Sorry for being so late again. Busy busy busy. June 8th I actully had an opportunity to travel up to Marysville and do some railfanning at Binney Junction. If I had known about the Donner Maintenance, I might have put it off. Still, 7 trains in a 6 hour period. Pretty decent. The fact that 4 of them were BNSF in ostensibly all UP area made it even better. Binney Junction is where the Western Pacific Feather River Route Crosses the Southern Pacific Valley line to Weed and then Oregon beyond. This is a BNSF mixed Freight is coming down the ex-Western Pacific UP Canyon Sub, crossing though Binney Junction on to the Ex-WP Sac Sub.
Just curious- Is this a camera or mobile device view? Was there once an interlocking tower, or what type of facility?
DPU? Or single unit train power? If the former, as my grandfather used to reference the last item: "tail end Charlie."
Shot with My Nikon D50 and an off brand 18mm-55mm lens. Minor color correction as I don't have any filters for this lense and it was a bright morning. This is facing Northwest. I assume at some point there needed to be an interlocking here as it's a fairly major crossing. Not in my time though.
I'd sure like to know a little more history of this town. At one time, it must have been a really bustling seaport. Even though I have been there many times, I still wonder how it would merit a depot of this style. Also, miles and miles from where it originated, there is a Milwaukee Road switch stand with feather target. Hmmm. The former Great Northern RY depot at Anacortes, Washington:
Here is an old image from a 1949 era 5.5 X 4 inch negative that I had digitized. Before I could only get a small portion in my film scanner. It shows Sugar Land with the Imperial Sugar Refinery. In the lower left hand corner you can see two Missouri Pacific Ten Wheelers and a caboose.
I'm no expert on Anacortes, but I know in modern times, that's where the Washington State Ferry Lines San Juan Islands service docks and I assume it has been such for quite some time. I'd think that tourism might therefore justify the station.
Hmmm. You may be on to something. I know we caught the ferry from that town, when I was a boy. Prior to the 1950s, pre-WSF, I believe it was a Black Ball Lines operation. However, this is located a fair distance from the present day ferry departure point. I wonder if it was at one time closer in to town? It is well west of the depot site today. There has indeed been tourism, going way back into the Twentieth Century. Perhaps an old GN public timetable would give a hint or two? I know there was sawmilling at one time, but don't recall the extent. And this was before the refineries east of town.
I always wonder, when I see a single unit which we also see so often on high tonnage main line trains. In my region of these states, we rarely ever see such use.
I would say it is because out here, it's nothing but grades, but I'm pretty sure that train is going through mountains as well. I never see a train leave the yard with less than 2 units on the front and well, given that I see a lot of traffic heading for Donner, Feather River or the Cascades, decidedly more than 2 is the rule, not the exception.
Need some more steam here. A lot of photographers refuse to shoot vertical shots. Here are a couple from Mt. Rainier Scenic, from 2011 and 2012. I don't think a "landscape" shot would work as well as these "portrait" shots.
Guilty as charged. I am a steam addict and no 12 step program will cure me. Hopefully I can catch a steam doubleheader at the Oregon Coast Scenic RR Saturday, and if I do, you know photos will follow. :teeth:
Somewhere around here, we still have a souvenir container of ash. Didn't get much more that a light dusting at our house, but the wife's family east of the Cascades had more than enough- And they weren't even in the heavy zone.
