May 21, 2006
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last updated: 01/09/07
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© 2000-2007 Dave Honan
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GorgeRail Day 3
Once more the day began with a pre-dawn alarm, and once again I left my hotel room and
found overcast skies awaiting. No matter, as there were trains to be photographed: A
westbound grain train was just coming into North Dalles to meet an eastbound stack train.
I figured I'd head back to Avery and see what there was to see.
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| Avery, WA |
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I couldn't but help notice that Mt. Hood was out, so I chose to frame my photo of the
S-TCPLPC1-20E rolling along the Columbia River thusly.
Have train, will travel. I knew #27 was somewhere between North Dalles and Pasco, which
meant that there were likely other trains involved in the mess, so I followed the stack
train east to see what it would scare up. |
| Blalock, OR |
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Pasco West told the TCPLPC that he'd meet a grain train and No. 27 east of Roosevelt, so
I camped out at Bates to wait for No. 27. While waiting, I photographed UP train ITAG26-20
passing the massive basalt bluffs on the south bank of the Columbia. |
| Bates, WA |
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A half-hour and no trains later, I heard an unexpected rumbling to the west. I turned
and found a large transformer being transported eastward on SR 14 -- and literally being
pushed up the grade by the two trucks following the trailer. |
| Bates, WA |
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Amtrak finally showed up, allowing me to take my most boring shot of the trip. |
| Bates, WA |
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An eastbound had showed up and held the main at East Bates, which I thought was rather
odd because I expected the grain train to be following Amtrak. Instead, Pasco West tucked
Amtrak out of the way just long enough to get two eastbounds by: The H-BARPAS1-18A (shown
here) caught me by surprise, and after moving to a different spot I screwed up my shot of
the M-EVEPAS1-20A. |
| Towal, WA |
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I knew the dispatcher would probably have other trains parked for Amtrak, so I followed
No. 27 westward to see what would shake loose. Hearing an eastbound give Amtrak a rollby at
Maryhill, I set up east of Towal for a shot I had scoped earlier, and caught a
shorter-than-hoped Z-PTLCHC1-21A rushing eastward.
I chased the Z east and found that the aforementioned grain train had made it to Bates; when
it failed to depart after the Z passed, I figured there were more east men on the way. |
| Bates, WA |
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First up was the M-PTLPAS2-20A with a pair of ex-BN units leading... |
| Bates, WA |
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...and ten minutes behind the Piddle-Pass was the U-EVEROO1-20A with a goofy mix of
EMD power. At the top of the photo you can see the exhaust remaining from the grain train's
DPUs shoving hard to accelerate the departing westbound.
And so ended my railfanning trip to the Columbia River Gorge, although the weekend was not
yet complete... |
| Portland, OR |
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The GorgeRail organizers had arranged for the group to be allowed to wander around the
Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland, home of the SP 4449,
SP&S 700 and other historic equipment. |
| Portland, OR |
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Southern Pacific GS-4 No. 4449 has been the star of the show for years, having been
rescued from Portland's Oaks Park in 1974 to be completely restored for use on the American
Freedom Train in 1976. In that second photo, at right is Doyle McCormack, the heart and
soul of the group (not to mention an outstanding storyteller). |
| Portland, OR |
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Spokane, Portland & Seattle No. 700 is the other operating steam locomotive owned by the
city that calls the Roundhouse home. |
| Portland, OR |
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Three of the four diesels shown here are also based at the Roundhouse. Former Amtrak 231 is
being repainted into the Southern Pacific "Daylight" paint scheme to match the 4449, NKP 190 is
an Alco PA-1 built for the Santa Fe and later owned by the Delaware & Hudson, and NKP 324 is an
Alco RSD-5 that spent its service life on the Utah Railway before being purchased by Doyle in 1993
and decorated in NKP paint. PSAP 3005 is a GP30 owned by the Puget Sound & Pacific that was visiting
for repair work. |
| Portland, OR |
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GN 274 basks in the sun as the tour winds down.
And so ended my delightful introduction to GorgeRail. I look forward to attending the event in the
future, and perhaps even someday having the privledge of presenting some of my own work there. |
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