference was that one of my apartment mates had recently
purchased a used Ford Bronco II, and he was willing to drive me places in
exchange for gas money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began
experiencing some frustration with my new Nikon, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was <u>too</u> automated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, if the computer did not agree
that my chosen settings would result in an acceptable image, it would not open
the shutter when I pressed the release.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And, you would think that a technological marvel like that
would be smart enough to let me know when film in the camera was not properly
loaded!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bit me in the butt at a
very inopportune time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend James
had driven up from Phoenix for a long weekend of train chasing, and we saw
quite a bit of action during his visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlHpino9N5La2FRDrXLdanlJJCPE96zhntCMpUTwKiC7DjPk67SjvBsFEmga0j4_kmyqHEi7VcaOAaSxDp_ZWpOQQ054X7cnZOFpEbBmaKa9IdF9qzRoZWrnY6jqegbbOI7DlJvPJR8Q/s1600/890836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlHpino9N5La2FRDrXLdanlJJCPE96zhntCMpUTwKiC7DjPk67SjvBsFEmga0j4_kmyqHEi7VcaOAaSxDp_ZWpOQQ054X7cnZOFpEbBmaKa9IdF9qzRoZWrnY6jqegbbOI7DlJvPJR8Q/s640/890836.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A westbound UP coal train, led by C30-7 2437 at Springville. One of several shots taken during James' 1989 visit that actually made it onto film.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While on the far side of Soldier Summit, we encountered a
westbound Utah Ry. train with a mix of 20-cylinder EMD power, 3 up front, 4 mid
train and 3 shoving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the confines of
the Price River Canyon, the racket this train made was simply amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We followed it up grade and shot a bunch of
photos, except I found out too late my camera was not loaded and none of my intended images ever
made it onto film!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the weekend
was OK; we shot a bunch of other trains up on Soldier Summit, we visited the
Kennecott yard and saw the odd high-cab GP-39-2s at work, and we saw other
items from the NRHS collection, including two Utah Ry. Alcos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next school year, I was able to bring a car down with
me, a green 1972 Galaxie 500 I’d inherited from my grandfather when he passed
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This made me somewhat more mobile,
but not consistently due to a series of mechanical problems that sidelined it for
weeks at a time while I saved up money for each repair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When it was running, I still did not stray too far, but managed to visit
Soldier Summit a few more times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1aNp7N34ThzhR4mlqQrOgYuqM-TcPbw7RhmdTXFkG-u-0LzJ698wOX1f5Mh2gfpvPR7DbgI0zpitEqJZCkuNzqXvg6Pa4y4zNrtsFz2u7V0KEcjRyFxLDqtknWyzhJ6c8xbwAqyFMaQ/s1600/894015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1aNp7N34ThzhR4mlqQrOgYuqM-TcPbw7RhmdTXFkG-u-0LzJ698wOX1f5Mh2gfpvPR7DbgI0zpitEqJZCkuNzqXvg6Pa4y4zNrtsFz2u7V0KEcjRyFxLDqtknWyzhJ6c8xbwAqyFMaQ/s640/894015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clay Peterson and his friends let me tag along on a trip slightly outside the Utah border to see this, the last D&RGW SD-9 and one of the last GP-9s in hump service at Grand Junction, CO, Fall 1989.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This year, my understanding of Utah railroads grew
exponentially when I started hanging out at a nearby hobby shop – Trainmaster
Hobbies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That shop’s proprietor, Clay Peterson,
and a gang of his friends who also visited frequently, educated me considerably
on the comings and goings of trains in Provo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They spent a lot of time lamenting the increasing frequency of Southern
Pacific locomotives on D&RGW trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rio Grande Industries had recently purchased the SP, but in a reversal
from typical railroad acquisitions, the new parent recognized that SP had
greater name recognition and chose to have SP absorb the D&RGW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My new friends were <u>not</u> happy about
this!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At mid year, I was able to travel back to Denmark to spend Christmas and New Years with my fiancée, Nici King. However, on the way home I managed to misplace my N4004 at JFK - not the best place to lose a camera - and I never saw it again. I wasn't too sad to be rid of it, but I had hoped to sell it and buy something else! When Nici heard about my dilemma, she chose to give me her camera as an early wedding present. She sent it over to the States with friends of ours who had also been holiday-ing in Denmark, and they delivered it to me within a couple weeks! This was a Nikon F-301 (the European model equivalent to the N2002), and was a much better camera for me. Even in this digital age, I still use it to shoot B&W film alongside my digital Nikon.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Another school year came and went, and by the time the next
one dawned, I was a married man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made a
couple “last chance” railfan trips prior to the blessed occasion – including one
down to <a href="http://highball661west.blogspot.com/2016/03/riding-amtraks-pioneer-april-1985.html" target="_blank">Arizona that I described in a previous blog</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One limitation my married status placed on
railfanning was my budget-minded wife insisting I not burn as much
film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This actually taught me patience
and “pre-envisioning”, so that one or two exposures (rather than a half dozen shots) of a passing train would
result in the best possible photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nici did not mind going on short trips with me to watch trains,
at least until our first child arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But that was another year in the future at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8rMdQfAa9vi11RHczwrTJ9UChAcBmV6hRqNqyL6FmVWyrCOpzXrBUba_FsDSCzUwoPtJZQzuR1749xaggljd0wBJnCG8IJ6RMxPpBPAInnPG8n4s60khyJOPA_eRrTzH21bZcAnIp88/s1600/920415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8rMdQfAa9vi11RHczwrTJ9UChAcBmV6hRqNqyL6FmVWyrCOpzXrBUba_FsDSCzUwoPtJZQzuR1749xaggljd0wBJnCG8IJ6RMxPpBPAInnPG8n4s60khyJOPA_eRrTzH21bZcAnIp88/s640/920415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the employee parking lot at Jolene Co., this set of GP-30s appears headed for work at Geneva Steel, or possibly running farther up the line to Midvale.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Once settled into our apartment, Nici took a job with JoLene
Co., which produced children’s clothing and had its production facility on the
south side of the tracks through Provo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, nearly every day when I would drop her off or pick her up from work,
I would see one or more trains!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best
ones were afternoon westbounds, which would be particularly well lit when
viewed from the parking lot where I waited for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The last three years of school all seem to blur in a
railfanning sense – there were few significant adventures that stand out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the mundane was not too bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every-day events included:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzJYjcsrpZx0LyliqLJurhz2lZKHptvZTMajOTYxIbchTkam_pTbHyKH4ibyEFUenXZOE5ZGqllyXslsWcbYCgTVS5OQ2oEKosfRpo6plxr3bUSMPr1H83n7HSD951P2n7P92Kgzr5NA/s1600/920806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzJYjcsrpZx0LyliqLJurhz2lZKHptvZTMajOTYxIbchTkam_pTbHyKH4ibyEFUenXZOE5ZGqllyXslsWcbYCgTVS5OQ2oEKosfRpo6plxr3bUSMPr1H83n7HSD951P2n7P92Kgzr5NA/s640/920806.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe’s little
ex-UP NW-2 switching beat up gondolas of scrap iron,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Coal trains led by sets of Utah Railway’s rebuilt
SD-40s, wearing an updated version of their famous gray with red stripe paint
scheme, with mid and rear train helpers still slogging over Soldier Summit,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFpNtIHg9nqwkrFaGX5m2gDZhqR12Ghb6DwAd0o7J6yxRE7v0QIndpAAAuiWbi9Gyl4e1TwjCXltQddcihyphenhyphenScEJkV1UqoVV1k_OnDA3onbc9hEPhsu_hIW7exbvon1nP2RlBWLxGu1GE/s1600/891222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFpNtIHg9nqwkrFaGX5m2gDZhqR12Ghb6DwAd0o7J6yxRE7v0QIndpAAAuiWbi9Gyl4e1TwjCXltQddcihyphenhyphenScEJkV1UqoVV1k_OnDA3onbc9hEPhsu_hIW7exbvon1nP2RlBWLxGu1GE/s640/891222.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Many freight trains still led by “pure” consists
of Rio Grande tunnel motors, and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkCsGwEi_zsFr5QW2B-MwasO_cqvudK0jp4YuQ7nMznEpT9P7DFx6QFXIiQg9qXAE3DObvCjdgJoPUU5v6FEVAoFaA2anGGCbmT0AV9NKomX1XrK_DRG-abbkfdZqsKX27yp1b9yvHEU/s1600/921805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkCsGwEi_zsFr5QW2B-MwasO_cqvudK0jp4YuQ7nMznEpT9P7DFx6QFXIiQg9qXAE3DObvCjdgJoPUU5v6FEVAoFaA2anGGCbmT0AV9NKomX1XrK_DRG-abbkfdZqsKX27yp1b9yvHEU/s640/921805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lots of DRGW GP-30’s still working hard in local
service, including occasional sightings of them working the Tintic Branch west of
Springville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One additional benefit to marrying Nici was her “adoptive”
family, the Elmer clan, living in Ogden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several times while married, we visited and stayed with Grandma Elmer, and this gave me opportunities to witness the rail activity
up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the family’s households
sat on 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Ave. in a part of town completely cut off by the SP’s
Overland Route from the Great Salt Lake causeway and into Ogden Union Station,
so it was nearly impossible to avoid the trains if I had wanted to.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTp2ZjbIOVkuvM2aP0IEvRb3qqWKgwn0wSg5Dw0vBBR3efBZkVKfrL0QZ4kqIKSe7AJvtZ5G80zU0SIfViegkarZH5aHbNTYbQ8yC53K6Y8zz3fXg5dm0GEypLDttGp4PPnYy5C2dzVe0/s1600/910414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTp2ZjbIOVkuvM2aP0IEvRb3qqWKgwn0wSg5Dw0vBBR3efBZkVKfrL0QZ4kqIKSe7AJvtZ5G80zU0SIfViegkarZH5aHbNTYbQ8yC53K6Y8zz3fXg5dm0GEypLDttGp4PPnYy5C2dzVe0/s640/910414.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eastbound Pioneer exiting UP's Ogden Subdivision, June, 1991.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQawoDZfPm3XgQaBm-ee_DjZvdQUkHUZ2vC4btQOz8q8CU02ZsSTVP6zHPEWzHgu-KBtWi8gXlRpZxGG-jIKjcKZJXXnibwd8pSKKhQZ7pk3e64-0T-XexReR_zua7IgKkl1rEqHUI0vA/s1600/910415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQawoDZfPm3XgQaBm-ee_DjZvdQUkHUZ2vC4btQOz8q8CU02ZsSTVP6zHPEWzHgu-KBtWi8gXlRpZxGG-jIKjcKZJXXnibwd8pSKKhQZ7pk3e64-0T-XexReR_zua7IgKkl1rEqHUI0vA/s640/910415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eastbound UP freight near Honeyville, June, 1991</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWohhF4bKxzfgJn0RfGLLCregKlLazsAutUhZyXMTSf_otY3i_AUD0Iw9jWUYo1WAAhx7vd_dDncQz2EqgEzPW9LhU50c1uq2cW6pYQFSZmCra69UAwhutbrJtEB2vMAbAghoWOY32o8/s1600/930118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWohhF4bKxzfgJn0RfGLLCregKlLazsAutUhZyXMTSf_otY3i_AUD0Iw9jWUYo1WAAhx7vd_dDncQz2EqgEzPW9LhU50c1uq2cW6pYQFSZmCra69UAwhutbrJtEB2vMAbAghoWOY32o8/s640/930118.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An SP local working west of Ogden, Feb, 1993.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Two significant episodes I remember from Ogden visits were
chasing UP trains on the single-track, ABS controlled Ogden Sub north toward
Pocatello.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also shot an early morning photo
of Amtrak’s Pioneer coming off that sub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, on a dreary winter day, I drove out toward the lake and encountered
two SP GP-9s working one of the industrial spurs out that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh4Qob9J9asrSk8WgRC0XlzE6rF1zYDQ-Xr87PZAQmnGR5s9lDyiW0OEYMixoMBcStNmIqzI946siDTpMNxi_Q4k7ABFIAqmOibvMjpe9BC_oPD-AiHjZlanJLu3UQPo27lgoDlEU93k/s1600/930611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh4Qob9J9asrSk8WgRC0XlzE6rF1zYDQ-Xr87PZAQmnGR5s9lDyiW0OEYMixoMBcStNmIqzI946siDTpMNxi_Q4k7ABFIAqmOibvMjpe9BC_oPD-AiHjZlanJLu3UQPo27lgoDlEU93k/s640/930611.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An omen of the future, for me at least. Conrail C30-7 leading coal empties at Scofield, UT, May 1993.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Upon graduation, we prepared to travel east to a new job in
Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before leaving, another
railfan friend invited me to head up Soldier Summit with him one last time (I
have been back since, but not many times).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We bagged Utah Ry. trains coming over the summit, but the most
interesting thing we saw was a train of coal empties heading up the Scofield
branch, with two Conrail GE units!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
was a weird coincidence, because less than a week later, we were setting up
housekeeping just a few blocks from a Conrail branch serving our new community.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B3YLPs79rV0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B3YLPs79rV0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As a graduation present, my parents purchased a video camera, ostensibly to record their grandkids - but they knew full well what it would mostly be used for. In the last week before leaving , I managed to record a few glimpses of Utah railroading in action.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As said, I’ve been back to Utah many times since, and many
things have changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For starters, on
short visits with family and friends, there is seldom the same kind of time
available to watch trains as there was when I lived there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the UP-SP merger, no D&RGW-painted locomotives
can be found in revenue service, and SP engines are almost gone too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, with UP now owning redundant mainlines
in the Denver/Cheyenne to SLC/Ogden corridor, traffic levels over Soldier Summit have
suffered. </span><br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYz8WpPdB0bY174g9EjhZDiyEKAQco441hxXSDS2FDDR5bkv5uhgMctg9RDhy00BeeKZUKFxnJlhwZvEMr9OFiyFink8F__QPPojIaF2Gmel7i2iJOdfJQBt_2njn3DbMllYJUE_fUhA/s1600/UTA-15-08-28-001-Provo_UTmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYz8WpPdB0bY174g9EjhZDiyEKAQco441hxXSDS2FDDR5bkv5uhgMctg9RDhy00BeeKZUKFxnJlhwZvEMr9OFiyFink8F__QPPojIaF2Gmel7i2iJOdfJQBt_2njn3DbMllYJUE_fUhA/s640/UTA-15-08-28-001-Provo_UTmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A southbound FrontRunner train approaches its terminal at Provo. Aug, 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One thing that has changed for the “better” is the
establishment of UTA’s “FrontRunner” commuter trains, operating on or alongside
the former D&RGW mainline between Ogden and Vineyard (near Orem), where it
shifts over to UP’s Provo Sub for the last few miles into Provo station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means scheduled trains
can be seen in action 6 days per week.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">With the approaching May, 2019 sesquicentennial of
completing the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, west of Brigham
City, the Beehive State will become a major mecca for railfans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No less than four separate railroad history
organizations will hold their annual conventions in Ogden, in addition to
whatever corporate events Union Pacific decides to host.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, most enthusiasts are hoping UP’s Big
Boy steam locomotive 4014 will have been fully restored and operating as part
of the celebration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My long term plans certainly include attending this
event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether I can afford to
participate as one of the conventioneers or will have to settle for whatever
crumbs fall off their table remains to be seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, even if I am fully vested in all the official activity, I certainly
plan to break away for some of the more mundane rail activity while there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like the good old days, I guess.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-62429384804384755872016-04-29T12:30:00.000-07:002016-08-11T11:18:14.622-07:00Chasing the Past (Lame title, I know)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY48WSJD8e4vE7Ag5esPb9Rn5Gos5ZxpFDQ57YjV6q5BtQ9gBoLRWgW_PAz3Wni0mmhzLWF14vmRZJrUYQpQ2MnSEeRlmNo-_w2CNhoDt7FDiZSArcD5lc8gY3IOjnK7FFm9u5k2S-fe4/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-002-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY48WSJD8e4vE7Ag5esPb9Rn5Gos5ZxpFDQ57YjV6q5BtQ9gBoLRWgW_PAz3Wni0mmhzLWF14vmRZJrUYQpQ2MnSEeRlmNo-_w2CNhoDt7FDiZSArcD5lc8gY3IOjnK7FFm9u5k2S-fe4/s640/EWG-16-04-02-002-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creeping, not all that slowly, down the Deep Creek grade, former Great Northern SDP-40, now Montana Rail Link 290, has just led its train of grain empties underneath the former GN mainline where it once led the Empire Builder and Western Star passenger trains.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Speaking of “over-railfanned” trains (see my previous blog),
another rail operation receiving an increased, but not undue, amount of attention lately is the
Eastern Washington Gateway.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The EWG is a
shortline railroad offering service to wheat shippers located on the former
Northern Pacific “Central Washington” branch from Cheney to Coulee City,
WA.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Washington State Dept. of Transportation
owns the route itself, and EWG holds a contract with the State to operate the
line.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I grew up in the Spokane area and spent a lot of time
between there and Cheney, so I’m very familiar with the “CW” as it exits Cheney
and heads west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I always had
rotten luck finding trains running that route during the BN era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, because my familiarity with the line
did not extend west of Medical Lake, I never dared take much time seeking out rail
activity there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It wasn’t until I returned to the Northwest as an adult that
I learned more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time, the
Palouse River & Coulee City RR had acquired the CW from BNSF, and I had
become acquainted with some of the PCC staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were willing to clue me in on when and where I could best see a
train on the CW, and I tracked down (intended pun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You be the judge) a couple trains heading out
from Cheney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even wrote an article
about the PCC that ran in the April, 2000 issue of <em>Railfan & Railroad </em>and included coverage of the CW.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">More recently, a large number of Spokane-area rail
enthusiasts have really latched onto the EWG and have posted their exploits,
almost on a daily basis, to the Pacific Northwest Railfans Facebook
group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helps that two or more of
the EWG crew members are self-avowed “foamers” and are willing to share
information with fans on when and where trains will be running on a particular
day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As with many shortlines, a key attraction to the EWG is the
“rag-tag fleet” of locomotives they use (see, I managed to fit in a Battlestar
Galactica reference!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the EWG
started up, their roster included a few SD-45 and SD-45-2 models, which was
pretty exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As these reached their
end of usefulness, the EWG gradually replaced them with other oddball castoffs.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHyk7WZFUv8O7inRckPnkPuZtPZXC7Wv0kckGf-LXPaITnoLBQ8u7Xx4kiL-5x24mI5DaEmMU0ePssgVsplTSt6t3MLIDUcFx2jBhpOGBsiCmgG8FQJ9Y8UlyWWxcDIv87S-wL3tc6Pg/s1600/NIWX-15-11-26-001-Airway_Hts_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHyk7WZFUv8O7inRckPnkPuZtPZXC7Wv0kckGf-LXPaITnoLBQ8u7Xx4kiL-5x24mI5DaEmMU0ePssgVsplTSt6t3MLIDUcFx2jBhpOGBsiCmgG8FQJ9Y8UlyWWxcDIv87S-wL3tc6Pg/s640/NIWX-15-11-26-001-Airway_Hts_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oddest of the odd, a former Chesapeake & Ohio SD-18 on trade-in trucks from old Alcos, sits in the Western Rail, Inc. yard awaiting its fate. Attempts had been made to use it on EWG trains, but a series of mechanical breakdowns made that impractical.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">These “oddballs” have included GE B23-7, B40-8, C40-8, and
EMD GP-7 and SD-40T-2 models in a variety of paint schemes.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The most interesting engine so far was a
former C&O EMD SD-18 with a low nose (and trade-in trucks from old six-motor
Alcos) still painted in Chessie System colors.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Unfortunately, this one only made one or two trips on the EWG before
mechanical problems sidelined it for good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The EWG does not appear to directly own any of the
locomotives they use, as nearly all have carried reporting marks for lessors Northern
Illinois & Wisconsin (NIWX) or Western Rail (WRIX).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conveniently, Western Rail is located right
on the EWG’s Geiger Spur and also performs nearly all maintenance on the EWG’s
leased power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I live in the Tri-Cities area now, and travel to Spokane
frequently to visit family up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
the usual family oriented one or two-day trips up there have not left much time
for serious pursuit of EWG trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
couple weeks ago, however, the stars aligned and I found a likely opportunity
to chase an EWG train.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I planned on driving up to Spokane on a Saturday morning to
help my son with some car repairs he couldn’t complete on his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only expected the work to take an hour or
two, and I had commitments to be home in the TC by the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would leave a 3 to 4-hour period of potential
“me” time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there happened to be an
EWG train running anywhere on the line, I might be able to follow and
photograph it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMTVF8g6ZI1nOpmo2mVwSstegvRVHIC8cPY9VoC1xgmSSoYIGNGUdf5i5Yz-90049TEpjXXnrEHn2lawhX91HOZEicqzpyHPSzbeqMjnT5zGOoSJ18amuYekqFAam8ncT9alDQloVQQI/s1600/MRL-16-03-20-001-Cheney_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMTVF8g6ZI1nOpmo2mVwSstegvRVHIC8cPY9VoC1xgmSSoYIGNGUdf5i5Yz-90049TEpjXXnrEHn2lawhX91HOZEicqzpyHPSzbeqMjnT5zGOoSJ18amuYekqFAam8ncT9alDQloVQQI/s640/MRL-16-03-20-001-Cheney_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A week before my chase of the EWG train, I had been through Cheney and had found MRL 290 idling with the other EWG power. This encounter whetted my appetite for catching the engine in action.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">An added level of anticipation came from the possible presence
of a “celebrity guest” locomotive at the head end of EWG trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With most of its long-term leased locomotives
down for a variety of reasons, the EWG had recently signed a short-term lease
for a rare SDP-40, Montana Rail Link number 290.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 290 had originally been built for the
Great Northern Railway, in 1967, for use at the head end of the GN’s premier
cross-country passenger trains.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Back then, passenger cars required a source of steam to run
their heating and cooling equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Steam locomotives provided a ready supply, but diesels for passenger
trains needed a separate steam generator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the 290 was built, ridership had dropped drastically and very few
railroads dared purchase brand new locomotives for passenger service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EMD’s 3000 horsepower SD-40 model represented
state-of-the-art when introduced the year before, and it certainly did not
include room for a steam generator inside its narrow hood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, when the GN surprisingly sought a passenger version of
the SD-40, EMD designers quickly stretched the SD-40 frame slightly, and
extended the rear hood to make room for the steam generator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They designed the hood extension with a flat
end, instead of a tapered one, which made the SDP-40 unique among its
freight-only sisters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Only six SDP-40s were built for use in the US, all for the
Great Northern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only two of these remain
in revenue service today, although I can’t immediately confirm the status of
the other, so the 290 may truly be the last of the breed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point, probably during BN ownership,
the 290 had its steam generator removed, and the related intakes and vents
capped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, Livingston Rebuild Center
took a cut at rebuilding the 290 to more modern electrical standards after its
transfer to MRL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, effectively the 290
is just like any other upgraded SD on many other railroads.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But the 290 still stands out in a crowd, thanks as well to
its spiffy new coat of MRL blue paint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, hoping the 290 would be out on the line running
with an EWG train during my available timeslot, I posted a question to the
Facebook group the day before, hoping to hear exactly that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I heard the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An EWG crewman replied that a string of loads
had just come into Cheney Friday evening, and they did not expect BNSF to
deliver more empties until late on Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The earliest possible EWG train wouldn’t run until Sunday or Monday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But, within minutes, another group member injected some new
info; they had just spotted BNSF dropping that cut of empties at
Cheney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, my hopes were still alive,
but I would have to wait until sometime Saturday to know for sure.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-etmjsBLp2mW13NkATc5hkAuso_7x9Hx-6dUCjpi3aOXm2JmQpbM05KXDgngO-EsMT0wPzqR57DI9761ePr0UHnE0eGC1KTxp6gAC5IOf-asfBT7jiapd_nLyoBENrYG0hUfvVVQVOc/s1600/BNSF-16-04-02-019-Tokio_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-etmjsBLp2mW13NkATc5hkAuso_7x9Hx-6dUCjpi3aOXm2JmQpbM05KXDgngO-EsMT0wPzqR57DI9761ePr0UHnE0eGC1KTxp6gAC5IOf-asfBT7jiapd_nLyoBENrYG0hUfvVVQVOc/s640/BNSF-16-04-02-019-Tokio_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two BNSF "geeps" lead the Lind Turn through Tokio WA on its return to Spokane. Both rebuilt engines are old enough to have been Great Northern units, which would be fitting considering the inspiration for the paint scheme they now wear. However, the leading GP-30 is ex-CB&Q and the trailing GP-35 is ex-ATSF.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Perhaps it was a good omen that on my drive to Spokane that
morning I caught up with BNSF’s eastbound Lind Turn following hot on the FRED
of an eastbound stack train.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The power
for the Lind Turn was a two unit set of early 2</span><sup style="font-family: calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> generation GP-models,
resplendent in nearly new versions of BNSF’s latest “swoosh” scheme.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I was kind of hoping the leading GP-30 would
be of GN heritage, but it turned out to be a former CB&Q unit.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Still no room for complaint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A few hours later, with my son’s brakes functioning properly
again, I was ready to head back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
looked to the Facebook group again and found good news: a report that the EWG
crew was currently assembling their train at Cheney, using the 290 as hoped,
preparing to head west within the hour!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plus, the weather was extremely cooperative with blue skies and lots of
sunlight coming from the southwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
made my way to Cheney directly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Arriving at the yard, there was the 290 shuffling the last
couple grain cars onto its train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
timing couldn’t have been better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within
minutes of my arrival, the train began rolling out of the yard and onto the CW
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I photographed one run-by of the
train as it passed through the commercial area north and east of Cheney, and
then headed north (the tracks run almost due north between Cheney and Four Lakes,
before bending toward the west) to get ahead of the train for another run-by.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At my next selected photo spot, I noticed I wasn’t the only “foamer”
out to catch the action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw at least
two guys with cameras, and it turned out I recognized both of them, Charlie
Mutschler and Ryan Reed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d make both
their acquaintances in the past (although I doubt Charlie remembered me as my
14-year-old self, hanging out in the train department of Columbia Cycle) and
had recently corresponded with both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was a cool coincidence.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGT9_FrVJjqpntusA5nE3CsyEWrzn98v8vrw-B59zvFmZsHcyYx1mx3dWtGxAyRZeKCs32hFzaqMzlkR_E7z8ZEfA7YOvI7fWMM6sESddusmG2FTaVdJJ1nAc6tn-XpSP0nhs-A1icVCA/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-006-Four_Lakes_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGT9_FrVJjqpntusA5nE3CsyEWrzn98v8vrw-B59zvFmZsHcyYx1mx3dWtGxAyRZeKCs32hFzaqMzlkR_E7z8ZEfA7YOvI7fWMM6sESddusmG2FTaVdJJ1nAc6tn-XpSP0nhs-A1icVCA/s640/EWG-16-04-02-006-Four_Lakes_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A prototype for everything. I never thought I would see an SDP-40 pulling a freight train all by itself, but here it is. Ryan Reed is driving the Subaru - he worried he had "ruined" this shot, but a car on the highway just adds context, I think.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At this point on its journey, 290 was doing the work all by
itself.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Probably my favorite photo from
the day was one I shot just north of Four Lakes as the train wrapped around a
slight curve with only the 290 at the head of the train.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It reminded me I had once considered
buying an Athearn “blue box” HO-scale SDP-40, but had refrained because I
thought a single six-axle passenger locomotive pulling a freight train by
itself around my 4x8 layout would not appear realistic.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As they say, there’s a prototype for
everything!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My next encounter with the train turned out much less than I’d
hoped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I remember about the CW
line from my youth was it skirting the north edge of North Silver Lake as it
approaches the community of Medical Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d fished there with Dad many times, so I thought a shot across the
lake would be pretty cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I parked
along the road and walked out onto the causeway that separates Silver Lake from
North Silver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hadn’t been that long
since I’d seen the train at Four Lakes, so I expected it to roll through my
viewfinder within minutes.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIGVyPqf-rA75ITN-sMglcRYH0pohz2ULB5TWDT04kpyv0vSEEH4FD6qz5ppXI5xKiuAqPuk6rclJ8KWFgmYr4Y1uxswx5PsLWTiKWpW_KDbrY6yJVteoTeZpylTrE15ROu3heIOONGE/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-001-Medical_Lake_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIGVyPqf-rA75ITN-sMglcRYH0pohz2ULB5TWDT04kpyv0vSEEH4FD6qz5ppXI5xKiuAqPuk6rclJ8KWFgmYr4Y1uxswx5PsLWTiKWpW_KDbrY6yJVteoTeZpylTrE15ROu3heIOONGE/s640/EWG-16-04-02-001-Medical_Lake_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much less than I'd hoped. There are train tracks on the opposite shore of North Silver Lake, but not knowing the crew had work to do before reaching this spot, I lost patience and went looking for the train. I found it just fine, but not with enough time to return to this vantage. Hopefully I'll get another chance someday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For 5 minutes, I waited.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After 10, I wondered.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After 15, I
worried.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">With no train yet in sight, had
I missed something?</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Was the train not
going out as far west as I’d expected?</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Were the tracks not visible from this vantage point, as I believed, and
had the train slipped past me?</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Finally,
after nearly a half-hour, I gave up and headed into Medical Lake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">From there, I doubled back along the other highway, only to
find the train calmly rolling toward me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With some sense of relief that the rest of the chase would continue, I
set up for my next shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the train
rolled past me again, I realized what had caused the delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ex-UP C40-8 9129 was now coupled behind the
290.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The train had stopped to pick up
the 9129 off the Geiger Spur, where it had returned from some down time at Western
Rail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I stopped north of Medical Lake to get another series of
shots, Ryan Reed pulled up alongside me in his Subaru (full of furry
companions, as I’ve come to expect from previous communications with Ryan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not recognizing me at first, he introduced
himself, and after I assured him we already knew each other, we talked
trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He planned to shoot the
EWG train as it crossed under the BNSF mainline a short distance from where we
now stood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The shot he planned to take is one many Spokane-area train
chasers attempt, but in this case would be particularly fitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The BNSF mainline at this location, the
Columbia River Subdivision, is a former Great Northern property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the 290 was new, it had crossed the CW
line at this location many times at the head of the Empire Builder and Western
Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, a photo of it crossing
underneath its former stomping grounds would be a neat memento.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I declined to follow him, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believed it would take considerable time getting
into, and out of, the location for that shot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see there now are roads permitting
better access to that overpass than there were in my Spokane days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So maybe I’ll try for that shot next time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Instead, I continued north to US Highway 2, then west to
Espanola Rd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between Medical Lake and
Reardan, the next town of note on the CW route, the tracks drop off the West
Plains into a trough formed by Deep Creek, before regaining elevation onto the
rolling wheat fields that form the northern edge of the Columbia Plateau.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was always curious about the loop of track
