I'm not sure if this should be in Railfan photographs or here. And I'm not sure if I'm allowed funny thread titles here, but I figured why not. Today I chased the Harbor Turn on Portland And Western's Tillamook District. The Harbor Turn starts life in the Albany Oregon Yard as the OE Express. OE being Oregon Electric. It makes it's way up from Albany to Tigard Oregon. At Tigard it becomes the Harbor Turn. It continues up the OE to Beaverton where it heads off the WES upgraded section to follow TV Highway to Hillsboro. At Hillsboro it takes a leg of the wye towards Banks. Banks is the former interchange with the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad. It is also where the OE tracks (I think they're OE, Meet the Tillamook District tracks that were put down by Northern Pacific. The Train swaps the power to the other end of the train and heads back east on the Tillamook District. This track is very very light rail and so very slow and spectacularly beautiful At the top of Cornelius pass it enters a tunnel which takes it under C.P. Road It then heads down to United Junction where it crosses US 30 and Joins up with the A-Line, the former NP line to Astoria Oregon. It then continues on to Linnton where it sets out it's train to be broken up into the Astoria turn and cars for BNSF. It then picks up the cars left for it and returns the way it came. Today was supposed to be a clear day, but North Western Oregon was plagued with high overcast and strong winds. The OE express usually starts in the wee hours of the morning such that It's in Tigard by mid morning, but for the past few months it's been exceedingly late on Saturdays. 2 weeks ago it had gone through Tualatin at 1:15pm. So, I figured, I had time to get down to Tualatin where the OE has a bridge over the Tualatin River and passes under the Former SP trackage to Rex Hill and on South to McMinnville. P&W's west side line. I got to Tualatin City park around 9:45. Figuring I had plenty of time I stopped in at the Grocery Store, picked up some Antacids (the wife is out of town, so I'm being a bad bad boy) and a Starbucks. I strolled back to the park, grabbed my book and proceeded to walk the area around the tracks which is wonderful. I watched Kyakers float down the river, Girls Little League Softball. By about 11 am, I had staked out the shot I wanted, sat down and started reading. . .. ... At 1:20 I finally texted a guy I knew from the P&W Yahoo group who might be out chasing the train too (new member 4449steam). Has the Harbor turn gone through Beaverton? Did I miss it? Yes, It went through at 10:30 . .. ... WHAT!!! That means it was through Tualatin before I even got there. Of course, the weekend I decide to chase, it's on time. Grrr, so now the train is in Linnton already, but has it left Linnton? I rush back to my truck and fly up the road. I decide my best bet is to catch it at the top of the pass, so I make my way to Old Cornelius Pass Rd and then the unmaintained rd that leads to the Valley side portal. The portal on the other side is much easier to access and you can get closer. On the Valley side, they've had "problems" so they have constant video monitoring of the area. But I have my trusty 70-300 lens, so I should be good. I get up there, pull over to the side of the rd and grab my book. 45 minutes later, another P&W Yahoo groupmember pulls up behinds me. Turns out he was the one that gave me the initial directions for this chase and had been following the train from Beaverton. He offers to let me follow him so I don't get lost and as we're talking we here the sound of Turbocharged V12 645s that announces the Harbor Turn is on it's way.
Now for the picture. P&W has a good 4-5 signs warning not to trespass, but the old mixed with the new here caught me. Finally, it's almost 4 and finally I see a train. 2315 pokes it's nose out of the tunnel portal. 3 former ATSF GP39-2s make up the power for this train. This is the most populous unit on the P&W. the trailing unit still in Warbonnet is also still lettered for the now paper only Willamette and Pacific.
Don, the Yahoo group member was invaluable here, The Train is moving very slowly, but it's also only a short way to the Huge Tressle at Dick Rd. I had directions, but I never would have made it in time for a shot if he hadn't been leading as we tore off through rural Washington County. I don't remember the name of this tressle, it's not as impressive as the total Apathy of the cows can attest to.
I Have no idea where I am now. Glencoe Rd? Maybe? Seriously, We stopped 5 or so times here and I have no idea which intersection was which. I think this is North Plains.
Don had to get back to life and I was left to get to Banks on my own. Thankfully, that would not be too hard. Banks Lumber at the foot of Depot St. was quiet, but there were interesting sights to see.
Finally the train arrives, here you can see that it's left it's train on the junction track to the left and is getting ready to switch to the other end. At this point, I have no idea how long it's going to take for me to get to my next stop, street running in Hillsboro, so I leave. I meet up with 4449steam just a block past the wye that takes the OE tracks from Beaverton and sends them to either Banks or Forest Grove. As it turns out, we didn't need to rush, the Turn took their time setting the EOT and getting ready to go and while they're good for at least 25MPH on this track, they mosied to Hillsboro. Finanlly around 6 they lopped down the street.
So long Harbor Turn. Next time I will catch you in Tualatin. And perhaps the weather will cooperate for a shot along TV Highway with Mt. Hood behind.
Street trackage, trestles, GP39-2's, log bunks and hoppers - does it get better? Thanks for the photos!
