Great Train Expo in Portland, Oregon in February 2009

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

(NOTE: This website is NOT affiliated with the Great Train Expo; see www.greattrainexpo.com for current info)

The Great Train Expo was held at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon on February 14-15, 2009. I only attended on the 14th and I only took a few pictures at this show, but I did get a lot of video. The layouts shown were not the only ones at the show.

Vendors

This Lionel 381E locomotive & "State Set" coach were being offered by one of the vendors.

The surprisingly detailed interior of the State Set coach has working doors and fixtures in the restrooms that would be invisible with the roof on.

The engine and 4-car State Set were priced at $2,250.

Beaverton Modular Railroad Club

An HO-Scale Polar Express was on the Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's layout.

The locomotive is actually a 2-8-4 Berkshire, just like in the movie.

There was also a hobo on the roof.

Scratchbuilt HO-Scale models of TriMet's new Westside Express Service (WES) Diesel Multiple Unit and trailer by Colorado Railcar were also on the layout.

This was only 2 weeks after the real service opened.

They're probably the first WES models anywhere.

NMRA PNR 4th Division O-Gauge Hi-Rail Modular Group

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 2-10-4 #6314 was parked on the NMRA PNR 4th Division O-Gauge Hi-Rail Modular Group Layout.

Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 #4876 was running on the NMRA PNR 4th Division O-Gauge Hi-Rail Modular Group Layout.

This module on the NMRA PNR 4th Division O-Gauge Hi-Rail Modular Group Layout has an early London theme, complete with double-decker buses.

Rose City Garden Railway Society

The large double-track operating bascule bridge on the Rose City Garden Railway Society's layout in the raised position.

Two-Tone Grey Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger #3977 was on the Rose City Garden Railway Society's layout.

Here is another view of Union Pacific Challenger #3977 on the Rose City Garden Railway Society's layout.

Here is another view of Union Pacific Challenger #3977 on the Rose City Garden Railway Society's layout.

Southern Oregon Z

A Z-Scale Pacific Electric 2-6-0 and caboose were on the Southern Oregon Z layout.

This intricate and detailed Z-Scale mountaintop fire lookout and cabin are on the Southern Oregon Z layout.

The video below shows footage from these layouts, plus the Cascade Z Modelers and Portland Area N-Trak.

Great Train Expo in Portand, Oregon on February 14, 2009

TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES): Grand Opening

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

Advertisement on DMU #1003 in Wilsonville on January 14, 2009

The official start of WES service was Monday, February 2, 2009.

WES Banner at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

On the previous Friday, January 30, there was a special Grand Opening celebration.

WES Banner at the Tualatin Station on January 15, 2009

Free rides were offered through the middle of the day at all five WES stations.

WES Banner at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

On previous days, rides during the test runs had been available by invitation.

Logo on WES Banner in Tigard on January 30, 2009

The invitations for the test runs were mainly offered to the media and VIPs, so this was the general public’s first look at the new trains.

WES Banner at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

A variety of signage was used leading up to the WES Grand Opening.

WES Grand Opening Ticket on January 30, 2009

Here is an example of the tickets being handed out for the free rides. This is one of two I got at the Tigard Transit Center. These tickets were only good at the station they were received at, and were only good for a one-way trip. To get back, TriMet was running shuttle buses, or one could get in line for another ticket.

WES Cake at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

Free slices of this WES cake were being offered at the Tigard Transit Center.

WES Cake at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The following video shows WES trains at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009.

TriMet Westside Express Service at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009.

WES Models at Great Train Expo in Portland, February 14, 2009

I saw these scratchbuilt HO-Scale WES models, undoubtedly the first anywhere, on the Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's layout at the 2009 Great Train Expo in Portland on February 14, 2009.

WES Models at Great Train Expo in Portland, February 14, 2009

The club was invited to display at some of the events for the WES opening, so they built these models.

WES Models at Great Train Expo in Portland, February 14, 2009

TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES): Beaverton Transit Center

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

Beaverton Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The Beaverton Transit Center at 4050 SW Lombard Avenue at the north end of the WES line connects to the MAX light rail Blue and Red Lines and numerous TriMet bus lines and features 38 bike lockers and 48 bike rack spaces, but no Park & Ride lot.