visible just south of US 2, and had decided to check it out for myself.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytare2l_3k5qY9wOSKC31x2C1uvHnExpv06Lx4P9xGsHr462nkrjKCpsqRAXcKMs4Mjyb8ns4QbwfKqkMEyUQXR4rlHgG8HRbUI-FVQsvmxlCIec0VOJVXSyVvWkf3QWJ3eVOHNjzpU8/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-011-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytare2l_3k5qY9wOSKC31x2C1uvHnExpv06Lx4P9xGsHr462nkrjKCpsqRAXcKMs4Mjyb8ns4QbwfKqkMEyUQXR4rlHgG8HRbUI-FVQsvmxlCIec0VOJVXSyVvWkf3QWJ3eVOHNjzpU8/s640/EWG-16-04-02-011-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up out of Deep Creek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Although it turned out it is nearly impossible to photograph the
loop from the sunlit south side without trespassing on someone’s property, I
did find an interesting location where the tracks cross MacFarlane Rd. on their
way down toward the creek (see top photo). Again, I’m pretty sure this road crossing wasn’t
here when I was younger.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> T</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">aking
the shot here gave me time to get back to the Espanola Rd. crossing and shoot
the train as it worked its way upgrade toward my location.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1Io5mNQBTmFoTSH3hSQUaer2DxVv7YFi80ODLsw4wYXtydQxabamyDYKRx5GSqTCHM90TAGV2u1XTlv8gp42aPgxcjvnXHlsewz2cSTXB494QjO1-J9PnpZIupa3AzEk5fNcEpTyfvQ/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-022-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1Io5mNQBTmFoTSH3hSQUaer2DxVv7YFi80ODLsw4wYXtydQxabamyDYKRx5GSqTCHM90TAGV2u1XTlv8gp42aPgxcjvnXHlsewz2cSTXB494QjO1-J9PnpZIupa3AzEk5fNcEpTyfvQ/s640/EWG-16-04-02-022-Deep_Creek_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After ducking under US Highway 2, the EWG train enters the wheat country of Lincoln and Douglas counties.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">By the time the train reached this point and ducked under US
2, my available time was running out.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I
figured I could follow the train as far as Reardan before heading home.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I took another series of shots at Hite – I
stuck to the south side of the tracks, while Ryan showed up and positioned
himself on the north side while talking to the train's conductor.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Turns out he
was right, my side of the train was in shadow because of the sun’s position.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">That was OK, I told him, one bad run-by would
only be fair after all the other kick-butt photos I’d taken so far.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXZ_N7wa7UTHDl4kxoJ1ZZ8ie6L5X7bUeOJnso_DUqmhKgElaMG5ZEhkKZxfFd9mOgfR8ngDWHghPqoxyLiyh8NnJMH_rNi-DGZlydVmIo9W9_orBoI0iIJWT_irCB-BtDGhWMET2ufo/s1600/EWG-16-04-02-015-Reardan_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXZ_N7wa7UTHDl4kxoJ1ZZ8ie6L5X7bUeOJnso_DUqmhKgElaMG5ZEhkKZxfFd9mOgfR8ngDWHghPqoxyLiyh8NnJMH_rNi-DGZlydVmIo9W9_orBoI0iIJWT_irCB-BtDGhWMET2ufo/s640/EWG-16-04-02-015-Reardan_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping at Reardan, without their grain cars, it appeared the EWG crew would spend some time shuffling the stored well cars there. I'd been hoping to grab a couple last shots as the train rolled through and out of Reardan, but with this unexpected stop, it was time for me to head home.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On to Reardan, I set up for a classic shot of the train
splitting the town’s grain elevators and passing where the old depot used to
stand.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Once more, the train seemed to
take longer than expected arriving here, and once it did, my hopes for one last
great photo came to naught.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">To accomplish
a little bit of work in Reardan, possibly having to re-position some stored
well cars, the crew had dropped their train just east of town and come in light
– locomotives only.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I still took a few
shots of the 290 with the elevators in the background, but the scene was not
what I’d hoped for: a solid string of grain cars behind the engines.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At this point, I headed south for home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This particular trip had been more than I had
hoped for, despite a few glitches, and there was no way I could complain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 290 is still hanging around the EWG until
its lease runs out, and whether or not it stays there much longer, I plan to go
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on past performance, the
motive power mix will always be interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, I have never spent time on the CW east of Wilbur, so maybe I’ll
find an opportunity sometime soon to chase a train back from Coulee City.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-66924374060241658892016-03-25T10:41:00.001-07:002016-08-11T11:35:21.946-07:00The Most "Over-Railfanned" Train in the PNW?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj225VER6XwetAuMgeAH-O0o4dR-hPy5UbUffo5Fo8GZQj-LWiFz_-4iWeEXWqogIU70GOfIv5zlBOwfHfd1dvlyXy0PohieKWtARsZEAYlKQdTBAFiPDIQa5fzJIfisesrDXAlU6n5Lck/s1600/BNSF-16-01-29-004-RichlandMod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj225VER6XwetAuMgeAH-O0o4dR-hPy5UbUffo5Fo8GZQj-LWiFz_-4iWeEXWqogIU70GOfIv5zlBOwfHfd1dvlyXy0PohieKWtARsZEAYlKQdTBAFiPDIQa5fzJIfisesrDXAlU6n5Lck/s640/BNSF-16-01-29-004-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two classic EMD SD-40-2 locomotives pull an average-size Byron Turn into North Richland in late winter 2016.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Not too long ago, I remarked on the Pacific Northwest
Railfans Facebook page that between my efforts and those of friend Richard
Olson, BNSF’s “Byron Turn” may be the most over-railfanned train in the Pacific
Northwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Determining whether this
assertion is true would not only be impossible, but also a complete waste of
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So just accept it as fact while I
explain what I mean, then judge for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For this statement to make any sense to the uninitiated
requires a couple definitions:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A railfan is an individual who is interested in railroads as
a hobby, and pursues that interest by going out and watching, photographing, or
video recording trains at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
a slang term usually only used between the railfans themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When describing myself to non-railfans, I
prefer the term “railroad enthusiast”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, professional railroaders may derisively refer to railfans as
“foamers” because we can get very agitated, almost to the point of foaming at
the mouth, if we happen to see something unusual, to us at least, about a
particular locomotive or freight car.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Within railfan slang, the term itself can be used as a verb
to describe the activity of watching and photographing trains, as in, “Let’s go
railfanning” or “I ‘fanned that steam special a couple years ago” and so forth.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Byron Turn (or Byron Local) is the daily train that BNSF
Railway dispatches out of its Pasco, Washington yard to serve industries in
nearby Kennewick and Richland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets
its name from a siding located just west of Prosser on BNSF’s former Northern
Pacific mainline, which the railroad named Byron, probably for one of its
long-forgotten shareholders or officers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In theory, that siding is the westernmost extent of the territory served by the
Byron Turn, but I don’t believe the train ever runs on that line beyond
Kennewick today.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qwjuTyK5gSjkm3mK9pSeDRTuhy248a2uEgemCaIq63J5ikNjPOV0TOwQ-jLk3iFsbu3O7kyP1j0g-jH8iN71Y4LpQDTd9ahTL4xco-Y0R8tYhhDEKbDoejBfDeC2L-BE9Mkg1WfP8O4/s1600/BNSF-15-05-14-005-Kennewick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qwjuTyK5gSjkm3mK9pSeDRTuhy248a2uEgemCaIq63J5ikNjPOV0TOwQ-jLk3iFsbu3O7kyP1j0g-jH8iN71Y4LpQDTd9ahTL4xco-Y0R8tYhhDEKbDoejBfDeC2L-BE9Mkg1WfP8O4/s640/BNSF-15-05-14-005-Kennewick.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eastbound Byron Turn traverses several miles of Union Pacific-owned tracks as it heads back to Pasco Yard. This line through a mostly residential neighborhood provides a connection between the BNSF Yakima Valley Subdivision at Kennewick and the Port of Benton tracks at Richland Junction. Here, GP-28M 1508 leads two cars. The GP-28M is a BNSF-only model; the product of an extensive program in the BN days to convert old GP-9s to more modern standards. May 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Instead, it exits the mainline a half mile west of the old
Kennewick depot and enters Union Pacific’s old Yakima branch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using running rights on that route, the train
continues west as far as Richland Junction, right next to the Columbia Center
mall in far western Kennewick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this
point, the train moves onto rails currently owned by the Port of Benton.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The US Government originally constructed the PoB line to
serve the Hanford Nuclear Reservation several miles north of Richland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Hanford Site’s mission shifted from
plutonium production to environmental cleanup after the Cold War ended,
the Department of Energy had no use for its railroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Local interests, however, were eager to
restructure the local economy and infrastructure so they no longer focused so
heavily on a single industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this
end, the Port of Benton acquired the DOE’s railroad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKRw4DHP4Zoy0vg_5kxsFcORyZZealOvdy4nnM9XPCqxlYFhLQJatf1QMipUzrF3NpuhvdAK92GthIIzD4CiKkJwuaVzVCB7k3GnZyUm63wmwNRMJVcHYa75pyv29cm0swOfaD7TSoEo/s1600/BNSF-13-04-29-002-Richland_mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKRw4DHP4Zoy0vg_5kxsFcORyZZealOvdy4nnM9XPCqxlYFhLQJatf1QMipUzrF3NpuhvdAK92GthIIzD4CiKkJwuaVzVCB7k3GnZyUm63wmwNRMJVcHYa75pyv29cm0swOfaD7TSoEo/s640/BNSF-13-04-29-002-Richland_mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GP-38-2 2334 hauls an average sized Byron Turn into North Richland, just passing the spur to the Lamb-Weston potato plant. April 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In addition, PoB, the City of Richland, and private
interests have teamed up over time to develop additional business facilities in
North Richland, several of which depend heavily on rail access.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The most obvious rail user is the Lamb-Weston
potato processing plant.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It receives its
spuds by truck, fries them in vegetable oil received by rail, flash freezes
them, and ships them out as frozen French fries in refrigerated boxcars that
keep it extremely cold while in transit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbOmhsX21BPNU1nrLZ07z4hKX61nZYeyY6TIwql7wj_nTHyU0jvu0MtUFEPVkMjMs7gGnUm_74OOS44mQ1w1CxHTvXpWqBIaa0C03ZIl-LcTeuBx_Z_xgkrThe4aXrUxjTDJHgD6NWj4/s1600/BNSF-15-11-24-003-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbOmhsX21BPNU1nrLZ07z4hKX61nZYeyY6TIwql7wj_nTHyU0jvu0MtUFEPVkMjMs7gGnUm_74OOS44mQ1w1CxHTvXpWqBIaa0C03ZIl-LcTeuBx_Z_xgkrThe4aXrUxjTDJHgD6NWj4/s640/BNSF-15-11-24-003-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port of Benton's two tenant railroads, BNSF and the Tri-Cities RR, often work in close proximity in the N. Richland industrial area. The newly constructed Preferred Freezer Services warehouse is, for now, the world's largest refrigerated storage facility, and a customer of both railroads. BNSF 2630 is a rebuilt former GP-35 and TCRY 15 is a MP-15AC. November 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Additional rail customers in North Richland include two
grain transfer facilities and the world’s largest (for now) cold storage
warehouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This warehouse both receives
and ships loaded cars of French fries and other refrigerated foods as its many
different customers require.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grain
facilities, meanwhile, receive grain cars, and often entire “unit trains”, loaded
with cattle feed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They unload the cars
and send them on their way, and then load the feed onto trucks for delivery to
many cattle feed lots in the surrounding region.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When PoB first obtained the rail link to Richland, they
sought a contract operator to run the trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tri-Cities Railroad (TCRY) was organized by private interests, and by
purchasing DOE’s two surplus locomotives (both EMD model MP-15AC) and hiring
crews, the TCRY went right to work serving customers – primarily the
Lamb-Weston plant at first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0i3_t4LBxbRt_vqvQFvirZwH1KJyk22xI-ANVhneNY24L8AnQ-ZsGXW83cbrarmLjdmS903wMSOnXQisQ4PBfVay9QN7SlShNVoFTYe80DANrPciJkiMokEyzkqRwJTYn0aSY8R4JGo/s1600/TCRY-16-03-21-005-RichlandMod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0i3_t4LBxbRt_vqvQFvirZwH1KJyk22xI-ANVhneNY24L8AnQ-ZsGXW83cbrarmLjdmS903wMSOnXQisQ4PBfVay9QN7SlShNVoFTYe80DANrPciJkiMokEyzkqRwJTYn0aSY8R4JGo/s640/TCRY-16-03-21-005-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A well-matched pair of former Union Pacific SD-40-2s pulls the TCRY's daily train out of their N. Richland yard, headed for the UP interchange at Kennewick. March 2016.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When I arrived in Richland 14 years ago, the TCRY was the
only operator on the PoB line.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">At first,
the two MP-15s pulling strings of white look-alike refrigerator and black
look-alike tank cars did not seem very inspiring.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It still isn’t, but when the TCRY also
acquired and rebuilt a small fleet of SD-40-2s for use on its route, things got
a little better.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But about 2009, I started seeing occasional splashes of
green on the rails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears BNSF
suddenly remembered it had inherited rights from its Northern Pacific
progenitor to run on the former DOE tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>BNSF already received some of the traffic that TCRY was hauling to
Richland Jct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, by cutting out the middle
man, BNSF expected to earn a greater share of the shipping tariffs – enough to
offset the cost of running its own train out to Richland and still make a
profit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">TCRY balked at this notion, believing their contract with
PoB gave them an exclusive right to operate the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They took the issue to court, but lost, and
BNSF trains have been sharing the use of the PoB line ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TCRY still dispatches the line, and
communicates with both crews using cell phones (I believe) to ensure neither
train encroaches on the other while running.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJslI41tsUmpsfKIkUwusYXQmK9x5v6tYNtCecyYH7IIygypM0MrMLFnV6nVsobPK_B1OkjDrC4eJIWNNz6VhjYhjTJVnajjrzCF6DZ2VwM4fubY3c_wckBPTPXyeiPThd_SxqJIAb2o8/s1600/BNSF-14-10-03-049-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJslI41tsUmpsfKIkUwusYXQmK9x5v6tYNtCecyYH7IIygypM0MrMLFnV6nVsobPK_B1OkjDrC4eJIWNNz6VhjYhjTJVnajjrzCF6DZ2VwM4fubY3c_wckBPTPXyeiPThd_SxqJIAb2o8/s640/BNSF-14-10-03-049-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Kennewick Irrigation District's main canal provides a very scenic element for trains that cross it near Steptoe St. Admittedly, it's less scenic during the 3-4 months of each year that the canal is empty. BNSF 3186 is a GP-50.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">October 2014</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The reason I made my original statement was to jokingly
imply that between Richard and myself, we have probably taken photos of that
particular train from every imaginable angle, in all sorts of weather, and
probably have photos of every locomotive that has ever been used to power that
train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we have probably posted all
of those photos somewhere on the internet as we have shot them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What makes the Byron Turn so interesting to us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Proximity, for starters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I live in Richland, only a couple blocks from
the PoB line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard lives elsewhere in
the Tri-Cities, but commutes out to the Hanford site daily along a route
parallel to much of the PoB line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
weekdays, we both are at our respective work locations during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, we both work on 9-hour-per-day schedules
that permit us to take every other Friday off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, Fridays are my big day for chasing trains (and lots of other
domestic tasks), and I believe the same goes for Richard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, if I have doctor’s appointments,
I will sometimes schedule them in the mid-morning, so I can hopefully see a
train moving on my way to or from the appointment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqkvuFTWQ06SOBINIcGyishtjMsMcIVDEbargIsCaJ_xGMhs2o6jNmA8ve9D16pfqhCbyKSeQ-7aQQLwC7ELLl0DYNrIyWUSlCDkm1GyvE40o89QiBSOcwePazzz_zkLecSgIgRKa46Y/s1600/BNSF-11-10-28-002-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqkvuFTWQ06SOBINIcGyishtjMsMcIVDEbargIsCaJ_xGMhs2o6jNmA8ve9D16pfqhCbyKSeQ-7aQQLwC7ELLl0DYNrIyWUSlCDkm1GyvE40o89QiBSOcwePazzz_zkLecSgIgRKa46Y/s640/BNSF-11-10-28-002-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Totally by accident, I managed a nice pan shot of this former ATSF GP-39-2 heading toward North Richland. I must have moved the camera while shooting, leaving the backgound and foreground "speed blurred" while maintaining focus on the forward facing end of the engine (acutally the rear end). October 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Variety is another interesting aspect of the Byron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know for sure what locomotive (or
locomotives) will show up at the head end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most often, it’s a single 4-axle EMD GP-series model, but 6-axle
SD-40-2s have been known to appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, with two possible BNSF paint schemes on the “geeps”, with the
round or the “swoosh” logos, plus a few still wearing ratty former BN Cascade
Green schemes, you never know what you’re going to get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve even seen blue and yellow Santa Fe locos
on the Byron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on how the
engines are used between assignments to the Byron, and whether they need to use
the wye track at N. Richland, it’s anybody’s guess whether they’ll be running
long hood or short hood forward on either leg of the run.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It's not that we have a problem with the daily TCRY trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their red, white and blue paint scheme looks
pretty snappy and there’s an ongoing hope that they’ll rebuild and roll out
their former SP “Tunnel Motor”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also,
although BNSF may have an inside track (pun intended) with certain customers,
the overall traffic balance between BNSF and TRCY appears to favor the little
guy, for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TCRY trains seem to be
considerably longer than BNSF’s Byron Local trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when you factor in BNSF unit trains once
or twice a month, I would still wager TCRY hands more total carloads off to UP
in Kennewick than BNSF gathers from North Richland.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSFqM09W7mQUkYEb-nRD4InW1ufEJI05rRgRCg2XgXVjXQiuHLK5c-0VgKnqNE7fv0v47vg8OvMuXmGA5bQjgrVbQU6PGQPd5dRmR5BCf-f3QWdniAFh_1sLLvcWLLpavNnbwCb2lkG4/s1600/BNSF-10-03-06-018-Kennewick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSFqM09W7mQUkYEb-nRD4InW1ufEJI05rRgRCg2XgXVjXQiuHLK5c-0VgKnqNE7fv0v47vg8OvMuXmGA5bQjgrVbQU6PGQPd5dRmR5BCf-f3QWdniAFh_1sLLvcWLLpavNnbwCb2lkG4/s640/BNSF-10-03-06-018-Kennewick.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignoring the railfan safely standing on the opposite side of the street, two BNSF crewmen handle a switching move near the Kennewick depot. BNSF 2185 is a former Penn Central GP-38, while the GP-39-2 2772 is an ex-Santa Fe unit. March 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So how does the Byron crew feel about their two “groupies”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard seems more comfortable conversing
with them when the opportunity arises, and he has had fairly positive contacts
with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My policy is generally to
stay out of their way and let them do their job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have one BNSF-employed friend who sometimes
has worked the Byron, and he doesn’t seem to mind a couple responsible
railfans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, I know the
occasional waves I get from the passing BNSF crews appear more friendly than
those from the TCRY guys, but that’s an entirely subjective assessment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There’s an unwritten rule among railroad historians that the
smaller and more obscure a certain historic railroad actually was, the larger
and more enthusiastic will be its fan base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Rio Grande Southern and New York, Ontario & Western are two
examples of long-disappeared railroads that still have large followings
today, far out of proportion to their actual importance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Does this same line of thinking
apply to modern railroads?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the
Byron Turn and its two dedicated “foamers” prove the point – the amount of
attention paid to, and the total number of photographs taken of, BNSF’s daily train
to N. Richland far surpasses its significance in the grand scheme of American
railroading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, here are more images of the Byron Turn in action:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zbBZWJeWlMJX2KNjUm6mx4T7NiclTVMNzoXYGYeSM9APBpgaFE4R3FDhtOEM5hTxnSGyOideVmg6Bl71-jOv9PBqrYyQvuTX5BIDTjPHhTS7CAHN_uRi736jRJTlL0Mfw7iz65se-vc/s1600/BNSF-10-12-10-009-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zbBZWJeWlMJX2KNjUm6mx4T7NiclTVMNzoXYGYeSM9APBpgaFE4R3FDhtOEM5hTxnSGyOideVmg6Bl71-jOv9PBqrYyQvuTX5BIDTjPHhTS7CAHN_uRi736jRJTlL0Mfw7iz65se-vc/s640/BNSF-10-12-10-009-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once named "Pacific Pride", GP-38 2075 has been demoted to service on the Byron Turn. One of the first diesels delivered to the then-new Burlington Norther Railroad in 1970 (it had been ordered by predecessor Spokane, Portland & Seattle RR just prior to the merger), 2075 was later re-decorated in a special scheme that carried the emblems of all BN ancestor roads. BNSF is satisfied with placing those emblems on grain hoppers these days to "honor" its heritage, leaving 2075 to keep gathering dirt and grime, while the weather does its best to obliterate the logos of long-gone railroads. December 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLVlIR7tt9IZmUB4MnSGhMgTiXD2NGb_7zJy7Fd2_FdINvTF2CUKDJJdTMJk-7ZstiB21ckeJ4LJpdiUC68jgLnpyZRI7NooAtDruFlj_IbF_j9oaO7wj-pLBnITIqxmSJ5yHRJXkWhc/s1600/BNSF-13-03-20-005-Richland+mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLVlIR7tt9IZmUB4MnSGhMgTiXD2NGb_7zJy7Fd2_FdINvTF2CUKDJJdTMJk-7ZstiB21ckeJ4LJpdiUC68jgLnpyZRI7NooAtDruFlj_IbF_j9oaO7wj-pLBnITIqxmSJ5yHRJXkWhc/s640/BNSF-13-03-20-005-Richland+mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Port of Benton-owned rail line crosses the mouth of the Yakima River on its route leaving Richland Jct. The wetlands alongside the river and the rails are part of the Chamna Wildlife Refuge, and even in easy to access locations, they provide lots of interesting photo angles for passing trains, this one behind GP-38-2 2094. March 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzKvl4-SBfdFg9f1YENG-pax2yYx2AOOQKAUzYMwzZZE_mS9xddFceNnOBi1SR8m7fr3NHt_vyFcTZ7OtzYAIeUauTz-hf6uDVbpXEgSs8mTRYDDBB8dAA_MD7WeCkkMMZwks6yOOo2Q/s1600/BNSF-15-03-27-007-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzKvl4-SBfdFg9f1YENG-pax2yYx2AOOQKAUzYMwzZZE_mS9xddFceNnOBi1SR8m7fr3NHt_vyFcTZ7OtzYAIeUauTz-hf6uDVbpXEgSs8mTRYDDBB8dAA_MD7WeCkkMMZwks6yOOo2Q/s640/BNSF-15-03-27-007-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GP-39E 2628 pulls its train eastbound across the large steel bridge that crosses Interstate 182 on the south end of Richland. March 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZS5IORjV7flvkh4M7GGiuOm9mP7hQb3zW8xXxXxOQRioQbrjEjepCb0OiXoUDFRwxLFrW-Las7O9-XDLe5mp0HZBjdRrl7c-0m8oedIlDXzxrdVkMFlqzt79dEqLlPfNE_lj1ALAo90/s1600/BNSF-11-02-18-003-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZS5IORjV7flvkh4M7GGiuOm9mP7hQb3zW8xXxXxOQRioQbrjEjepCb0OiXoUDFRwxLFrW-Las7O9-XDLe5mp0HZBjdRrl7c-0m8oedIlDXzxrdVkMFlqzt79dEqLlPfNE_lj1ALAo90/s640/BNSF-11-02-18-003-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GP-39E 2910 rolls through Richland Junction on its eastbound run. This is the point where the original US Government Railroad diverged from the Union Pacific Yakima branch. For some time this was the interchange point between the TCRY and Union Pacific, but arrangements have since been made allowing TCRY trains to run farther east for interchange at Kennewick. Now, the tracks in the foreground have been removed (the Yakima Branch beyond this point has been gone since the early '90s). With rights all the way through to N. Richland, however, BNSF trains don't give that situation much thought.<br />
February 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ2uAEUDr2dlpNRzyu7sx5fEvc1EXPyP7YQTbYYBxb-2CcmHRhA5dkTcyjT6LPCcjitZwhcgYRiQpNaMTcrJKHk23s2ct2CMPi23WHGl34ffmW_iE_WZqLtYg1lEUodD9UmUX-wDrKHk/s1600/BNSF-15-09-11-006-RichlandMod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ2uAEUDr2dlpNRzyu7sx5fEvc1EXPyP7YQTbYYBxb-2CcmHRhA5dkTcyjT6LPCcjitZwhcgYRiQpNaMTcrJKHk23s2ct2CMPi23WHGl34ffmW_iE_WZqLtYg1lEUodD9UmUX-wDrKHk/s640/BNSF-15-09-11-006-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps not the most compelling image I've ever taken, but notice the World War II-era fighter plane taxiing for takeoff at Richalnd's airport as GP-39-3 2866 passes. September 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT7GpPSz8atI5USEvy1E51iuEdmbYbdX0DAr64B4v_bVg9zizkU1vq2nqRVdR00n45Fy1bobpPYSrIqSF2AfjCkF_PLuPd3U6_n0uSioaV4a4p-rKoYdG5fOxdArz4gq3h-bqWAwLP7M/s1600/BNSF-15-12-09-026-RichlandMod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT7GpPSz8atI5USEvy1E51iuEdmbYbdX0DAr64B4v_bVg9zizkU1vq2nqRVdR00n45Fy1bobpPYSrIqSF2AfjCkF_PLuPd3U6_n0uSioaV4a4p-rKoYdG5fOxdArz4gq3h-bqWAwLP7M/s640/BNSF-15-12-09-026-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's that large bridge across the Interstate again, seen from a parking area for the Chamna Wildlife Refuge. 2866 again has charge of the train, with a long string of refer cars on the drawbar. There is a significant grade in both directions to reach the elevation of this bridge, and heavy trains struggling over this hump can often be heard from quite a distance. December 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTM2J8qA3EqnNGM_FJoqsHYtM2ycrBf5_GzloeX5jPvhUbkomnOBQXy56WVz9BJ8vSZDW-8InSrAkUd_s6nl5yYx9rhmc1YlYG8dg7o-M8MRrOf1rXMy86TstGzM2doOVWgsGVgc6sAo/s1600/BNSF-14-04-11-007-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTM2J8qA3EqnNGM_FJoqsHYtM2ycrBf5_GzloeX5jPvhUbkomnOBQXy56WVz9BJ8vSZDW-8InSrAkUd_s6nl5yYx9rhmc1YlYG8dg7o-M8MRrOf1rXMy86TstGzM2doOVWgsGVgc6sAo/s640/BNSF-14-04-11-007-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Yellowstone Ave. resident holds his son up to wave at the train crew as SD-40-2 1836 hauls its train past. April 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br /></div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-35403336995933737902016-03-22T12:26:00.000-07:002016-03-23T06:45:53.035-07:00Riding Amtrak's "Pioneer" - April, 1985<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBLMkvC-2-gcoOGTFxdh6sIbpFgSPAu0SvulwYA135weca5ZYnx9qjgPabkyLlTrEVY0dN2JDx3CDhmoGWb1zi-CP403cvXZPnwu3k10BiMuzHGhnvjtbpCfaAeHxCvdOeTRbiNm48Lg/s640/851019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">De-training at Hood River, OR. This was as far west as I travelled on the Pioneer. To travel from here to my home in Spokane, I had to catch a lift across the Columbia River and board the eastbound Empire Builder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My freshman year at BYU was winding down, and in talking
with my folks, we decided the train would be an acceptable way for me to get
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called the 1-800 number
for Amtrak and arranged the itinerary, and then I went down to the Rio Grande
freight office in Provo to purchase the ticket.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I had accumulated a lot of books and stuff during the year,
more than I would be able to take as checked baggage, so I boxed them up and
hauled them up to Salt Lake City – probably on a reading day before finals – to send them
as express packages on Amtrak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drove up
there in a friend’s VW Beetle, but the clutch cable failed just as I was coming
off the 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> South exit in SLC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pulled into the first available parking lot, found a pay phone to let
my friend know what had happened and to call for a taxi to take me the rest of
the way to the depot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend assured
me it would be OK as his folks lived in SLC and could take care of his car from
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The taxi took me to the depot to
drop off the boxes, and then I walked up to Temple Square, looked around for a
while, and took a UTA bus from there back to Provo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On my “somehow” list, I managed to get my bike shipped up to
Spokane as well, and it must have gone with the boxes shipped earlier, but I
don’t remember for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another item I
could not take with me was Mom’s little manual typewriter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That one I asked my friend Laurie to haul up
as far as her home in Yakima (or Selah), which I then picked up later that
summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I arranged something
similar with my bike?</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1bvygrUxN-jMbTlZYoVSJDcch6cQrX3n-kLp-09dPeLe-NCBJ4NY9bt9K_oUQ3GEfkC02G9OK7u85kxZbvx1nHdvKprEqQlgP8eMnS4mtiytebuLgz2rOxYdX2vOoplcOPJTA_MmYxg/s1600/85100A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1bvygrUxN-jMbTlZYoVSJDcch6cQrX3n-kLp-09dPeLe-NCBJ4NY9bt9K_oUQ3GEfkC02G9OK7u85kxZbvx1nHdvKprEqQlgP8eMnS4mtiytebuLgz2rOxYdX2vOoplcOPJTA_MmYxg/s640/85100A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My journey began here, at the D&RGW depot in Provo, UT. I arrived early on the departure day, and snapped this moody image of a Rio Grande freight while waiting for my train. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the departure date, I found my way down to the Provo
depot (the real one that got demolished while I was on my mission).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived there plenty early to watch
freight trains before catching mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
I soon found out there had been a derailment or something in Colorado, and that my
train, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">California Zephyr</i>, had
been re-routed through Wyoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the
first 40 miles of the trip was by bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At SLC, the train must have still been running behind schedule, because
I seem to remember a fairly long wait at the depot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, it was dark when I got on, so there wasn’t much to
see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a better appreciation now
for the “rare mileage” I earned on that trip in the dark:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>north of Ogden on the UP line to McCammon, ID
and then across Southern Idaho, including the Boise branch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boise was about where the sun came up, and my
trip west from Ontario, OR along the Snake River and up the Burnt River canyon
at Huntington was in full daylight.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdgpWYpmyddV60oXcBB9dirUjGq3Nd6p0O8x5atqPGBmoYACu-01j6foo09PM0ioSjD_x4Pf8B4INU83f5OSGdJUQu93UB5v7kSjg0Q0-tx_772eftezVI8y8xMUvAbQxKcq6fwioduY/s1600/851004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdgpWYpmyddV60oXcBB9dirUjGq3Nd6p0O8x5atqPGBmoYACu-01j6foo09PM0ioSjD_x4Pf8B4INU83f5OSGdJUQu93UB5v7kSjg0Q0-tx_772eftezVI8y8xMUvAbQxKcq6fwioduY/s640/851004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the time the sun was up, I had traversed most of Southern Idaho. The first decent photo I could manage was this, of our train preparing to cross the Snake River at Huntington, OR.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I
spent some time down in the vestibule of the Superliner cars with the window
open, taking in the sights and snapping a few photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have shots of the train crossing the Snake
just above Huntington, passing the old cement plant at Lime, and meeting UP freights
just west of LaGrande and the BN local train at Pendleton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My trip along the Columbia Gorge west of
Boardman was pretty spectacular too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccE0dz6-IGiH7vHtVKARqKaeJxVTXPYD9QcdamYcPb2xKHWd8C4c3K4s4imRUtrKFjysWSyG8nMTfJyR4ImN82NE4vkB44XUh0dLwSyTT2T7zEZzKRUR4VYJP95KK8nsxXGFIRhJL9JI/s1600/851007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccE0dz6-IGiH7vHtVKARqKaeJxVTXPYD9QcdamYcPb2xKHWd8C4c3K4s4imRUtrKFjysWSyG8nMTfJyR4ImN82NE4vkB44XUh0dLwSyTT2T7zEZzKRUR4VYJP95KK8nsxXGFIRhJL9JI/s640/851007.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From trips along the same route by freeway, I knew to look for this abandoned cement plant at Lime, OR, deep in the Burnt River canyon just west of Huntington.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hQnpxGdQZb_lI9MtdN80eE3KT9B0C1PtlSGl_5NaayFKISTx81R1TeosA5XTeFqaYtG8a2F22_s2AYUGpTg_qf1mav_uijenPhQjdTKs_h16IwQJ-kvCWoufHH9kHN2Hzuwau-NmMyU/s1600/851011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hQnpxGdQZb_lI9MtdN80eE3KT9B0C1PtlSGl_5NaayFKISTx81R1TeosA5XTeFqaYtG8a2F22_s2AYUGpTg_qf1mav_uijenPhQjdTKs_h16IwQJ-kvCWoufHH9kHN2Hzuwau-NmMyU/s640/851011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Union Pacific crewman gives our train a "roll by" inspection while his freight holds in the siding just west of LaGrande, OR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFyfM60nytNBD2530YWYVfY25UJ4Pfkia1k_kRJFb8KkzIt2lpKZ4ZQyN8e-pP0S3cwItolNVGsXHJoDd-mTTv6dXEcv6df1LrDEgfYRWjdxZ-EW_EiPjmwnxjg1XaWLIDCLKDLBwBPM/s1600/851015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFyfM60nytNBD2530YWYVfY25UJ4Pfkia1k_kRJFb8KkzIt2lpKZ4ZQyN8e-pP0S3cwItolNVGsXHJoDd-mTTv6dXEcv6df1LrDEgfYRWjdxZ-EW_EiPjmwnxjg1XaWLIDCLKDLBwBPM/s640/851015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the time of my trip, I didn't know that Burlington Northern served Pendleton, OR on its former Northern Pacific line south from Attalia, WA. So, I was a little surprised, pleasantly, to catch some "hometown" Cascade Green as we rolled through.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One question on my mind was what would happen when I got to
Hood River, OR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per the schedule, the westbound
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pioneer</i> did not arrive at Portland
until after the eastbound <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empire Builder</i>
had left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reservation agent had
informed me that I would need to de-train at Hood River, and then take a taxi
across the river to the Bingen/White Salmon station and await the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Builder</i> there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assumed/hoped a taxi would be available
when I got off at Hood River, but this caused me a little anxiety.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Fortunately, there was another BYU student on board, who
helped me out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a guy from one of
the upstairs floors on my side of Hinckley Hall, so he had even been in my
ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I’d had no reason to speak
to him at all during the school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I saw him on the train, I said something about having seen him
