Western Railroad Discussion > Three UP tackling the Blue Mtns of Oregon

My daughter, brother, father and I made our annual trip to the Blue Mtn's of Oregon again this year.
​The trip turned out to be a extremely busy time on the UP. It seemed the trains were spaced perfectly and we caught trains meeting at perfect times and locations.
​Have video to go with every photo shot. But having problems getting the videos to play properly.. Working on it though...

​1st pic. with my daughter and WB manifest led by #7383 on a slow crawl approx. 2 miles east side of Kamela
2nd pic. WB manifest led by #8620 approx. a mile on the east side of Kamela
​3rd pic. WB inter-model with #5311 as DPU sporting her new paint job, close to cresting the top at Kamela

​Thank you for taking a look,
David
​Twin Falls, Idaho



 

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Hi David ~
How do you get to that spot a couple of miles from Kamela?
Phil

Old US 30 parallels the tracks.

Ed
 

From I-84 (east side) to Kamela is my all time favorite train watching spot.  Does anyone know if the house at Kamela is occupied?

An area that doesn't get covered much.   Any more would be good to see.

There were people in the home and it appeared they had been cleaning up around the place when we were there in June.
My daughter always asked if we could buy the place if we won the lottery...
​David

How long and steep are is the Blue Mountain climb on both sides?  UP's ex-SP Cascade Summit climb out of Eugene is something like 56 miles, all uphill.  Donner out of Roseville is around 40+ miles.

I don't have a timetable handy, but the climb eastbound up the hill to Kamela is about 35-40 miles (I think Gibbon to Meacham is 28, and then like 8-9 miles from Meacham to Kamela). The descent from Kamela to La Grande is about 17 miles -- Kamela is MP 271 I think, and the west end of La Grande yard is 288. The last few miles are flatter though, the grade mostly levels out at Hilgard, a few miles west of La Grande.

It's 2.2% in both directions I think (except for those last few miles into La Grande). 

Someone else may have more precise info.

coach Wrote:
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> How long and steep are is the Blue Mountain climb
> on both sides?  UP's ex-SP Cascade Summit climb
> out of Eugene is something like 56 miles, all
> uphill.  Donner out of Roseville is around 40+
> miles.

FiestaFoamer Wrote:
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> I don't have a timetable handy, but the climb
> eastbound up the hill to Kamela is about 35-40
> miles (I think Gibbon to Meacham is 28, and then
> like 8-9 miles from Meacham to Kamela). The
> descent from Kamela to La Grande is about 17 miles
> -- Kamela is MP 271 I think, and the west end of
> La Grande yard is 288. The last few miles are
> flatter though, the grade mostly levels out at
> Hilgard, a few miles west of La Grande.
>
> It's 2.2% in both directions I think (except for
> those last few miles into La Grande). 
>
> Someone else may have more precise info.

The Fog Chart for the La Grande Sub will add a bit more detail with an overview of the grade profile:

http://www.fogchart.com/Down/Beta/LAGRANDE.pdf

Cody