Oregon Trunk
PostPosted:Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:55 am
by Otto Vondrak
For the last two years, I've managed to score a few shots on the line between Bend and Madras, Oregon. Is there any good way to shoot the bridge over the Crooked River Canyon? Culver, Metolius, Willow Creek bridge in Madras, I gotta tell you, Gateway/Galloway is a lonely place to wait for a train! How accessible is the line between Madras and The Dalles? I see on the maps is goes through the Deschutes River Canyon, and I see some things that look like roads, but I'm afraid of hanging up the rental car in a canyon with no cell service...
Re: Oregon Trunk
PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:41 pm
by SteelWheels21
When I worked for UP I always wanted to take a run or two on that line...it's track warrant territory but very scenic and evidently you see a lot of..umm.."scenery" from sunbathers in the summer time.
Re: Oregon Trunk
PostPosted:Fri Dec 26, 2008 1:06 am
by Otto Vondrak
What struck me was that the railroad was very easy to follow- many roads near the tracks, and all the trains operated "mother-may-I" style, talking with the DS to get track warrants and set up meets. It was great! Yes, did notice lots of nice "scenery" when we got around Maupin in the Deschutes... must have been all that hiking that made them take their shirts off!
-otto-
Re: Oregon Trunk
PostPosted:Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:29 pm
by SteelWheels21
The next time you fan that line, try to get up to the Bridge across the Columbia river at Celilo.
You get the benefit of both UP and BNSF action on both sides of the river plus any bridge action.
One thing that happened while I was working on UP was that one of our trains got a little past a red block protecting the bridge. When a stop signal is breached at that point, a circuit is triggered lowering the bridge automatically if it is in the "up" position. Unfortunately for the train crew, there was a barge passing under the bridge at the time and they dropped the span right on top of it. There was a picture of it posted in our locker room for months with all kinds of wiseass comments.
Re: Oregon Trunk
PostPosted:Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:27 pm
by Otto Vondrak
SteelWheels21 wrote:The next time you fan that line, try to get up to the Bridge across the Columbia river at Celilo.
I've tried to get a train on Celilo twice! Missed opportunities twice. I did head up Old Moody Road to get a view of the bridge from above... but in two trips never got a train on the bridge!
-otto-