before, and we struck up a conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It didn’t take me more than a few minutes to realize he was a lot more
“geeky” than me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was ultra-smart and
highly focused, more so than I had been at school (which isn’t saying much),
and he told me the secret to his focus was repeating in his mind a mantra of
“six figure income.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, good luck to
him with that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">However, when I asked him
if he was going all the way to Portland, he actually told me he was getting off
at Hood River too, where his dad would pick him up and drive him home to White
Salmon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, as much as I disliked asking
this guy for a favor, I suggested maybe his dad could give me a lift, too, and
he agreed to ask.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmqM7Zp5XPK59QCpSWeaRbHP6J_D8-j9pMdNqIVYxFRMXPGoPa648BSTNOYLI4ApynK3CuszMK9vhyphenhyphen9ErzedaKI39svX9hH_kf7VhLcYAY62U72zjNxgZPp33qvkQOOdDL-G5jWbHoeU/s1600/851023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmqM7Zp5XPK59QCpSWeaRbHP6J_D8-j9pMdNqIVYxFRMXPGoPa648BSTNOYLI4ApynK3CuszMK9vhyphenhyphen9ErzedaKI39svX9hH_kf7VhLcYAY62U72zjNxgZPp33qvkQOOdDL-G5jWbHoeU/s640/851023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phase 2 of my journey began here at the former Spokane, Portland & Seattle depot in Bingen, WA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sure enough, once at Hood River, his dad threw my bags in the back of their station wagon (living up to its name)
and took me over to the BN depot with no questions asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I thanked him enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, now I had about three hours of wait
time in the former SP&S Bingen depot, with no one else to bug me and
nothing to do but watch BN freights pass the depot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Darn!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I stood out on the platform most of the time, and left my bags inside while
I walked up to the little store to buy some jo-jos and get a soda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, there was still enough light left to get
a couple decent photos, including one of the depot while it was still active as the Amtrak stop in Bingen.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXoT0opx7GSWK6u6KEBOrZtNWH0BEg2JMydtt9NL26ZucZ7lzpp92om5gN5s13Fe1lcvGSiSC0QIr-jEieS5el4ywlUfNxdswiqVNcMvR4C6Ctdd3qxzwLW5zlpmHLfcVTE11KHen4QQ/s1600/851024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXoT0opx7GSWK6u6KEBOrZtNWH0BEg2JMydtt9NL26ZucZ7lzpp92om5gN5s13Fe1lcvGSiSC0QIr-jEieS5el4ywlUfNxdswiqVNcMvR4C6Ctdd3qxzwLW5zlpmHLfcVTE11KHen4QQ/s640/851024.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was still light for most of my time in Bingen, allowing for photographs of BN freights while I awaited Amtrak. The third unit in this power consist is GP-38 2075, one of several ordered by the SP&P but delivered in Cascade Green after the BN merger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The rest of the trip was mostly in darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had notified my friend James of my arrival plans, and I
imagined I may have seen his car pacing the train in from Marshall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Whether that was him or not, I don't recall, but James was there with my folks at the Spokane station to welcome me home.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lcv1bydLrneEFeULJ7pYZeAQIPALZtR3v8K-_z5E9B4nXUfL7FU-7HMG-CHheUnCgoxQl2nCrpG8GXxJnpZT-4FQxtRV1TPkf-941N5hX4GnC4KmOkqnKgXtR1CIf4bhkrUgAsTNWpc/s1600/851200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lcv1bydLrneEFeULJ7pYZeAQIPALZtR3v8K-_z5E9B4nXUfL7FU-7HMG-CHheUnCgoxQl2nCrpG8GXxJnpZT-4FQxtRV1TPkf-941N5hX4GnC4KmOkqnKgXtR1CIf4bhkrUgAsTNWpc/s640/851200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luckily, there was still just enough light in the sky to catch this shot of my eastbound Empire Builder arriving to carry me the rest of the way home.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I did travel on the Pioneer one more time before its demise. This was an eastbound trip back to BYU at the end of Christmas break. My folks drove me down to Hinkle, OR on an unusually warm New Year's Day, 1989, and we waited in the car for a little while before the train showed up. I remember a fairly relaxing trip, but due to the time of year, the trip was in darkness for most of the time and I didn't take any photos.</span></span>Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-42637030231555433002016-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:002016-01-21T06:51:46.627-08:00My Best Railroad Photos from 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am not a great photographer. I will never be a great photographer. I just take pictures of trains.</div>
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Here are some of the shots I took last year that I think turned out best (in chronological order):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmqLaLvkSRG3KNgbPTQXhAGuhqnRt-6fu05Ff86QAxoQNZfcGhkoBf209qO9Cx2GIG67rcDK9-qnJIx-i150m8Y1k99ew0a842ICR9JJUQJWYIMtnLweKk3DLIH4rnFjUp0eNmDbM-F8/s1600/CBRW-15-02-13-028-Warden_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmqLaLvkSRG3KNgbPTQXhAGuhqnRt-6fu05Ff86QAxoQNZfcGhkoBf209qO9Cx2GIG67rcDK9-qnJIx-i150m8Y1k99ew0a842ICR9JJUQJWYIMtnLweKk3DLIH4rnFjUp0eNmDbM-F8/s640/CBRW-15-02-13-028-Warden_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In February, I made a trip up to Warden, WA where I understood the Columbia Basin Ry. operated a small fleet of six-axle SD-9s. Without much solid information in hand, I was lucky enough to arrive just as the northbound train left for Wheeler, near Moses Lake. I saw this trestle on my way north, but the morning fog was too thick for me to manage a shot of the train crossing it. After following the train around for most of the day, I was able to set up for this shot, which turned out to be the last one of the day. This is still probably my all-time favorite for 2015.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAjeT49AegBm2p1lF6HMKca3f0j54wL4EfErafTJ6pxyjGurQOkfb4hGWESUmmZ2nx7Mcn8xzHyL46cAFEikVlM4mJM12DQWpJ4fO_R629h7rsvnBzZL-x5ZWlYL3Nz56PoIuuUFB4Ko/s1600/BNSF-15-04-24-006-Wallula_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAjeT49AegBm2p1lF6HMKca3f0j54wL4EfErafTJ6pxyjGurQOkfb4hGWESUmmZ2nx7Mcn8xzHyL46cAFEikVlM4mJM12DQWpJ4fO_R629h7rsvnBzZL-x5ZWlYL3Nz56PoIuuUFB4Ko/s640/BNSF-15-04-24-006-Wallula_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I managed to catch BNSF's "Lowline Local" leaving Pasco yard. This train runs down to Wallula, WA to serve the Boise (Cascade) pulp mill there and to interchange with Union Pacific. With a good lead on the train, I was able to get in to the sportsmen's access area on the west side of the tracks to find a good vantage to photograph the train. This shot turned out the best, with the choppy water of the Columbia River in the foreground, and the ABS signal mast beckoning the train forward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjNcvNFtCGita-9bPIiQI3wXTGN4AJA1gDXIvWTvcwp7W6QHvy3uv7q4PH27rgFp7YVOANFr2OySie_fewCVj4vEeaZEW2TXT8Fgd_J1zoQtmizcAmUtDv4d9SL-Xa_nqGEYUX7CeqcY/s1600/BNSF-15-08-01-007-LaPine_ORmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjNcvNFtCGita-9bPIiQI3wXTGN4AJA1gDXIvWTvcwp7W6QHvy3uv7q4PH27rgFp7YVOANFr2OySie_fewCVj4vEeaZEW2TXT8Fgd_J1zoQtmizcAmUtDv4d9SL-Xa_nqGEYUX7CeqcY/s640/BNSF-15-08-01-007-LaPine_ORmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On a family trip to LaPine, OR in July, I finally was able to photograph a couple trains on BNSF's Oregon Trunk/Inside Gateway line through central Oregon. Normally, I'm not a big fan of "going away" shots, but with the morning sun shining on the train, and the still snowy mountain peaks in the background, this one turned out particularly well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivi581Vai4ROuslNBxHItpRjPwB64xGrxr6PI__o9WzlA2bwL8V_XJ1gxZDD_GZ9p970nGv2QA0i1gfSBFHDLN0M_eRX91iyd_aKmGzH0Ahy7SInAYME4LJ9GT3T9LSQVk3ErAvdaXi5g/s1600/TCRY-15-09-03-003-RichlandMod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivi581Vai4ROuslNBxHItpRjPwB64xGrxr6PI__o9WzlA2bwL8V_XJ1gxZDD_GZ9p970nGv2QA0i1gfSBFHDLN0M_eRX91iyd_aKmGzH0Ahy7SInAYME4LJ9GT3T9LSQVk3ErAvdaXi5g/s640/TCRY-15-09-03-003-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Tri-Cities Railroad is my "hometown" railroad; I live about a quarter mile from the tracks and can easily hear the trains blowing their horns on days when I'm at home. I like this shot for its simplicity. The single cloud in the sky casting a shadow on Rattlesnake Mountain is really cool, I think.</div>
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<img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bUfsLJ1em0KbN9PwJ3aqc2riqq8OH2GPvaCqRAod36RWFEpGpcE34pjQuSArF_5X9OfweUlJ7gK_XorEMQNINs77dZMNI7GsGDNHN9sz6Oosc_fbED02LW82607cYMwHhinESOSStqk/s640/BNSF-15-09-11-005-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Port of Benton owns the tracks in Richland and hosts both the TCRY and BNSF as its tenants. Here I shot the inbound "Byron Turn" crossing Saint Street. Using a telephoto lens compressed the photo in a way that Badger Mountain appears to loom much larger over the train than it appears to the unaided eye.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguekvlc5Xyd6IIDDLF44tj7dpCuCj6XFl7QVoleShfc5PCU1FJGChNnVqqKyx1XG49CryE4Q-cLWmy0PGa26xD_49hhEFVunt-l7Ii8R3VlYw8gnOxREQlbMzUp7t1zX6LwqTC_kD8AOs/s1600/CBRW-15-09-11-039-Connell_WAmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguekvlc5Xyd6IIDDLF44tj7dpCuCj6XFl7QVoleShfc5PCU1FJGChNnVqqKyx1XG49CryE4Q-cLWmy0PGa26xD_49hhEFVunt-l7Ii8R3VlYw8gnOxREQlbMzUp7t1zX6LwqTC_kD8AOs/s640/CBRW-15-09-11-039-Connell_WAmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On Patriots Day, 9/11, I returned to the CBRW, this time hoping to catch the Warden to Connell train. After following the train down from Warden and witnessing their interchange with BNSF, I then watched the train climb out of Connell Coulee and shot this photo as it crested the grade at Frischknecht.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaWGIGhr47LErLSwVVNhBYZ5JayjAaU3VKOfN3SXX3U4IpKjrjO9UErCXtCuXs3DuBvaRSh2pa3yRM2GECIyFZDHS9YNpmC00iDfCo5fot9L-Cx3K7wYZTMrvKOCYx6-UA5X5UfeVgX0/s1600/TCRY-15-10-01-002-RichlandMod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaWGIGhr47LErLSwVVNhBYZ5JayjAaU3VKOfN3SXX3U4IpKjrjO9UErCXtCuXs3DuBvaRSh2pa3yRM2GECIyFZDHS9YNpmC00iDfCo5fot9L-Cx3K7wYZTMrvKOCYx6-UA5X5UfeVgX0/s640/TCRY-15-10-01-002-RichlandMod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was another "telesmash" shot I took of the TCRY on the Port of Benton line as it approaches Duportail Street. Notice the rush hour traffic on parallel Highway 240.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iExgyfICj6_sk5OlS94Hpw7hmoC2ptNSHrnZprMF1-BVGXQl2h__t7zlWR2GepwYcKMhRsqjPRzTb4xuD_hUfF7sYIo2IWvQnAZzTfhkkrxLp2ELkAWE1wVsbG0HLJDxyo8zrVn0Q3Q/s1600/BNSF-15-10-09-001-Wallula_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iExgyfICj6_sk5OlS94Hpw7hmoC2ptNSHrnZprMF1-BVGXQl2h__t7zlWR2GepwYcKMhRsqjPRzTb4xuD_hUfF7sYIo2IWvQnAZzTfhkkrxLp2ELkAWE1wVsbG0HLJDxyo8zrVn0Q3Q/s640/BNSF-15-10-09-001-Wallula_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I thought this was another "Lowline Local" when I saw it leave Pasco yard toward Wallula. It turned out to be a unit train of cattle feed headed for the Simplot feedlot located along the old NP Walla Walla line northeast of Wallula. I like this shot because of the early morning light, the Columbia River to the left and the signal mast to the right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP208QZ88Vp3B2qqaLcX_A52CW2Wh9fUZFBF5D60fDs3SdY_WwDIgesFBXYZv-DIzTXaVnitQVLo4JQcKYeajUgIjO50pSwLt9fPO0zL6FKqP3SpeD6d4_uOhF7uVpb7LBKXSRVK2nwcU/s1600/BNSF-15-10-09-007-Glade_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP208QZ88Vp3B2qqaLcX_A52CW2Wh9fUZFBF5D60fDs3SdY_WwDIgesFBXYZv-DIzTXaVnitQVLo4JQcKYeajUgIjO50pSwLt9fPO0zL6FKqP3SpeD6d4_uOhF7uVpb7LBKXSRVK2nwcU/s640/BNSF-15-10-09-007-Glade_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the Connell Turn at Glade siding north of Pasco. A favorite because it is consistently powered by pairs of SD-40-2s, and this is one of the few chances the old "deuces" get to run on the mainline these days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHt1XAYuzMvnGgz99DT-noZsz5w-VPdosg8_uhf88qSpm5adycf5n3qDTXC0dEzxAuAMfZrQVhqCc4BY8vGV_W7Umr6PEn6CYVFeaNJnsxdEt1vi9Hr4OCYoMf56DCRD6uiMohIMlzuso/s1600/TCRY-15-10-09-003-Kennewick_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHt1XAYuzMvnGgz99DT-noZsz5w-VPdosg8_uhf88qSpm5adycf5n3qDTXC0dEzxAuAMfZrQVhqCc4BY8vGV_W7Umr6PEn6CYVFeaNJnsxdEt1vi9Hr4OCYoMf56DCRD6uiMohIMlzuso/s640/TCRY-15-10-09-003-Kennewick_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the TCRY again, eastbound on the former Union Pacific Yakima Branch in Kennewick. The dusty yellow flowers on the foreground bushes and the yellowing, but still green, trees in the background make the R/W/B SD-40-2 really stand out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV5NfwtINdMogAxQIIxSoa-NNHi4HeScNdp2z_9IaGC0uTuxqG3gbXJVbuAZnywHudFL8cL5W7oeHJdD0tukpQBHMqjzjvrpSw0j4YIKtSMP8F3CwhW1pfkqjwyC6_m0ZwfbH-G49HF4/s1600/BNSF-15-10-15-050-Richland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV5NfwtINdMogAxQIIxSoa-NNHi4HeScNdp2z_9IaGC0uTuxqG3gbXJVbuAZnywHudFL8cL5W7oeHJdD0tukpQBHMqjzjvrpSw0j4YIKtSMP8F3CwhW1pfkqjwyC6_m0ZwfbH-G49HF4/s640/BNSF-15-10-15-050-Richland.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fall colors are not as prevalent in the Mid-Columbia as in other regions of the country, but if you know where to look during the short two-week window in October, you can manage some decent shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGAD4C1b_4GQricBw9q64p8n1EMYXdscgOALbbJk9HX6jrBQY6-XZBdjt6AruRD3oKPljxhaxsmDR7m_5lAsA_Fre9qsMZC1brpUoTy0Zilo0oJBjvCCxZBEEYLnOxBkm1gAAMAlKLjE/s1600/UP-15-12-21-002-Durkee_ORmod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGAD4C1b_4GQricBw9q64p8n1EMYXdscgOALbbJk9HX6jrBQY6-XZBdjt6AruRD3oKPljxhaxsmDR7m_5lAsA_Fre9qsMZC1brpUoTy0Zilo0oJBjvCCxZBEEYLnOxBkm1gAAMAlKLjE/s640/UP-15-12-21-002-Durkee_ORmod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Family trips to Utah a couple times a year are good-news-bad-news situations for me. Good that I enjoy traveling and hoping to see trains, but bad that we're in a rush and there's seldom time to stop and wait for a train to be in the right place for a photo. This time I got lucky on the way home and was able to pull off I-84 at Cement Plant, OR to catch this eastbound mixed freight.</div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-46920633510594776162016-01-12T19:13:00.000-08:002016-09-20T07:59:27.645-07:00Midnights at Irvin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGb0Tsc17Y5FI-QIurBuaUOQ6nuTWiTzMVes0t6ZOGv5UycjQ1O9le4EhewFserHUGmiXz1l3XVAHKcLK2BmDlklOvxrPdEf6o4AbRvPBk10FgruY8asqOvxGoL3pYlgFivotOnHk8JI/s1600/851404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGb0Tsc17Y5FI-QIurBuaUOQ6nuTWiTzMVes0t6ZOGv5UycjQ1O9le4EhewFserHUGmiXz1l3XVAHKcLK2BmDlklOvxrPdEf6o4AbRvPBk10FgruY8asqOvxGoL3pYlgFivotOnHk8JI/s640/851404.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late-night railfans (L to R) Tom Campbell, John, myself and James. Another cohort from that era was Steve Davis, who probably took this picture using my camera. May 1st, 1985</td></tr>
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I admit it, I’d never heard of Irvin either, at least not before that Friday evening in 1983.<br />
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The phone rang in our home, I was the first to pick up, and it was for me. The voice on the other end said, “Tom? This is Jim. Want to go out tonight and watch Amtrak at Irvin?” At first, this confused me. The only Jim among my friends was not the least bit interested in railroads, so I thought he was pranking me. After a little bit of back and forth, I realized that “Jim” was actually James Bradley, who I knew was definitely interested in railroads, and crazy enough to want to watch trains at night.<br />
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OK, that made more sense, but where was this “Irvin” place of which he spoke? He clarified that it was where the Burlington Northern mainline east of Spokane crossed Pines Rd. Railroads have a habit of giving locations names that the general populace never uses. Apparently, Irvin was the name the first railroad through there, the Northern Pacific, had given that particular spot. Now I had a better idea what he was talking about, and was curious enough to bite on his offer. This would be the first of many visits, totaling perhaps hundreds of hours spent on weekend nights over the next few years, watching trains at or near Irvin.<br />
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After checking with my folks that it would be OK to head out this late, and getting a curfew time from them, I hopped in James’ yellow “POS” Chevette when he pulled up. I really didn’t know James that well at this time – he was a year behind me in school, and although we’d first met in junior high, I hadn’t seen him at all in high school until the current year. I learned later that his folks had divorced and he’d been living with his mom in France up until his recent arrival at North Central High School.<br />
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One more piece of background: James’ dad, Jim Bradley, was a hard-core railfan who had inspired his only son to an equal level of railroad enthusiasm. Jim had been the original proprietor of the Sunset Junction hobby shop, and coincidentally had given me a substantial nudge into the hobby by a generous gesture in his shop several years earlier. Since the divorce, he’d moved down to Texas and remarried, but James remained committed to their shared interest in trains – maybe also because he knew it annoyed his mom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQEhaYQjeBZqMN1P5CAaub3b2pCqyaOwCvd4M2JeAVCwIr0u42rNvZuj2c_eZSASBBlD5CWIgfsyD_60wcYqcmHsgbRbFazpJ7-mpbX1O52O-NsYNziVjqdWhyMP9vnGQDReNOx30_aw/s1600/840804mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQEhaYQjeBZqMN1P5CAaub3b2pCqyaOwCvd4M2JeAVCwIr0u42rNvZuj2c_eZSASBBlD5CWIgfsyD_60wcYqcmHsgbRbFazpJ7-mpbX1O52O-NsYNziVjqdWhyMP9vnGQDReNOx30_aw/s640/840804mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A westbound local, returning to Parkwater yard, approaches the Pines Rd. grade crossing at Irvin, WA</td></tr>
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So, as James and I drove north on Pines Rd. toward the railroad crossing, he was much more familiar with the spot that I, having been first introduced to it by his dad. Just before reaching the tracks, he made a hard left onto the railroad’s maintenance road, nosed a few feet forward almost even with the double-headed east-facing signal mast, and then backed the car 90 degrees around to park with the back bumper nearly touching the fence of the next-door property. From this vantage, we could see the tracks in either direction, and more importantly, we could clearly see the color of the signals when lit.<br />
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Up until then, my understanding of railroad signals amounted to “green means go, red means stop”. James was better versed in signaling, and I learned a lot more about the subject from him upon repeated visits to Irvin. Because the signals were “approach lit”, they remained dark until a train occupied the tracks two or more “blocks” away in either direction. If the east-facing signals both lit up as red, it most likely meant an eastbound train was leaving Parkwater yard and would soon be upon us. The glow of a locomotive’s headlight to the west usually confirmed this signal indication within minutes.<br />
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If either signal lit up as yellow or green, it meant a westbound train would soon round the curve a mile or so east of us. A green signal meant the train had been cleared by the dispatcher for passage through the block at full speed. Yellow meant that the train would need to slow to a “restricted” speed as it approached the next signal. Green signals were rare and usually only appeared on the uppermost signal head, because this was the one that controlled the mainline track. Trains that the dispatcher switched onto the parallel siding (which reached all the way to the yard), were told so by the lower signal head, and it displayed yellow because of the need to slow for the diverging track. Using this knowledge, we were able to have a clear picture what trains were running on our little part of the railroad at any given time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8cNL5i0y6S2fi7q_iO0EIX1OZLr0QqmPLNWLK3Fo2ecO4oLOAUmxJvBsKbdGSp3LJCvk1S8lE2q5M9ZH1VSa2M5Fo0Xb2pmAp29-6ukzPbiQ4YJqpX3kVN2Sg-G0u8Mk1jEG7P21Wjc/s1600/881222mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8cNL5i0y6S2fi7q_iO0EIX1OZLr0QqmPLNWLK3Fo2ecO4oLOAUmxJvBsKbdGSp3LJCvk1S8lE2q5M9ZH1VSa2M5Fo0Xb2pmAp29-6ukzPbiQ4YJqpX3kVN2Sg-G0u8Mk1jEG7P21Wjc/s640/881222mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eastbound freight with two leased Milwaukee Road SD-40-2s, holds the main while a westbound takes the siding. The eastbound mainline signal head at Irvin is visible above the westbound's locomotives.</td></tr>
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The main reason James preferred to spend time at Irvin after dark was his particular interest in passenger trains. In our part of the country, that meant one thing: Amtrak. Spokane was (and still is) one of the more interesting spots in the country to view Amtrak trains, a) because the eastbound and westbound sections of Amtrak’s Empire Builder train passed (and still pass) each other just to the east of Spokane (when both were/are running on time), and that could mean two trains for the price of one, and b) because Spokane was (is) where the Seattle and Portland sections of the Builder converge to form the full eastbound train, and where the westbound is split into its two component trains.<br />
<br />
This whole orchestration began when the Portland section would arrive at Spokane’s downtown station shortly before midnight, where it was soon joined by its Seattle counterpart. The trains would spend several minutes at the depot as they were switched into one train and the passengers originating at Spokane would board. Once on its way, the eastbound saw clear signals all the way out of town, and would pass Irvin before 1 a.m. If time permitted and (again) things were running on time, another half-hour wait would bring the westbound Builder past us, where the same process would be followed in reverse. James preferred to watch the action from this end of the process, and this far away from Parkwater yard, so the trains would be moving at full speed (79 mph was the maximum authorized speed) as they passed us.<br />
<br />
On a few occasions, we managed to see all six trains enter or leave town by parking west of the depot to catch the Portland and Seattle sections arriving, driving east to Irvin to watch the combined eastbound depart, waiting for the arriving westbound Builder, and then driving west again to catch the two smaller sections as they departed. The catch, of course, was the late hour. James had fewer restrictions for when he needed to be home (or he ignored his restrictions). My parents had stricter expectations (that are more understandable to me now as a parent than they were at the time), and usually, 1:30 a.m. was about as late as they could handle. If the trains were on time, I still couldn’t meet this curfew and see all the trains we wanted. More than a few times I had to find a pay phone to call a few minutes before my curfew and negotiate more time if trains were running late.<br />
<br />
The fact that we were parked by the railroad tracks in the middle of the night was a factor in most of the humorous/exciting/harrowing things that happened on our many visits to Irvin. Although the darkness hid us from most of the passing drivers on Pines, or on Trent Avenue that paralleled the tracks from Parkwater all the way to Rathdrum, ID, when we did get noticed, it was usually by Sheriff’s deputies (because we were outside city limits). Although this took place long before 9/11 and fears of domestic terrorism, there were lots of other reasons law enforcement officers could imagine why a car might be parked in a dark, secluded spot, and very few of them were legal. So, we had several conversations with deputies on different occasions.<br />
<br />
Of course, just our presence on railroad property was violating the laws against trespassing, but back then, the deputies did not seem to care about that. They did want to know what we were up to, and most times accepted our story at face value. Probably our most notable incident happened when we brought another friend along with us.<br />
<br />
This deputy seemed more curious than usual and asked us for ID. Both James and I presented our licenses, but our friend claimed he didn’t have ID with him, and when the deputy asked his name and birthdate, he replied with a phony name and made-up birth date. While the deputy was running our information, we asked our friend what was going on, and he said he had an outstanding warrant for second-degree burglary. Both James and I had an “Oh crap!” moment, and I pictured myself being jailed for harboring a fugitive or something like that.<br />
<br />
The deputy called us back, handed us our licenses (the deputy remarked on James’ large number of speeding tickets, and my record was clean, of course). He told our friend he couldn’t find any problems with his record, but my heart leapt into my throat when the deputy next asked us to repeat our names and birthdates for his notes. I knew our friend would probably remember the fake name he’d provided, but there was no way he was going to remember what fake birthdate he’d given. And, the deputy certainly would remember it. When they did not match, I knew he’d be in trouble and I was afraid it would impact me. However, just as the deputy got ready to ask our friend for his name and birthdate, a call came in on the radio that he had to respond to right away, and off he drove. Needless to say, that was the last time we took that particular friend along.<br />
<br />
Our adventures usually began earlier in the evenings, often as early as 8 p.m., so we could catch the “opening act”: whatever freight trains might be running. This portion of the railroad was known as “The Funnel” by many railfans and real railroaders. The Funnel was formed when Burlington Northern consolidated its two separate routes between Sandpoint, ID and Spokane onto the former Northern Pacific tracks, while downgrading the ex-GN line to an alternate mainline before tearing it up between Dean and Newport about 1985. So two parallel routes, ex-GN and ex-NP, entered Sandpoint from the east, were funneled into one line, and then split into two again at Spokane.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiEtjLTr8JnwDR7S0MQYsxU1vzVsIg0ZpFZxBvGfacSe8sTc1D7dpznOaQPF_mqU-a81NCEAQV14gxRpnDz55e3wy4cLsOYug6Z2ul-S9JS7Ytp1Lk1P-qh41kfkYewP2NcwbD-fy2BU/s1600/841303mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiEtjLTr8JnwDR7S0MQYsxU1vzVsIg0ZpFZxBvGfacSe8sTc1D7dpznOaQPF_mqU-a81NCEAQV14gxRpnDz55e3wy4cLsOYug6Z2ul-S9JS7Ytp1Lk1P-qh41kfkYewP2NcwbD-fy2BU/s640/841303mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unusual power combination, even for 1983, leads a westbound at Irvin. The lead locomotive is a "straight" SD-40 of CB&Q heritage, and it is followed by an SD-45 and an SD-9.</td></tr>
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This meant every BN train between Chicago and Seattle or Portland had to pass Irvin; as many as 50 trains per day as I recall. So, even (or particularly) late at night there were plenty of freight trains to see while waiting for Amtrak. The bulk of these were led by multiple-unit “lashups” of EMD SD-40-2 locomotives, which BN had selected as its standard locomotive model for a lot of good reasons. No matter how practical and efficient those “Dash-2’s” may have been, we got really tired of them really quickly. Of course, it was dark, so the few other SD types and “2nd Generation” GP types didn’t stand out too much against the background of all those SD-40-2s. What really got our blood pumping were the few times a full string of high-hood “1st Generation” GP units lead a train past us!<br />
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James was (and still is, I’m sure) a very confident and bold guy, and he’d learned from his dad, who had railroaded before opening the hobby shop, not to be afraid of asking questions and favors from the railroad employees. I, on the other hand, did not want to get in their way so that my privileges of being on railroad property would not be lost. So, whenever James would barge into the yard office and start asking which trains were running when, and so forth, I felt very uncomfortable and tended to hang back. But, by riding on James’ coattails, I managed to experience a lot of cool things.<br />
<br />
One experience came when James dragged me into the BN offices in the downtown Amtrak depot, and we visited with the dispatcher not too long before that office was closed and its functions moved to Seattle (and later to Ft. Worth). Another time, we visited with the operator in the tower where the UP tracks crossed the ex-NP tracks at grade.<br />
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Probably the most significant of these episodes came when James negotiated a ride for us on an Amtrak F-40PH locomotive! Because of the way Amtrak split and joined the Builder in Spokane, it was a convenient location to provide servicing for their locomotives. Three F-40s typically led the westbound Builder into town, and three left again, one on the Portland section and two on the Seattle, and likewise in reverse on the eastbound leg. But, there was a spare F-40 that spent each day at Parkwater for servicing and was then cycled into the mix as the train was split apart and joined together again. The one engine that then got cycled out ran back to Parkwater for fuel, sand and supplies, and to wait until it was cycled back into service the next night.<br />
<br />
So, one night James bluffed a little and told the hostler we’d already spoken with the yardmaster about a cab ride from the Parkwater shops to the depot and back again, about 4 to 5 miles each way. The hostler probably didn’t fall for James’ bluff, but was not against giving two young railfans a thrill and let us up into the cab. I don’t remember as much detail about this trip as I would like, partly because, again, I didn’t want to cause trouble and did not converse with the crew as much as James.<br />
<br />
We threaded our way through the yard and out onto the mainline with frequent, but brief, stops for signals and such. It wasn’t long before we approached the depot, and the engineer suggested we get off about 100 yards east of the depot, so that no one in an official position would question our presence in the cab. We watched the shuffling of locomotives from alongside the tracks, and after the various sections of the Builder had departed, the lone F-40 headed back to the yard with a stop to let us back on. The hostler gave James a shot at the throttle for part of the run, and he offered me a turn too, but I was still too scared to chance it and declined (a decision I have regretted many times since, so don’t rub it in). The final thrill of the evening was getting to ride the Parkwater turntable while in the cab, so the engine would be facing the correct direction for the next night.<br />
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One evening on maybe my second or third nighttime visit to Irvin, James took me to the door of the house we parked alongside. That corner of the railroad crossing was mostly occupied by Trent Elementary school, but right at the corner there stood a private residence where Jake and Elsie lived. They were an older retired couple, whom James had befriended sometime before. They welcomed us in, and were more than happy to chat with us. They even showed us photos from a family vacation they’d taken to Durango, Colorado where they’d ridden the narrow gauge railroad there. Nice folks.<br />
<br />
A definite drawback to late-night railfanning was our inability to take photos of all the action. So, anything that served to delay the trains more than 8 hours was a cause for excitement. The poor passengers were certainly not happy about trains running that late, but for us it presented a rare chance to shoot action photos of Amtrak trains at Spokane.<br />
<br />
On Dec 23rd, 1983, the phone rang about 10 pm at home, and no surprise, it was James calling. He’d found out that winter weather in Montana had significantly delayed the westbound Builder, and it would not arrive in Spokane until well after daybreak! Mom and Dad were OK with the idea of me not being around the house much of Christmas Eve, so sometime in the morning James picked me up and we headed for Irvin. Our plan was to set up on the opposite side of Pines, a little closer to the substantial bridge the railroad used to cross the Spokane River. We found a suitable spot, and waited for the train to arrive. And waited. And waited. And waited.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzW8iMw4MTaUxb05bNmTDDz7yUKSv9iacj5Y8p8Lwu3siYzTC750jkUrm2DU2v1H4dd0ReSpu4ah_Ftpb8P1iCGmCnxHEIgwof77eOGaF-hfT3qAmpMoXIa38lez2I5lkTM0wuJBTyBc/s1600/832615mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzW8iMw4MTaUxb05bNmTDDz7yUKSv9iacj5Y8p8Lwu3siYzTC750jkUrm2DU2v1H4dd0ReSpu4ah_Ftpb8P1iCGmCnxHEIgwof77eOGaF-hfT3qAmpMoXIa38lez2I5lkTM0wuJBTyBc/s640/832615mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An extremely late westbound Empire Builder crosses the Spokane River at Irvin, about a quarter mile east of Pines Rd. This photo is a little blurry due to low light and speed, but was well worth the wait.</td></tr>
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Again, in the era prior to smart phones, we had virtually no way to know what progress, if any, the train was making toward our location. It seems at one point we even drove back to downtown to see if someone at the depot could inform us. The train had barely left Sandpoint, so we had time to return to Irvin and our original plan. Eventually, the signals illuminated and the sound of a five-chime air horn sounded from the east. It was mid-afternoon by this time, and the sky was heavily overcast, so the light was less than optimal. I got my desired shot of the train on the bridge, but the camera’s shutter speed was necessarily low and the image turned out a little fuzzy. We scampered back toward town, and managed another shot of the train at UP Tower, and then we found a spot to shoot the train’s Portland section as it departed town. But, by the time that train was ready to depart, darkness had nearly settled in, and a call home indicated my folks were antsy to have me there for Christmas Eve dinner, so we called off the rest of the chase.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfm0rF3BSWUQeFrtOF-mQZt6gpaJtzcgRbrBuaxyPIZ1TO6Fs5n7yKDlAuumZWh2S0fZVREWqrCwAEzHrWKlrdssfnkSad0xVt2eT85WZyX36In6HqTnMVmoc6rzqbKrQ2EtAqdoF8nI/s1600/832617mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfm0rF3BSWUQeFrtOF-mQZt6gpaJtzcgRbrBuaxyPIZ1TO6Fs5n7yKDlAuumZWh2S0fZVREWqrCwAEzHrWKlrdssfnkSad0xVt2eT85WZyX36In6HqTnMVmoc6rzqbKrQ2EtAqdoF8nI/s640/832617mod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James gets his shot of the Empire Builder about to "hit the diamonds" at UP Tower, where the Union Pacific tracks cross the BN mainline.</td></tr>
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Our visits to Irvin lasted through the summer of 1984 before I headed off to college. The visits resumed again the following April when school let out and I’d returned home, but in my absence, James had recruited others of his friends to join him for midnight train watching at Irvin. Only one of these guys had any seeming interest in railroads, and I don’t think his enthusiasm for them lasted much beyond his teenage years. Upon my return from college my grandfather had passed away, and with various funeral arrangements and such, I’d had little time for chasing trains. But May 1st was almost upon us, and being Amtrak’s 14th “birthday”, this called for a little celebration!<br />
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Celebration was an overstatement, but still, we managed to accumulate several friends at Irvin that night. I made up a poster wishing Amtrak a happy birthday that might have been large enough for the engineer, and any passengers awake enough, to notice. Lack of light was the problem, of course, but it just so happened one of our friends had driven his off-road dune buggy to the meet, and it held a large array of lights on its roll bar. So, with the dune buggy facing in the train’s direction of travel (we only greeted the eastbound), the lights pretty well illuminated our poster and the group of us waving at the train. The engineer may have given us a little extra greeting with the horn, but otherwise there was no acknowledgement of our well wishes from anyone other than ourselves.<br />
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Irvin still exists as the easternmost extent of the Spokane terminal for today’s BNSF Railway. An extensive mid-nineties track rebuild project pushed the east-facing signal mast several yards farther east, but its indications can still be seen by drivers as they cross the tracks. Trespassing is much more strictly policed, so I would never dream today of parking alongside the tracks in our old spot out of concern both for the law and for safety. Jake and Elsie’s home was demolished (or moved?) many years ago.<br />
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But, Amtrak still regales Irvin with its 5-chime chorus twice each night – or more correctly, twice early each morning. And, for those who stay up late enough to witness its passage, the thrill is still there.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Lunchtimes at Sunset Jct. – An Appendix</b></h3>
