Western Railroad Discussion > Tacoma Rail's Hill Job

Take a trip to Fredrickson with Tacoma Rail.This is today's (Sunday 9/18/22) Hill Job, called for 7 am, out of the yard about 8:30. I followed as far as the Gulch. Once behind the train at that point, it's hard to get ahead of it.

1)  7:45 am Sunday 9/18/22, just have sunrise and it's pretty quiet at Tacoma Rail

2) 8:30 am Sunday 9/18/22 and the Hill job is shoving to the UP's Fife yard, first crossing Milwaukee Way, then through the wye and Bullfrog Jct.

3) 8:45 am Sunday 9/19/22, this the location formerly known as War Hoop. The Hill job is shoving toward a red signal at Fife, UP's I-SELC is on the UP bridge across the Puyallup, putting it's train together, and keeping the signal red for TR. Off to the right is BNSF's TACVBT, just leaving town. Pulling out of the Fife yard on the Port Main is the UP's I-BASE, headed for Tacoma Rail.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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4) 9 am Sunday 9/18/22 and the Hill Job has nowhere to go. The UP has them sewn up for the moment, or rather several moments.

5) 9:15 am Sunday 9/18/22. Another view of the Hill Job's situation. I-BASE on the right, I-SELC on the left, TR stuck in the middle.

6) 9:35 am Sunday 9/18/22. At last the I-SELC has cleared the plant and the Hill Job has a signal to enter the yard. Only needed a few cars deep, but a signal doesn't care.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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7) 9:37 am Sunday 9/18/22. At last the Hill Job is on TR tracks, the Hi-Line, former Milwaukee Road.

8) 9:40 am Sunday 9/18/22. Crossing the Puyallup River on the former Milwaukee Trestle.

9) 9:41 am Sunday 9/18/22, crossing the BNSF Mains (left) and the UP track (right). The UP's I-SELC is mostly on the BNSF's Tacoma Main at this point. This is as close as I've got to an over/under shot here.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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10) 9:44 am Sunday 9/18/22. The head-end has reached Portland Ave and crossed over to Main 2 of the Lakewood Sub. In a few minutes it will cross the new Sound Transit Tacoma Trestle and then make a bit of a left turn for Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division.

11) 9:53 am Sunday 9/18/22. Making a run for it! Under the maze of the I-5, I-705 and SR 7 interchange is Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division and the beginning of the steep grade up the gulch.

12) 9:55 am Sunday 9/18/22. Between the lanes of the short stretch of the freeway portion of SR 7 and moving pretty well. My location was just off the bridge in the background (34th St). Catching the train again was pretty unlikely, so this is where I called off the chase.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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As usual, great coverage/report/photography.

Wyatt

Great shots.

How much of the line is still open toward Morton?

Posted from iPhone

Wow!  Absolutely amazing photography and gives one a good illustration of the rail complexities in the Tacoma area.

An even more amazing thing in these photos (particularly photo #3), the eternal I-5 construction zone is finally finished!!! It's a miracle! LOL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/22 13:51 by wyeth.

Great photos, I love the zigzagging train in photos 4-7.

Nathan

HoosierVirg Wrote:
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> How much of the line is still open toward Morton?
>
> Posted from iPhone

It's out of service a mile or so south of Fredrickson. 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

Great series of shots...makes you want to run out and buy a drone.

Great photos. I visited Tacoma in 2011. At that time they had black & white yard switches in the port area.

Posted from Android

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

DelMonteX Wrote:
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> Take a trip to Fredrickson with Tacoma Rail.This
> is today's (Sunday 9/18/22) Hill Job, called for 7
> am, out of the yard about 8:30. I followed as far
> as the Gulch. Once behind the train at that point,
> it's hard to get ahead of it.
>
First, an excellent series of drone photos.  Congratulations on "Image(s) of the Day"; well deserved.
Before the drone era, these photos would not have been available.
Your photos reminded me of my need to clarify a well known railroad's position on flying a drone over railroad tracks in "uncontrolled" airspace.  Stay tuned.
 

Fantastic series!

You packed a lot of great photography into that time frame ... and a heck of a lot knowing where to be next!!!
Terrific series!

Tacoma Rail has used the red & white paint scheme from well earlier than 2000.  

The only black and white paint scheme in the Tacoma area, belongs to TEMCO, located at the grain facility along the BNSF Seattle Sub (i.e. not in Tacoma Rail's domain). 

Is the attached photo what you may have seen?

pedrop Wrote:
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> Great photos. I visited Tacoma in 2011. At that
> time they had black & white yard switches in the
> port area.
>
> Posted from Android

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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GREAT pics!!  Thanks for posting.