Western Railroad Discussion > Windmills and Stonehenge

Today I was in the area around Maryhill on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge (although I don't think that it's really the Gorge that far east).  I had seen a windmill train (all blades) on the BNSF in the morning as I drove on I-84 on the Oregon side of the river.  I kept waiting for it to appear.  Although there were other trains, the windmill train (by far the most interesting one) didn't show.  I had spent some time at Cliffs but gave up and headed back towards Maryhill and its excellent peaches--and then there it was.  This picture is taken from the old SP&S right of way (now a road) just a little east of Maryhill.  The train is on the new roadbed, heading up to get above the John Day Dam.  The power had passed by the time I noticed the train, but I took a few pictures anyway, including a picture of one of the blades.  What I didn't notice when I took this picture was that I also got some operating windmills and a nice view of the Stonehenge replica that Sam Hill, who was responsible for developing this area, built after WWI as a peace memorial (he was a Quaker).  I think that altogether this makes a nice scene.

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That sure looks like a very steep grade , something a Shay would found on

miralomarail Wrote:
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> That sure looks like a very steep grade ,
> something a Shay would found on

The camera must be tilted slightly, the eastbound grade at Maryhill is only 0.20% percent, a minimal grade almost anywhere.  The Columbia River drops down at a 0.08 percent grade roughly, its almost flat as far as trains are concerned, especially given the grades these same trains must climb further east.

Nice juxtaposition!

BNSF6400 Wrote:
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> miralomarail Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That sure looks like a very steep grade ,
> > something a Shay would found on
>
> The camera must be tilted slightly, the eastbound
> grade at Maryhill is only 0.20% percent, a minimal
> grade almost anywhere.  The Columbia River drops
> down at a 0.08 percent grade roughly, its almost
> flat as far as trains are concerned, especially
> given the grades these same trains must climb
> further east.

This was a grab shot, without a tripod, so there may be some tilt.  Stonehenge, however, looks reasonably flat, so it may just be the angle.  As BNSF6400 said, the grade at this point is minimal.  It takes 10 or more miles of the new roadbed to get above the level of the John Day Dam, and that can't be much more than 100 feet total.  The road I'm on is the old SP&S roadbed, and it's almost flat, with the new railroad roadbed rising very imperceptibly as one drives along it.  No Shay needed.

"Stonehenge"?  When will the Spinal Tap concert be staged there?