Steam & Excursion > More Holiday Express Photos Saturday 11/28/15

Saturday afternoon I went out to photograph SP 4449 on the "Holiday Express" in SE Portland.  My plan was to get the 4:00 PM train at the N end of their run. 

I found a place to park and walked out on the Ross Island Bridge and waited.  The train arrived, but it stopped right below me to reverse direction, eliminating the shot I had planned another 1,000 feet or so north.  I shot the train and headed to Oaks Park.  There used to be several open areas on the bluff overlooking the tracks that were good photo spots, but 25+ years of tree growth has pretty much eliminated all of those shots.  I got one shot of the train in the trees with the high rise buildings in the South Waterfront area of Portland as a backdrop.  I drove south to the one open area overlooking the tracks at Oaks Park and got a few more photos.

I then went down to the boarding site at Oaks Park and got some shots of the train.  I then scouted out a shot from the field on the east sid eof the tracks and waited for the 5:00 PM trip to depart.  The joke was on me.  After waiting 30 minutes, I went back to the boarding site and spoke with several members of the crew and found out there was no 5:00 train.  A bunch of the guys I know showed up and I shot the bull with them until 5:55 and then relocated back in the field to photograph the departure.

It was worth the wait.  The Canon 5D-Mkll was up to the task.  ISO 6400 and hand held photos in the dark are no challenge for this camera.

Here are a bunch of shots form Saturday.  The train runs on the next 3 weekends, Saturday & Sunday, with hourly departures between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM.  No 1:00 PM departure on any of these days.  Some trips are already sold out, so check their website.   Google ORHF Holiday Express for additional info.

Enjoy the photos.

1. SP 4449 about to depart southward under the Ross Island Bridg

2. & 3.  Holiday express visible through the trees between SE Portland and Oaks Park

Nomosantafe
Portland, Oregon
"Pacific Wonderland"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/15 16:34 by nomosantafe.

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4.  Train approaching Oaks Park

5. & 6.  SP 4449 waiting at Oaks Park Station

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7.  Santa Visiting with an ORHF volunteer ayt the station

8.  Presents in the baggage car

9.  Observation Car James Gilmore 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/15 19:26 by nomosantafe.

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10.  Train departing Oaks Park - they pulled south about a train length and then reversed direction to go north backing up

11.  & 12.  SP 4449 and train backing up toward SE Portland 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/15 19:27 by nomosantafe.

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WOW! Very nice photos, and story. I'm also REALLY happy to see they use, what apparently is becoming more politically incorrect, "MERRY CHRISTMAS" on the side of the equipment!.

Yes other operators could take a lesson from this with their "Holiday Trains." 

Those are great photos.  MAN, she looks GREAT! 
An ISO of *6400*?? wow.........  Yup -- you can now
take hand-held pictures in the dark -- and they come
out sharp!!

And ----  Mery Christmas to everyone here! 

(So there -- and I am not a dyed-in-the-wool believer,
either, but that greeting does not bother me one bit.
Much ado about nothing, IMO.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/15 00:53 by Margaret_SP_fan.

HotWater Wrote:
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> WOW! Very nice photos, and story. I'm also REALLY
> happy to see they use, what apparently is becoming
> more politically incorrect, "MERRY CHRISTMAS" on
> the side of the equipment!.

It's perfectly okay if you choose to ignore that other holidays exist, and have long existed before, Christmas bumped itself into place.  It's not about being offensive, it's about being inclusive.

Great Photos! Of course being a 42 year veteran of the Southern Pacific, naturally I love the SP4449! 
I especially like the tender with the "MERRY CHRISTMAS" displayed!