Sunday Afternoon Bike Ride

I don't get out on my bike as often as I would like. When I do, I always bring the camera, because, hey, you never know what you're going to come across. This picture is a great example. Out for an easy ride on a nice Sunday afternoon I headed down to the tracks to see what I could see. Sundays are usually pretty slow on the railroad around here, so I wasn't expecting anything of interest.

The railroad location of West Springfield (geographically east of east Springfield according to the railroad) is about the closest point on the mainline to home. An industrial branch comes off the main here, and in the distance (visible on the right) is a signal to give some indication of nearby train activity.  I was rather surprised when I pedaled up to see that the signal was lit red, indicating a train was coming my way! Doubly surprised when the train arrived, since this train usually passes through pre-dawn. Triply surprised when I noticed the locomotive in the lead. Not too many of this model were built, and those didn't have long careers. It was an attempt to build a very high horsepower locomotive (6000 vs the more normal 4500), but  the components didn't hold up and they proved problematic for the railroad. It was unusual to see one leading a train.

Rails Around Shasta

One of my favorite places to travel through is the area surrounding Mt. Shasta, in northern California. I always enjoy driving past the white capped peak of Shasta and it's twin, Shastina. Tracks surround them on three sides - the McCloud River Railroad on the south, the Central Oregon and Pacific on the west, and the UP mainline curves around the west and north sides on the way to Oregon.  I've never spent as much time here as I would have liked to. Particularly on the mainline, as it climbs the grade from Black Butte up to the summit at Grass Lake.

In 1999, buddies Matt, Dan H, Anthony and I headed down to Sacramento for the big festivities being held at the California State Railroad Museum. After settling in our lodging at Dunsmuir (a fine little railroad town in the shadow of the mountains) we drove back in off the main highway to Andesite siding. Our efforts were rewarded by this intermodal train.

A Train Runs Through It

One of the fun things about chasing trains has been getting to see some places where those trains seem incongruous. One such location is La Grange, Kentucky, where the railroad mainline goes right down the middle of Main Street. Street running is fun to photograph, but not so much so for drivers who have to share the road. It always makes an interesting story as to the how and why such a situation came to be. Sometimes there just wasn't enough room for both tracks and road. Sometimes the railroad put down tracks first, then the town built around it - in older areas the reverse might be the case. In most instances the tracks are some branchline that sees little train traffic. Not so in La Grange. This is the mainline between Louisville and Cincinnati. A lot of long, heavy trains split the town every day. Although you'd think the merchants would be unhappy about the situation, the storekeepers I talked with didn't seem too concerned.

La Grange is where I bought a digital watch. The one I had been using died, so I decided to take the time between trains to replace it. I found I had a choice between a $3 watch that didn't have any way to set the time  or a $5 watch that did, and came with a lifetime guarantee. If it ever failed, you could send it along with $5 back to the manufacturer for a new watch. Such a deal!

A tall cool one for a hot summer day

Every winter, Dan, Matt, Anthony and I try to get up into the mountains at least once. Our goal is always to get some snow shots, hopefully something good enough to go on a Christmas card. It is never a certainty, since we are at the mercy of Mother Nature - she has to cooperate by providing the cold white stuff. But not too much of it - we need to be able to drive up up there. A blue sky, sunny day is also strongly appreciated. Then of course there is always the railroad - they need to run some trains for us to photograph!

In 2002 we got the right combination. This scene is high in the Cascades, east of Springfield. Snow, sun, a train, and nice enough to stand around outside and not freeze our collective asses off waiting for the train. A nice scene from days gone by, and days yet to come.

Too Damn Hot

One record setting hot July day (100+ degrees), buddies Dan, Brian, and I decided to chase the Albany & Eastern Railroad. The A&E is a shortline that runs from Albany to Mill City, Oregon. It traverses the backcountry of the Willamette Valley, crossing rivers and passing through small towns.

The shot here is crossing the Santiam River at Lebanon. This turned out to be the only shot we got of the railroad this trip. Shortly after this location he pulled into an industry in Lebanon, and we never saw the train again. Probably a good thing, it was just too hot to stand around outside waiting for a train.