Nostalgia & History > Down in the Gorge

Back in August 1992, an eastbound empty grain move enters the siding at Dodson, Oregon astride Ainsworth State Park to meet a westbound. Beside the pristine Southern Pacific SD sharing the honors up front, the train itself proved an interesting collection of mergers both accomplished and pending.

Be of good cheer,
—Mac 

www.lowellamrine.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/21 12:10 by MacBeau.

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Nice time machine clip, with NO graffiti.  

Nice and thanks for shooting the whole train!! Must be a big siding judging from his speed.

Nice video. Some of them cars were a rockin and a rollin. Kinda reminded me of some  that i saw on PC back when.  Ben

Great video! I believe this may actually be a soda ash empty, though it looks different than soda ash empties look today. In particular, the bright white centerflows with the big UNION PACIFIC on the side (as at 1:25) were typically used for (and I believe built for?) soda ash service, and a lot of those heritage road cars (like the green M-K-T hoppers) were used in ash service for a time. There was a nice series of articles in the UPHS Streamliner magazine a few years back with a detailed look at soda ash operations, including discussions and photos of which car types were used in this service during which era. 

And yes, Dodson is one of the longer sidings at the west end of the Gorge, and is often used for meets even in the current era, as the sidings on either side (Bridal Veil and Cascade Locks) are too short for most of today's trains.  I think Dodson comes in around 9000' - 10000', but someone here would know the exact length.

 

FiestaFoamer, from memory Dodson is 10,600' with one private crossing at the East end. The Locks & Bridal Veil are 6750' & 6350' respectively.
Awesome video Mac!

Posted from Android

494 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FiestaFoamer, from memory Dodson is 10,600' with
> one private crossing at the East end. The Locks &
> Bridal Veil are 6750' & 6350' respectively.
> Awesome video Mac!
>
> Posted from Android

All of those figures are about what I remember, too, and yep, eastbounds typically hold short of that private crossing if they can. 

I think it was the Pillsbury hopper right at the end that made me think grain instead of soda ash, but you're right about some of those ex-MP ACF hoppers looking the part.
—Mac

FiestaFoamer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great video! I believe this may actually be a soda
> ash empty, 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/21 10:40 by MacBeau.

Love the video, those days sure were a lot of fun!