Hi everyone! Hope all is well; here's the selections. r_i_straw with an ex-Santa Fe loco co_riff with a rail grinding train BoxcabE50 with a BNSF freight nu26aeh with a NS freight and Hardcoaler with a CSX freight
Early last week. The smoke got worse all day. The next day they were urging people to remain indoors.
With all the wildland fires there was a lot of smoke here. Can't imagine how it is close to the fires. BE CAREFUL out there! Three of my firefighter brothers lost their lives in Washington.
This one is a photo i had to wait to get. The bridge is now gone as the highway department widened the road and wouldn't replace the bridge so the railroad lost out and was abandon past the bridge.
(Always sad to see rail loosing against highway....) The above pic showing ATSF and BN painted locos is priceless in 2015! Dom
Wow! I was looking at the photo and noted the loco had the air tanks on the front porch... Single stack, set back, no side vents near the top of the hood - that's a genuine SW1! Nice to see those old beasts still earning their keep.
This has me scratching my head. How the highway department can override a Federally regulated transport mode is puzzling. The RR must not have put up much fight.
I know in one case here in Sugar Land, the Missouri Pacific decided to abandon the line instead of help pay for the grade separation and bridges when they built Highway 59 through town. For whatever reason they were required to help foot the bill but decided it was not worth it and obtained track rights on the Southern Pacific to get their trains from the Sugar Land yard into Houston.
The Portland Traction was once a large traction system of streetcars and interurban cars The last lines were shut down in late 1958. Most of the equipment was cut up and the tracks paved over.
The top photo is of a "Hollywood" car. Several were bought by Portland Traction from the Pacific Electric The other photo is a "Broadway" car. Originally they were narrow gauge but several were converted to standard gauge.
I was fortunate enough as a kid to ride the Portland Traction to both Oregon City and the Bellrose branch! Charlie
I have done a google map survey several times trying to find my old railfanning haunts. I can't seem to locate the former ROW of the P.T. Our friends lived on S.E. Francis st. I have located the street and I try following the map to where I think it may be,but I come up with more questions than answers. Charlie