<br />
James and I did not limit our high school aged railfan adventures to late night Amtrak watching. Another likely time to find us trackside was lunchtime on school days.<br />
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North Central High School was considered an open campus at the time, so there was no limit on where we could go for lunch. While most other students ranged as far afield as the nearby 7-11 at lunch, James and I decided the lunch period gave us enough time to hustle down to Sunset Junction (the actual railroad location in Spokane, not the hobby shop once owned by James’ dad), and perhaps catch a passing train or two while eating our sack lunches. There really wasn’t enough time for it, but we often managed to see a train or two, and usually made it back in time. Usually.<br />
<br />
We probably only made these excursions three or four times during the spring of 1984. I was a senior and James a junior, and we both had a lot of other things going on, so our opportunities were limited. One time, just as we’d crossed the Monroe St. Bridge – following the quickest route to Sunset Jct. – we had to stop for a light. I looked to our left, and realized that my dad sat right next to us in traffic. I think I said, “Oh crap, it’s my dad!” and we sped away from there as soon as the light turned green. Glancing back, I could see that Dad had recognized us, and I felt certain I’d receive a lecture when I got home. But then, I realized we weren’t doing anything wrong and felt a little sheepish I’d behaved so guiltily. And, when I did get home, Dad only said he would’ve bought us hamburgers for lunch if we hadn’t zipped away before he could offer. Oops.<br />
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One other trip, we didn’t get back to school quite on time. No one in the hallways tried to stop us, so we hurried back to our respective classrooms. I tried to slip into 4th period French as quietly as I could, but Madame Scrimshire inquired (in French, of course), where I had been. I stumbled through, “J’étais avec Jacques.” James, with a French mother and having lived there with her for a year, was enrolled in a different period of Madame’s classes, where he was known as Jacques. Madame was well acquainted with Jacques’ near-maniacal love of trains, and his penchant for odd behavior.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OOw9n6cq1ENA_4tU92Wg3zRnoIZq08NUJrLxbq-julR8fr5rlzG1RY1XHI_iN5DKIQ5I8JzReKS06PBOAY7b33gjoroPrU3DD6CpWiLUhyhR_gL6fpF1BqZTcJpsiPeBQqomZ6-Q7NE/s1600/851205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OOw9n6cq1ENA_4tU92Wg3zRnoIZq08NUJrLxbq-julR8fr5rlzG1RY1XHI_iN5DKIQ5I8JzReKS06PBOAY7b33gjoroPrU3DD6CpWiLUhyhR_gL6fpF1BqZTcJpsiPeBQqomZ6-Q7NE/s640/851205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The caboose of an eastbound UP freight crosses under the westbound signal tower at Sunset Jct. This photo was taken in 1985, after I had graduated, but is typical of what James and I saw on our lunchtime railfan excursions.</td></tr>
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She thought for a moment about marking me as tardy, then asked, “Avez-vous sortez a regarder les trains?” I replied, “Oui.” <br />
<br />
Madame just smiled, rolled her eyes, threw her hands up and replied “D’accord!” And then, she continued with class.<br />
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Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-45440376310280749312015-10-20T13:07:00.002-07:002015-10-20T13:07:07.781-07:00"HO-key" Railroad Backstories - Part 2<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A six-axle Baldwin working at Harvard, ID, Spring 1967. Fact or fiction? You be the judge.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This much is true:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Logging by rail vanished completely from Potlatch Forest Industries’ Bovill and Elk River operations in the mid-Fifties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PFI abandoned its last logging branch, from Elk River to Camp 43, in 1950 and only maintained a small steam engine at Bovill for another year or two to shuttle cars around the truck-to-rail reload yards there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down on the “Headquarters Side,” logging by rail continued to the close of the decade, but that was it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many logs still traveled by rail from the PFI reloads at Bovill, Elk River, Headquarters, Jaype and Clarkia to their respective mills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, only common-carrier railroads, like the Milwaukee Road and Camas Prairie, actually switched and hauled these log loads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PFI still owned the Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway, also a common carrier and built expressly to serve the mill at Potlatch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, most logs arrived at that mill by truck after about 1955; leaving the WI&M to handle mostly finished products, not raw timber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, in 1962, PFI sold the WI&M to the Milwaukee Road for its scrap value and was officially out of the railroad business from then on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is where the story starts to get hokey:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">. . . or so they thought. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Only two years later, PFI management selected a large section of timber for harvest in the hills above Laird Park, not far from Harvard, ID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the distance from the harvesting area to the Potlatch mill was not great, and although building truck roads into the timber had become old hat to PFI, the company opted to try rail again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was intended to be an experiment – one last chance for rail to demonstrate whether it offered any economic benefit to a modern-day logging operation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Operating on a shoestring, PFI decided to build the line using “in house” resources rather than contracting with Morrison-Knudson or similar firms as sometimes had been done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PFI gathered several of its old timers to consult on routing and constructing the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salvaged rail from PFI lines abandoned the previous decade was used for the loading tracks, while newer steel was brought in for the main line.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As built, the new rail route left the WI&M mainline at the Harvard siding and followed the Potlatch River for the first few miles before heading up a small draw to reach Camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PFI hadn’t assigned the logging site an actual name, so everyone just called it “Camp”, even though no loggers actually lived there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last several miles into Camp featured a few undulations, which resulted in short sections of stiff grades facing trains in either direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A heavy duty locomotive would be needed to conquer these hogbacks, but it needed to be light on its feet to safely tread the budget-built line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That budget also would not tolerate a new locomotive, so PFI management went looking for a used engine to fill their needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Baldwin Locomotive Works, known as Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton toward the end, had exited the locomotive business years earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its products had a reputation as maintenance intense machines, and had never been very popular with larger railroads’ shop crews – or accountants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, Baldwins were known as “luggers” that could tackle nearly any grade with a loaded train, as long as speed was not of any essence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With several Baldwin-owning railroads eager to purge them from their rosters by the Sixties, Baldwins could be had on the second-hand market for very reasonable prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A six-motored example would have the needed tractive effort while keeping the axle loadings low.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where PFI actually found their Baldwin is up for conjecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It arrived in a weather worn yellow and green scheme with red striping at the color separations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No other railroad used this exact scheme – it looked like a mashup between the colors used by the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Ry. and the striping pattern found on Oregon & Northwestern Ry. diesels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did it come from one of those roads, or from a larger trunk line?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one still seems to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It arrived with the letters "Wash Ida & Mont Ry." already painted on the sides in red, but there must have been some misunderstanding -- the WI&M had never been part of the purchase arrangement. To avoid any conflict with FRA mandates requiring 90-day inspections for common carrier railroad locomotives, the locomotive would need to be lettered for PFI instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, no one was certain why it had been numbered 33 when it arrived – was that its original number, or the result of another misunderstanding between PFI and the seller?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The crew at the Potlatch roundhouse, which still stood at the time, was somewhat befuddled by this acquisition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Potlatch crew were all Alco men – this was right after they shipped their two Alco switchers off to Tacoma for sale by the Milwaukee – and they weren’t sure what this creature was or how to properly care for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, someone down at the corporate office in Lewiston had not been thinking clearly when they bought a Baldwin instead of an Alco.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still, it fired up easily enough the first time, so the first order of business became fixing the lettering on the engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not having the resources for a full paint job, and not having a particular corporate scheme to follow, they decided to stick with the existing colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After removing the WI&M lettering, the yellow underneath seemed a little thin, so, the workmen applied a long rectangular patch of yellow and hand painted the words “Potlatch Forest Industries” across that patch using the same lettering style as PFI’s then-current letterhead.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Choosing what number to give the locomotive also required considerable discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in steam days, the Bovill Side had numbered most of their Shay engines consecutively, starting with 101.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last one in this series (except for #200, which was acquired late in the program) was 110, so one suggestion for the Baldwin was numbering it 111.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone else mentioned that on the Headquarters Side, numbering had been based on the locomotive’s tonnage, i.e. 70 ton locomotives had been numbered starting with 71.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at a spec sheet for Baldwin road switchers, someone noted their tonnage was in the 160’s, so maybe it should be numbered 161 - it also fit well with the engine's 1600 horsepower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That idea was rejected for the sake of simplicity, or maybe because the Bovill Side men preferred not to follow any Headquarters traditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>111 it would be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lettering by hand was time consuming, so for other lettering needed on the unit, the shop used their standard set of stencils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the short hood, they painted “Bovill Unit”to make it clear whose locomotive this was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also painted safety reminders, “Caution” and “Work Safely” next to the step wells, and safety warning stripes along the edges of the pilot plates to hopefully prevent accidents at crossings and when working around other equipment.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One question the loggers asked the shop crew was about the need for a spark arrestor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steam locomotives in logging service generally had them to ensure embers from coal or wood burning did not ignite any forest fires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though the PFI steam fleet mostly burned oil, spark arrestors had usually been applied as a precaution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shop proposed a wait and see plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 111’s 608A engine had a turbo-supercharger which ran the exhaust gasses through a turbine, compressing the intake air to boost overall horsepower. Turbochargers were often enough to prevent sparks, but if the crews operating the train noticed any sparks, the shop crew was sure they could cobble up something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few arrangements had previously been made to allow log trains to reach the mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1962, PFI had sold off the WI&M to the Milwaukee Land Co.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The WI&M continued to exist on paper, but was now operated by the land company’s sister, the Milwaukee Road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that PFI was seeking to operate its privately owned locomotive and trains on the WI&M, legal arrangements had to be made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To avoid issues with union agreements, PFI basically contracted with the WI&M to operate the log trains on its behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, all locomotive and rolling stock maintenance would be provided by the WI&M, while PFI would maintain its own logging trackage.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Logging started at Camp just as the snows receded in Spring, 1965 and the 111 went right to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically, the 111 would haul two strings of log cars from Camp to Harvard siding each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the crew arrived with the second cut of cars, they would couple up to the first cut, tack on their caboose (WI&M X-5), and head for Potlatch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most days, the "mainline" WI&M train, led by Milwaukee GP-9s, had passed westward through Harvard an hour or more earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, the log train conductor would call the dispatcher for clearance and authority to occupy the main track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no lineside phones installed, he simply walked across the street to the HooDoo Cafe to call the dispatcher from the pay phone inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having a nickel in his pocket each day was just part of his job description.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of the rolling equipment used on the Camp line came from a variety of sources, in various stages of disrepair; NP flatcars, MILW gondolas, and even a few of the remaining serviceable original WI&M truss-rod flatcars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of their condition, none were allowed in interchange service, but that was not necessary and not a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the few years the Camp line operated, the wood flatcars finally wore out one by one and were scrapped so that only the steel-framed cars remained.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No caboose was used for moves between Camp and Harvard, although it may have been safer to have used one for the backup moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per the tradition of earlier years, the locomotive always worked from the downhill end of the train, facing Harvard, to prevent runaway cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the shove up hill, a lone brakeman rode the first car heading up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because there were no loads, the engineer could usually keep him in sight, and he watched for any indication from the brakie of the need for a stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brakeman usually carried a fusee with him, prepared to strike it and wave for a“washout”, but that seldom happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The moves were never very fast, and he could jump off to protect himself if needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the mainline runs to Potlatch and back, a caboose was necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the old WI&M ex-NP cabooses usually sat on the Harvard siding, just east of the Camp spur switch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the downhill train was past the switch, the crew would shove back onto the caboose and perform their air test while the conductor called for clearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with moves on the logging line, the eastbound empty train nearly always backed up for the eight mile run from Potlatch back to Harvard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brakeman appreciated a more secure perch on the rear platform of the caboose, and used his pea whistle and lantern to signal for right-of-way at the few crossings they encountered.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">PFI’s operation at Camp lasted only six years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By then, the useable trees had been harvested and it was time to move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking over the books, the accountants were not happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever savings may have been realized from operating a single daily train instead of a fleet of trucks had not been enough to cover the initial cost of building the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In October, 1970, the last daily log train rolled out of the woods and off to the mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following spring, the old Baldwin made one last run to retrieve the few derelict log cars remaining at Camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a final burst of activity for the 111 as it spent a busy week that May hauling off loads of rail removed from the Camp line back to Potlatch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The older steel got loaded into gondola cars and carted off for scrap, while the newer rail from the Camp line was stockpiled at Potlatch for future use by the WI&M.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The log cars got cut up at Potlatch and loaded for scrap as well.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 111 sat behind the Potlatch depot for several months, and then one day it was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PFI sold it to a used equipment dealer, but no one knew where it went exactly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PFI had maintained it in reasonable condition, so another Baldwin-oriented railroad somewhere, possibly ITT Rayonier, may have snatched it up and put it to work or dismantled it for parts. No one is certain.</span></div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-52962568466572902942015-10-20T12:42:00.003-07:002015-10-20T12:49:38.755-07:00"HO-key" Railroad Backstories - Part 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SZ7B_V7RFmPfgehgSqP0FjNwXaenjBsNzF4Spkb6EbV0_s_19OadIUCLzFjA_hSiGRYz9TTLUbCeIT0q2likyoewxMqKZK3cDnU2eWbNpGXybcRpVXN_emnbVBxOWvqU-sNOjR4s61E/s1600/20150730_063708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SZ7B_V7RFmPfgehgSqP0FjNwXaenjBsNzF4Spkb6EbV0_s_19OadIUCLzFjA_hSiGRYz9TTLUbCeIT0q2likyoewxMqKZK3cDnU2eWbNpGXybcRpVXN_emnbVBxOWvqU-sNOjR4s61E/s640/20150730_063708.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting this locomotive onto my HO-scale layout required a lot of imagination, and a little bit of compromise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On my HO-scale railroad layout, I always try to emulate my prototype
railroad, the Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway (WI&M).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I realize that compromise is a
necessary ingredient in any model railroad, and I can’t even count the ways my
little version of the WI&M differs from the big one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, I do take some pride in those few instances where I can
say that, to the best of my knowledge and ability, a particular part of my
railroad is “just like the real one.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And in other instances, I can show a clear correlation how some feature
of the prototype WI&M is directly represented by the model I have built,
even though it isn’t exact.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But sometimes my modeling muses (sirens?) lure me in a
totally different direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most often,
I can ignore them when what they suggest deviates too wildly from my chosen
prototype, but sometimes the urge is too strong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take my infatuation with Baldwin diesel locomotives, for
instance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know when, but at some
point in my early years of rail enthusiasm, the boxy lines of those Baldwins
caught my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t even seen
any in person, but because they were different from what I did see around me, I
found them strangely compelling.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgWF1tZLaairERE9BTLggG5eGzUlT5VZZ5KziRnUxzwhTB4f8AzOZbX512WeHQshIbQMJ_CzGaXjwazaX6eY1280ZGyMbZMEuO_bv2iAKwFl43xgTmbGaWj4SxfD5r4UNdERrJT_mLJs/s1600/S%2526NC+DS-4-4-660+51+at+Tacoma+WA+June+1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgWF1tZLaairERE9BTLggG5eGzUlT5VZZ5KziRnUxzwhTB4f8AzOZbX512WeHQshIbQMJ_CzGaXjwazaX6eY1280ZGyMbZMEuO_bv2iAKwFl43xgTmbGaWj4SxfD5r4UNdERrJT_mLJs/s640/S%2526NC+DS-4-4-660+51+at+Tacoma+WA+June+1980.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A grainy black-and-white photo of this particular locomotive in an old issue of Trains Magazine is what sparked my initial interest in Baldwin diesels. Photo by an unknown photographer from my collection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The good news for me was that two particular examples of
Baldwin diesels once did serve the area I model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Northern Pacific bought two DRS-4-4-1500
road-switchers in 1947 for use on their Eastern Washington branchlines, and
they could be seen leading freight and passenger trains through Palouse, WA
(the WI&M’s western terminus) up until about 1954.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, to my knowledge, they never operated <u>on</u>
the WI&M, and why would they have?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I did detail and paint an HO version of the NP road
switchers for interchange work on my WI&M layout – I even installed sound
in it recently, and it sounds pretty friggin’ awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also obtained an NP Baldwin VO-1000, which
were used extensively by NP in the Spokane area, but not on the NP's Palouse & Lewiston branch. (Again
to my knowledge – anyone want to show me a picture and prove me wrong?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The DCC sound installation is currently in
progress on this one.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But then, there were those 6-axle Baldwins that other
logging railroads operated!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One enclave
of these worked the Oregon & Northwestern RR up until 1984, and another
flock of them hauled logs on the Rayonier operation north of Grays Harbor, also
until 1984.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If only I’d been older and
had gotten turned on to those two outfits a few years earlier, I could have
witnessed those monsters in action!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4NX_wc6DhRU_Zwdf7ehoq6OqrkOY6z5LYMUrtaol96ZsFwRpIpPeHNmCzsQXwOGJRM2YoL89ciirDgt4Ac6Wk_wByFlLvfvKu1vMbI18NIp8edEAs8MDRq2wXnMtVrBic4Gz_47i-CY/s1600/Rayonier+AS-616+14+at+Railroad+Camp+September+1974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4NX_wc6DhRU_Zwdf7ehoq6OqrkOY6z5LYMUrtaol96ZsFwRpIpPeHNmCzsQXwOGJRM2YoL89ciirDgt4Ac6Wk_wByFlLvfvKu1vMbI18NIp8edEAs8MDRq2wXnMtVrBic4Gz_47i-CY/s640/Rayonier+AS-616+14+at+Railroad+Camp+September+1974.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of ITT Rayonier's 6-axle Baldwins that roamed the Olympic Peninsula. Photo by an unknown photographer from my collection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyqhl8p5ig8mWiSV5iBxTkDD694gZ8_9JhyphenhyphenCMOwr2TvTrkehE8-VsTF1ykvFmgiOMHYe_9_IeKxpw6WJ-H8-QBPrVJuIIDj_tzPwid2tlLAMXJ-u8eL_WUeN33eBonFgBUc5QO4O8_1g/s1600/O%2526NW+AS-616+%25234+at+Burns+OR+Aug+1981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyqhl8p5ig8mWiSV5iBxTkDD694gZ8_9JhyphenhyphenCMOwr2TvTrkehE8-VsTF1ykvFmgiOMHYe_9_IeKxpw6WJ-H8-QBPrVJuIIDj_tzPwid2tlLAMXJ-u8eL_WUeN33eBonFgBUc5QO4O8_1g/s640/O%2526NW+AS-616+%25234+at+Burns+OR+Aug+1981.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of four Oregon & Northwestern RR 6-axle Baldwins that worked in the 'desert' of Eastern Oregon for many years. Photo by an unknown photographer from my collection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Any model railroader’s balm for missed opportunities is to
make a trip to the hobby shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
acquired another Stewart Baldwin road switcher, and started wondering how to
fit it into my plans for a WI&M layout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My first divergence into fantasy railroad modeling, to align my interests
in Baldwins and in the WI&M, fell along the lines of “what if the WI&M had
bought new locomotives from Baldwin instead of Alco?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Logic said a shortline like the WI&M would probably have
accepted Baldwin’s suggestion for a paint scheme, and I liked the ones that had
been applied to the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic’s and O&NW’s engines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hybridized them using the DSS&A colors
(yellow and green with red strips), but using the O&NW striping pattern
(their colors had been yellow and rust, with horizontal rust-colored stripes
wrapping around the hood ends).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
didn’t hurt my case that Rayonier also shared a similar scheme – yellow and
green with no stripes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For lettering, I
also followed the DSS&A’s use of red “railroad roman” initials along the
side of the hood, and I selected the number 33 for the cab sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then applied some airbrush weathering to
the sides, and I used “Baldwin dust” to smudge up the roof.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baldwin dust?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
that came from an interesting relic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This locomotive modeling project began while I was completing college in
Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A local hobby shop was selling a
consignment item for another customer – an actual piston removed from a Baldwin
diesel engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nearby US Steel - Geneva
mill had recently scrapped or re-engined nearly all its old Baldwin switchers,
so this piston likely came from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wanted to buy it and turn it into a glass-topped end table, but a look at our
student budget put a stop to that idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, with permission, I scraped a bunch of the carbon deposits on the
crown of the piston into an envelope for use in weathering my HO Baldwins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I’ve misplaced that envelope since
then, a healthy coat of Dullcoat applied to this and an Athearn Baldwin S-12
project I’d painted in a matching scheme ensured they’ll never lose that (to
me) key element of realism. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosdvpA1aib6dfhCWROMbH3YTazrwHK4AuQWA2B9tKM1AX4rHTnf_wipX1mrnFDhqjGaFM91M1yDwHOI7dDADR9SMD3da_-oYEMqtuL2t5Gv-au99eInGVjcbWa7YnnlDgPvp_IsWgTsU/s1600/USS+S-12+%252338+at+Orem+UT+Sept+1983+-+Steve+Gartner+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosdvpA1aib6dfhCWROMbH3YTazrwHK4AuQWA2B9tKM1AX4rHTnf_wipX1mrnFDhqjGaFM91M1yDwHOI7dDADR9SMD3da_-oYEMqtuL2t5Gv-au99eInGVjcbWa7YnnlDgPvp_IsWgTsU/s640/USS+S-12+%252338+at+Orem+UT+Sept+1983+-+Steve+Gartner+photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Geneva Steel Baldwins - could this have been the source of my 'Baldwin Dust'?<br />
Steve Gartner photo from my collection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I did not have an operating layout at the time this, so my
WI&M Baldwins went into their boxes and suffered through several
moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 20 years later, I dug them
out to see how they would fit into my layout scenario.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like Dorothy in Oz, they awoke in a whole new world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My prototype-based WI&M layout was well
underway and populated by a series of more accurate WI&M models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had thrown most of my “what if” ideas in
the trash, and had committed myself to “representational” prototype
modeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a catch phrase for my
modeling philosophy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>get the key
elements as accurate as possible, and fill in the rest with close-enough
stand-ins to represent what was really there.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a nutshell, these Baldwins really didn’t fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also hurt their case that their mechanisms
were hopelessly out of date Athearn-clones and that Stewart’s original in-house
design for the six-axle Baldwin trucks sucked, to be ‘blunt’ (serious diesel
fans will notice the lame pun here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stewart
had upgraded its Baldwin road switchers to much smoother Kato-style mechanisms several
years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their newer motor, drive
and truck design were more conducive to DCC operation and sound, and they
matched the quality of the mechanisms on my newer fleet of locomotives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I bided my time watching eBay and soon nabbed a four-axle
Stewart/Kato model for cheap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That went
to re-power my NP Baldwin, which I knew would find work on the layout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, I got my hands on a newer six-axle
model to upgrade my WI&M Baldwin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, I still had a hard time stomaching a “fantasy” WI&M locomotive.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my biggest hang-ups with fantasy modeling, or
free-lance as it’s often called, are the often hokey backstories modelers
conjure up to justify their layouts and models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A healthy imagination is a good thing, but retaining some plausibility
is also important to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I was going
to work this engine into my operating schemes, I would need some justifiable
reason for it to have been that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
puzzled on this for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The idea hit me while I was writing an article on the
prototype WI&M for the historical society newsletter I edit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was writing how the Potlatch Lumber Co.,
the WI&M’s builder and owner for many years, had maintained a separate
fleet of steam locomotives for running up to the harvesting sites and herding
the logs down to where the “mainline” railroad would haul them to the
mill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They kept their WI&M and
logging company locomotives separated mostly to avoid government-mandated inspection
frequencies that only applied to “common carrier” railroads.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6Uqj_Hmk6fHR6PJaAzhFaX_-7UzL29_WBMBOqNHUg_YcnCuV1S_t5npxd9lSarMpNZRC25_tX_1hkqu3KxP3vazBGFrjuGmBOIT14BofDn9BOgZV54QwjZE41bCDj0GnerkSsX4wgNk/s1600/TH_032B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6Uqj_Hmk6fHR6PJaAzhFaX_-7UzL29_WBMBOqNHUg_YcnCuV1S_t5npxd9lSarMpNZRC25_tX_1hkqu3KxP3vazBGFrjuGmBOIT14BofDn9BOgZV54QwjZE41bCDj0GnerkSsX4wgNk/s400/TH_032B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Whitcomb diesel owned by Potlatch Forest Industries, circa 1955. Tom Kreutz photo from WI&MRy. HPG collection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Would this thinking also apply to a diesel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, there were lots of examples where
lumber companies maintained their own diesels, including a handful of other
Potlatch Forest Industries operations around Idaho and the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, railroad logging in the Potlatch/Palouse
watersheds ended in the early Fifties – trucks were more flexible and cheaper
for the short hauls either directly to mill or to truck-rail reloads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here was where I inserted another “tiny”
bit of reality.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I built my 1955 and later era WI&M layout, I
located a single logging spur that left the Harvard siding and “disappeared”
through the backdrop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There had not
actually been any such siding at that time and in that place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d intended it to represent all the old
logging spurs east of there and the rail-side locations where I knew logs had
been occasionally loaded onto trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What if this represented an active spur?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What if it was of fairly new construction in the mid-Fifties or later to
reach some new harvesting site?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if
PFI needed its own diesel to handle traffic on the spur?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Actually, the mid-Sixties made even more sense to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By that time, PFI had sold off the WI&M
to the Milwaukee Road, who, in turn, parceled off the WI&M’s old Alco switchers
to other owners (the WI&M continued to exist, but used Milwaukee
locomotives and equipment from then on).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, to operate their own logging railroad, PFI could follow the lead of
Rayonier and the Hines Lumber-owned O&NW and acquire used Baldwins from
class one railroads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as in earlier
days of cooperation between PFI and the Milwaukee Road, PFI could contract for
permission to haul the trains all the way to the mill over the WI&M tracks
(using WI&M crews to allay any argument from the unions).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, with that thinking in mind, I went ahead and made some
minor changes to my HO Baldwin, and concocted a ‘hokey’ backstory (see Part 2) to
justify my decision.</span>Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-21577790826782829232015-07-09T21:52:00.002-07:002015-07-09T22:25:16.732-07:00A Personal Potlatch Connection<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I have mentioned in earlier blog posts, I have a particular affinity for the 'Potlatch Country' of North Idaho. That interest originated with the railroads that once ran, and to a limited extent still run, in that region. And then, as I have spent time there and learned more about it, I have come to find many other appealing aspects of that area. I doubt that my circumstances will ever allow me to live there, but I certainly hope to return there frequently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although I first “discovered” the Potlatch country as a high
school student in the early ‘80’s, the region seemed vaguely familiar as I
began exploring it. When I told my parents about what
I had found, I was surprised how well acquainted they were with it already. My
mom especially, who had grown up in Spokane, mentioned our having visited Laird
Park with her parents when I was much younger, and that got me to
remembering...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My mother's parents, Ivan and Frances Brady, loved to travel
and camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> G</span>randma enjoyed camping
with her </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">family as a girl, and Grandpa had a particularly strong
wanderlust.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He had spent his first forty
years moving constantly around the West in search of new opportunities.
