Western Railroad Discussion > Tri-City RR hauling on the Hanford Site

While heading out to work (late) this morning, my timing couldn't have been better as I caught the Tri-City (and Olympia) Railroad hauling empty scrap gondolas out through the DOE Hanford Site in South Eastern WA.
Since this is a rare occurrence, I opted to be even more tardy.

1)TCRY 16 pulling seven thrashed UFTX/SSTX/MWCX gons:
2)Rolling to a stop pass the mounds of tumble weeds. Columbia Generating Station operates in the background:
3)After swapping ends, TCRY 16 shoves the gondolas towards their destination, the former Site 1 of WPPSS:

Richard O.
Pasco, WA

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Holy s***! A PAIR of RS-5T's on that thing!?

Pump

In the first photo: looks like a another giant Washington landslide in the background.

And what do you suppose is going to be loaded into these gons?....I hope its not nuclear waste.

Yes, nuclear waste. They have aliens using shovels during the night to load those things. That way the front end loaders are not radioactive for the regular employees. They are taken out with a layer of new railroad ties on top of the waste so it looks normal and the waste is later used as ballast in cities next to large hospitals so the geiger counters won't show anything uncommon.
And you are from what planet ??

Yea, that locomotive is well equipt with extra horns and lights!

Regards, Jim Evans

Nice photos. I too am curious as to what is in the gons. I didn't know a train operated to Hanford. The Hanford Site is a total wasteland. Happy rails to you,

Tor in Eugene

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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> Yes, nuclear waste. They have aliens using shovels
> during the night to load those things. That way
> the front end loaders are not radioactive for the
> regular employees. They are taken out with a layer
> of new railroad ties on top of the waste so it
> looks normal and the waste is later used as
> ballast in cities next to large hospitals so the
> geiger counters won't show anything uncommon.
> And you are from what planet ??

Yup one load a month to Portland for there new light rail extension and another every other month to Seattle to fill in the slide areas in the north end by Ballard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/14 10:04 by BAB.

coach Wrote:
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> In the first photo: looks like a another giant
> Washington landslide in the background.


I am not sure but several years back along the Yakima river they had a large slide caused by a broken water reservoir on the top of the hill could be that one. Sorry for any spelling errors.

coach Wrote:
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> In the first photo: looks like a another giant
> Washington landslide in the background.

It is a landslide but caused by the generous use of irrigation on the top of the bluff.
This larger slide occurred in 2008 but is part of the continued sloughing off of the hill above the Columbia River.

Richard O.
Pasco, WA

Torisgod Wrote:
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> Nice photos. I too am curious as to what is in the
> gons. I didn't know a train operated to Hanford.
> The Hanford Site is a total wasteland. Happy rails
> to you,
>
> Tor in Eugene

Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS, whoops) was to build three nuclear power plants on the Hanford Reservation.
Site 2, Columbia generating Station seen in the second photo, is the only operating plant.
Site 1 and 4 were ~70 and ~40 percent complete when the project folded and the bonds were faulted. These sites have sat mostly dormant since the '80s but now they are working to remove unnecessary buildings.
As seen in the third photo, the turbine/auxiliary building on the right is partially demolished. They are ONLY hauling out building materials for scrap.

As stated, trains on the Hanford Area are rare, the last couple were to haul components for the power plant.

P.S. The Hanford Site is NOT a total wasteland.

Richard O.
Pasco, WA

Might not be a total wasteland but there is people chasing rabbits and collecting there radioactive droppings.

Its too bad that these people who have never been out on the reservation as its called to see the wildlife out there that is protected and thrives. There is more to it than meets the eye from afar. The herds of deer and such that have lived out there for years are amazing. Its all in the eyes of the beholder, having lived in the Columbia Basin for a good part of my life and to see it grow is something most have never seen.