Steam & Excursion > Not everyone is a railfan fan - even the locals...

Especially the locals, sometimes.

Let's skip past those that have high hopes of converting Southern Pacific's
former Tillamook branch, home to the Oregon Coast Scenic, into a hiking trail
and focus on those that wouldn't even use it.  Some simply show no interest
in steam trains what so ever!  Bird brains... like this guy! Didn't even notice
the train until it passed - and then simply yawned as it went by!

/Mitch

---

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Or maybe he was aloof?  And later excited at the sight of such an event?

; )

/Mitch

Birdbrain.
 

I was patiently waiting for that fish in your pocket.

JBWX

jbwest Wrote:
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> I was patiently waiting for that fish in your
> pocket.
>
> JBWX

You talking to me?  Lol.

/Mitch

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Nice pics.  Just don't ever grab one of those sea gulls unless you have four foot arms.  I saved one from a ladies fishing lure one time when I was a kid.   I got it off the hook, and it returned the favor by biting me on my upper lip.  Those suckers can stretch that neck way out, and have a bite as bad as a hawk.   I know, I've been bitten by both, and I've still scars to prove it.

Do they really want to turn that track into a bike path ?

Craig Hanson
Vay, Idaho

hawkinsun Wrote:
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> Do they really want to turn that track into a bike
> path ?
>
> Craig Hanson
> Vay, Idaho

Where are their rails where someone doesn't?

The line was severed by a storm a few years back
and rather then rebuilt it, there are groups hoping
to convert part of it, to the north east first, of where
the train stops today.
https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/3/30/at-last-the-portland-to-coast-salmonberry-trail-gets-the-green-light

But then there was a sign posted ALONG the ROW
in the town of Rockaway which had the town endorse
support of a rail trail - humorously, part of the sign
was covered by a sticker stating the Oregon Coast
Scenic STILL comes through town - wish I got a
shot of it.

And if you read the last paragraph in this link - there
are thoughts on building a trail along side the rail...
https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/port-of-tillamook-bay-support-for-oregon-coast-scenic-railroad-rails-and-trails-concept/

/Mitch
 

The trail will ruin the look of the railway, just as it did on the Western Maryland Scenic. Note they site "environmental" concerns. Of course it IS Oregon. That could easily spell the end of steam loco operations. 

Nice post like the pix need that kind of thing once in a while, how many fish did it take to get that gull to cooperate?

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> The line was severed by a storm a few years back
> and rather then rebuilt it, there are groups
> hoping
> to convert part of it, to the north east first, of
> where
> the train stops today.

Line has been damaged before... and repaired at Oregon Tax Payers expense. The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, through an agreement with the Port, maintains the coastal track and operates it as a scenic tourist train operation.
https://potb.org/railroad/ 

In February 1996, more storms damaged the Hillsboro–Tillamook line. About 7 miles (11 km) of line was "nearly completely destroyed",[9] two bridges washed out, and the flooding Salmonberry River washed "boulders the size of cars" through one of the line's tunnels.[9] A preliminary estimate of the damage, given by the Oregon Department of Transportation, was $5 million.[9] In March, Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, convinced that repairing the railroad would not harm steelhead runs, permitted repairs to continue through the end of the month.[10] In June, the state determined that the Port of Tillamook Bay had violated state environmental laws, such as by failing to control erosion in the Salmonberry River canyon.[11]

During a storm on December 2 and 3, 2007, known as the Great Coastal Gale, the railroad was again significantly damaged in the Salmonberry River canyon.[1] The cost of repairs to the railroad was first estimated at $20 million. Tillamook County logging companies faced increased costs because they had to transport timber by truck.[12] When the repair cost estimate was revised to $57.3 million, fisheries groups suggested permanently abandoning the railroad because they thought "that economically, the railroad is not viable, and environmentally, rebuilding it would affect fish runs already hammered by last winter's storms".[13] Workers began assessing the railroad damage in February 2008 in snowy, rugged terrain, and found that the flooding Salmonberry River had eroded steep embankments, damaging tunnels and collapsing trestles and bridges. Later that year, they hiked as far as 18 miles (29 km) each day to the canyon to further assess the damage.[14] The Port of Tillamook Bay opted to not repair the damaged track over the mountains, but it still owns more than 101 miles (163 km) of railroad right-of-way, including main line, spurs, and sidings.[1] The port also leases a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) section of track from Banks to Hillsboro to the Portland and Western Railroad and leases the coastal portion of the line to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad.[1]

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> The trail will ruin the look of the railway, just
> as it did on the Western Maryland Scenic.

During my several visits to the Western Maryland Scenic Railway, I never thought the trail "ruined" the look of anything.  Yes, the trail changed the view.  It also added a new market of users (ride a bicycle in one direction and the train in the other) thus generating more revenues for the Western Maryland Scenic Railway.  A win-win.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/18 14:40 by RuleG.

........the bird is the word..................

"rebuilding it would affect fish runs already hammered by last winter's storms"

And what happened in the last 1000 years when there was a major storm in the area, before man showed up? Didn't the fisheries get washed away, then recover between the storms? If you build a bike path through the river canyon on what is left of the ROW, and a major storm comes in to washes the bike path into oblivion, the isn't Oregon again wasting tons of money on maitaining that bike path, which will be used by maybe, if they are lucky, a hundred bicylists a year? And would not construction of said bike path also put dirt, gravel, and other debris into the river, angain affecting the steelhead fish runs?