Although he settled down in Spokane to raise his small family, travel was
always part of their life, and that only increased when grandkids came into the
picture.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIoGatLaOteat-fZY4v0uErpPCUB5Tswf7wllX7avXCF237Bbb6Ox7M2e9lTfPGwoAvpUEP_-vQqKNe0sJcmcJmCPNxe6Yt1ipkth1BsXP_a6Bxl2yE4__cfHJBb5DMU5CXoedZXPljSE/s1600/20150709_215551_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIoGatLaOteat-fZY4v0uErpPCUB5Tswf7wllX7avXCF237Bbb6Ox7M2e9lTfPGwoAvpUEP_-vQqKNe0sJcmcJmCPNxe6Yt1ipkth1BsXP_a6Bxl2yE4__cfHJBb5DMU5CXoedZXPljSE/s400/20150709_215551_edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My grandparents, Ivan and Frances Brady, were pretty adventurous. This is from a trip I took with them to ride the Royal Hudson steam train out of Vancouver, BC in August, 1984. My last trip with them, too, as Grandpa passed away the next spring after I arrived home from a year at college.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As the great symbol of freedom before the age of the
Interstate, railroads always fascinated Grandpa, and that was something he
certainly passed on to me.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But, almost
everything about the West fascinated him, too.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He was always poking around in the hills for old mines or similar relics
of the past, but he was also interested to see new things being built.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And, he always wanted to bring family along
so we could share it with him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, somewhere in my memory, I had a faint recollection of
taking a day trip with my mom, sister and grandparents to a campground
somewhere.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was raining, and I
remember eating peanut butter and honey sandwiches while standing under a big tree to stay as dry
as possible.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also remembered a small
river running across from the campsites.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And, I remembered that a few months later, my grandparents had spent
a whole week at that same campground, and that my family had joined them for a
few of those days.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq78Xgo_cBMC7LxCXUsx-N7XAiLIMpidoWm8Mm9sIGMBkTkLoLU5jE2qKvvHG0Ergv2gi0WuBw-lgOPXXgbjdUGZdCgIApcQr8byHpBb2WZ8LY-qovvtMVTpRiLPWzBdMKvBN-UtCwII/s1600/Picnicing+at+Little+Boulder+Campground+in+Rain+June+1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq78Xgo_cBMC7LxCXUsx-N7XAiLIMpidoWm8Mm9sIGMBkTkLoLU5jE2qKvvHG0Ergv2gi0WuBw-lgOPXXgbjdUGZdCgIApcQr8byHpBb2WZ8LY-qovvtMVTpRiLPWzBdMKvBN-UtCwII/s400/Picnicing+at+Little+Boulder+Campground+in+Rain+June+1971.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That rainy picnic in 1971. I'm the one copping an attitude with my pose.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A couple months after my first solo visit to Potlatch, I
suggested that our family take a day trip down to Laird Park so I could
see it again for myself.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It did seem
familiar, and at the time I decided this must be the location I remembered
picnicing and camping with my grandparents.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But there
was also something about it that didn't seem quite right, and that nagged on
me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Many years later, I was looking for a place to camp while
attending the 2012 Milwaukee Road Historical Association convention in Moscow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I remembered reading about a small USFS campground a couple miles south
of Helmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be close enough to
Moscow, and staying there would be a new experience for me, as opposed to Laird
Park where I’d stayed numerous times before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I drove down the hill from Highway 6 and through the gate
of Little Boulder campground, I realized I’d hit personal pay dirt!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The main camping loop skirted the south bank
of the Potlatch River, and there was no question in my mind this was the place
I remembered visiting with my grandparents!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It gave me a great deal of satisfaction to re-discover this place.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Even more satisfaction came from learning
that the campground had once been a Potlatch Lumber Co. logging camp!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OPKoNg1Y-VbMbpc_rWGf0E9FR2XRu0Y4tdQAEqrDrOt8gx3QXcG0NnMtVzion46gHJWeUIbZNPH6AfTf9_YoYMxq-MHwfn1bIVnOGhK5jszlK5iernN4YW0n0YMTouTTD0kZUQnLlOk/s1600/Campsite+at+Little+Boulder+July+1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OPKoNg1Y-VbMbpc_rWGf0E9FR2XRu0Y4tdQAEqrDrOt8gx3QXcG0NnMtVzion46gHJWeUIbZNPH6AfTf9_YoYMxq-MHwfn1bIVnOGhK5jszlK5iernN4YW0n0YMTouTTD0kZUQnLlOk/s400/Campsite+at+Little+Boulder+July+1971.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Almost all the comforts of home in an old logging camp.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fast forward to a few days ago:</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was leafing through my grandparents’ photo
albums (they’ve passed on, and the albums are now in my possession) looking for
something else, when serendipity struck.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here was a snapshot from that rainy picnic, and several shots from their
later week of camping at Little Boulder!! </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Even better, the date stamp on the border of
the photos gave me a good guess when these events took place.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My grandpa was also a prolific diary writer -
a lot of what he wrote was pretty mundane, but he seldom missed a day between
1950 and his passing in 1985, and there are a lot of nuggets to be found in his
notes.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also have those diaries, and
the photo dates directed me to his 1971 volume.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Leafing through the June entries, I found mention of our
picnic trip.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All it says is that we
drove down through St. Maries and Bovill to reach Helmer.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can only speculate, but I’d like to think
we returned by way of Potlatch.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So,
even though I may have been oblivious to the passing scenery as a 4-year-old, I can now pinpoint my first trip through Potlatch country.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If I
was awake for it, maybe someone pointed out the big sawmill in Potlatch as we
drove past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0imdlxM85U/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0imdlxM85U?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">His entries a few weeks
later indicate that my grandparents took their travel trailer down for a week
leading up to my grandpa's birthday on the 4th of July. He also noted that my family joined them for the last couple days - we didn't want to miss out on his birthday, of course. Also, on
a couple of those days, I went with them to visit Bovill and Elk River.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61Oe-S3qc0bAFra0BuG9Nzf3Pg6tQ6G4xydJvFaL6Uwjtq3D1XN153GSRVGy-CKEibzlXRA3zzEjRFVoJxU0WjuZ0gxKvXdKMVj64kgnxawQQGMVLMKlm476y-uKkEXBblpAEyawYWvY/s1600/Fishing+the+Potlatch+River+at+Little+Boulder+4+July+1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61Oe-S3qc0bAFra0BuG9Nzf3Pg6tQ6G4xydJvFaL6Uwjtq3D1XN153GSRVGy-CKEibzlXRA3zzEjRFVoJxU0WjuZ0gxKvXdKMVj64kgnxawQQGMVLMKlm476y-uKkEXBblpAEyawYWvY/s400/Fishing+the+Potlatch+River+at+Little+Boulder+4+July+1971.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad was a fisherman, and he tried his luck in the Potlatch River when we arrived that June.<br />Grandpa's diary says his son-in-law didn't have any luck.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course, I would have loved to find photos of trains he might have taken on those trips, or at least a mention of them in the diary. But, I’m not surprised I didn't.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As much as Grandpa loved them, I think railroads were
still pretty mundane items to his generation.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He came from a time when railroad corporations seemed as solid as
granite – they weren’t going anywhere, so there was no need to photograph their
trains very often.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Also, diesels
were seldom worth noting; to him, steam was the only “real” locomotion on the
rails.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Through some other resources available to me today, I can actually speak to the presence or absence of trains in that area on those specific dates. There had been a train running from Bovill to Potlatch the day of our picnic, although it probably ran early enough in the day that we would have missed seeing it. Then, the week they camped there, a train ran between Bovill and Potlatch that Wednesday and Thursday (June 30th and July 1st), so Grandpa may have heard the engine's horn passing through Helmer a couple times. However, because my family did not arrive until late on that Friday, I would not have seen any at all. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8p24NWmITAW_8xmxESNPJIEWjX7TKQ46uT9iqeLfIR3ufoDnAW1gqXngg-8IkbU95vZfUmN09vJdU7DTinptk_JCSYXparpAOqwlMNgd21UD84mSexdWhm5FTou9MPxgGt-Jg-QhZi9k/s1600/milw_290_w_bnd_at_avon_sonner26_jun_1976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8p24NWmITAW_8xmxESNPJIEWjX7TKQ46uT9iqeLfIR3ufoDnAW1gqXngg-8IkbU95vZfUmN09vJdU7DTinptk_JCSYXparpAOqwlMNgd21UD84mSexdWhm5FTou9MPxgGt-Jg-QhZi9k/s400/milw_290_w_bnd_at_avon_sonner26_jun_1976.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grandpa didn't take any pictures of trains on these trips, and I was too young to think about such things. I have to settle for my friend Carl Sonner's photos of Milwaukee Road trains on the WI&M Railway - not far from Little Boulder Campground at Deary (above) and Avon (below)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">None of this lessens my excitement to have so many pieces of
my personal puzzle come together and help me to better understand my own
connection to a favorite part of North Idaho.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">More importantly, it’s one more reminder how great a legacy my
grandparents left me – not just Grandpa’s interest in railroads, but also their
combined love of travel, history and adventure.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I hope I can pass along equally significant traits and experiences to my
kids, and to theirs when that time comes.</span><br />
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</span>Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-18380320346287149102015-04-09T22:36:00.001-07:002016-12-21T13:00:31.044-08:00Shortline Railroads <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuknZU4cvCR-5x4t7yE4_7l0QzL2q0bB8kV2hzlbeAWSmRu1byEESZizrFxTSrZpRVC2qXc0jU9HgjWzYjndYGMX4eSnl5nPP9m1jZemZfGAeDa6HijUAcCRB8AJ29ix27LeJ9ciACRE/s1600/CBRW-15-02-13-028-Warden_WA_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuknZU4cvCR-5x4t7yE4_7l0QzL2q0bB8kV2hzlbeAWSmRu1byEESZizrFxTSrZpRVC2qXc0jU9HgjWzYjndYGMX4eSnl5nPP9m1jZemZfGAeDa6HijUAcCRB8AJ29ix27LeJ9ciACRE/s1600/CBRW-15-02-13-028-Warden_WA_compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hard to beat an ex-NP GP-9 and ex-C&S SD-9 crossing a timber trestle in the Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington - in 2015 and on a former NP brachline, even! The Columbia Basin Ry. near Warden, WA.</span></td></tr>
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Not long after I first developed a serious interest in railroading as a young teenager in the late 1970’s, I began to feel a particular attraction to shortline railroads. You can probably blame that on Doug Leffler, and maybe on Tony Koester, too. Doug was a prolific author in the pages of <em>Railroad Model Craftsman</em>, and Tony was that magazine’s editor at the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUXPz3k9R3ADwPb4jF8xd_1unO1OKRAlTdD_cgClKdWjlIlUftBcKC8apP4YKHXidtiFnuv71gCJ5XWhNB2fRFTsLklgtSaQ-_i8BEbmrtemaZEAPwkAGujqxtVfSUOVvyTQZ1X2ERZc/s1600/RMC+01-81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUXPz3k9R3ADwPb4jF8xd_1unO1OKRAlTdD_cgClKdWjlIlUftBcKC8apP4YKHXidtiFnuv71gCJ5XWhNB2fRFTsLklgtSaQ-_i8BEbmrtemaZEAPwkAGujqxtVfSUOVvyTQZ1X2ERZc/s1600/RMC+01-81.jpg" width="467" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How I got bit by the shortline bug . . .</td></tr>
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In January, 1981, <em>RMC</em> published two Leffler articles, one on the prototype Lenawee County Railroad, a shortline operating in southern Michigan, and one on Doug’s HO-scale tribute to that line, the Lenawee Central. I knew next to nothing about southern Michigan, but the idea of a compact prototype that could be modeled in a small space, like the small room where I had permission to build my own layout, was very compelling to me. Almost immediately, I started conceiving ideas on what my own HO-scale shortline railroad might look like.<br />
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My personal exposure to real shortline railroads was minimal. Growing up in Spokane, the only trains I saw on a regular basis were those of giants Burlington Northern and Union Pacific. But, I soon became aware of two shortline railroads not too far beyond Spokane, and on a couple family outings, I had the chance to see them for myself.<br />
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I had already visited one of them: the St. Maries River Railroad (STMA) over in the Idaho panhandle. A family picnic to St. Maries in June, 1980 gave me a chance to photograph a former Milwaukee Road switching locomotive, along with a couple odd-ball rebuilt diesels. Unfortunately, it was too dark for my photos to turn out very well.<br />
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I had more luck the following summer when I rode an excursion on the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (POVA) between Ione and Metaline Falls, WA. By that time, I at least recognized that the locomotive pulling our one-car train was an “Alco” – a product of the American Locomotive Co. – but I had no idea exactly how rare such a bird was, even at that time. Fortunately, those photos turned out a little better!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">POVA's chop-nosed ex-SP RS-11: "I had no idea exactly how rare such a bird was"</span></td></tr>
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Both these railroads had sprung into being very recently as a result of the Milwaukee Road’s bankruptcy and the abandonment of its Pacific Extension. Some shippers on the Milwaukee’s more remote lines that depended heavily on rail service could not economically shift that traffic to trucks. In these two instances, they found ways to retain their rail service, either by buying the tracks and organizing their own railroad, as Potlatch Corp. did with the STMA, or in the case of the POVA, by encouraging the formation of a local government authority to acquire the route and contract out for an operator.<br />
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The Milwaukee Road's failure and the resulting crop of new shortlines was closely mirrored by the collapse of the Rock Island railroad in the Midwest and the formation of Conrail in the East. These episodes left many marginal mainlines and branchlines without service, except in the case where shortline operators stepped into the breach. That’s how Michigan’s Lenawee County RR came to be, for instance.<br />
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As interesting as I found shortline railroads, their existence on the fringes of my teenage range of freedom made my visits to them very limited. The financial limitations of college life didn't make this situation any better. Also, in the pre-Internet era, information about the best time and place to see action on these shortlines was not easy to come by. I believe now that if I’d had the courage to seek out and dial a phone number to any of these operations, that information might have been available to me. But I didn't.<br />
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As it turned out, my most significant exposure to a shortline was one that, counter to the trend, had been independent before being taken over by a larger railroad, first by the Milwaukee Road and later by Burlington Northern. The Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway has come to be my all-time favorite railroad and the subject of my HO-scale modeling efforts. But I have already written plenty about that line, and will here leave it behind to discuss other shortlines I've come to know.<br />
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Right out of college, and nearly by accident, I fell right into a situation Mr. Leffler would have envied. I took a job in a small town in southern Michigan, Sturgis to be exact, and came face to face with a shortline railroad serving a different segment of the same route the Lenawee County RR operated. Like the LCRC, this one had Alcos, but not just any Alcos! The Michigan Southern Railroad (MSOU) operated the very first example of Alco’s model RS-2 - arguably the very first four-axle road switcher. It was nearly 50 years old by this time, and still in daily use. Two model S-2 Alco switchers rounded out the roster, and were as fun to watch as their larger sister.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_uwIXALKl2GPZ4opZgUbt83U7MZOJKaVX9jWzmoKPBnKIvDBS3D8XDQFm_noMJqkPDRJqJ0-skJPmZXI5Kj2gE4O5zj-eSa5PdvGN47d9Mpy-QKJtWSo0-0ZHmQkt8YaW0EQfJlAle4/s1600/940613_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_uwIXALKl2GPZ4opZgUbt83U7MZOJKaVX9jWzmoKPBnKIvDBS3D8XDQFm_noMJqkPDRJqJ0-skJPmZXI5Kj2gE4O5zj-eSa5PdvGN47d9Mpy-QKJtWSo0-0ZHmQkt8YaW0EQfJlAle4/s1600/940613_compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">MSOU RS-2 #466 at Sturgis, MI: "<span style="text-align: start;">a situation Mr. Leffler would have envied"</span></span></td></tr>
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I lived only a block away from the MSOU, and crossed its tracks twice a day driving to and from work. Photographing its comings and goings became a frequent occurrence, and occasional cab rides were not unheard of either. And then, a friend suggested I should write an article about the MSOU. I accepted that challenge, and was soon on a first name basis with its owner, Gordy Morris, and maintenance guru, Barney Gramling as I interviewed them for my article.<br />
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But, by the time that article appeared in print (in the March 1996 issue of <em>RMC</em>'s sister magazine, <em>Railfan & Railroad</em>), I had left the area. I’d had strong urges to get back to the West, so I found a job in Hoquiam, on Washington’s Grays Harbor. In fact, you couldn't get much farther West, but it sure was a lot closer to my hometown than Michigan.<br />
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The newly formed BNSF Railway owned the railroad branch serving the twin “cities” of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, but it wasn't long before I witnessed the birth of a new shortline! In 1996, BNSF began a system-wide purge of its branchlines, and parceled the Grays Harbor branch off to a brand new shortline, the Puget Sound & Pacific (PSAP).<br />
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The PSAP was fun to watch, with its old workhorse locomotives gussied up in shiny green and cream paint that really caught the eye. Plus, the PSAP’s marketing team really went to town and drummed up a lot of new business. Soon, 60-plus car trains were running to and from the Harbor on a daily basis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPMJhbL5GwI45MKgPNZeg34Lf2vh03_Ex582DnoeakYBt5rTxv7DCA0jEJ7jpYcvHfOmGw-97GmqPecM5xuVvDQHistulELX2_w8N3jTDGAr-wynJ18LQ5nWyu2j6dFPoDqkb-ukKbDE/s1600/000210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPMJhbL5GwI45MKgPNZeg34Lf2vh03_Ex582DnoeakYBt5rTxv7DCA0jEJ7jpYcvHfOmGw-97GmqPecM5xuVvDQHistulELX2_w8N3jTDGAr-wynJ18LQ5nWyu2j6dFPoDqkb-ukKbDE/s1600/000210.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">PSAP's former IC GP-10: "workhorse locomotives gussied up in shiny green and cream paint"</span></td></tr>
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Meanwhile, the same branchline purge had affected the opposite side of the State. In September 1996, BNSF sold off two former Northern Pacific branches and my favorite, the old WI&M, to another new shortline, the Palouse River & Coulee City RR (PCC). The PCC received a lot of my attention, and I had opportunities to photograph it numerous times while visiting family in Spokane.<br />
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My interest in writing about shortlines also got a boost when a fellow shortline enthusiast, Jim Davis, offered me his position as Shortlines Editor for a bi-monthly railfan newsletter entitled <i>Flimsies! Northwest</i>. In the pre-Internet days, this and similar newsletters were a common way<i> </i>for railfans to share timely information on regional railroad activity. By the time I took this position, most news items came from contributors via e-mail, and ironically, it wasn't long before e-mail groups, and later social networks, led to the demise of <i>Flimsies! NW</i><br />
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Still, I put together the <i>Flimsies! NW</i> shortline news column for its last few years, and I appreciated the news items that came to me from a variety of sources. It was fun to compile them into a single column for others to read, and they also helped me be in the right place at the right time to see a few of these lines in action for myself.<br />
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Two examples: at least once, back on the POVA in North Idaho, a <i>Flimsies! Northwest</i> business card I’d printed out for myself helped me arrange a cab ride with the crew. Contributed news items also helped me catch a Camas Prairie RailNet train running up Lapwai Canyon to Craigmont, ID in the closing months of that operation. Another time, blind luck put me in the right place to catch the first movement of a unit grain train out of Schrag, WA on the Columbia Basin Railway (CBRW), which I was then able to report in my column.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Blind Luck: CBRW SW-1200's haul </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">the first movement of a unit grain train out of Schrag, WA</span><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"> </span></td></tr>
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Along with all this <i>Flimsies! Northwest</i> writing, I also managed to put together articles on both the PCC and the PSAP which appeared in <em>Railfan & Railroad</em> and <em>Trains</em> magazines, respectively.<br />
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The PCC and PSAP were also good examples of a growing movement in the shortline industry away from individuality. Neither of these railroads had been organized by local interests panicking to retain rail service. In both cases, a larger company operating multiple shortline railroads in different locations across the country saw an opportunity to make money by taking over another “spinoff” route from the Class One carriers. These Shortline conglomerates include WATCO, owner of the PCC, and RailAmerica, which took over the PSAP when it bought out ParkSierra Rail Corp., the smaller conglomerate that originally founded the PSAP.<br />
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Shortline conglomerates aren't a bad thing – they can bring lot of efficiency to shortlines with their shared management and marketing structures. But, with fewer ties to the local economy, it’s easier for them to give up on routes that don’t meet their standards for return on investment. This actually happened when WATCO’s PCC stepped away from the former NP and WI&M lines it was originally organized to run. Fortunately, the State of Washington took over, and has since farmed out those lines to independent shortline operators, Eastern Washington Gateway (EWG) on the route out to Coulee City and Washington & Idaho RR (WIR) running down through the Eastern Palouse. The PCC still exists, but now operates some former Union Pacific branchlines in the Western Palouse, where, supposedly, there is more money to be made.<br />
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Back to my story now. A rapid series of life changes soon found me unemployed, and living with my family at my mom’s house in Spokane. I now had lots of time between job prospects, but money was pretty tight. Nevertheless, my wife let me burn some gas money when I was invited down to ride along in the cab of a PCC train running on the old WI&M Ry. This probably was, and still is, the highlight of my shortline railfan “career” so far.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJwsOZnBDkJiq4qpb0c15qFO9KL1Cj4_534x5SsrNZweNNSIsvQ5nqJn9KhfNUlvN21lryc-SW-7H7Wm8Ui53veRYXuRKiQk10ggvTexXR6KXwHRdNdnpTXJ46mmYyxcUacTduztSZKc/s1600/010819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJwsOZnBDkJiq4qpb0c15qFO9KL1Cj4_534x5SsrNZweNNSIsvQ5nqJn9KhfNUlvN21lryc-SW-7H7Wm8Ui53veRYXuRKiQk10ggvTexXR6KXwHRdNdnpTXJ46mmYyxcUacTduztSZKc/s640/010819.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the cab of PCC GP-35 #2357 - the highlight of my railfan career so far.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rebounding from the layoff, I took a job on the Hanford Site and moved my family down to Richland, WA, where again, I ran smack into another shortline. The Tri-Cities Railroad (TCRY) operates from an industrial area north of Richland to a connection with Union Pacific in Kennewick, utilizing portions of the former US Government railroad serving Hanford and UP’s old Yakima Branch. Its original roster of two ex-Dept. of Energy MP-15AC road switchers, and its less-than-colorful trains of black tank cars and white refrigerator cars (shipping vegetable oil to, and frozen French fries out of, a Lamb-Weston plant in North Richland) made the TCRY seem pretty mundane. Since then, three rebuilt SD-40-2's and a increasingly diverse traffic base make it more interesting to watch now. The only problem is, after 13 years of watching the TCRY, I’m running out of new photo angles!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaCXt172uFpLd6ASboUa7XXiZYxGXp0RDnA4Ikhs8mqIwZ1ogKaVYcEEA-TjXs8fURONuajB6rvWsa9Qp-R7slj52IYdtUnbjtxZGKWkjMYvjgCceWjEk46K1elnQhrcNvzL508_ypzs/s1600/TCRC-13-07-05-002-Richland_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaCXt172uFpLd6ASboUa7XXiZYxGXp0RDnA4Ikhs8mqIwZ1ogKaVYcEEA-TjXs8fURONuajB6rvWsa9Qp-R7slj52IYdtUnbjtxZGKWkjMYvjgCceWjEk46K1elnQhrcNvzL508_ypzs/s1600/TCRC-13-07-05-002-Richland_edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TCRY's ex-UP SD-40-2 #31 crossing Columbia Park Trail in Richland - this photo angle may never get old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Outside the immediate Tri-Cities area, I've managed to visit a few of the local shortlines, including the Blue Mountain Railroad (BLMR), another WATCO affiliate operating out of Walla Walla, the PCC and WIR in the Palouse, and the CBRW on two separate routes, between Sunnyside and Granger, WA and, most recently, between Warden and Wheeler, WA (see the photo at the top of this blog entry).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbUCLxW6d77Q0A6xCgYTWUjFXyFOeG-RAu8o0ALAPr-yHWEtjsg8bloQcN8pGjejdxDLuN5s9HbBGx6gChYcqXvthA8kenlbfrN4uaizRItT4Ka2Tgbo0ff1vYtziKcfU-Mbs5hkShxY/s1600/020608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbUCLxW6d77Q0A6xCgYTWUjFXyFOeG-RAu8o0ALAPr-yHWEtjsg8bloQcN8pGjejdxDLuN5s9HbBGx6gChYcqXvthA8kenlbfrN4uaizRItT4Ka2Tgbo0ff1vYtziKcfU-Mbs5hkShxY/s640/020608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Western Pacific GP-35 #784 leads an eastbound BLMR train out of Wallula WA, May 2001</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My railroad enthusiasm is not limited to shortlines exclusively. I'm always interested in nearly anything running on rails. But, even when chasing trains on the Class One lines I still tend to seek out their less standard operations, perhaps a local train powered by smaller and older locomotives working on an industrial spur. These really aren't that different from a shortline after all.<br />
Of course, my available time and money are never sufficient to permit everything I would like to do, so I will never visit and photograph as many shortlines as I hope to. But, on family trips I am usually able to negotiate a few hours, or minutes, to investigate some nearby shortline. And, I do have a constantly growing “bucket list” of shortlines I hope to visit someday. Some are not too far away, and others will require a trip to Pennsylvania, or some other locale where there is a large collection of different shortlines in a fairly small area.<br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Among various shortlines I have visited are:</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qUac22qVbhbiLkRs2FGVgzmFcn7LcHiLya09Ct-VGFyNrxJIz4J4wPUr1YJRiFCOjXke0IgixIF619A-02BYOGrV1o5GiPRRDecH142a5iXiVFkKWCJntabtMYC3ipiMTzPMd8hAhs8/s1600/060232_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qUac22qVbhbiLkRs2FGVgzmFcn7LcHiLya09Ct-VGFyNrxJIz4J4wPUr1YJRiFCOjXke0IgixIF619A-02BYOGrV1o5GiPRRDecH142a5iXiVFkKWCJntabtMYC3ipiMTzPMd8hAhs8/s1600/060232_compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwest shortlines - like the Wallowa-Union Railroad in 2006 near Minam, OR . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpW1u_BYGqcw4p4NVCRF8qu7R45FN4xgDpVMcHTQP7XhT8Ne_5_Vya7OPp70mKL7gLz9Y2LsQy97bSaM6PNYNktWK3b0E-KnKKFMONual7dPvfWtc-dP-z9YR27yuwGqEl6OU1kQUwvA/s1600/991407_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpW1u_BYGqcw4p4NVCRF8qu7R45FN4xgDpVMcHTQP7XhT8Ne_5_Vya7OPp70mKL7gLz9Y2LsQy97bSaM6PNYNktWK3b0E-KnKKFMONual7dPvfWtc-dP-z9YR27yuwGqEl6OU1kQUwvA/s1600/991407_compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down South shortlines, like the Meridian & Bigbee RR, near Pennington, AL in 1999 . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtH0lTERfUK7AEnId2NdZZ6R7nxdV17GLhBittUMSgfuLJJOzPn0Cz28wydLX824WREFzZV5UVU_h_OvqPdFzM2hCrxEZxchE9VLsqC3ia1jczBYmaT969ADBbq5XXHdhvahnziJIrjo/s1600/LJ_M32_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtH0lTERfUK7AEnId2NdZZ6R7nxdV17GLhBittUMSgfuLJJOzPn0Cz28wydLX824WREFzZV5UVU_h_OvqPdFzM2hCrxEZxchE9VLsqC3ia1jczBYmaT969ADBbq5XXHdhvahnziJIrjo/s1600/LJ_M32_compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foreign shortlines, like Lollandsbanen (Lolland Railway) at Nykøbing-Falster, Denmark in 1986 . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv68AFd54k3i-X9ULcICtiWeJbex7tgad9glFRWKMx_rInkbou4vLrFWtQxv9BEfNOyOn5souGWGW_rV49tT4-9g2RQy1LD7fqe7o3WNQuz4l6lZDi2wvOp48TZp4Fxa8kK5olhkZgWdQ/s1600/920603_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv68AFd54k3i-X9ULcICtiWeJbex7tgad9glFRWKMx_rInkbou4vLrFWtQxv9BEfNOyOn5souGWGW_rV49tT4-9g2RQy1LD7fqe7o3WNQuz4l6lZDi2wvOp48TZp4Fxa8kK5olhkZgWdQ/s1600/920603_compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even dead shortlines! A former Oregon & Northwestern Baldwin road switcher at MK in Boise, ID.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So what is it that fascinates me about shortline railroads? Again, they are compact and easy to comprehend, not the behemoth Class One carriers with thousands of miles of track and nearly as many locomotives on their rosters. Shortlines are each unique, again unlike their much larger sister railroads. They usually serve in very obscure locations, and there’s a challenge and sense of discovery to locating and photographing a train working their often weed-covered routes. Finally, in many ways, from their locomotives to their work practices, shortlines are modern-day reminders of how railroading used to be, with relaxed employees, a slower pace, and simply more personality than the Class Ones.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzpoYNvN6LMvjGG9cAC8K3SieXEtAOqbXLBpMdWSXBt1bg91I-pU7VOcIkJltxwYpcdXNqstyHh-SQ0Hr-o_O5pDgMJvgkD3NlDpPs6He5YYTgXjhZY-dcwICMlRTBso6eUQ2b8ves6U/s1600/CBRW-13-10-25-009-Granger_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzpoYNvN6LMvjGG9cAC8K3SieXEtAOqbXLBpMdWSXBt1bg91I-pU7VOcIkJltxwYpcdXNqstyHh-SQ0Hr-o_O5pDgMJvgkD3NlDpPs6He5YYTgXjhZY-dcwICMlRTBso6eUQ2b8ves6U/s640/CBRW-13-10-25-009-Granger_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A CBRW local train approaches Granger, WA in October, 2013. - a modern-day reminder of how railroading used to be</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Given a choice between a day spent along a mainline, watching dozens of varied freight and passenger trains roll past at high speed, and a day chasing a 10 mph freight train that may break down or derail before it gets to the next photo location, you know where you’ll find me.<br />
<br />
<br />Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-58341361305310254702015-03-25T09:58:00.000-07:002016-12-08T12:47:49.128-08:00Dear Washington State Dept. of Transportation:<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTGWQ4AxxfQZQYSmSfhyphenhyphenwSg_VKbFUu7AAwWa1S4jKjhFHGmNIDqZCcQuKFE7-jbrxTrpo8197IGbrH7cBqmvksJU3rkM7L-7Yh9RlGZp1b0c7HezsSKcj_7UzJSmwhYy4iQ23_HJD7-w/s1600/MRLX-11-03-17-009-Palouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTGWQ4AxxfQZQYSmSfhyphenhyphenwSg_VKbFUu7AAwWa1S4jKjhFHGmNIDqZCcQuKFE7-jbrxTrpo8197IGbrH7cBqmvksJU3rkM7L-7Yh9RlGZp1b0c7HezsSKcj_7UzJSmwhYy4iQ23_HJD7-w/s640/MRLX-11-03-17-009-Palouse.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington & Idaho Railroad operates the former NP Palouse & Lewiston branch. At Palouse, WA, March 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The State of Washington owns over 200 miles of agricultural railroad in Eastern Washington, known as the PCC Rail System. The State then contracts with three separate railroad operators who service separate segments of the system. In addition, the PCC Railroad Authority, comprised of county and port district officers from the areas served by the rail lines, has some level of oversight on how the lines are managed.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, the Washington State Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) published a draft strategic plan for the PCC Rail System outlining its plans for maintaining rail service on the system. Public comment to the draft plan are being accepted through April 2, 2015, which WSDOT will then incorporate into a final strategic plan sometime soon. Here's a link to the web page where the plan is discussed, with further links to the draft plan itself and the comment page:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2015/03/33_PCCdraftplan.htm">http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2015/03/33_PCCdraftplan.htm</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I read the draft plan, and although it seems to mostly make sense to me, I decided to chime in with a few of my thoughts. I wrote the following letter and posted it to their comment page. No telling if my thoughts will have any impact:<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear WSDOT:<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for making your draft strategic plan for the PCC
Rail System available online, and for accepting public comments on that
plan. I have read through the report,
and I do have a few comments. I am a
private citizen with a personal, but no direct economic interest in the
long-term growth and development of the Palouse region. I hope to see increased employment
opportunities in the region, both inside and outside the agriculture sector, so
that families who choose to live in the Palouse may do so without concern for
their long-term livelihood.<br />
<br />
<br />
Jobs require businesses, and the businesses with the
greatest potential employment needs are often most productive when they can
choose railroads for receiving or shipping their various commodities (as your
report mentions on page 3). I applaud WSDOT’s
far sightedness in acquiring the PCC Rail System in the first place to ensure rail
access to Palouse area grain shippers.
