Ode to Tehachapi

[GaryHinshaw]

Update. The Amtrak Cascade runs daily from Van to Portland: arriving 2:55 pm; northbound leaves Portland 2:50 pm.  So I could spend 24 hrs in Portland on fairly short notice in the April 16-17 time frame.  Best for me would be to arr 4/15 and lv 4/16. Any interest in the PNW that weekend Ed*?

The Portland almanac for mid April: sunrise ~6:30 am, sunset ~8:00 pm.

-gfh

P.S. Just because I'm bailing on a SoCal trip, and I bought my first Canada grain hopper this weekend; it doesn't mean I'm giving up on modelling Tehachapi.  

* Hi Ed, SWA flies DEN-PDX several times a day for $103 each way.  First non-stop gets in at 10:20 a.  James could pick you up, and you can tool around the switching terminals of Portland midday, then he can swing by PUS and pick me up, and off we go to the Columbia basin, or what not.     [Last non-stop back leaves PDX 5:55 pm, arr DEN 9:30 pm.]

[James Costello]

Congrats Gary!

There is no reason why the inaugural a$$hats-west meet up couldn't be Portland and/or the Oregon Cascades. I know I was already allocating a day to try and catch up with Scott and hit the former Espee I-5 between Portland and (say) Eugene.... not to mention his own layout. I'm sure we'd have a great day!

Planning puts me driving from Spokane to Portland along the amazing Columbia River on Thursday 14th (substitute Hood River if we get distracted along the way) and then in Portland Friday 15th to Monday 17th.... which would allow a day for railfanning with Scott (whichever suits him), a couple of days checking the city out (including all the microbrews and UP's Brooklyn Yard) and maybe a day trip to Astoria etc.

I was going to go through the exercise of re-planning the trip with us flying into LA on the 5th and hitting Tehachapi on the weekend of 8-10th April if that was the best weekend for everyone else. Doesn't sound like there is much point, apart from a Plan B for me if I can't get across the Rockies.

Portland is also a hot bed of activity itself (Trains railfanning pullout a couple of years ago) plus just outside of the city, the UP runs through the tallest waterfall in Oregon at Multnomah Falls (yes Honey, of course I want to see the waterfall!).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lhtnup/4124702631/in/gallery-locosteve-72157623975707054/

[James Costello]

P.S. Just because I'm bailing on a SoCal trip, and I bought my first Canada grain hopper this weekend; it doesn't mean I'm giving up on modelling Tehachapi.  

Pretty sure Canada grain traffic is nearly as common over the Loop as lumber traffic. I know I have a bunch of Canadian cylindricals for the future empire. Plus they're a damn fine looking freight car...   

[ednadolski]

Wow Gary, I just flew into PDX earlier today on a biz trip, and I return Thurs p.m.  ....  Unfortunately it's a busy one, and I'm unable to get away or extend...   :'(

My flight came into PDX from the west, and I could spot a rail yard with a bunch of autoracks on a balloon track -- I'll have to see if I can find that on Google maps.   Also there was a cool UP stacker, with mostly blue marine containers.

Ed

[James Costello]

Any news on this guys?

I'm still looking good for next weekend in Portland.....
Mother nature willing I hope to hit Spokane Wed night and then Portland Thursday night. I just hope I haven't used up all my good luck getting to Glacier on schedule.

[SirTainly]

Not looking too good for me now James, I've had a heap load of visa issues lately and am now on implied status so don't want to risk leaving the country as that could cost my application.

I had hope to have all this sorted by now and use the trip as the point to activate my new visa, but my employers have screwed up the application twice already.

[James Costello]

No worries mate, already had the bad news from Gary. It's all good.

[ednadolski]

Sadly I'm not able to make the Tehachapi trip this year after all.   Ah, well, maybe next year.....

However I will be working out of the Hillsboro OR area about the first week of May.   Any good places around there for some train-watching and/or picture-taking?

Ed

[stuntman]

 Ed,
   Vancouver, Washington is a good place to train watch, High BNSF and UP traffic from Portland and the Columbia Gorge.   About all you find in Hillsboro is Portland and Western (Lower traffic density)   You could also visit UP's Brooklyn yard and watch the Intermodal action there.

[ednadolski]

Well, I was checking out this old thread, and all the pics have moved   

Gary, any chance you might still have these, and could restore or re-post the links?  Mucho thanks!

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

Ugh.  I literally have not touched that Picasa album since I posted it 2+ years ago.  This is a recurring problem with Picasa (at least the way I use it) and I don't understand why: links randomly fail after a few years.  I'll go back and fix them.

[ednadolski]

G, thanks for fixing!  Man, do those pix look good.

Some day we'll have to revisit the idea of the Tehachapi  's getting together for a trip to the hill area.

Ed