You are seriously underestimating the number of cyclists in that neck of the woods. Yes, any construction would have some effect on the river.

CPRR Wrote:
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> "rebuilding it would affect fish runs already
> hammered by last winter's storms"
>
> And what happened in the last 1000 years when
> there was a major storm in the area, before man
> showed up? Didn't the fisheries get washed away,
> then recover between the storms? If you build a
> bike path through the river canyon on what is left
> of the ROW, and a major storm comes in to washes
> the bike path into oblivion, the isn't Oregon
> again wasting tons of money on maitaining that
> bike path, which will be used by maybe, if they
> are lucky, a hundred bicylists a year? And would
> not construction of said bike path also put dirt,
> gravel, and other debris into the river, angain
> affecting the steelhead fish runs?

You obviously aren't from Oregon. That bike path will a ton of usage, especially in the summer.

Regards,

Dave

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > The trail will ruin the look of the railway,
>  > just  as it did on the Western Maryland Scenic.
>
> During my several visits to the Western Maryland
> Scenic Railway, I never thought the trail "ruined"
> the look of anything.  Yes, the trail changed the
> view.  It also added a new market of users (ride
> a bicyle in one direction and the train in the
> other) thus generating more revenues for the
> Western Maryland Scenic Railway.  A win-win.

Perhaps you never visited with a camera in you hand and
a desire to travel back in time.  A 4-8-4 painted red with
yellow arches running at 79 mph is certainly better than no
4-8-4 running at all, and such sponsorship and advertising
would certainly generate additional revenue - but there's no
denying something is lost.  Win-win and a loss.  We can
take it a step further - forget the steam and substitute a
diesel.  Or - put a diesel in the tender and push the steam
locomotive - win-win, still?  The moral of the story - it's
always a shame to lose what you STILL have.

The shots at Brush Tunnel at the WMSR will never be the
same!

/Mitch

 

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > andersonb109 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > > The trail will ruin the look of the railway,
> >  > just  as it did on the Western Maryland
> Scenic.
> >
> > During my several visits to the Western
> Maryland
> > Scenic Railway, I never thought the trail
> "ruined"
> > the look of anything.  Yes, the trail changed
> the
> > view.  It also added a new market of users
> (ride
> > a bicycle in one direction and the train in the
> > other) thus generating more revenues for the
> > Western Maryland Scenic Railway.  A win-win.
>
> Perhaps you never visited with a camera in you
> hand and
> a desire to travel back in time.

Every time I've visited the WMSR, I've had a camera. 

Going back in time to what and when?  A Lake Superior & Ishpeming locomotive made to look like a WM 2-8-0 pulling a set of streamlined passenger cars does not take me back in time to anything.  I've had more authentic historic experiences at East Broad Top, Cumbres & Toltec, the Golden Spike National Historic site and on transit excursions in Boston, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

  A 4-8-4 painted
> red with
> yellow arches running at 79 mph is certainly
> better than no
> 4-8-4 running at all, and such sponsorship and
> advertising
> would certainly generate additional revenue - but
> there's no
> denying something is lost. 

That's really extreme to liken a 4-8-4 painted with McDonald's arches to a trail (which has a transportation function) along a railroad line.

Win-win and a loss. 
> We can
> take it a step further - forget the steam and
> substitute a
> diesel.  Or - put a diesel in the tender and push
> the steam
> locomotive - win-win, still?  The moral of the
> story - it's
> always a shame to lose what you STILL have.

If the trail diminishes your enjoyment of the WMSR, that's on you.  For me it's an alteration of the landscape, but I do not have any strong sense of loss.  On the contrary, if/when 1309 ever gets up and running, I may ride a bike out of Cumberland when the train is running to have a new railfan experience.
>
> The shots at Brush Tunnel at the WMSR will never
> be the
> same!
>
> /Mitch
>
>  

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Going back in time to what and when?  A Lake
> Superior & Ishpeming locomotive made to look like
> a WM 2-8-0 pulling a set of streamlined passenger
> cars does not take me back in time to anything. 
> I've had more authentic historic experiences at
> East Broad Top, Cumbres & Toltec, the Golden Spike
> National Historic site and on transit excursions
> in Boston, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Which was actually the point andersonb109 and I were
making.  The more authentic an experience can be, the
more we as railfans and history buffs tend to enjoy the
experience.  That we remember WMSR without the trail
(and fencing in the tunnel) so recently, and can witness
the former Southern Pacific Tillamook branch without
such TODAY makes those all the more precious.  Not
saying it ruins the experience, just alters it - as would a
red and yellow arched 4-8-4.  Ie; It's OK to say it's just
not the same, so long as you say it constructively.

Join us in 2040 when we discuss the electrification of
Horseshoe Curve!  Until then - enjoy a Big Mac at the
McDonnalds by the EBT engine house, lol.

/Mitch

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Join us in 2040 when we discuss the
> electrification of
> Horseshoe Curve!  Until then - enjoy a Big Mac at
> the
> McDonnalds by the EBT engine house, lol.
>
> /Mitch

That's another reason to like trails. Walking or biking them enhances one's prospects for being around in 2040.  I will pass on the Big Mac, though!