For the most part, I believe the strategic plan you have outlined covers
most of the issues vital to the system’s longevity. And if this plan is followed closely, I
believe it will result in many long-term benefits to the Palouse region and its
families.<br />
<br />
<br />
There are a few items that caught my attention and that may
warrant some changes to the final draft:<br />
There are a couple places in the document where mention is
made of rail service to Moscow, ID (page 9, for instance). For most readers, it is a small technicality
that the rail line only extends to the now-defunct fertilizer dealer at Wilson,
WA, just across the state line from Moscow.
Still, it may be helpful to address this so that no future
misunderstandings result.<br />
<br />
<br />
I applaud the acquisition and re-use of rail materials from
the former Hanford Railroad for repairing and upgrading the PCC system (page
44). I actually work at the Hanford
site, and am pleased to know those loads of ties and rails I see leaving the
site are going to good use. Similar
opportunities in the future must be sought after and seized.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is my primary issue with the report: I am greatly concerned by the potential for
rail removal on the Colfax to Pullman line segment that is suggested on page
57. I do not believe “rail banking”
necessarily requires rail removal, but that is often what a community comes to
expect when that term is mentioned.
Recreational trails are, of course, a very common re-purpose for
rail-banked routes. However, once the
rails are removed and a trail laid in their place, it is nearly impossible for
those rails to be re-laid without years of lawsuits and related hassles. How can a potential rail customer be expected
to bring their jobs to any community when they realize that the needed rail
service is years away?<br />
<br />
<br />
Rail-banking may still be the right answer for the short
term, but I believe it will be a big mistake to allow any community-based
entity or organization to replace the rails with a recreational trail. I can foresee many individuals and groups,
especially among the population of students and families living in Pullman, who
will want a trail. But for the
community’s long-term wellbeing, WSDOT needs to make it their policy <u>not</u> to allow
rail removal from that route, and to stick to their guns on that point when
approached by potential trail builders and users.<br />
<br />
<br />
Of course, I understand the main reason for rail-banking the
route is to minimize or eliminate the costs involved in maintaining the
route. However, looking at the few
instances when rail service has been re-established on a line previously
embargoed or abandoned, the costs involved in restoring that service have
usually been several times the amount it would have cost to provide minimal
upkeep. One alternative to rail removal
that would provide a small offset to the maintenance costs would be making the
route available to rail cyclists. This
service is offered on the public-owned line between Enterprise and Joseph,
Oregon (see their website at <a href="http://jbrailriders.com/">jbrailriders.com</a>).
I’m certain it’s not a big money maker, but it is a reasonable
compromise between rails and trails, and may draw additional riders from
outside the area because of its uniqueness.
After all, Pullman and Colfax are a little easier to get to than Joesph,
OR.<br />
<br />
<br />
Another key reason why that route should not have its rails
removed is to maintain access to both major Class One railroads. I am under the impression that both the
W&I and PCC (WATCO) railroads have contracts with BNSF and UP,
respectively, that compel the shortlines to deal exclusively with only the one
Class One connecting line. To truly
address competitiveness and capacity issues on the Class Ones (page 46) I
believe it is necessary to maintain the Pullman-Colfax route toward the day
when these contracts may be re-written to allow either shortline access to
either Class One. That also should be a
point WSDOT addresses – encouraging the Class Ones to re-negotiate with the
shortline operators to allow more open access.<br />
<br />
<br />
Your report mentions the possibility of catastrophe (page
48), and maintaining the Pullman-Colfax link may prove wise if the worst ever
happens.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UR8cKqvWAHY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UR8cKqvWAHY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A video I shot on the Pullman-Colfax route in question back in 1998</span></div>
<br />
Also, the line segments between Fallon and Wilson, and from
Palouse to the State Line, should also be maintained. Although WSDOT has little direct interest in
providing rail service to customers in Idaho, there is still a positive effect
to many Palouse families and communities when their neighbors across the line
are thriving economically. Maintaining
access to Bennett Lumber and other shippers that may locate in the Idaho
Palouse should also be important to WSDOT.<br />
<br />
<br />
Additionally, WSDOT should pursue the possibility of shuttle
trains from smaller on-line elevators to the McCoy grain terminal as another
way to minimize heavy truck traffic within the Palouse region.<br />
<br />
<br />
Finally, I believe the Grain Train program has been
immensely successful, and that program should be expanded as resources permit
to make more dedicated-service grain cars available to Washington grain
shippers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
Thank you again for allowing public comment on this
document. I believe it is a solid and
viable plan that WSDOT has laid out, and with a few minor adjustments, it can establish
a foundation for strong economic growth in Eastern Washington.<br />
<br />
<br />
If possible, please let me know when the final report comes
out. I look forward to reviewing it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
Thomas Hillebrant<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
Richland, WA<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiIKDxmR5KHA8sB02d05DBgonZAykHEMDCYQm5Re4zxEScnDGzcVfAhjk8F48xCtnTubLApMDQz8GRWGAbS8gH9Hjf40dcKim7tpeeTzH-VPwdbaUkAKy5zbYv68sbkVAPTneF1oar7I/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-055-StJohn_WA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiIKDxmR5KHA8sB02d05DBgonZAykHEMDCYQm5Re4zxEScnDGzcVfAhjk8F48xCtnTubLApMDQz8GRWGAbS8gH9Hjf40dcKim7tpeeTzH-VPwdbaUkAKy5zbYv68sbkVAPTneF1oar7I/s640/PCC-12-06-27-055-StJohn_WA.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WATCO-owned Palouse River & Coulee City RR still operates the PV-Hooper segment of the PCC Rail System.<br />
Near St. John WA, June 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-73403369084920144252014-10-01T20:47:00.000-07:002014-10-01T20:47:01.077-07:00The Star Spangled BannerThis is an address I was blessed to prepare and present from the pulpit to my LDS Church congregation, the Duportail Ward, on September 14th, 2014:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/photogallery/ner/park/fomc/CB7B782A-155D-451F-67B7939DA4E5AE7A/CB7B782A-155D-451F-67B7939DA4E5AE7A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/photogallery/ner/park/fomc/CB7B782A-155D-451F-67B7939DA4E5AE7A/CB7B782A-155D-451F-67B7939DA4E5AE7A.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Star Spangled Banner Flying over Ft. McHenry During the Annual Defenders' Day Fireworks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">I was about 8 years old when I first
read how </span><a href="https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/the-star-spangled-banner?lang=eng" style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;" target="_blank">The Star Spangled Banner</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> came to be written during the War of 1812
while the British Navy bombarded Ft. McHenry at the entrance to Baltimore
Harbor.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">The story fascinated me then,
and every time since then when I sing or listen to The Star Spangled Banner, I
try to visualize how it may have been to stand in the same spot as Francis
Scott Key, and feel the same emotions that led him to write what later became
our National Anthem.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because we hear the Anthem so
frequently, at sporting events, parades and many similar activities, we often
overlook the meaning of the song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
because we usually only sing the first verse, I believe we miss out on some
important and inspired ideas hidden in the later verses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are the things I plan to speak on
today, but first I’d like to present a little background.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We fought the War of 1812 with
Great Britain over several issues that had not been fully settled during the
Revolutionary War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some contributing
factors were American sailors being forced to serve in the British Navy,
various trade disagreements, and boundary disputes with British-controlled
Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the war started, Britain
was fighting Napoleon’s forces in Spain, so they were unable to commit all
their strength to fight their former colonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, the Americans were not fully prepared to fight either, so the war
sputtered on in small engagements for the first two years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1814, however, the British defeated Napoleon
and began sending greater forces to the fight against America.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Part of the British strategy for
compelling America to accept a truce included a land invasion of Washington DC,
and they were successful in looting and burning the capitol while government
leaders fled to Maryland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their next
target was the busy port city of Baltimore, about 40 miles north of
Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As British ground troops
advanced from the south, a naval flotilla sailed up Chesapeake Bay to provide
artillery support for the invasion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">During these actions, the British arrested a prominent local physician,
Doctor Beanes, whom they believed was harassing their soldiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it became known the British were holding
Dr. Beanes prisoner aboard one of their ships in Chesapeake Bay, his friend, an
attorney named Francis Scott Key, sought permission from President Madison to
meet with the British officers and try to arrange for Dr. Beanes’ release.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Key and a prisoner exchange agent
took a small sloop and sailed down the bay to meet up with the British ship
where Beanes was being held.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ship’s
officers were cordial, and eventually they agreed to release Dr. Beanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Americans were returned to their boat,
but because they had overheard British plans for the attack on Baltimore, they
were placed under guard, their sails were removed and their boat was towed
along with the British ship toward Baltimore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On September 13th, 1814, the
British began firing on Fort Mc Henry, which defended Baltimore Harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The British soon learned that their guns had
greater range than those of the fort, so they retreated far enough out in the
harbor that they could continue their barrage without fear of any return
fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The British ground troops
encountered a significant force along the southern defenses of the city, and
they were unable to advance, but the ships continued firing through the evening
and late into the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This brings us to the flag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time of the attack, Fort McHenry
usually flew one of two American flags, a smaller storm flag, and a much larger
version for use when weather conditions permitted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of these followed what was then the standard
pattern of fifteen stars and fifteen stripes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was the storm flag that flew from the mast during the night, and as
Key and his friends watched the battle from the harbor, this was the one they
“hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, until the shelling stopped, this was the one they could still see
because of the “rockets' red glare [and] bombs bursting in air.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the fort’s defenders realized
the next morning that they had largely withstood the barrage, the commander
ordered that the larger display flag be hoisted up the mast to ensure the
British knew they had not been successful in destroying the fort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From Key’s vantage, the smoke from the
night’s cannon and rocket fire still obscured the fort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> As the breeze began to clear away the smoke that morning, September
14th, 1814, exactly two hundred years ago today, he could see that larger flag
“catch[ing] the gleam of the morning’s first beam, [its] full glory reflected .
. . shin[ing] on the stream.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being an amateur poet, Francis
Scott Key began scribbling the first few lines of a poem on the back of a
letter to capture his emotions during the “perilous fight” and again at the
“dawn’s early light.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He completed the
poem later, after the British gave up on their planned invasion and after they
released Key and his friends to return to Baltimore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He entitled his poem “The Defense of Ft.
McHenry” and showed it to his brother-in-law, who liked it so much he had it
published for distribution in Baltimore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The poem fit the tune of an existing song, and soon the words and
suggested tune were printed in newspapers up and down the Atlantic
Seaboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became one of many
standard patriotic tunes, but it took over a century for it to be formally
adopted as our National Anthem in 1931.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, if you’ve heard the
Star-Spangled Banner sung at more than a few baseball or hockey games, you know
that it can be very difficult to sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes even talented singers struggle with it because of its wide
range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why some have humorously suggested
that the poem and tune were first put together <u>during</u> the “perilous
fight”, and that hearing it sung the first time was what actually caused the
British to retreat in fear from Baltimore!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ultimately, the flag that Francis
Scott Key wrote about, and the updated version that we visualize when we sing
his song today, are only pieces of fabric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They can be torn or faded or soiled, and finally burned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But flags can mean much more when we attach a
specific meaning to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, the
image on a flag by itself conveys that flag’s meaning to those who see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times, that deeper meaning can be
assigned to a flag through a poem, pledge or anthem that we associate with
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, when we say our Pledge
of Allegiance, we swear loyalty to the flag as a symbol of our Republic and of
liberty and justice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another flag we know about was
Captain Moroni’s “Title of Liberty” that we read about in <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/46?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 46:12</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As leader of the Nephite armies,
Captain Moroni became angered when he learned of a rebellion among his people
by a political faction that sought to take away their freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To overthrow the rebellion, he knew he would
need the assistance of as many able bodied citizens as he could gather on his
march back to the capitol of Zarahemla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To call them to arms, he also created a flag, one even simpler than our
stars and stripes – his own coat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
didn’t have time to write a song about it, so he wrote directly on it the
words, “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our
wives, and our children.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This banner
helped him inspire strong feelings of patriotism and love of family and freedom
among his fellow citizens, and copies of it soon flew above their
fortifications during the ensuing war with the rebellious Nephite faction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_uR-bnL_VPasAhjAly5jh1yvRSxDy_SqUUQKHT-uDk_MSi56-YXMPaasBDq49aA-umV10zY4zER4L-ZUaLEraMcs8IVlkZ4xTJDd-o3hu2ZZQVl_BcOOMQ8xR5BWSwviYN7pYuAXwp0/s1600/Title+of+Liberty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_uR-bnL_VPasAhjAly5jh1yvRSxDy_SqUUQKHT-uDk_MSi56-YXMPaasBDq49aA-umV10zY4zER4L-ZUaLEraMcs8IVlkZ4xTJDd-o3hu2ZZQVl_BcOOMQ8xR5BWSwviYN7pYuAXwp0/s1600/Title+of+Liberty.jpg" height="640" width="462" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marching With the Title of Liberty - A Sacred Covenant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To Moroni, marching behind the
Title of Liberty constituted a sacred covenant with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he recruited patriots to his cause, he
challenged them with these words:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come
forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will
maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them.” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/46?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 46:20</a>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If we now go back to the song The
Star Spangled Banner, the first two verses tell the story of Key’s experiences
seeing the flag in place during the battle, his concern whether it was still
flying over the fort after the bombardment ended, and his relief and joy to
find it in “full glory reflected” the next morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s the final verse of his poem
that I find to be the most powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here, Key looks forward to future conflicts, hoping they would end with
the same result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh, thus be it ever,
when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war's
desolation!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blest with victory and
peace, may the heaven-rescued land praise the Power that hath made and
preserved us a nation!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence, this
verse is a prayer that Heavenly Father will always bless us with victory and
peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, just like Captain Moroni in
his day, Key also recognized in the following stanza that those blessings would
only come to a righteous nation, “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is
just,” and when this is, “our motto: ‘In God is our trust!’”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So fast forward to today; we’re
fighting more wars than we can even count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some are military, some are political and even more are social in nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, each side believes their
cause is just.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, and I think for
many of us, it can difficult to know which side is right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we look to our living prophet, President
Monson, and other church leaders for guidance, we can know where Heavenly
Father wants us to stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some of
these conflicts there’s no question, and our leaders will emphatically plead
with us to join them in standing up for what is right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, the Lord is also silent on many divisive
issues, which to me indicates these may be battles we don’t need to fight, and
more of our energy should be focused on the wars that must be won.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The most important and hazardous
conflict we face today is the War on Sin, against the power and influence of
Satan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this battlefront, there’s no
question we are under attack as a society, as a church, as families, as
individuals, and we must defend ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like many fortifications, including Fort McHenry, where military
engineers construct multiple lines of defense, we have enjoyed the protection
of outer walls for many years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laws,
moral codes and societal norms have kept most evil influences at bay, but over
time these have all proven ineffective and the barbarians are now at the gate
of our inner sanctuaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many
instances, the Church and our homes are the only defenses we have left.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what do we need to do to keep
our families and freedoms safe?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The old adage that there's safety
in numbers certainly applies when it comes to the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that by following the Savior's true
gospel, which is found here in His church, we can fend off many of Satan's
attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is only here in Christ's
true Church where we can find the full teachings of His gospel, His true
priesthood power, and His appointed prophets and other leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we gather together to teach each other the
gospel, bear our testimonies, and encourage each other to live by gospel
precepts, we can stay safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I've
mentioned this to many of you, but the Duportail Ward actually gets its name
from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Leb%C3%A8gue_Duportail" target="_blank">Louis Duportail</a>, a Frenchman who served as the Chief Military Engineer of
the Continental Army during the American Revolution. (In Richland, many LDS wards are named for prominent streets within their boundaries. Having been constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers during the Cold War, most of Richland's streets were named for important US military engineers.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Duportail designed many of the fortifications
used by the American colonists to wear down the superior strength of the
British during those battles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
think it's fitting that for members of the Duportail Ward, our ward family can be an effective defense
against Satan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEs2IrYBJUAvPLrbFvurutQHzfe3p4D1eLSPBUC9xImkkrHnH0fo5xzumwa5O-o7D2sfnHcH0kEuooOWKCtfJwDPNT4EIpzhlGMIPCqUXKeK4UpH64JFpQojgbMfIt9MLfie2SZ3HYVA/s1600/IMAG2647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEs2IrYBJUAvPLrbFvurutQHzfe3p4D1eLSPBUC9xImkkrHnH0fo5xzumwa5O-o7D2sfnHcH0kEuooOWKCtfJwDPNT4EIpzhlGMIPCqUXKeK4UpH64JFpQojgbMfIt9MLfie2SZ3HYVA/s1600/IMAG2647.jpg" height="640" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our home as a fortress - flying our very own 15-star, 15-stripe version of Old Glory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for keeping our homes safe from
harmful influences, I'll quote from <span id="goog_1995419686"></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1994/10/let-us-build-fortresses?lang=eng" target="_blank">Elder Horacio A. Tenorio</a> <span id="goog_1995419687"></span>who spoke on the
topic of families as fortresses in the October 1994 general conference:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Our fortress
consists of teaching our children the gospel through the scriptures,
establishing the habit of reading them every day as a family, and basing a
large part of our conversations on them. It means kneeling together daily to
pray and to teach our children the importance of direct, personal communication
with our Heavenly Father.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Our fortress
is erected by showing our children, through our example, that the principles
and teachings of the gospel are a way of life which helps us find peace and
happiness on this earth and provides the strength necessary to withstand the
trials and tribulations that come into our lives."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, as we strive to live
righteously, we will be a strength and support to our neighbors and
countrymen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On his deathbed, the prophet
Lehi gave this blessing to his son Joseph:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>"may the Lord consecrate also unto thee this land, which is a most
precious land, for thine inheritance and the inheritance of thy seed with thy
brethren, for thy security forever, if it so be that ye shall keep the
commandments of the Holy One of Israel."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later, Lehi’s son Jacob taught his brethren that, “this land, said God,
shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon
the land. And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there
shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I will fortify this land against all
other nations.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, these
blessings would only come when the people were obedient.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Likewise, in the Book of Alma, Amulek
taught his unrighteous neighbors that, "were [it] not for the prayers of
the righteous, who are now in the land . . . ye would even now be visited with
utter destruction . . . by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is by the prayers of the righteous
that ye are spared . . .” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/10?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 10:22</a>). Through our prayers and the example we set, we have
the opportunity and responsibility to bless our fellow citizens with security
and freedom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We use a lot of symbols in the
Church to remind us of our Savior and the blessings he has in store for
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple examples I think of are the
Sacrament, which reminds us of Christ’s Atonement, and our temples, which remind
us of the eternal nature of our lives and families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the great blessings we enjoy
because of our freedoms, I think we should view our nation’s flag with the same
level of respect and reverence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had the chance several years ago
to visit <a href="http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm" target="_blank">Fort McHenry</a> early on a Sunday morning, and to participate in the
daily flag ceremony there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As directed
by law, Fort McHenry flies a small storm flag, also one with fifteen stars and
fifteen stripes, overnight every night, and then brings it down each morning to
be replaced with a larger example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
able to help bring the storm flag down, hold it in my arms while waiting for
others to raise the daytime flag, and then I was able to help fold it
appropriately and hand it back to the Park Ranger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, this was an extremely spiritual experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt many of the same feelings of gratitude
and reverence as I have when visiting Church history sites or attending the
temple.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIuzcBp4_BW7I71UyaX-SnEkPPXIGmVdxTyV-ucQfckhc-azFebWzCjR5LJeijogDgBJ0UfB9ECvpw3WEL7my4vD1TfOCAyRVm6-uw4Y4Al3ZzCRnK3K3mPmOZEORc1W2A_KUUlxDr8s/s1600/IMAG2675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIuzcBp4_BW7I71UyaX-SnEkPPXIGmVdxTyV-ucQfckhc-azFebWzCjR5LJeijogDgBJ0UfB9ECvpw3WEL7my4vD1TfOCAyRVm6-uw4Y4Al3ZzCRnK3K3mPmOZEORc1W2A_KUUlxDr8s/s1600/IMAG2675.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With The Star Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry - August 1996</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">Before I close, we should also
remember that there are many lands around the world whose citizens enjoy many
of the same freedoms we do here in America.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">I think it's important to recognize that as blessed as we are here,
Heavenly Father is no respecter of persons, and he will always bless the
righteous, no matter where they live.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">We
should respect that, to those living in other nations, their flags can
represent the same ideals of freedom and peace to them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, the next time we fly our flags
on national holidays, when we see one passing in a parade, and any time we sing
or hear The Star-Spangled Banner, I hope we will take a moment to remember the
ultimate source of our freedoms, our Heavenly Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, that we can remember His Son who gave
his life not just for his country, but for all of us, His brothers and sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I hope that we will remember to raise our
own spiritual flags - our testimonies and obedient examples - for all to see,
that our friends and neighbors will also be reminded to Whom they can look for
true freedom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we finally come to recognize,
as a nation and as individuals that Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ,
are the true source of our freedoms, only then can we truly expect that, “the Star
Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, o’er the Land of the Free, and the Home
of the Brave.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.</span></div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-40271629444603504952014-09-22T21:56:00.000-07:002019-08-20T13:58:46.988-07:00White Pine Thursday (Sequel to Pleasant Valley Wednesday)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks9qBRjtOnKQ3WY494oJTbpZIKccRPAcgcinvpcBltGjk9yP8OpMPAdkSr3ONGR6u8b34cwOSfJkksfH5wAZOpBF0PVqQWaRb3WSmnY0huj3rpjrZKkLqlmP7R3hNPl-FdJLdzRhnMJI/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-018-Princeton_ID_compressed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks9qBRjtOnKQ3WY494oJTbpZIKccRPAcgcinvpcBltGjk9yP8OpMPAdkSr3ONGR6u8b34cwOSfJkksfH5wAZOpBF0PVqQWaRb3WSmnY0huj3rpjrZKkLqlmP7R3hNPl-FdJLdzRhnMJI/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-018-Princeton_ID_compressed.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Harvard. Any better place to truly experience North Idaho? I don’t think so.</td></tr>
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On Thursday, the first morning in my campsite, I awoke, put on clean clothes and heated some water for an easy breakfast of instant oatmeal. I was staying at Little Boulder campground; about 25 miles east of Moscow, ID, and this would be my base of operations for the next three days while attending the Milwaukee Road Historical Association convention in Moscow. I was too cheap to stay at the convention hotel, or any hotel for that matter, and besides, the campground was once a Potlatch<br />
Lumber Co. logging camp.<br />
<br />
Is there any better place to truly experience North Idaho? I don’t think so.<br />
<br />
The reason the 2012 MRHA convention was held in Moscow was for Milwaukee Road fans to become more familiar with my favorite shortline railroad, the Washington, Idaho & Montana Ry. The Milwaukee operated the WI&M for almost two decades, from 1962 to 1980, but it was originally built and operated by the same Potlatch Lumber Co. whose former camp I now, temporarily, called home .<br />
<br />
The convention would begin later that afternoon, and in making plans for this trip, I allowed myself to hope that a train would be running on the WI&M that morning. Only the westernmost 17 miles of the WI&M still exist as an operating railroad, and currently, trains of the Washington & Idaho Railroad (WIR) make a once-weekly trip out of the town of Palouse, WA to serve the Bennett Lumber Co. mill near the end of track at Harvard, ID. I had been successful the day before in photographing a train operating on former Union Pacific tracks in the Western Palouse region, and now I was hoping for equal success on the eastern fringes of the Palouse.<br />
<br />
To eliminate most of my uncertainty, I had made a phone call to friends at the WIR office the day before who put me in touch with Joel King, the engineer assigned to make the WI&M run. In a short telephone conversation, Joel assured me he had just tied his train down in Palouse earlier that day, and was planning to be there again at 7 a.m. on Thursday to run out as far as the end-of-track at Harvard.<br />
<br />
As I drove west toward Palouse, I felt both relief and surprise that the weather was perfect for chasing and photographing the train. Joel showed up right on time and invited me up into the locomotive cab to chat while he did a little switching on the ex-NP tracks in Palouse. He offered to let me ride all the way out to Harvard, and as great as that would be, I took a rain check. For me, having good photos of the train in action is just as important as the experience of a cab ride, and it’s kind of hard to photograph a train you’re riding. Instead I climbed down and took up a position to start snapping pictures as soon as he rolled onto the WI&M tracks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetlFrYqVOLAl2bHF-b4xeMsuZHhZHNK7U8GjDAHVRlUYWHlWLOOfcRXxr3JR56KbpqTHY378lp8rbfrZyDdurv9ZRTR435RRW1DlOvgJo_tl6py_rBbwN4SLrLi1Phx8ZoqLRmpNWY1E/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-020-Palouse_WA_mod_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetlFrYqVOLAl2bHF-b4xeMsuZHhZHNK7U8GjDAHVRlUYWHlWLOOfcRXxr3JR56KbpqTHY378lp8rbfrZyDdurv9ZRTR435RRW1DlOvgJo_tl6py_rBbwN4SLrLi1Phx8ZoqLRmpNWY1E/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-020-Palouse_WA_mod_compressed.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little switching on the ex-NP tracks in Palouse</td></tr>
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Leading this day’s train was MRLX 6304, the Canadian built (and rebuilt) FP-9Au that the WIR leased from a private party. The 6304 looked out of place on the WI&M for at least two reasons: its Southern Pacific "Black Widow" paint scheme is clearly out of place in the Inland Northwest, and it really seemed odd to witness a streamlined former passenger unit hauling a lowly train of lumber flatcars. But, I did have to agree with another WIR engineer who once told me "she is easy on the eyes." And, although its lines are much more angular, I found the trailing unit, GP-30m #20, to be almost as sleek as the F-unit.<br />
<br />
The run east from Palouse was uneventful for Joel. He took it easy at the prescribed 10<br />
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mph with nine empty centerbeam flatcars bound for the Bennett mill and a single pole rack billed for Harvard. I followed along and shot photos from several of my usual locations, plus a few new ones. While waiting for the train to appear just west of Kennedy Ford, a small blue car pulled alongside. From its WI&M vanity plates, I knew immediately it was Dave Zuhn, my friend from Minnesota who had driven out for the convention!<br />
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Dave was also out to see the train, so we teamed up for the rest of the morning, and I had a chance to share some favorite photo locations with him as the train rolled under US Highway 95 and through the town of Potlatch, where its namesake lumber company once operated a massive sawmill before dismantling it in 1983. At least the old WI&M depot is still in place, freshly restored and right alongside the tracks where it belongs<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjKnLwj_XpR82GTlVCq-lpC2iRSS3tmBvW7PEajZtyvCzjXISJyT-sMKTPY7avUL637uZD3RNqRLS58Ys-gwhv_pcwBpiRGhnJOAtq5zklSZD7ALKuDkQvyF9gi11Zof05ss7yncnhXU/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-010-Potlatch_ID_compressed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjKnLwj_XpR82GTlVCq-lpC2iRSS3tmBvW7PEajZtyvCzjXISJyT-sMKTPY7avUL637uZD3RNqRLS58Ys-gwhv_pcwBpiRGhnJOAtq5zklSZD7ALKuDkQvyF9gi11Zof05ss7yncnhXU/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-010-Potlatch_ID_compressed.JPG" height="640" width="419" /></a></div>
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Continuing east, we stopped a few miles beyond Princeton at a spot where the tracks and the highway are particularly close for another photo opportunity. Tom, the train’s conductor, pulled up behind us in his pickup truck, and we watched him approach the tracks just as the train appeared and came to a stop. We could see Tom and Joel talking to each other, and it became clear there was a concern about the track just ahead of the engine. Tom got down on his hands and knees with radio in hand, and watched closely as the locomotive began to inch ahead, talking Joel slowly across the bad spot. Once the engine was across, the speed increased slightly, but the concerned look on Tom’s face didn't go away until the entire train had passed without derailing. I learned later from Tom that the combination of a bad weld joint and weakened ties on a curve was the cause for their concern.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1d8rs6UB1ZFjUQcGDXBN4vo3MJK3fLfnFX8UVhAhjeXvWrDdMl9YcIBIRJgleUr0fpX4_UGgQ6WyTpbPpOhfurHasHTP3eHj7SkOb_LyZNC6aRqYyUIm1UgCidpHQUdO-xvLZ906oxY/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-013-Princeton_ID_mod_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1d8rs6UB1ZFjUQcGDXBN4vo3MJK3fLfnFX8UVhAhjeXvWrDdMl9YcIBIRJgleUr0fpX4_UGgQ6WyTpbPpOhfurHasHTP3eHj7SkOb_LyZNC6aRqYyUIm1UgCidpHQUdO-xvLZ906oxY/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-013-Princeton_ID_mod_compressed.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking Joel slowly across the bad spot</td></tr>
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Another few miles down the line, the train rolled right past the switch leading into the Bennett Lumber complex. Four more miles past the mill, the train arrived at Harvard, staying on the main track while Tom cut the engines off. There were two pole loads waiting on the siding, and the engines promptly rolled forward past the switch, then backed onto the loaded cars. Tacking them onto the rest of the train, the crew next moved back on the siding to "run around" the rest of the train. Watching the train use this siding was a first for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG1dB4iYZojoVQLYbXnXyoeXXGDS9peXwSgewuPJPMr6bpswHcL0rUPNp5diEMfcRf5Phf1c5EDFfEpVAcsiym3EpsSUd8zc5iZVIY0qCqHoyq-S7YapoSSUrlA3bzFX2gnYED3cq2Ak/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-007-Harvard_ID_compressed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG1dB4iYZojoVQLYbXnXyoeXXGDS9peXwSgewuPJPMr6bpswHcL0rUPNp5diEMfcRf5Phf1c5EDFfEpVAcsiym3EpsSUd8zc5iZVIY0qCqHoyq-S7YapoSSUrlA3bzFX2gnYED3cq2Ak/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-007-Harvard_ID_compressed.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Switching at Harvard - a first for me</td></tr>
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They next cut the empty log rack off the rear of the train and pushed it ahead to a spot on the siding for loading the following week. Then, slowly backing off the siding again, the crew coupled the locomotive set onto the west end of the train. Joel performed the necessary steps to set GP-30m #20 up as the lead locomotive, then hollered down with another cab ride offer. Since we were driving my car, I passed again, but pointed to Dave. He hesitated at first, but the urge was too strong, and soon Dave was sitting in the fireman’s seat. After a short delay, the train was underway back toward the Bennett mill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wBDxk8WaK0zYn4pO4eRyOioJEb_D8Lw149Hwo3BpM4xtxo59UBHlArdnsJOamEKKukDKR40G35pd7az4rI6gBEyYRBchNgfQa1Bw9qXvzucnAgTk2rlNNJYrVPzfVn9IsePykwp99IE/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-041-Harvard_ID_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wBDxk8WaK0zYn4pO4eRyOioJEb_D8Lw149Hwo3BpM4xtxo59UBHlArdnsJOamEKKukDKR40G35pd7az4rI6gBEyYRBchNgfQa1Bw9qXvzucnAgTk2rlNNJYrVPzfVn9IsePykwp99IE/s1600/WIR-12-06-28-041-Harvard_ID_compressed.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Zuhn in the fireman's seat - the urge was too strong</td></tr>
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Right where the tracks cross Highway 9 just west of Harvard, a highway crew was out re-painting the road stripes at that intersection. Backing off to let the train safely pass, the foreman asked me how come they were using an old Amtrak engine on the train. He mentioned that he once worked for Burlington Northern, and this seemed pretty unusual to him. I didn't bore him with too many details (that this was a former Canadian National engine, not Amtrak), but I explained the situation the best I could before heading off down the highway.<br />
<br />
