Steam & Excursion > There Were Some Days It Was Better To Be In The Locomotive Cab!

Just one look at this 1952 scene at Deep River Logging Company's Naselle, Washington camp tells us just what railroad logging was like in much of the Pacific Northwest.  It was cold and wet!

Deep River's ALCO 2-6-2 #65 is switching a single disconnect truck back to the shops to have some journal work done on it before putting it back in service.  The sun can barely brighten the dark cloudy day with it's constant rain that drenches the brakemen on the front running board.  Only the engine crew has the hope of staying somewhat dry and warm inside the cab and up against the backhead with the warmth of the firebox to comfort them.

They certainly won't need to tip the spark arrestor back in place on this day!

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/20 03:17 by LoggerHogger.

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The rain brings back childhood memories from Western Oregon.  Post pandemic I'll need to book a flight into PDX. It will be in the summer.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/20 04:18 by bobwilcox.

Nothing is wetter than a good old northwest rainstorm - except maybe in the Redwood Forest. 
I carried mail in Corvallis,OR for 8 years and when I started that job the first thing I did, being
from the California Bay Area,  was to purchase a full rain suit. There is rain ...and then there
is RAIN.

Having had the pleasure of walking an entire, long freight train while inspecting the undercarriage of each car during heavy rain, two things came to mind then and now. With my heavy rubberized rain suit, I remained totally dry. Despite the cool weather, I was a bit too warm.

As a friend of mine who was a Conrail Trainmaster on special assignment to train crews for Tidewater Grain Company in Philadelphia once said: Locomotive Engineers and Trainmasters don't get wet! I was always glad to be in the cab any time it was raining.

bobwilcox Wrote:
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Post pandemic I'll need to book
> a flight into PDX. It will be in the summer.

Summer of 2021?