4449-844 Doubleheader: Return to Portland

I did not travel all the way to Tacoma and beyond to view the actual excursions pulled by Southern Pacific #4449 and Union Pacific #844, and at $300, I certainly couldn't afford to ride them. I would settle for seeking out #844 when it came back through Portland.

On Tuesday, May 22, with the Puget Sound excursions over, the locomotives returned to Portland. According to the schedule, #4449 would be cut off and would return to the Brooklyn Roundhouse, while #844 would spend the night at the Kenton Yard. Arrival at Kenton was scheduled for 2:00 PM. I wanted some pictures of #844 without #4449 in front that I'd been denied on the trip up, so I had to try one more time. I left work at 5:00 and went up to Kenton, but found no sign of #844. In fact, the Kenton Yard was full of autorack cars. So, I decided it must be at Albina Yard, and headed there next.

I got to Albina Yard, arriving at the east end of the yard where the engine servicing is. I even saw the words "steam engine" with an arrow spray painted on one of the piers of the Fremont Bridge that came down at the entrance of the yard. But there was still no actual sign of #844. I figured before I started asking around, I might as well photograph what was visible from the parking lot.

Union Pacific Caboose #25887

Union Pacific Caboose #25893

Union Pacific #25887 and #25893 are CA-11 cabooses built in July, 1979 by the International Car Company of Kenton, Ohio. They are from a group of 100 CA-11s that were the last new cabooses built for the Union Pacific. As the last caboose in the series was #25899, these are 13th and 7th to the last of Union Pacific's cabooses.

Union Pacific SD70M #3908

Union Pacific #3908 is an EMD SD70M that was delivered on March 25, 2003.

Union Pacific SD70ACe #8359

Union Pacific #8359 is an EMD SD70ACe that was delivered on May 29, 2005. On April 4, 2005, General Motors sold the Electro-Motive Division. It is now in independent company owned by investment groups. As this locomotive was completed after the sale, it was technically built by Electro-Motive Diesels, Incorporated, the company's new name.

While I was photographing, another railfan arrived. We spotted a Crew Shuttle Service van, and the driver directed us to the west end of the yard, so off I went.

Continue to Switchers with #844 in Portland…