Once the train reached the spur to the Bennett mill, Dave hopped off. Tom cut off the two pole cars at the train’s rear, and Joel pulled the train forward. Tom threw the switch, and Joel then shoved the cut of centerbeams back into the mill’s loading areas.<br />
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At this point, the crew was almost done for the day, so Dave and I headed back toward Potlatch for him to grab his car, and to both head down to Moscow to check in at the convention desk. I found the MHRA convention very enjoyable; I learned a lot and made several new friends. Riding a caboose across Benewah Lake on the old Milwaukee mainline was exciting, too! But for me, very little can beat the thrill of following a working freight train along the tracks of the old WI&M Railway through my favorite part of North Idaho.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBTbmbXf3H2BeIIg2vSuiN_3rJ-8HZrVYgaLCXd12G1_KQNS6S0QvMkuSY6yXmq9RF1XXb30t7hR4hthRGikDBf97SKxPjpFDYEYMuWmwBzgtPAuA2J2W7IZM36hbR0AbCJYJzuemCwc/s1600/Caboose_Hop-12-06-30-012-Ramsdell_ID_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBTbmbXf3H2BeIIg2vSuiN_3rJ-8HZrVYgaLCXd12G1_KQNS6S0QvMkuSY6yXmq9RF1XXb30t7hR4hthRGikDBf97SKxPjpFDYEYMuWmwBzgtPAuA2J2W7IZM36hbR0AbCJYJzuemCwc/s1600/Caboose_Hop-12-06-30-012-Ramsdell_ID_compressed.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Riding a caboose across Benewah Lake on the old Milwaukee mainline was exciting, too!</span></td></tr>
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<b>Epilogue: </b>I had another opportunity the following summer to chase the WI&M freight in both directions between Palouse and the Bennett mill. This time, I was finally able to share the cab of GP-30m #20 with Joel on the westbound run from Kennedy Ford to Palouse!<br />
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Joel died unexpectedly a few months later. The sense of loss I felt was nothing compared to that of his family and closer friends, but it was still real. Joel was a great guy, and I wish I'd had more time to become better friends with him.<br />
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Trains still run on the WI&M, and I hope I'll have more chances to chase them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbjY8nYsNNLP79WknPYS9wCcqE3cnMy7DK1w9v41NGy2vYHgLXM0WcWJUcgKQViU9wnYTapXqfLVfd4Np6WDIFpAsVHML4EX2hvZlkt5lSNDmCrvO-Ho445NxXO5JBJt4NkAY0qLuOMM/s1600/WIR-13-06-25-040-Princeton_ID_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbjY8nYsNNLP79WknPYS9wCcqE3cnMy7DK1w9v41NGy2vYHgLXM0WcWJUcgKQViU9wnYTapXqfLVfd4Np6WDIFpAsVHML4EX2hvZlkt5lSNDmCrvO-Ho445NxXO5JBJt4NkAY0qLuOMM/s1600/WIR-13-06-25-040-Princeton_ID_compressed.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel King at the controls of FP-9Au 6304</td></tr>
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<br />Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-83888770183178022542014-09-18T22:52:00.000-07:002019-08-20T13:58:47.182-07:00Pleasant Valley Wednesday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oL1FmYoT8bpeH-bqyzf96ztp29mwm1uQTPTN1u0lNDGEk49iRvi7Z8Y1Ali6Iuojjat3pxYds2DY8k2Vq0rIuqSTsLHWhRhgAsZZ8OAt3jWPN6ulm3URkK61Q6IZ1S0PA5-H4BODAF4/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-045-Willada_WA_compressed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oL1FmYoT8bpeH-bqyzf96ztp29mwm1uQTPTN1u0lNDGEk49iRvi7Z8Y1Ali6Iuojjat3pxYds2DY8k2Vq0rIuqSTsLHWhRhgAsZZ8OAt3jWPN6ulm3URkK61Q6IZ1S0PA5-H4BODAF4/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-045-Willada_WA_compressed.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former Union Pacific Pleasant Valley Branch in the Heart of the Palouse</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In late June of 2012, I had the extremely rare opportunity
(for me, at least) to spend several days in the Palouse region of Eastern
Washington and North Idaho with the express purpose of “chasing trains”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally, my paid vacation days are spent on
family-related travel, so having a few days to my own devices is not that
common and I intended to take full advantage of the situation.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The primary reason for my visit was to attend the Milwaukee
Road Historical Association being held in Moscow, Idaho that year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The convention was scheduled to begin on
Thursday afternoon (June 28th), but I had arranged to leave my home in
Richland, WA already Wednesday morning to maximize my time in the Palouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had two primary targets in mind for the
trip:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1) the former Union Pacific lines leading
east out of Hooper, WA, now owned by the State of Washington and operated by
the Palouse River & Coulee City RR (PCC), and 2) the former Washington,
Idaho & Montana Ry (WI&M) line between Palouse, WA and Harvard, ID,
which is currently operated by the Washington & Idaho RR (WIR).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I knew that both railroads operated these particular routes infrequently,
usually only once per week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had done some prior intelligence gathering, and based on this and prior experience,
I guessed the PCC train would be running its “Grain Shuttle” on Wednesday and
the WIR would serve the WI&M on Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, there was no guarantee that I would be in the right place and
time to follow either train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Railfanning
the Palouse always involves a great deal of uncertainty and calculated risk.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sidebar:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “Grain
Shuttle” program helps ensure that local wheat farmers have access to enough
State-owned (or leased) grain hoppers that they can move the bulk of their
harvest to market with few interruptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, by hauling full “grain blocks” of 26 or 52 cars, using Union
Pacific trackage rights from Hooper to a barge loading facility on the Columbia
River at Wallula, the railroad is able to charge farmers the lowest possible
rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In operation, the shuttle runs on
a weekly cycle; the empty hoppers run from Wallula to Hooper on Mondays and then
are delivered to the loading elevators east of there on Tuesdays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the hoppers are loaded on Tuesday
afternoon and evening, the Wednesday train gathers the loads and brings them
down to Hooper for another mainline run on Thursday back to the barge elevators
at Wallula.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMeBspR6I_Ncr3fz8s7fnRtCt8EM2XG6uZRi_Gn5H3XORrjT8a_Eo66SrGv_VBWyn1GD-6r13pzKLpq3Ym5KJHJwJg7b-r0iu7DwDirEjdts1Di9JChuiqqkfdFtp5dVFqbafS61THSs/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-014-StJohn_WA_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMeBspR6I_Ncr3fz8s7fnRtCt8EM2XG6uZRi_Gn5H3XORrjT8a_Eo66SrGv_VBWyn1GD-6r13pzKLpq3Ym5KJHJwJg7b-r0iu7DwDirEjdts1Di9JChuiqqkfdFtp5dVFqbafS61THSs/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-014-StJohn_WA_compressed.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Washington State's "Grain Shuttle” program helps local wheat farmers move their harvest to market</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since there are no other trains operating on the PCC’s
Hooper lines any other time of the week, Wednesday would be my best shot for
witnessing the shuttle train in action on the grain branches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rising ridiculously early that morning, I departed
Richland about 3:30 am to try and arrive at Hooper close to 5 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again from previous experience, I knew the
PCC crew likes to get an early start, and I didn’t want to miss any of the
action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once at Hooper, however, the
next step is figuring out where to find the train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rails to the east run parallel with
Highway 26 as far as the turnoff to La Crosse, and then country roads are
sufficient to keep the line toward Winona in view for all but the last couple
miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not seeing the train along this portion of the route was a
good thing, since my main photography locations were farther to the east. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I reached Winona, the sun was up
and the crew was likely on their power, already working their way back from
whichever elevator had been their last stop the day before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The catch is that the line splits in two at Winona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The southernmost of the two routes still has
tracks in place as far as Colfax, but the only customers are the elevators at
Endicott, Thera, Diamond and Mockonema (there’s also a fertilizer dealer at
Mockonema that receives chemical tank cars).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was once Union Pacific’s mainline to Spokane, but it has been
downgraded and abandoned in sections over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a long, long time since the last
PCC train made its way down the hill into Colfax, and that’s too bad.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The more northerly route is the former Pleasant Valley
branch, which once served as a low-grade bypass around the Palouse River canyon
where Colfax lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The PV terminates now
at Thornton and serves elevators there and at Sunset, St. John and Willada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, there are two elevators at
Winona itself that ship via the grain shuttle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, with two possible lines the train could be running on, and
the clock ticking, knowing which way to turn here required a quick bit of reasoning:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the crew probably spotted empty hoppers
at one or more elevators on each of these two legs of the branch yesterday,
there was a good chance I’d see the train on both routes at some point during
the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two or three locations
where I most hoped to photograph the train were on the PV, and if I missed out
on those shots because I was putzing along the Colfax line to find a train that’s
not there, I would kick myself later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
if I missed out on photos along the Colfax line while searching for the train
on the PV, it would not be as great a loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I headed along the PV toward St. John.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reaching St. John with no sight of the train so far was a
good thing, I hoped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been fooled
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued north toward Sunset
and Thornton, when I spied a locomotive’s headlights heading toward me with another
engine and a handful of loaded hoppers in its wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a cautious U-turn, the chase was on!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, chase is a relative term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With allowed speeds of about 15 mph on the
rail line, it was not difficult to take a few photos as the train passed one
location, and then move forward to the next potential photo site without any real
hurry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first stop for the train was
at St. John to add a few more hoppers to its train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The track arrangement here was not easy for
the crew to negotiate, and it required several moves that temporarily stopped
traffic on Highway 23, right at the apex of the horseshoe curve the tracks form
as they wind through town.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJp6Xl8KtsgDQCd7Pvgbtr_sa53sXnlhgS3-xJ5WjgumuxTn9GRmFb7WALl-_qfNmF0Ik_A51ZDmrRShR4Q8SyGIV-7A0k3O2ldw1nyoOmPrlfhPtN6aWhtkvc_hYOtAKxoXDUKo5uqo/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-014-StJohn_WA_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJp6Xl8KtsgDQCd7Pvgbtr_sa53sXnlhgS3-xJ5WjgumuxTn9GRmFb7WALl-_qfNmF0Ik_A51ZDmrRShR4Q8SyGIV-7A0k3O2ldw1nyoOmPrlfhPtN6aWhtkvc_hYOtAKxoXDUKo5uqo/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-014-StJohn_WA_compressed.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Temporarily stopping traffic in St. John at the apex of a horseshoe curve</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Palouse River & Coulee City draws its locomotives
from a fleet owned by its parent company, Watco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These all carry the same WAMX initials, but
otherwise have little family resemblance, wearing a wide variety of paint
schemes from former owners, including Amtrak silver, BN Cascade Green, and
Watco’s once-standard orange and black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was very pleased to find that the lead locomotive on today’s train
still wore Union Pacific’s Armor Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the possible color combinations the
WAMX fleet could produce, it was very nice I could capture a little of the
appropriate color on a former UP line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could easily see that the lead locomotive, now numbered WAMX
5012, was a former Chicago & Northwestern GP-50 that became part of the UP
fleet when they absorbed the C&NW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
signature bell mounted on the nose was a dead giveaway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, although I’ve often seen this type
of bell referred to as a “gong” bell because of its shape, the tinging sound it
made was decidedly less than gong-like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the record, the trailing engine, WAMX 3523, was a former
Pennsylvania Railroad GP-35 that previously carried the number PCC 2353.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(“Fun Fact”:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In March of 2000, I had an article published on the PCC in Railfan &
Railroad Magazine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PCC 2353 was the lead
locomotive on the cover photo of that issue.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the train all made up at St. John, the crew prepared to
make its run out of the valley and over the modest-height hills surrounding St.
John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved on ahead to a choice
vantage point overlooking the tracks as they form an S-curve near the summit of
the climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very pleased with how
the resulting photos turned out; I only wish the train had been long enough
to really string out through the curve.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_p-SUHTBy2B4tu4NPkhywu7vjHtDe5P9iQ3VOyGKUqfT1M6OsH4d_-3afV_J5o7XuFa9vGGV5ooreipYH2yiKay7yICv-ammBjVuY5IJ_Xb7LUrlD8OYR0EJIJajzvwhs4HrHSZZKGXg/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-044-StJohn_WA_compressed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_p-SUHTBy2B4tu4NPkhywu7vjHtDe5P9iQ3VOyGKUqfT1M6OsH4d_-3afV_J5o7XuFa9vGGV5ooreipYH2yiKay7yICv-ammBjVuY5IJ_Xb7LUrlD8OYR0EJIJajzvwhs4HrHSZZKGXg/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-044-StJohn_WA_compressed.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"I only wish the train had been long enough to really string out through the curve"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From there, I continued leapfrogging the train on its
journey with only a brief pause while the crew switched the large elevator at
Willada to fill out their train with additional grain loads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once they arrived at Winona, the crew dropped
most of the train on the PV leg of the wye track, and then pulled a single shuttle
car from the small elevator in Winona itself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At this point, the crew tied down their locomotives and hopped
in their highway vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following
typical shortline operations in this part of the country, the crew consists of
an engineer and conductor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the
engineer is usually by himself in the locomotive cab while the conductor drives
along the parallel highway, running ahead to set up switching moves and to perform
frequent safety roll-bys at each road crossing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having a truck available increases the crew’s flexibility as
evidenced by their next move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed
the crew vehicle east a few miles past Endicott to Thera, where two more
locomotives were tied down with a string of freshly loaded hoppers on the
elevator track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly realized the
crew had brought four engines up from Hooper to Winona the day before, and then
had split their power to drop empties along both branches.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcHFZiGyZJpyinVdwdCBCtI-yOcLDHaTlCpCajAKYSX7G3_U3pUNv0AQRHyeedBo4ndABs7hbQYY39BFqunX2TrsY4g50DX4GJlp9voVR6m573BJTK53MXk6UIF_nuAszMo0e8edXT2g/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-017-Endicott_WA_compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcHFZiGyZJpyinVdwdCBCtI-yOcLDHaTlCpCajAKYSX7G3_U3pUNv0AQRHyeedBo4ndABs7hbQYY39BFqunX2TrsY4g50DX4GJlp9voVR6m573BJTK53MXk6UIF_nuAszMo0e8edXT2g/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-017-Endicott_WA_compressed.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picking up more loaded hoppers at Endicott</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now following the same scheme in reverse, the crew started
up these two motors and proceeded with coupling up to the loaded cars.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trundling west now at the same 15mph pace,
the crew stopped at Endicott to pick up more cars before completing this leg of
their run at Winona.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As on the PV line,
I found multiple locations to photograph this train due to its slow speed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At Winona, the crew did not hesitate to couple up all four
locomotives, with the 5012 still in the lead, and merge their two trains into
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They moved so quickly, in fact,
that before I knew it I had missed out on a chance to snap one of my desired
photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a high bluff to the
south of the wye track at Winona, and it’s from this vantage that another
photographer, Blair Kooistra, shot a photo in 1992 that I admire greatly and
had hoped to replicate during this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, by the time I found the right spot, the crew already had the full
length of their train strung around the wye with the engines well past the spot
where Blair shot the earlier train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
consolation, I got some good shots of the four engines heading up the Palouse
River Valley, one of which was later printed in Trains Magazine.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5nKswEYpLzDxQqFF-M5HjaCjK1YuNhtRJU08z6j-8Y921mINFz23eQg6YYva7-7qyGbkVfGRpAYRYaXWA0YavcSZafuTzXFg15Lym5ID6fUOw5C2xjkZCOEwWSp8PmR87wH9rhW3Doc/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-057-Winona_WA_compressed_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5nKswEYpLzDxQqFF-M5HjaCjK1YuNhtRJU08z6j-8Y921mINFz23eQg6YYva7-7qyGbkVfGRpAYRYaXWA0YavcSZafuTzXFg15Lym5ID6fUOw5C2xjkZCOEwWSp8PmR87wH9rhW3Doc/s1600/PCC-12-06-27-057-Winona_WA_compressed_edited.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The crew already had the full length of their train strung around the wye..."</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From here, I raced ahead to photograph the train approaching
and cruising through La Crosse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really
wanted to shoot photos on the route back to Hooper, but I also didn’t want
to press my luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan for the rest
of the weekend hinged on staying in a particular campground in the mountains
east of Moscow, and there was some concern that if I didn’t head that way soon,
I might miss out on a campsite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, as
the train headed under Highway 26 and made a right turn toward Hooper, I made a
left at the highway instead, hoping that all my other plans would go as
smoothly as they had this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not
to be disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be continued . . .<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-84131278989506977852014-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:002016-08-11T11:57:00.965-07:00A Railfan's "Bachelor Party" Road Trip<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I don't even want to imagine what the phrase Bachelor Party Road Trip may mean to most other young men, but for a railfan it means putting as many miles behind you as possible and bagging as many train photos as possible before the realities of marriage, family and career crush your full railfan aspirations forever.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBU4hsFEQfAz-GvjN2TzZa0c2EapTxfQm95QTfBP4ItZb3XC7y5oP6OGro4p4aSefh4t2Tub2dis7cs_wJSJ138AnL9OJekv1hyuG39xgV2ZFI3SOWrFoM_oHX7S8iUXNzSAVPJ3dNvA/s1600/900615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBU4hsFEQfAz-GvjN2TzZa0c2EapTxfQm95QTfBP4ItZb3XC7y5oP6OGro4p4aSefh4t2Tub2dis7cs_wJSJ138AnL9OJekv1hyuG39xgV2ZFI3SOWrFoM_oHX7S8iUXNzSAVPJ3dNvA/s1600/900615.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Magma Arizona Baldwins - the Real Purpose for My Trip</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">School was letting out in
mid-April, 1990 and Nici and I were planning to marry the following July. I’d been talking with James Bradley, who was now living in
Phoenix and managing a sub shop for William, our old boss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James had invited me down to stay with him
for a week, and when I found out that Stan, one of my apartment mates, was also
driving down to Phoenix when school let out, the plan came together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a girl in our ward from Flagstaff, and the three of us
agreed to caravan down that far with her, have dinner with her family, and then
Stan and I would continue down to Phoenix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I rode down with Stan as far as Panguitch or Kanab, and then I switched
over to ride with the girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I
remember from that part of the trip was laughing when Stan got a speeding ticket
just after crossing into Arizona at Page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As planned, we had dinner with her family in Flagstaff, and then Stan
and I headed south and he dropped me off at James’ apartment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I don’t remember in exactly what
order things happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some
limitations on our activities in that James still had to be at the sub shop
much of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple times I was
able to take his car and look around Phoenix a little, including checking out a
couple hobby shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember there being
Circle Ks on nearly every corner, it seemed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>James had a girlfriend, and she spent some time with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One time we went out to a dance club
with her, and afterward </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">she and James got into an argument about something. He was really PO’d about it after she left, so I suggested that maybe this was a good time to get out of town and go
chase some trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phoenix is a lot like
Boise in that the freight mainline (SP, in the case of Phoenix) bypasses the
city several miles to the south, with a secondary passenger line looping up
into the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did watch Amtrak run
on that line once in the dark (with two GE P-30CH’s – the usual power for the
Sunset Limited at the time), but for mainline freight action, we would need to
go down to the small town of Maricopa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One problem was that the radiator
in James’ Chevette was leaking pretty badly, and he had to keep topping it off
when he drove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to the sub shop
and filled an empty 5-gallon salad oil container with water, and after topping off the radiator, we headed
south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About half way to Maricopa (16
total miles away), the engine started to overheat and we used half of our water
jug to re-fill it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, by the
time we got to Maricopa, we had lost all that water and would not be able to go
any farther without water. It was too late to get any that night, so we parked in a lot alongside the tracks, and
crashed in the back of his car where we had placed a thin mattress for that
purpose before we left Phoenix.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next morning, we woke up
knowing we had to figure out how to get out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, there was a small repair
shop just opening up down the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We drove in there, explained our predicament to the guy, and he was all
over getting us taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pulled
the radiator right there and proceeded to locate and solder the leak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked over to the small convenience store
and bought a box of doughnuts, a quart of milk, and a bottle of Pepsi for my
breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing I had the Pepsi,
because I needed it to rinse out my mouth when the milk turned out to be
sour!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I had the sour milk
taste out of my mouth, the radiator was back in the car and we were ready to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best part – they guy only charged
James $10 for the fix!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t know if he
ever did, but James promised himself he would always take his car down to this
guy for any future repairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, now that the car was
drivable, we decided to continue south and try to visit Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got on the freeway, turned south at Tucson
and were soon in Nogales, AZ, and then across the border to Nogales, Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was funny how obvious the differences were
in the look of the two neighboring cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We drove through town, found the railroad station and engine servicing
facility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took photos of a few
odd-ball locomotives (I’m still not sure exactly what they were – probably home-shop
rebuilds with EMD and Alco parts intermixed).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We tried to continue south to a rail junction we saw on the map named
Benjamin Hill, but it was too much of a hassle to figure out the auto
insurance we would need to buy, so we just looked around Nogales a little
before crossing the border again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At the check-in station on the US
side of the border, we ran into a little trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Border Patrol agent wasn’t much older
than we were, and the exchange went something like this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Are you both US
citizens?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“How long were
you in Mexico?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“About an hour.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Did you buy
anything?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“No.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“What was the
purpose of your trip?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Watching
trains.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pause . . .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Pull over
there!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It seems that two guys in their early
twenties driving all the way down to Nogales just to watch trains for an hour
didn’t quite fit into his idea of normal behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the mattress and blankets in the
back of the car would’ve made a great hiding place for whatever contraband we
could be smuggling across the border, so I really don’t blame the guy for flagging
us for further inspection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more
experienced agent that searched the car and questioned us more in depth could
easily see that we were what we said we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He accepted our story about watching trains, and the presence of some
copies of Trains and Model Railroader that we also had in the car reinforced
our explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did look through our
things, checked under the mattress, and peeked in a couple of the obvious
hiding locations in the body of the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then he wished us luck, waved us through, and got on with the business
of busting real smugglers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the way back, between Tucson
and Phoenix, we saw several trains on the SP mainline, and we even made a cab
visit with a crew who was waiting in the siding.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vRUb8B69ib70naYiq-ZH35nWHU1UcxJyZgf715uRBVDlpW23qXB6ED8QmrpBrsjhzIUXhcJbyn3RXr590eb6GjHNjDNHohdo0HGGM5rKr_0GfIrBQwRorTyRT6GREAZW75RJuFNq0OY/s1600/901401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vRUb8B69ib70naYiq-ZH35nWHU1UcxJyZgf715uRBVDlpW23qXB6ED8QmrpBrsjhzIUXhcJbyn3RXr590eb6GjHNjDNHohdo0HGGM5rKr_0GfIrBQwRorTyRT6GREAZW75RJuFNq0OY/s1600/901401.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mainline Power on the SP Between Tucson and Maricopa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Another important side-trip we
made, and the real purpose for my trip to Arizona, was to go up toward Superior
to see if we could witness the Magma Arizona Railroad operating any of their
Baldwin diesels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went up there one
day in the middle of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove
up all the way to Superior first, and went into the office at the
copper mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James tried to bluff his
way into the shop for pictures, and that attempt failed, but they were
helpful enough to let us know the train had headed downhill earlier and
could still be down at Magma Junction, their connection with the SP.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7GVzQt7A3BhLgqWcyz9RkGap4mA65AaLcH-O4Jz0seBHPE3xHKDn989VfEVb-5Kt9Ea1CFBZBoHLnuur2zYVvM_UzaY0vas096PJ3VhCi9BsSArybh6OEDOcI82e13lEwHC2sL4j9Lo/s1600/660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We scurried back down there, and
somehow found the right road to get to the junction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping to see their big six-axle road
switcher (DRS-6-6-1500 number 10), but instead the train had their two S-8
switchers (numbers 8 and 9), MU’ed in “elephant style”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did some switching to put their train
together, and then they headed back up the hill to Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We photographed them at several locations,
and followed the dirt road that paralleled the tracks up a desert canyon on
their approach to Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I’d
had a video camera to record the spectacle, because the engines had been “shotgunned” (or whatever they called it),
with one exhaust stack for each cylinder, and as they ran, you could see
individual puffs of exhaust over the stacks as each cylinder fired in its
correct order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sound was pretty good
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took lots of photos, and most of
mine turned out as well as could be expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although I was disappointed at not seeing the DRS running that day, in
retrospect, watching two Baldwin switchers working in tandem like that was
probably an even more rare experience.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFrDLqFIadX87AN1_xEX_qQffev4s-ANOiCMw8qlwCOMVlwRdDpGVDUFqaKDJg38d7YEOn_yf5IeMS4ImCM520pBZt625rVmuQ8hKl0PtuyyfeKF40hWxFwIQNDbEylJ2IoSwGR7D2W0/s1600/900824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFrDLqFIadX87AN1_xEX_qQffev4s-ANOiCMw8qlwCOMVlwRdDpGVDUFqaKDJg38d7YEOn_yf5IeMS4ImCM520pBZt625rVmuQ8hKl0PtuyyfeKF40hWxFwIQNDbEylJ2IoSwGR7D2W0/s1600/900824.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dodging Cactus and Cattle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGd0gI9Y-V3kCJGMwMjaTznE1nZhMvAJcADF9-VRXgxGNhHkKhOcQYxV_fHNZBjjUJwrNXNMIsHNoBnt8rvy-iaTr4oa2mR_15Opp-yKi9hNhaSw0cd_-29bQ1fLT6B6qL8kweIsJ15yY/s1600/900823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGd0gI9Y-V3kCJGMwMjaTznE1nZhMvAJcADF9-VRXgxGNhHkKhOcQYxV_fHNZBjjUJwrNXNMIsHNoBnt8rvy-iaTr4oa2mR_15Opp-yKi9hNhaSw0cd_-29bQ1fLT6B6qL8kweIsJ15yY/s1600/900823.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a Run for the Superstitions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At the end of the week, and per
our original plan, James and I left Phoenix in his car and drove up through Kingman,
Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas to get to Provo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stopped at Kingman to photograph a Santa Fe GP-20/GP-30 power set in
the yard, and to watch an ATSF train climb eastbound up through the canyon west
of there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Henderson, NV, we passed
Railroad Pass Casino, which we took as a positive omen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we ended up losing several dollars
at the blackjack table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, early
the next morning, we pulled into Provo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I bought James one last tank of gas, and he dropped me at my apartment
where my car was waiting, before he took off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One problem with my trip to
Phoenix was that I financed the whole thing on my new Discover credit card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a $1000 limit, and I hadn’t kept very
close track of my finances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one
point, I even loaned James som cash, because he
couldn’t afford to drive me up to Provo. M</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">y first order of business
before leaving Provo was to withdraw some more cash against my card to pay for
gas and food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess what…the card was
now maxed out and I couldn’t get any cash!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Knowing I may be stranded without some gas money, I headed up to the BYU
Bookstore to commit a crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sort
of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bookstore had a policy of
cashing students’ checks up to a $75 maximum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I knew my Zion’s Bank checking account was empty, but I went ahead and
cashed a check against that account, hoping I’d find some way to cover it later
before the check cleared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was on a
Friday, so I knew that would give me time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, this was in the day when you could still drive from Provo
to Spokane in a ’72 Galaxie for less than $75.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good luck doing that today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
then, I probably didn’t have much left for food, but I don’t remember what I
did to avoid starvation on my trip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On my way north through Utah, I
took a side trip out to the Golden Spike Monument at Promontory (my first time –
I’ve been back at least twice since then), but otherwise the trip to Nampa was
uneventful and I found Shad Roe’s house without any real trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shad was a former missionary companion, and
he was also in the process of courting a Danish girl he’d met on his
mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (</span>They ended up getting married, too –
I visited them in ’93 while they lived near Aarhus – and then they divorced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that came a lot later.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shad and I stayed up and chatted for a while
before I went to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I woke up
there the next day, Shad had already left for work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, his mom fed me breakfast and saw me on
my way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">From there, I drove north toward
Horseshoe Bend and continued along the Payette and Salmon River canyons, up
over White Bird Pass, across the Camas Prairie, down to the Clearwater at
Lapwai, then back up the Potlatch River to Kendrick, over to Moscow, and then
across the Palouse to Spokane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a
Saturday, I didn’t see any trains running this day, but I did observe the route
of the UP branch to Cascade, and speculated how that line could have connected
to the Camas Prairie RR to form a direct Spokane to Boise rail link.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think it could really have worked,
but it was fun to think about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, driving
from Lewiston to Moscow through Juliaetta and Kendrick let me see the embargoed
P&L line before it was pulled up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At</span>
Colfax, I managed to photograph a pair of UP (ex-WP) locomotives idling with a former MoPac
caboose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Although it was possible the crew was eating lunch somewhere and that if I waited longer, they may have returned to complete their run to Spokane. But it had already </span>been a long, eventful
day, and I was ready to go home and get some rest!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7GVzQt7A3BhLgqWcyz9RkGap4mA65AaLcH-O4Jz0seBHPE3xHKDn989VfEVb-5Kt9Ea1CFBZBoHLnuur2zYVvM_UzaY0vas096PJ3VhCi9BsSArybh6OEDOcI82e13lEwHC2sL4j9Lo/s1600/660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7GVzQt7A3BhLgqWcyz9RkGap4mA65AaLcH-O4Jz0seBHPE3xHKDn989VfEVb-5Kt9Ea1CFBZBoHLnuur2zYVvM_UzaY0vas096PJ3VhCi9BsSArybh6OEDOcI82e13lEwHC2sL4j9Lo/s1600/660.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UP in Colfax</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next morning, I had to explain
to Mom and Dad my financial predicament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They advanced me $75, and on Monday, I drove over to Coeur d’Alene to
the nearest branch of Zion’s Bank to see if I could cover my “bad” check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the teller there couldn’t place the
funds into my account directly (we still hadn’t figured out true interstate
banking by then), she did forward them to ZB in Utah right away, and somehow
flagged my account to let it know the funds were on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, it must have worked, because I
never heard any more about it.</span></div>
Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-66627243434104207132014-07-15T07:16:00.000-07:002014-09-25T14:17:26.258-07:00Paradise Paved<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is from an editorial piece I wrote in November, 2009, in my capacity as editor of "White Pine Route Quarterly" a publication of the Washington, Idaho & Montana Ry. History Preservation Group.</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“They paved paradise, </span>and put in a
parking lot.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These lyrics from the
classic Joni Mitchell tune “Big Yellow Taxi” came to mind as I drove home from
a mid-September railfan excursion to North Idaho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For railroad enthusiasts, this sentiment usually
applies when a favorite rail line has been abandoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, railroad abandonment has been
going on nationwide over the last half century, so you’d think we’d have gotten
used to it by now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardly.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAfM41-DwuzCbjdFXsqssd76P8ZbWoa4H3pY-lBXOmAFuNbaXdiYgUr7oEwcTLSMvFAsXljOKJungCaOibgcgIeAc7VJjY1JtMsMtpkWSe9ibQZaXg3txa6UBzXopxSTdmwHj_L1dumU/s1600/P1030597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAfM41-DwuzCbjdFXsqssd76P8ZbWoa4H3pY-lBXOmAFuNbaXdiYgUr7oEwcTLSMvFAsXljOKJungCaOibgcgIeAc7VJjY1JtMsMtpkWSe9ibQZaXg3txa6UBzXopxSTdmwHj_L1dumU/s1600/P1030597.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Paradise Paved Over - Former Milwaukee Road Elk River Branch near Bovill, ID</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cover story for my trip to North Idaho was to meet with
Don Somers and discuss some HPG business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our real motive, however, was to photograph the log trains that the St.