WES Train at the Beaverton Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The WES line separates from the freight rail line south of the platform, so no freight trains pass the Beaverton platform and no gauntlet track is needed.

Continue to Grand Opening…

TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES): Hall/Nimbus Station

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

I don't have any pictures of the Hall/Nimbus Station at 8505 SW Cascade Avenue, behind Cascade Plaza in Beaverton, adjacent to SW Hall Boulevard near its intersection with SW Nimbus Avenue, as is is the smallest and has the least visual interest of the five stations. It is a raised platform like the others on the east side of the track with two bus-stop-style shelters and the "interactivator" on it. The station uses a gauntlet track like at the Tualatin station to allow for the passage of freight trains. The station connects to three TriMet bus lines and features 10 bike lockers and 16 bike rack spaces and a 50-space Park & Ride lot that is more of an alley behind Cascade Plaza with diagonal parking. Full-length TriMet buses cannot directly access the WES station as they cannot negotiate the tight exit from the parking lot. (I was on one that tried on January 30th.)

Continue to Beaverton Transit Center…

TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES): Tigard Transit Center

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The Tigard Transit Center at 8960 SW Commercial Street features a 100-space Park & Ride lot, 4 bike lockers and 14 bike rack spaces and connects to five TriMet bus lines.

WES Platform at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The Tigard platform is roughly the midpoint of the line and is where WES trains are scheduled to pass, and thus the platform is between two tracks.

WES Train at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The track on the east side of the platform is a gauntlet track like at Tualatin to allow for the passage of freight trains.

WES Trains at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

The track on the west side of the platform is a regular track for WES trains only.

WES Trains at the Tigard Transit Center on January 30, 2009

Northbound WES trains use the east side of the platform while southbound WES trains use the west side of the platform.

Continue to Hall/Nimbus Station…

TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES): Tualatin Station

I originally posted this on my old website on March 26, 2009.

WES Station Sign in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

The Tualatin Station is located at 18955 SW Boones Ferry Road.

WES Station in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

It has the most sizable and visually-imposing platform on the WES line.

WES Station in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

Nearly the entire platform is covered by a peaked roof.

WES Station Clock in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

WES Station Clock in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

The roof is topped by a 4-sided clock tower with clocks by Electric Time.

WES Station in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

WES Station in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

The Tualatin Station features a 154-space Park & Ride lot, 6 bike lockers and 24 covered bike rack spaces.

WES Station Sign in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

WES Station Sign in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

The station connects with TriMet's #76 bus line.

Gauntlet Track in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

The WES trains and the freight trains have to share the same track here.

Gauntlet Track in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

Because of this, a gauntlet track is used. 

Gauntlet Track in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

This lets the WES trains get closer to the platform while still giving freight trains the clearance they need.

Trestle Crossing in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

Just north of the Tualatin Station the WES line passes Tualatin Community Park and passes underneath another rail line. The rail line that crosses over the WES line was originally built in 1886 as the narrow-gauge Portland & Willamette Valley Railway Company between downtown Portland and Dundee, through Lake Oswego and Newberg. Within a few years it was taken over by the Southern Pacific Railroad and standard-gauged, and between 1914 and 1929 the line was used by Southern Pacific's "Red Electric" interurbans, a competitor of the Oregon Electric Railway that originally operated the line WES now runs on, carrying passengers between Portland and Corvallis.

Trestle Crossing in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

These lines remained competitors into the 1990s, with the Oregon Electric having become part of Burlington Northern Santa Fe while the Southern Pacific became part of Union Pacific. Today, both are operated by the Portland & Western Railroad.

Tualatin River Bridge in Tualatin, Oregon on January 15, 2009

At the north end of Tualatin Community Park, the WES line crosses the Tualatin River on this truss bridge. This truss span may date from the original construction of this line as the Oregon Electric Railway in 1906. The long north approach of this bridge was rebuilt to accommodate WES trains, but the main span and short south approach remain.

The following video shows a WES train crossing this bridge during a demonstration trip on January 21, 2009.

WES Train at Tualatin River Bridge on January 21, 2009.

Continue to Tigard Transit Center…