Western Railroad Discussion > Albany and Eastern October 2019

I was in Oregon in October visiting family. Lebanon is the home base of the Albany and Eastern RR.
So naturally I went one morning to see the "hauler" head for Albany. 
I got word that SD9 5399 was coming back from Albany after the hauler cleared up.
Here is a video of the 5399 heading compass eastish back to Lebanon.

Then photo from a county road and then across one of the many grass seed fields that cover the Santiam River valley.

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The next day, the hauler was making up the train and they needed a hopper from the dairy.
They picked up the car then shoved back to the train.

With Permission :  I took a photo In the shop area at Lebanon, the former Willamette and Pacific 1201 (originally Pittsburg and Shawmut SW9 232, then PS 1866)
Portland and Western  made it a SW1200R 1201
It was built in October 1953.  

"Information is from RR picture Archive"

AERC is an interesting operation. The Hauler goes to Albany each morning, Then there are varying branch line runs to Sweet Home, Crabtree for logs and the Mill city run. Mill City is the most scenic part, but you better take a map as the roads and the AERC just are not on the same page.

Rick Z

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Non-Railroad, but fascinating machinery, is the Thompson Mill at Shedd. The Ranger will even open the gates and let water in to start the turbines that run the machinery. Well worth the time. Only a few miles from Lebanon.

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zoohogger Wrote:
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> Non-Railroad, but fascinating machinery, is the
> Thompson Mill at Shedd. The Ranger will even open
> the gates and let water in to start the turbines
> that run the machinery. Well worth the time. Only
> a few miles from Lebanon.

The Thompson Mill is one of the less-known and less-visited Oregon state parks, but it's well worth the slight detour to see it.  The machinery for grinding the grain is probably close to a hundred years old now.

something like a year ago I went by Crabtree to see Rick's log re-load facility...it was on a Sunday.   As is typical of a AERC / Rick Franklin operation the log reload site was pristine.....in my book that takes a lot of work for an active log reload facility.   thanks for the great pictures and video !            Arlen

I operated that locomotive on my first trip as an engineer in March of 1972  when it was the 3877. It is nice to see it as God and and the SP intended with the oscillating headlight. Beautiful!!