Maries River RR has operated for many years between the log yard at Clarkia, ID and the
Potlatch Corp. mill at St. Maries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The STMA’s log traffic on this northern remnant of the former Milwaukee Road Elk River Branch represented the last vestige of common carrier railroad logging in North
Idaho, if not in the entire nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’d heard rumors that this traffic might end soon, possibly late
this year, so Don and I hoped to see a train on that line before it was too
late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, even before I left home, we learned
it was already too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A news report,
and corroboration from local STMA fans, indicated that Potlatch Corp. closed
the Clarkia log yard on August 25<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mill remains open, but logs are now delivered directly from the
harvesting areas by truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The STMA
continues to run trains of finished lumber 2-3 days a week from St. Maries to
the UP interchange at Plummer Jct., but there will be no more “road trains”
south to Clarkia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever, according to STMA management.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite this bad news, I went anyway, and together with Don
and Jack Coyner, drove the length of the Clarkia branch to see what was left to
see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did see evidence of a “cleanup” train that
ran earlier in the week, and I understand that the final cleanup train ran the
week after our trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad timing all
around on our part!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We understand that
the tracks between Clarkia and Bovill will soon be removed completely, while
the future of the rest of the line looks pretty bleak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately, this trip was not all doom and gloom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One item that caught my attention was that
the former WI&M depot site at Palouse, WA has been made over into an RV
park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under different circumstances,
this could also be a big disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the depot has been gone for many years, and only a patch of
weeds has occupied the space since then, so an RV park is quite an improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I ever own an RV, I will certainly reserve
a site right on top of the actual depot location when I visit Palouse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another positive point I took home from my trip is that I
was able to photograph trains from four different railroads still serving the
region:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Palouse River & Coulee
City RR train parked on the ex-UP line at Hooper, WA; a W&I RR train parked
at Palouse (Both the W&I and PCC are currently running trains at night due
to daytime track maintenance. Both will likely resume normal hours when winter
sets in.); a STMA switch engine at St. Maries assembling the next day’s train
to Plummer Jct.; and a UP train switching the Stimson mill and STMA interchange
at Plummer before heading north to Spokane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Railroading in the Palouse may not be what it once was, but it ain’t
dead yet!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF23j_-DEDLixcbJWrdzjhaDxI1NALGRFUFYHEyO4K0-wd5VpVrnDEuJ6kgdMYZC7Zfhel4Ckn-ZmlJuYcsKDSH1ewQnfaCBhyIJ9t5MGF9dotRfVby2_Z3FklWI5NOjtvkDNbc-57O4/s1600/P1030555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF23j_-DEDLixcbJWrdzjhaDxI1NALGRFUFYHEyO4K0-wd5VpVrnDEuJ6kgdMYZC7Zfhel4Ckn-ZmlJuYcsKDSH1ewQnfaCBhyIJ9t5MGF9dotRfVby2_Z3FklWI5NOjtvkDNbc-57O4/s1600/P1030555.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Palouse River & Coulee City RR train parked on the ex-UP line at Hooper, ID</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrM6P2VXHaxKkQqyHdVoXPkna5YpXGqGesApH7WtubWXUHBU36a6rX7QGL8SU3-jTTUD3gr_B7rYiwnaEAdxZ4nGXyGPwQqHeOOS98YPzJ-yKVkJ0rqKZR-hPOsh05vISiwShlb0Ox7Q/s1600/P1030562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrM6P2VXHaxKkQqyHdVoXPkna5YpXGqGesApH7WtubWXUHBU36a6rX7QGL8SU3-jTTUD3gr_B7rYiwnaEAdxZ4nGXyGPwQqHeOOS98YPzJ-yKVkJ0rqKZR-hPOsh05vISiwShlb0Ox7Q/s1600/P1030562.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washtinton & Idaho RR train parked at Palouse, WA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLmMM3VUxbMYfbDJIBzHD7z306vEizwn_ZWM2yGor03Zjnkz3zo8J2GkIUEwuozJ4aFcnFf4hllbHo96BL5MFPDSq9oBnOfKYUeqK9m3g6EqhhwE902DihT4ZYjBpSpiB5nllFBG1mUs/s1600/P1030677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLmMM3VUxbMYfbDJIBzHD7z306vEizwn_ZWM2yGor03Zjnkz3zo8J2GkIUEwuozJ4aFcnFf4hllbHo96BL5MFPDSq9oBnOfKYUeqK9m3g6EqhhwE902DihT4ZYjBpSpiB5nllFBG1mUs/s1600/P1030677.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">STMA crew assembling the next day’s train at St. Maries, ID</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWMFP5zY_ReJxjPN-xeM2epqxh_lgci6m28aXRn1cWuUYY2qMuC4YtxkPuLMsBAQgKMg0baiW_P_LYadCToliBenKCeaNwiVDWilVq7wM1a15w7KE6NEjt147_PdCs3WevE52Ok4GXP8/s1600/P1030686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWMFP5zY_ReJxjPN-xeM2epqxh_lgci6m28aXRn1cWuUYY2qMuC4YtxkPuLMsBAQgKMg0baiW_P_LYadCToliBenKCeaNwiVDWilVq7wM1a15w7KE6NEjt147_PdCs3WevE52Ok4GXP8/s1600/P1030686.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not all doom and gloom: Union Pacific at Plummer Jct, ID</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thinking about the Clarkia line again, I did see a train on
those tracks once, back in 1996.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
my first visit to the area after several years living in Michigan, and I was
intent on reacquainting myself with the WI&M.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While following Highway 3 south toward
Bovill, I saw the headlight of a northbound STMA train approaching
Fernwood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped for a moment, shot a
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmU8gkopJgU&list=UUI8utNxMgPVhq2cAszxrd6w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">short video</a> of the passing train, and then drove back to the Fernwood depot to
photograph the train as it rumbled past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, stupidly, I continued south on the highway toward Bovill, even
though I knew there were no trains running there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can still hear the voice in my head telling
me that it would be OK to let this one go; I could always come back and chase
another of these log trains on a later trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGO3vJrMVb7UtuV-_RExG0CyrQlQ9pAdvbPlQjCQA05e2KSZ3wqruZ0zRe8MlgkeFJ3S5jclU9HEoQzRxRcLgiZgJGzIj88O1whmGJEoGswcNIxQA2By13zbvHmIurNTlsn_88MrbwiM/s1600/961010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGO3vJrMVb7UtuV-_RExG0CyrQlQ9pAdvbPlQjCQA05e2KSZ3wqruZ0zRe8MlgkeFJ3S5jclU9HEoQzRxRcLgiZgJGzIj88O1whmGJEoGswcNIxQA2By13zbvHmIurNTlsn_88MrbwiM/s1600/961010.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernwood, ID, June 1996: Northbound Clarkia Logger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftCdZD9RrN-KucLAMEIokgzp1b_hUi8siwu9Llbb_OvTyrOI3-HnVy0xabs1mxFHlR91R_Pjc-J-rWFeUP23_ItjSqc32vPZlRn2iH86fWsg3JJGJv8-e-DI2dtcdqB3-x5NpCJKJF_g/s1600/961011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftCdZD9RrN-KucLAMEIokgzp1b_hUi8siwu9Llbb_OvTyrOI3-HnVy0xabs1mxFHlR91R_Pjc-J-rWFeUP23_ItjSqc32vPZlRn2iH86fWsg3JJGJv8-e-DI2dtcdqB3-x5NpCJKJF_g/s1600/961011.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logs by Rail, a Rare Sight Anywhere But North Idaho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pBPTvzOhbyfHqHXzyJ4qE587jXEtaAmpslS6fOVg8oKPBuXFOc4vjMkQaf0yVtNW_7sPgGnEU042Pj-PuZB8Aohm6UqautQMB4CbR1R6sQjzs_BMHZsw8ugM10mSMH53e75OoxN2ZF8/s1600/961012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pBPTvzOhbyfHqHXzyJ4qE587jXEtaAmpslS6fOVg8oKPBuXFOc4vjMkQaf0yVtNW_7sPgGnEU042Pj-PuZB8Aohm6UqautQMB4CbR1R6sQjzs_BMHZsw8ugM10mSMH53e75OoxN2ZF8/s1600/961012.JPG" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Anachronisms in 1996 - a Caboose and a Railroad Depot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is where Joni Mitchell chimes in again, “. . . you
don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone . . .”<o:p></o:p></span>Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-21156342308406323372014-07-11T12:40:00.002-07:002014-09-25T14:17:42.531-07:00The Sinto Ave. Spur <span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Sinto Ave. industrial spur in Spokane was always
interesting to me, especially because it was</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">so close to </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">home </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every once in a while</i> I might see a
train working the spur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seem to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">remember a BN </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">switcher crossing Ash St. on the way home from church one Sunday,
but the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">few other trains I </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">saw were UP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8V5XW4RxSiXC097pU7MBKn3BfIZQzs0BgdYO-PtRQVuWxFQiQXXzoHobN44CrX0y-wBwPp99tWGpA4grWcAPt3pFwrDmKF4A9GJdcr-AdCVuheJGJ452y7oXiN7b1FtAt36WhPdvo2b8/s1600/map+of+spokane.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8V5XW4RxSiXC097pU7MBKn3BfIZQzs0BgdYO-PtRQVuWxFQiQXXzoHobN44CrX0y-wBwPp99tWGpA4grWcAPt3pFwrDmKF4A9GJdcr-AdCVuheJGJ452y7oXiN7b1FtAt36WhPdvo2b8/s1600/map+of+spokane.png" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sinto Spur is visible on this map as a rail line angling toward the northwest, passing south of the old Spokane Coliseum, and then following the east-west alignment of Sinto Avenue before turning northwest again just past A. M. Cannon Park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One Saturday, probably around ‘78 or ‘79, I
convinced a friend to hike with me along the tracks, so I could look at the
different freight cars and write down their reporting marks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, my list of spotted freight cars
was about 11 or 12 entries long, so the spur was still pretty busy even at that
late date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost the list a long time
ago, but I seem to remember a couple UP boxcars spotted at various locations on
the spur and a Santa Fe refrigerator car in the Washington St. yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Industries I remember along that line
included Empire Cold Storage, a fuel dealer, a lumber yard (plus the old lumber
mill west of Cannon Park that burned), Western Soap and a couple others where
the building is still standing, but I don’t remember what they shipped or
received.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I started riding my bike to Havermale Jr.
High, I would sometimes ride along the tracks as far as Cedar St., but had to
stop because I kept having thorns puncture my bike tires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One morning as I walked to school along the
tracks – I know I was in 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade, so this must’ve been the Fall of ‘79 or
Spring of ’80 – I looked up and saw a UP GP-38-2 coming up the spur to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t help stopping to watch them drop
off and pick up cars (it didn’t take too long, so maybe only one or two cars
got handled), and I stuck around until they were done, even though I was already
late for school by then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did ask the
crew for a ride as far as Cedar, but they turned me down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I was pretty thrilled at having been
in the right place and right time to see a train working on the spur.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I got to school, I went straight to the
office to accept whatever punishment was in store for being tardy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> Period English teacher (I
think her name was Mrs. Elias) happened to be in the office, so she asked me
where I’d been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I told her about
the train, she rolled her eyes and told me to get into class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no tardy slip, and I never heard a
thing about it from the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom
found out, and so did Grandpa Brady, either because the school had called her or because I just had to
tell her about my cool experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grandpa scolded me a little about school being a
higher priority than trains, but I would probably have done it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I’ve kept my priorities pretty
straight over the years, and I've
learned that if you generally keep your nose clean, you’re less likely to
get in trouble when you do step out of bounds a little.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4AV7DJodEmgHZmaDBtm-UcT0kWxDuzZTEajOg5T4M1Te3ysHeE67v0vcl3-GgqKmbkyEPLn8vtIfJQY30PVuUvrsrYQjSc91sunICWdlS9QRwhs0SdJ18HjqKvtBpTBYjXwFiSgso8c/s1600/UP+GP-9+318+at+Blackfoot+ID+1982+compressed+Norm+Metcalf+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4AV7DJodEmgHZmaDBtm-UcT0kWxDuzZTEajOg5T4M1Te3ysHeE67v0vcl3-GgqKmbkyEPLn8vtIfJQY30PVuUvrsrYQjSc91sunICWdlS9QRwhs0SdJ18HjqKvtBpTBYjXwFiSgso8c/s1600/UP+GP-9+318+at+Blackfoot+ID+1982+compressed+Norm+Metcalf+photo.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the locomotive in which I got my first cab ride. Unfortunately, this photo was not taken on the Sinto Ave. Spur, but in Blackfoot, Idaho instead, by Norm Metcalf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One other time, in the Fall of ’80, I got my
first cab ride on that spur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Scout
troop was camping up at Bear Lake as part of a district Camporee, but I had a
Saturday AM piano recital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I camped with
the troop overnight, and then Mom
& Dad picked me up the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I came into town, performed in my recital, and then we went home to pick
something up before they took me back to camp so I could come home with my
troop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we were driving north up Maple
St., I saw a UP locomotive on the spur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dad drove around the block so I could get a closer look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The engine was stopped just east of Ash as
they prepared to move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got out of the
car to watch, and asked about a cab ride, just as far as Maple (1 block).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They asked if I really meant only one block,
then invited me up into the cab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat
in the fireman’s seat while they moved to flag for their crossing at Maple, and
I climbed right back down – again, pretty thrilled by the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think three things helped me score the ride
this time, I only wanted to ride for a block, my parents were right there
watching, and I had a Scout shirt on.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The final time I saw a train on the spur before
it was abandoned, was on a Saturday probably in the Fall of ‘83, I think. My sister
and I had been to a North Central H.S. International Club picnic on Mt. Spokane and had
returned to the school parking lot to drop off friends that had driven up with
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way home, I saw a train on
the spur, pulled by a Western Pacific GP-40 that was assigned to Spokane for a
while after the UP/WP merger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
cool, because I had Dad’s camera with me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I took several shots as the train rolled east along the spur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, when I got home, I found there had been
no film in the camera!<o:p></o:p></span>Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764322141342860277.post-45627328250694124652014-07-11T11:44:00.000-07:002014-09-25T14:18:23.282-07:00Two Hours at Cheney<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As odd as it may
sound, my “career” as a railfan began when I performed in a junior high school
music competition.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had purchased my
first train set two years earlier, and had been spending time at local hobby
shops to learn more about model trains and their real-life counterparts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I browsed through the magazine racks, I
began thinking that maybe I could start taking my own pictures of trains.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often saw trains
running through my hometown of Spokane, Washington, but I had never gotten
close enough for a good photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My chance
came in February, 1980 when my 8th-grade orchestra teacher signed me up to play
with a string quartet in a music competition hosted by Eastern Washington
University in nearby Cheney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also
taking private piano lessons, and learned that my piano teacher had scheduled
me to play a piece in a later portion of the same competition.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I realized I
would have a three hour break between sessions, I wondered what to do during
the wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remembered that I had seen
Burlington Northern trains running through Cheney a few times in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe three hours would be long enough to
walk down to the tracks and hopefully see a train or two?</span></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTDn4XmnJYwsPM4mp4t_tMhqrfA3u3ulAulo9bgYuBWPNR03Ra8sRKVHPoXtZJUNkh2XSosI9Hw9ULuzwkJKd9TVvVMuo87IFsEjLuX8m3_EoOb0_0TFgAjJBwJsQvgjhbwDRr6T406Y/s1600/800213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTDn4XmnJYwsPM4mp4t_tMhqrfA3u3ulAulo9bgYuBWPNR03Ra8sRKVHPoXtZJUNkh2XSosI9Hw9ULuzwkJKd9TVvVMuo87IFsEjLuX8m3_EoOb0_0TFgAjJBwJsQvgjhbwDRr6T406Y/s1600/800213.jpg" height="640" width="632" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"I had seen Burlington Northern trains running through Cheney a few times in the past"</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As soon as my quartet
had finished playing on the day of the competition, I slipped on my coat and
hat, checked to make sure my Kodak 126 Instamatic was still in my pocket, and
took off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked several blocks before
I came to Cheney’s main street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
block further south and I reached the Cheney depot.</span></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoytCxClntrbAjh26kGA-IFirci_p0pmGAvTSm2o5pYg3m6Ki9XEureBV1ud9Ry8aEMLn0XXsibyULTiXZi09mcBQr9aO8Cd7y8Tj0BalUunse4zS51X_dp-HGSXdQ9ZBg-vumOikEHxQ/s1600/800202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoytCxClntrbAjh26kGA-IFirci_p0pmGAvTSm2o5pYg3m6Ki9XEureBV1ud9Ry8aEMLn0XXsibyULTiXZi09mcBQr9aO8Cd7y8Tj0BalUunse4zS51X_dp-HGSXdQ9ZBg-vumOikEHxQ/s1600/800202.jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"One block further south and I reached the Cheney depot."</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recognized the
red-and-black “monad” symbol that still adorned the station – I had seen it
before on old Northern Pacific boxcars – but the windows of the Spanish-style
depot looked dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t sure this
was someplace I was supposed to be, but before I had a chance to reconsider, a
door opened and a voice called out to me, “So, do you like trains?”</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The station agent
stepped outside and looked at my hat as he walked over to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few months before, I had purchased a Great
Northern “Big Sky Blue” patch (it matched one of my HO locomotives) and asked
my mom to sew it on my hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine
now that the agent was probably an NP man, and may still have held a grudge
against his railroad’s former competitor, but he simply commented, “Yeah, that
was a pretty good railroad, too.”</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t remember if he
asked me more questions, but I do remember him inviting me inside the
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He showed me his office and
gave me a quick rundown of the fixtures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some sort of teletype printer sat over in the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of telephones occupied his desk, which
filled the operator’s bay and faced the mainline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right above the desktop two levers protruded
through the outer wall of the bay to control the order boards.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the phone
suddenly rang, I stepped back and tried to make myself small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The agent answered the phone, listened for a
minute, then began repeating information back to someone on the other end of
the line and copying it down on a small pad of papers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My ignorance of railroading kept me from
fully understanding what was going on, but it was clear from his actions that a
train was on its way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He finished making
his notations, and then explained that these were orders for him to hand to the
train crew as they passed.</span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He set one of the
order board levers to slow the train, then stepped onto the platform and
proceeded to tie two slips of paper to the order stands, one between the upper
forks and one between the lower set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure enough, a headlight appeared around a curve to the east, and before
I knew it, the train was upon us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
agent stood back to ensure the head end and caboose crews grabbed their
orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know now that he was also
giving them a “roll by” inspection, but all I saw was a blur of red CB&Q,
brown NP and green GN boxcars speeding past.</span></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghqASrAtGhCqzMefyxGFIk6yVH0ZpvoY5MLE8GdPBp5t9URNsYNxaLrPThRnAQJcfxmfovWalswwIMoKlHojQ3ISN74xxqJPSI1xFb-mhnRQdd932_e3ttJJ49yynBgxC05d0ymr1lpM/s1600/800212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghqASrAtGhCqzMefyxGFIk6yVH0ZpvoY5MLE8GdPBp5t9URNsYNxaLrPThRnAQJcfxmfovWalswwIMoKlHojQ3ISN74xxqJPSI1xFb-mhnRQdd932_e3ttJJ49yynBgxC05d0ymr1lpM/s1600/800212.jpg" height="624" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"all I saw was a blur of red CB&Q, brown NP and green GN boxcars speeding past"</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During my visit, two
more trains appeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, a local
train, powered by two geeps and an F-7B, pulled onto a track behind the depot
and proceeded to switch the large flour mill that stood a short distance
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, a long freight stopped
in front of the station for a few minutes to cut a pair of locomotives off of
the head end before proceeding west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
agent explained that westward trains leaving Spokane faced a stiff grade, and
that these helper engines added the necessary horsepower to keep heavy trains
moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I took several
pictures of each train as it passed, or paused at, the depot.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocAx4rdaGV55c-wRUvPxlZF2tMiloIvHqmTLNlPZ0WDmv3jWOsmbgB2lWoffLLghiB0SaFP1NH04Z8xCyGiiCI_Jn6-nld7dXbPeqg55E4YQ6d87_llBUqkg4ghgCBmPlgQTgliIb6-k/s1600/800204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocAx4rdaGV55c-wRUvPxlZF2tMiloIvHqmTLNlPZ0WDmv3jWOsmbgB2lWoffLLghiB0SaFP1NH04Z8xCyGiiCI_Jn6-nld7dXbPeqg55E4YQ6d87_llBUqkg4ghgCBmPlgQTgliIb6-k/s1600/800204.jpg" height="640" width="619" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"First, a local train . . . pulled onto a track behind the depot"</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTDn4XmnJYwsPM4mp4t_tMhqrfA3u3ulAulo9bgYuBWPNR03Ra8sRKVHPoXtZJUNkh2XSosI9Hw9ULuzwkJKd9TVvVMuo87IFsEjLuX8m3_EoOb0_0TFgAjJBwJsQvgjhbwDRr6T406Y/s1600/800213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wandering back inside,
my heart nearly skipped a beat when the agent suggested to the helper engineer
that he give me a tour of his cab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
hogger and I walked over to the two engines on the siding, and he helped me
climb the steps into the cab of GP-9 #1851.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although he couldn’t offer me a ride, he made sure I knew the purpose of
all the cab controls, and even stepped down from the engine for a moment to
snap my picture in the cab.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXAektdoeqDVpq4lF5XwXhoGiwXyEjQNQ2SSVGvl5Htntf7C5XlZxcqvmNnZzxfcvkjTPph_TojHTzJlcgf3iwjzrIYEpu-oOZmW6Y7zlXOYgv03DH2vP-2WbGGWroZiTCZcYPMotECc/s1600/800215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXAektdoeqDVpq4lF5XwXhoGiwXyEjQNQ2SSVGvl5Htntf7C5XlZxcqvmNnZzxfcvkjTPph_TojHTzJlcgf3iwjzrIYEpu-oOZmW6Y7zlXOYgv03DH2vP-2WbGGWroZiTCZcYPMotECc/s1600/800215.jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just hope the engineer's hand was steadier on the throttle than it was with my camera</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two hours passed
before I knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was time for
me to hurry back to the music building on campus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I earned a “superior” rating for my
piano performance, it sure wasn’t because I was thinking very hard about music
that afternoon.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A week or so later, I
got my developed photos back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
fun to look at, and they became the first of several thousand railroad photos
now in my collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, when I look
at these same prints today, I realize that they are the only record I have of a
brand of railroading that long ago passed into history.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As it turned out, that
two-hour visit was my first, last, and only opportunity to observe the use of
order boards, Form 19 orders being passed up to a moving train, and helper
locomotives running between Spokane and Cheney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The photos I took that day are my only personal proof that railroads
really used 40’ boxcars to haul wheat, and that dinosaurs like GE U-25-C’s and
EMD B-units actually roamed the rails before surrendering to a swarm of
SD-40-2’s.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More importantly, that
was my first encounter with real railroaders – the kind that encouraged boys to
learn about railroads instead of chasing them off the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t remember if I thanked the agent and
the engineer properly, but I certainly remember, and am grateful for, their
generosity in spending time with me that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over the years, I’ve met other railroaders like them, but the traditions
of railroading those men demonstrated that chilly day in Cheney are long gone.</span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An entire generation
of railroading breathed its last in the viewfinder of my little Kodak during
those two hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The photos may be
blurry, but the images in my mind are as clear as if it were yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></i>Thomas Hillebranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01000604103163761788noreply@blogger.com1