Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Oregon Trunk (17-Mar-2025)

Just wrapped up a trip to Winterail 2025 in Corvallis OR – and got out to shoot several UP and BNSF locations.   The weather for the entire trip was stormy and wet – rarely saw the sun – which led to less than favorable image outcomes.    However, you can’t always shoot in perfect weather – and inclement weather can sometimes lead to amazing shots.
 
I am breaking my post down by subdivision – just easier for me (and for those looking for info and pics from a specific sub.
 
Starting with the BNSF Oregon Trunk – I got lucky and caught a SB in the Canyon after about a 4hr wait on Monday.    There are many scenic areas on the line – but the BLM Access Rd up to Macks Canyon had several large rocks/mini boulders that were in the roadway – and the gravel condition due to the recent weather, I opted to remain at the head of the BLM access road near the twin bridges.
 
1-3.   Pics of the area around the twin bridges.
4-8.   SB BNSF 3800 approaching Tunnel 2 and the twin bridges.  (17-Mar-2025)
9-12.  BNSF 3800 coming around Buck Hollow.
13-15.   BNSF 3800 heading into the canyon at Winter Water Creek.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 19:30 by johnusnsd.

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4-6.SB BNSF 3800 approaching Tunnel 2 and the twin bridges.  (17-Mar-2025)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 16:57 by johnusnsd.

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7-8.  SB BNSF 3800 approaching Tunnel 2 and the twin bridges.  (17-Mar-2025)
9.  BNSF 3800 coming around Buck Hollow.

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10-12.  BNSF 3800 coming around Buck Hollow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 16:57 by johnusnsd.

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13-15.  BNSF 3800 heading into the canyon at Winter Water Creek.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 16:57 by johnusnsd.

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Very nice photo set!

I agree with bluesman comment being a very nice set of pictures. All the details are much appreciated too.
Robert in Island City Oregon

I agree with the previous comments but would point out that it's the BNSF Oregon Trunk.  The UP has trackage rights to Bend, but I'm not sure how much it uses them any more.

Some Awesome shots in this group!

Excellent bunch. Don't understand BNSF logic in spending milliions on this line and still run some trains the long way through Denver to LA?
JB

Nice pictures, thanks for posting.  Okay, I'm dumb.  The pictures show ONE bridge in the area labeled TWIN Bridges.  So, where's the second bridge?  Only been to this area once and was driving through with no time to stop and explore.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 18:35 by ntharalson.

Agree there's nothing ' twin ' about the location, google is calling it twin crossing but that's a stretch as well.

Going back through a couple of books so far it's refered to as 'Twin Bridges', there's acouple of older SP&S compendiums that I would like to check as well. Some of the names are simply handed down, many of the names in the Canyon are from rafters who have a water borne perspective, others are local ranchers or BLM level workers from earlier days. Somewhere I have a photo of the BLM sign I should look at as well.

To add to the confusion during the construction era the UPrr built a tunnel under what is now a hill on the BLM road, the SP&S and the UPrr having two tunnels through the same bluff. But that's not the name either. The existing dirt / gravel road that is signed for BLM and the local reservation had been the UPrr RoW before the agreement to combine the two routes.

Nice tour of the area, sometimes it's nice to just explore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 09:12 by TCnR.

The Twin Bridges (or Twin Crossings) are a place where the OT builders decided not to follow the river's bends as they had everywhere else but to put in a bridge across the river, tunnel through the outcropping (tunnel 2), and put another bridge over the river to return to the western side.  I have no idea why they chose to do so in this location and not others that are similar.  My memory's not good enough to say whether it's possible to see both bridges at the same time from the top of the outcropping (I haven't been there for some years), but the BLM road (which is the old UP line up the canyon) goes right over the outcropping, so it may be that it's possible to do so.

Here's the all seeing Satellite Photo. South at the bottom, North at the Top. The two bridges are hard to see but adding markings doesn't really help with this photo.

Serious reminder that the trail to the north bridge is seriously dangerous, poor trailover the rock tunnel portal, steep fall onto the tracks with no barricades, nothing to grab on the way down. There is a trail going west from the parking area and then down on the west side, part of the 'other' trail that goes to overlooks of both bridges. Don't fall off the overlook on the south side either. Another pointer that the BLM road is washboard with gravel ruts, the road starts at Shearer Bridge Highway and dead ends about 10 miles or so to the north, it does not go through to anywhere. I forget how long the road is but it's at least an afternoon's drive at washboard speed.

Hope this helps.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 15:52 by TCnR.

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I cannot believe that I posted "UP Oregon Trunk" - what an idiot I am.....lol!      Ugh - had UP on the brain.

I knew it was BNSF territory - don't hold it against me!

John
 

Bob - THANK YOU for alerting me to my rookie mistake - so embarrassed!    I have updated my posts.
John


BobB Wrote:
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> I agree with the previous comments but would point
> out that it's the BNSF Oregon Trunk.  The UP has
> trackage rights to Bend, but I'm not sure how much
> it uses them any more.

Nick - as others have already explained - there are 2 bridges at the curve - and hence the "twin bridges" designation.......I have pics of each bridge at the top of the thread.

Nice series!

Thanks for the explanation of Twin Bridges.  Very much appreciated.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Congrats on the IOTD.
Great locations for scenery and trains.