Passenger Trains > Difficult day for Cascades 505

Thursday's Cascades 505 had a very interesting day, at least from the perspective of an observer, certainly the passengers might describe the trip with different words.

The train left Tacoma only a few minutes late. I was planning on catching it around Nisqually, since I was in the area. A snippet of a radio conversation about "coasting", let me know my plans were changing.

Seems Mater the cab car decided somewhere around CP Pioneer (Chambers Bay golf course / University Place), to stop talking to Charger 1407. They were pretty much stuck on Main 1 with no power, no alarms, no bells. I left for a while to finish some work, as the crew was going to attempt an MU cable change. When I returned, they had managed to figure out that the train could move with the Cab car isolated, but since it was on the leading end (South) the train could only move north. The decision makers sent the train back to Tacoma, where the passenger's were offered bus rides to points south, or the option to wait for train 507. Since the train had to be in Portland for Friday's work, it was decided to wye the train at the Tacoma Rail Muni yard (just outside the yard).

With my work done, and nothing pressing for the evening, I stuck around to see and photograph a rather rare event, a Cascades train crossing the Puyallup on the BNSF "hill" bridge and the wye'ing process.

1) Before the 505 event, I caught 504 with Charger WDTX 1406 at Titlow in Tacoma. Never occurred to me that I see this train set twice in the same day.

2) Here's 505 at Pioneer with Cascades 518 passing northbound on main 2.

3) After arriving in Tacoma only a few minutes behind 518, 505 unloaded it's passengers and then was moved to Main 2, to allow #14 (Starlight) to access the station.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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4) Cascades 507 arrived a few minutes later with Charger 1406. After the passenger were dealt with and 507 departed with crews of 505 and 507 swapping trains, 505 was moved back to the station track, so the dispatcher could get the backlog of trains through Tacoma.

Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Or rather I did. There were phone calls going on trying to nail down the plan, get a BNSF pilot or utility person for the wye move. Apparently much wire crossing was going on. About 10 minutes before the arrival of Cascades 508, a BNSF utility person hopped in to the cab, got a job briefing and the process of turning the train began.

5) Here's the train heading for CP Reservation on Main 1 to begin the zig zag move required to the get to the Tacoma Rail Muni yard. Basically, out off the station track to main 2, crossover to Main 1, reverse, cross over to the Tacoma Main, crossover to the Work lead (Drawbridge), clear the switch for the "hill bridge", reverse, cross the Puyallup river on the "hill bridge", roll through Bull Frog Jct, clear the "dead leg" of the wye (still don't know why they call it that), reverse around the dead leg, cross Milwaukee Way and roll a little way into the Muni yard, reverse and take the other leg of the wye, back through Bull Frog Jct, cross the river and take the Tacoma Main via "river street".

6) Here's the train making it's way down the work lead, while Cascades 508 rolls by. Jim, the utility guy, is headed for the next switch.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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7) A contrast in Cab Car construction.

8) 1407 has cleared the last switch needed to access the 'Hill bridge", while most of the train is on the yard ladder.

9) In this shot, the train has been turned and it's coming back across the Puyallup river via the "Hill bridge".

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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10) Ya' know how the say some ugly things grow on you? Not Mater, just plain goofy looking.

11) 505 is waiting for the a signal at River street, that took a while, but then they were on the move again.

12) Pacing it past Union Station. Portland was the next stop (I hope).

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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Amazing night photography - wet and informative! Thanks for sharing your nocturnal encounter. Hope you've dried out...

Fantastic night photography!!! Great use of the ambient lighting and great angles! I keep looking at the pics over and over, and wishing I had been trackside with you when you shot them. Your pics are always enjoyable to view, Steve, and these demonstrate once again that you've got your act together regardless of the lighting. Thanks for taking the time to post these! Any other them could be IOTD!

Very nice series!

< 10) Ya' know how the say some ugly things grow on you? Not Mater, just plain goofy looking.?

Sitting there may have scared the deer away.

Very nice series - your persistence paid off!

BB

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> < 10) Ya' know how the say some ugly things grow
> on you? Not Mater, just plain goofy looking.?
>
> Sitting there may have scared the deer away.


In this case, it scared off a coyote!

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

Thanks for the nice comments!

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography