Steam & Excursion > SP&S 700 for today's steam installment

I chased this 4-8-4 a few times from when it first returned to the rails.  So, off we go:

1.  A historic view  of 700 on an excursion to Wishram, WA on 5/20/56.  I got this slide on Ebay and do not know who the photographer was.

2.  At Prosser, WA on its first(?) excursion.  10/19/90.  I always try to get a decent roster shot of whatever engine I'm following.

3.  East of Prosser on the Kennewick to Prosser, WA trip.  10/19/90.  This may have been the only trip without a extra water tender.  (Victor Hand is still pissed he didn't come out for it).

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4.   Splitting the blades coming into Prosser.  10/19/90

5.   Westbound at Pomona, WA  10/20/90.  This was a Yakima to Ellensburg excursion. 

6.    Yakima River Canyon  10/20/90



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/20 12:09 by masterphots.

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Photo three is my favorite. You certainly chose a beautiful location.
Bob

7.   South of Ellensburg on a Yakima to Cle Elum trip.  10/21/90

8.  Cle Elum Canyon  10/21/90

9.   In September 1998 I was in Portland for the annual WGRF gathering.  I got a call from a friend on Thursday telling me the 700 was running on the W&P over the weekend if I get up to Portland.  I was already there,  so gave chase.  Talk about luck. A lot of tree tunnels but a nice day.  Here's a shot in the woods.  9/7/98

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10.   Another shot on the W&P   9/7/98

11.    Another excursion,  this from Portland to Pasco, WA.   Photo runpast at Avery, WA  4/20/01   I was all set up to get the classic SP&S shot at Cape Horn but a BNSF management guy showed up and got me out of there.  It is a dangerous place to stand, on the edge of the bank down to the river on the outside of a curve.  But he told me to get set up at Avery as they were doing a runpast....really nice guy.

12.    East of Sundale, WA  4/20/01      The return was behind a diesel as the 700 had a mechanical problem that developed Sunday morning in Pasco.  I took a few photos but won't post here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/20 09:45 by masterphots.

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The water tender in the later photos looks OK. But the BN one not so much. No wonder Victor was pissed. 

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> The water tender in the later photos looks OK.

That's because it is the auxiliary tender for SP4449.

But
> the BN one not so much.

Right.

No wonder Victor was
> pissed. 

 

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> The water tender in the later photos looks OK. But
> the BN one not so much. No wonder Victor was
> pissed. 

Paint job didn't help the asesthetics either.

I don't understand the last (great) photo -- eighteen cars but where's the diesel??

Gordon

gbmott Wrote:
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> I don't understand the last (great) photo --
> eighteen cars but where's the diesel??
>
> Gordon

It's water level grade. Plus, there is a power car in the consist, so need for a diesel (Amtrak?) equipped with HEP.

700 has such nice lines.  RE your April 01 shots, this one at Pasco at the end of our ride.

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A really NICE look at SP&S 700!

Larry

Nice stuff Alan.  We did both 4449 and 700 at the Washington Steamfest (Washington Central RR).  When BNSF took back control of that line it was pretty much the end of those nice events.  Was nice not having a diesel on any of those trips for either engine!!!  We still some of those dvd's on both engines, and the scenery was nice there as well....oh and as you showed, some semaphores along the former NP!
Greg

Some great photography-composition, lighting and locatons! Thanks for sharing.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/20 18:12 by wabash2800.

Very nice photos of one of my favorite excursion-era steam locomotives.  I saw it and rode behind just once - 15 years ago.  Met nycman on that trip.

Trying to think back as road the one form Yakima to Cle Elm had the high school band playing there when we arrived. Rode in the observation car both ways nice run, just outside of Yakima in the canyon some fellow BAd the train for us. Got quite the laugh from most very nice trip.Just dont know the date for sure.

One other item, did they have 700 one weekend out of Yakima and 4449 the next?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/20 07:23 by BAB.

BAB Wrote:
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> Trying to think back as road the one form Yakima
> to Cle Elm had the high school band playing there
> when we arrived. Rode in the observation car both
> ways nice run, just outside of Yakima in the
> canyon some fellow BAd the train for us. Got quite
> the laugh from most very nice trip.Just dont know
> the date for sure.
>
> One other item, did they have 700 one weekend out
> of Yakima and 4449 the next?

Yes the Oct 1990 Washington Steamfest events featured 4449 first and 700 after that.

The 4449 and the 4449 and some coaches went from Portland to Kennewick along the Columbia on a deadhead run first
They did all the first weekend trips, and then came back to portland with essentially the tool car, leaving the others for 4449.
700 ran with only a tool car Portland to Kennewick, then used the same coaches the 4449 had used, and did similar trips from
Kennewick, Yakima, etc.
As I recall some of the coaches were already on the WC, or brought in from elsewhere.
After the event the 700 made a trip dead-head back to Portland taking all the coaches belonging to the 4449 bunch.  It was a pretty cool 2 weeks, and we did all of it, bumping into Masterphots and hundreds of our closest friends during that time.  The 2 lane road between Yakima and Ellensburg through Yakima Canyon was clogged, and you had to pick your spot, and if you shot close to Yakima you might get one more in the canyon if you could fight through the crowd.  They usually did a runby between Ellensburg and Cle Elum, where the engine was turned for the return to Yakima.  The dinner trains were fun to watch, with some night running.
  One of my fond memories was pacing 4449 on the dinner train from Kennewick to Yakima and listening to the World Series on the car radio.  The Cincinnati Reds(Our hometown boys), were beating the Oakland A's 4 straight that year.  One ear was on the game and the other on 4449 out my left ear!  Hotwater was out there for the 4449 portion I believe also.
Greg

Nice pics!!