Western Railroad Discussion > Expect the Unexpected

One of the cooler (more frustrating?) things about this hobby is how random it can all feel. Though tools like lineups and ATCS (for those who have access to them, which I don't) can help one predict with a little more accuracy how one's day railfanning might go, there's a luck factor involved that can make a good day a little worse -- if you hit a lull, for instance. On the other hand, there's something satisfying, when you're out railfanning, about coming around a curve in the road and suddenly seeing something good -- and knowing, in that moment, exactly how you'll be spending the next hour, or the rest of the evening.

Something like this happened in mid-June. We were driving to the Blue Mountains for a few days of fun and had made an afternoon departure out of Portland. UP had been very active early on, in the Dodson / Cascade Locks area (much of this activity was documented by Rainier_Rails here). And then ... nothing, for a good long while. But as we came around the curve towards Quinnton and Blalock, in the last light of day, something beautiful: an ISEMN was in the hole at Quinton, and we could see the headlights of a westbound rushing to meet it; there was just enough time to get to the exit and set up on the little road up the hill. More action: squinting into the distance, we could see that another eastbound -- some sort of over-the-road local from the Dalles to Hinkle, with cars from Mt. Hood Lumber and the tie plant -- was still cooling its heels in the Blalock siding a few miles ahead of us, and it wasn't too long before a second westbound showed up for the meet. Two meeting two: not too much to do besides take a deep breath, get comfortable, and take a few photos.

1-2: The first train, an oil train, approaches behind a ton of power: 5 yellow locos, then two red, and finally one blue -- CEFX 1040 -- pushing on the rear. According to Rainier_Rails's thread, this train was the OPFCA-20. Note the EB local on the siding in the background. I didn't realize until enlarging these photos that the power on the local appears to be one long-hood-forward SD70M -- I bet that was fun for the crew, lugging ~ forty cars in that thing all the way to Hinkle... oh well...

3: I switched to a longer lens as the second train approached. It turned out to be an empty trash train that the dispatcher had allowed to duck out of Arlington siding (15 miles or so away) behind the oil train to begin its return trip to Washington. These are very common sights in the evening out here. As usual, power was 2x2 and forward-facing in each direction; presumably, this is so there's no need to run around the train before and after the trip down the Condon branch to the landfill... meanwhile, the local has already pulled away in the distance.

There's more... 

 

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4) The trash train continues its approach.

5-6) Finally, the stack train pulls out and heads for Hinkle. Though it was moving pretty quickly at this moment, the train wouldn't make it to Huntington, and the Idaho border, until after 3PM Pacific the next afternoon (though it had more containers behind the power at that point, so it must have made a pickup/block-swap somewhere -- probably Hinkle).

And then... everything became quiet again. We got back on the road, and aside from another westbound waiting in the hole at Heppner and a local switching near Boardman (the EBs would have to wait a while for the latter to clear up) UP was pretty dead all the way to Hinkle -- and, though it was pretty dark, Hinkle seemed dead as well, with scanner chatter about how the equipment from the diesel shop would be auctioned off the following weekend. Sure is different these days. But you can still have a nice evening out railfanning when things line up. Thanks for looking. :) 

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Great shots!

I've lived your story many times! When those unexpected bursts of action occur it really helps to thoroughly know your territory. Even so, sometimes it just comes down to pure right place ~ right time luck. And you're right: action can go stone cold just as fast as it crops up...

Very nice series!

Lance/199 

Are those drone shots are you a mountain goat?
Added: congratulations on the IOTD!

BB



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 00:50 by bmarti7.

Nice pics!!

Congrats on the IOTD.
Sunset in the Gorge is a wonderous place, even better when they run a few trains.
t4p.

Thanks for a very NICE series along the Columbia River!

Larry

THANKS for sharing your outstanding images.