About 13:00 a special train came through Rainier going westbound. The train had two SD$)-2's pulling it. The SD's were followed by two passenger cars. A coach and a round end obs both in "SP Daylight" paint. The paint on the SD's was so new it still looked we. Wish I had known about the train I would have been trackside with the video camera. I don't know how far the train was going. To Astoria or just to Clatskanie?
I just saw on another site a photo of this train, pulled by Portland & Western power, supposedly a director's special. The two cars are both in Daylight colors, one is the Pacific NW Chapter NRHS 6800, the other is the NRM round end obs, but I don't know it's name/heritage.
I wonder what they had in mind, hosting this train? Were brass just "inspecting" their domain? Or were they looking at potential? Was there someone on board who might be a possible new shipper?
The Special returned eastbound on Thursday. The train had been either looped of wyed as the consist wasn't running in reverse order on the return trip. I did get some video of the train going down "A"Street here in town. I mistook one of the P&W locomotives for a SD when it was a GP-39. As mentioned both locomotives were so clean and fresh they looked wet.
Where do you think they turned them at? I am trying to think of said location of either a wye or balloon track beyond Rainier and I am drawing a blank. The only place I can think of they could have done it at would be on the swing bridge at Klatskanie. If they turned it there, that would have been ALOT of work just to turn the train, but it could be done.
I know where they turned the locos at now. I looked at google maps and found what appears to be a new laid wye out at the grain facility off of Kallunki Rd.