Western Railroad Discussion > Searchlight survey in the Cascades

I rode the northbound Coast Starlight from Oakland to Seattle on July 27-28, and spent the trip from Klamath Falls to Dougren, OR in the rear window of the last coach looking for remaining H-2 searchlight signals. I noted the siding ends but not each intermediate (their status generally mirrored the nearby sidings). Here's what I found:

CPVP430 Klamath Falls: searchlights on signal bridge turned to side, colorlights activated.
CPVP433 Wocus: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP435 Wocus: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 4365: older triangular colorlight
CPVP438 Algoma: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP439 Algoma: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 4441: paired searchlights, new single mast colorlight in place turned to side
intermediate 4455: colorlight
CPVP447 Modoc Point: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP448 Modoc Point: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate XXXX: paired searchlights, new single mast colorlight in place nearby, turned to side
intermediate 4511: paired searchlights, new single mast colorlight in place nearby, turned to side
intermediate 4525: paired searchlights, new single mast colorlight in place nearby, turned to side
CPVP457 Chiloquin: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP458 Chiloquin: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 4595: paired searchlights (double H-2 southbound), PTS antenna but no colorlights yet
intermediate 4637: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP465 Calimus: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP466 Calimus: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP474 Fuego: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP475 Fuego: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 4815: paired searchlights, no colorlights yet
CPVP483 Lenz: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP484 Lenz: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 4857: paired searchlights, no colorlights yet
CPVP492 Yamsay: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP493 Yamsay: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 4957: paired searchlights, no colorlights yet
CPVP497 Diamond Lake: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP498 Diamond Lake: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP502 Chemult: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP503 Chemult: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP504 Chemult: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 5129: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP514 Mowich: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP516 Mowich: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 5263: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), no colorlights yet
CPVP527 Crescent Lake: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP529 Crescent Lake: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5305: paired searchlights (southbound H-2 and HC-33), new single mast colorlight in place
intermediate 5341: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), new single mast colorlight in place
CPVP535 Cascade Summit: searchlights active (signal bridge southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP537 Cascade Summit: searchlights gone, signal bridge still in place, new colorlights activated.
intermediate 5377: colorlight
CPVP539 Abernathy: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP541 Abernathy: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP545 Cruzatte: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP546 Cruzatte: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5469: paired searchlights (double H-2 southbound), no colorlights yet
intermediate 5491: paired searchlights, no colorlights yet
intermediate 5497: paired searchlights, PTS antenna and new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP550 Frazier: searchlights active (cantilever southbound)
CPVP552 Frazier: searchlights active (signal bridge northbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
intermediate 5529: paired searchlights (northbound H-2 and HC-33), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
CPVP554 Fields: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP556 Fields: searchlights active (homebuilt cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5575: paired searchlights (southbound H-2 and HC-33), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5583: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
CPVP559 Wicopee: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP561 Wicopee: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5627: paired searchlights (double H-2 southbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
CPVP563 Heather: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP565 Heather: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5655: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
intermediate 5673: paired searchlights (double H-2 southbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
CPVP568 McCredie Springs: searchlights active (homebuilt cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP570 McCredie Springs: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5715: paired searchlights (double H-2 northbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
intermediate 5725: paired searchlights, new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
intermediate 5735: staggered searchlights (H-2 and HC-33 southbound), new colorlights in place nearby, turned to side.
CPVP574 Pryor: searchlights active (cantilever southbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
CPVP576 Pryor: searchlights active (cantilever northbound), new colorlights in place turned to side.
intermediate 5791: colorlight active, paired searchlights turned to side (double H-2 northbound).
CPVP580 Oakridge: colorlights active, northbound searchlights turned to side.
CPVP582 Oakridge: colorlights active, southbound triple searchlight turned to side.
intermediate 5827: colorlight active, paired searchlights turned to side (double H-2 southbound).
intermediate 5839: colorlight active, searchlights gone.
CPVP585 Lookout: colorlights active, searchlights gone.
CPVP586 Lookout: colorlights active, searchlights gone.
intermediate 5875: colorlight active, paired searchlights turned to side (double H-2 southbound).
intermediate 5889: colorlight active, paired searchlights turned to side (double H-2 northbound).
CPVP590 Hampton: colorlights active, searchlights turned to side.
CPVP591 Hampton: colorlights active, searchlights turned to side.
intermediate 5927: staggered searchlights turned to side.
intermediate 5931: colorlight active
intermediate XXXX: staggered searchlights turned to side (double H-2 northbound).
CPVP595 Crale: colorlights active, searchlights turned to side.
CPVP596 Crale: colorlights active, searchlights turned to side.
intermediate 5981: old triangular colorlight.
CPVP600 Minnow: colorlights active, searchlights gone.
CPVP601 Minnow: colorlights active, searchlights gone.
CPVP609 Dougren: colorlights active, searchlights gone.
CPVP611 Dougren: colorlights active, searchlights gone.

Crews were also laying new rail and fiber optic cable at various places on the mountain. Also, while it may be old news, the steam-era water plug between the tracks at Wicopee, used for filling fire train tank cars, is back.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/13 00:21 by Evan_Werkema.

---

---

---

I came back on the southbound Starlight on August 4. I had planned to watch for ex-NP GRS SA searchlights in Washington, but didn't end up doing a very thorough survey (a pair of PV's on the end made the rear window view something akin to a dome car shot, and the novelty soon wore off). I started noticing searchlights around Centralia, and pairs of cantilevers were still in place at Vader, MP 85, and Castle Rock, plus the collection of masts and a cantilever around the Vancouver depot. I didn't notice new colorlights in place waiting to be activated, but there were plenty of new signal parts lying around on the ground at various points.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/13 00:28 by Evan_Werkema.

---

---

---

Very nice photos. Didn't your eyes get blurry after a while.

That's a great report, Evan. Thanks.

I have been shooting a lot lately between Seattle and Portland, so I have been paying attention to the old cantilevers. I caught a couple of trains at the Vader cantilever tonight. There are a few more between Winlock and Napavine, too.

While I was in Vancouver waiting on 14 I snapped this picture of a signal crew installing new cable in a trench next to the tracks at the north end of the bridge spanning the Columbia River.

---

I wonder when they'll start going away on UP's Canyon Sub?

We are truly seeing the end of an era but we've got advance warning on this so get them captured on film at the least and preserved where you can! The aren't going to be back.

I am going to try and finnagle an intermediate for myself, they are staging the stuff for this area here in K Falls.