Passenger Trains > Amtrak Portland OR

At the end of the day, is there a lay-up yard for equipment, or does it just occupy a station track overnight?

If you are speaking of 27/28 I believe it gets wyed, and then is brought back to the station track for what is left of the overnight so that it can be cleaned. There is also enough trackage at the station to allow some Cascade equipment to dwell, just south of the depot if I have my directions right.

Thanks, and yes, the Empire Builder does get wyed over at UP Albina Yard. I was wondering about the Cascades trains, and whether they layover in the station or in Albina or Lake Yard. I've been monitoring the radio there for several days, and never hear of a deadhead move for Cascades equipment.

Yes I think I was turned around on my directions, most of the parking track area is north of the station, behind the main post office complex, and up to and under the Broadway bridge. There seemed to be four parking tracks, although I could only see what was on the track closest to Station Way. There extend for two more blocks beyond the post office up into the Pearl District, there are two big block-sized complexes there, don't remember their names. Possibly condos and their associated parking garages but clearly the developer of those blocks was not fond of the railroad views.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/14 10:11 by NewRiverGeorge.

There are five tracks at the station. There is a shed/roof that goes out directly from gate #7. South of that are the south tracks and north of that are, guess what, the north tracks.

#27 can come in on just about anything except the "One" track and most often not the #5 track. It is turned at the geographical east end of the Steel Bridge. Don't know where you can turn at Albina. Sometimes the incoming crew of #27 will turn it and most often there is a yard crew.

The #5 track is run through for freight. (once in a while #4 track) Usually #11 and #14 use the #5 track. If there is a freight coming they might use #4.

The Cascades #500 and #507 use the #4 or #5 track. Seems like how do the dice roll, either one works equally well.

Most of the time (it's not set in stone) the Cascades use the north tracks. The trains that stay overnight will usually stay on the north tracks.

The #27 that has turned to become #28 can come back in on usually the #2 south track. Sometimes the #1 south. There are two sets of #27 and #28. If #27 is on time (newspaper records show that happened once) there will be both sets in the station. They will be side by side on the south tracks.

What is said above about the #1 track will be changed if private cars are visiting Portland or there is a bad order car waiting for attention.

In short, the Cascade Talgos use the north tracks and spend the night there. One of the #27/#28 sets will spend the night on one of the south tracks also.

jb

At one time there was a balloon track in lake yard that went around the old Portland Terminal RR
roundhouse that was used to turn Amtrak equipment. It looks to still be there on Google maps, but I
don't know if it's still used. I don't think the wye is still in place on the east end of the Steel Bridge.

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

Thanks jdb for the details. Good info!

Yes, you can Wye at the east end of the steel bridge; just not a 4-8-4 steam locomotive. The north leg of the wye is about as sharp a curve as you'll find in standard gauge, I'm told. What you can't do anymore is get from Union Station to the Graham Line (i.e. how the Pioneer used to leave town).

There will be another Wye option in the neighborhood when the UP constructs their direct connection from the ex-SP track to the Graham line; this will help the inter-modals that use the Graham line and need to get to or from Brooklyn. Now they pull north, change ends, and come south to the inter-modal terminal.

dcautley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, you can Wye at the east end of the steel
> bridge; just not a 4-8-4 steam locomotive. The
> north leg of the wye is about as sharp a curve as
> you'll find in standard gauge, I'm told. What you
> can't do anymore is get from Union Station to the
> Graham Line (i.e. how the Pioneer used to leave
> town).
>
> There will be another Wye option in the
> neighborhood when the UP constructs their direct
> connection from the ex-SP track to the Graham
> line; this will help the inter-modals that use the
> Graham line and need to get to or from Brooklyn.
> Now they pull north, change ends, and come south
> to the inter-modal terminal.

When did this start happening? They have always used the Kenton Line in the past...

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks jdb for the details. Good info!

Well, be careful with what I said because it doesn't happen all the time. After Larry mentioning Google Maps I took a look.

#28 is sitting on track 1 NORTH. On track 1 SOUTH is the second set of #27/28 without any power. The power has probably been stolen for something else. Note the Lounge car on the left end - - the set has been turned and ready to head to Chicago tomorrow.

On track 2 NORTH is a Talgo set. Very common

On track 3 is the Coast Starlight, #11. Very uncommon.

I said that #507 usually uses track 5. Sometimes track 4. A fly in the ointment here is that #507 is fueled and watered in Portland. The fuel is from a truck on the road next to track 5. If #507 is on 4 the fuel hoses are laying on track 5 and you hope a freight doesn't come through.

Use Google Satellite and follow the Coast Starlight across the Steel Bridge. You can see the "Y." Transfers from/to Lake Yard/Albina use the north leg. (and it IS a tight curve) The Coast Starlight uses the south leg. (also Willamette & Pacific to Lake Yard) Union Pacific traffic from Albina to California uses the east leg.

Use Google Satellite again and follow where #28 is going for about two miles. You can see the Lake Yard balloon track. Once in a great while it might be used but if you are turning #27 it is a looooooong back up move.

jb

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At the end of the day, is there a lay-up yard for
> equipment, or does it just occupy a station track
> overnight?

OK folks, here is what generally happens as far as layover trains are spotted. With the erratic schedule for inbound 27,it will spot to either 4 south or 1 south dependent on time of day and traffic. It will then wye for 28 and spot 1 south for ground power and servicing. 513 from Vancouver spots 3 south for ground power and overnight service, out as 506 the next day. 509 spots to 2 south for ground power and overnight servicing, out as 503 the next day. Most wye moves are done via the Steel bridge, but the loop at lake yard does get used on occaision.

Course there was a time that #27 arrived and went out the same day as #28. This was prior to the sixth Empire Builder set being put into action as a result of delays in the schedule and then the schedule change itself!