Trains in Vancouver & Portland on May 27, 2007

After riding the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad on May 27, 2007, I stopped by the depot in Vancouver, Washington. Parked in the center of the wye, BNSF #2948 is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1979 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #3694. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2948 on August 11, 1999.

BNSF #2727 is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1981 as Burlington Northern #2727. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2727 and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" colors on December 19, 2000.

BNSF GP39E #2900 was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1965 as St. Louis-San Francisco (SLSF, also known as the Frisco) GP35 #772. It was originally powered by a 2,500-horsepower turbocharged 567 engine. After Burlington Northern acquired the Frisco in 1980, it became Burlington Northern #2572. In July 1990 it was rebuilt by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as 2,300-horsepower GP39E Burlington Northern #2900. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2900 on August 14, 2002.

Nearby at the Port of Vancouver along West 16th Street at Thompson Avenue, BNSF GP39M #2896 was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1964 as St. Louis Southwestern GP35 #762. It was originally powered by a 2,500-horsepower turbocharged 567 engine. It was renumbered to SSW #6502 as part of Southern Pacific's 1965 system renumbering. It was retired on November 15, 1990, and was sold to Morrison-Knudsen on April 1, 1991. On September 27, 1991, it was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen as 2,300-horsepower Burlington Northern GP39M #2896. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, it became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2896 on July 18, 2002. Behind it, BNSF #2260 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1973 as St. Louis-San Francisco (SLSF, also known as the Frisco) #405. After Burlington Northern acquired the Frisco in 1980, it became Burlington Northern #2260. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, it became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2260 on July 31, 2003.

I left Vancouver and went to Union Station in Portland, Oregon, in time to see the arrival of Amtrak's northbound Coast Starlight. Leading the train, Amtrak #112 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in August 1997.

Part of the Coast Starlight consist, Amtrak Pacific Parlour Lounge Car #39974 was built by the Budd Company in 1956 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Hi-Level Lounge Car #579. After Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971, it became Amtrak #9974. In September 1982 it was rebuilt for head-end power and was renumbered to #39974. In 1995 it was rebuilt as a Pacific Parlour first class lounge car for the Coast Starlight.

After the departure of the Coast Starlight, a trio of Union Pacific diesel locomotives passed through Union Station on the outermost track. Union Pacific #4853 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was assembled for the General Motors Locomotive Group by Bombardier in Mexico in December 2001 and was delivered to Union Pacific on January 17, 2002.

Union Pacific #8582 is a 4,300-horsepower SD70ACe that was built by Electro-Motive Diesel and was delivered to Union Pacific on May 22, 2007.

Union Pacific # 8570 is another 4,300-horsepower SD70ACe that was built by Electro-Motive Diesel and was delivered to Union Pacific on May 22, 2007. These two locomotives had been delivered to Union Pacific only five days earlier.

Departing Union Station with southbound Cascades train #507, Amtrak Cascades #470 is a 3,200-horsepower F59PHI that was built in October 1998 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors with final assembly by Super Steel Schenectady of Schenectady, Pennsylvania.

Finally, bringing up the rear of southbound Cascades train #507, Amtrak Cascades #90340 is a Non-Powered Cab Unit or NPCU, which was rebuilt in July 2001 from Amtrak #340, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1980.

4449-844 Doubleheader at Kelso

Photo by Cliff West

These pictures were taken by my dad, Cliff West, at Kalama, Washington, on May 12, 2007. Southern Pacific GS-4 #4449 and Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4 #844 doubleheaded an excursion consist from Portland to Seattle in preparation for a Puget Sound Steam Special, an excursion train between Tacoma and Everett, Washington on May 19, 2007, to raise funds for the John W. Baringer III National Railroad Library at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. After photographing the train at Kalama, Washington, my dad proceeded north to Kelso to photograph the train under the Peter Crawford-Cowlitz Way Bridge.

Photo by Cliff West

It turned out that the train would end up stopping in Kelso, making it even later than it already was. I was chasing the train but did not stop in Kelso, not knowing that it stopped there.

Photo by Cliff West

As the train departed Kelso, it passed a southbound doublestack train pulled by a pair of BNSF Railway's General Electric 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW locomotives. My dad didn't follow the train beyond this point, but meanwhile I was on my way north to Centralia, Washington, to see the train again there, as seen in this post.

4449-844 Doubleheader at Kalama

Photo by Cliff West

These pictures were taken by my dad, Cliff West, at Kalama, Washington, on May 12, 2007. Southern Pacific GS-4 #4449 and Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4 #844 doubleheaded an excursion consist from Portland to Seattle in preparation for a Puget Sound Steam Special, an excursion train between Tacoma and Everett, Washington on May 19, 2007, to raise funds for the John W. Baringer III National Railroad Library at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. I chased the train separately from Peninsula Junction in Portland as covered in other posts, and photographed the train at a different location further north in Kalama. These pictures were taken at the south end of Kalama along North Hendrickson Drive near Interstate 5's Exit 27. The excursion train was originally scheduled to come through Kalama at about 11:00 or 11:30, but was delayed. While waiting at Kalama, my dad saw this northbound Union Pacific freight train. I did not see this train at Peninsula Junction; it had presumably passed through before I arrived.

Photo by Cliff West

This train was pulled by a pair of 4,400-horsepower General Electric ES44AC locomotives, which Union Pacific designates as C45AC-CTE. The lead locomotive was Union Pacific #5283, which was delivered to Union Pacific on April 4, 2006.

Photo by Cliff West

The second locomotive was a sister locomotive to the first locomotive, and they were pulling a long string of gondola cars.

Photo by Cliff West

Later, this northbound double-stack container train passed through Kalama pulled by a trio of Union Pacific SD70Ms. This was the third of the six trains I had seen at Peninsula Junction, and it had passed that point at about 12:00 noon, so it would have been well into the afternoon when it reached Kalama. The three Union Pacific SD70Ms are UP #5132, delivered on September 23, 2004, UP #4620, delivered on April 3, 2001, and UP 3796, delivered June 20, 2004. My pictures of this train can be found in this post.

Photo by Cliff West

It was almost 3:00 when the doubleheader finally came through Kalama.

Photo by Cliff West

Visible behind Southern Pacific GS-4 #4449 and Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4 #844 are Union Pacific Water Tender #814 Joe Jordan, Express Box Car #9336, Tool Car #6334 Art Lockman, and Power Car #209 Howard Fogg. The next three cars, not pictured, are Baggage Recreation Car #5714 Golden State Limited, Concession Car #5818 Sherman Hill, and Coach #5486 City of Salina.

Photo by Cliff West

The rest of the train consisted of Dome Coach #7015 Challenger, Coach #5483 Texas Eagle, Coach #5480 Sunshine Special, Baggage Recreation Car #5769 Council Bluffs, Dome Lounge #9005 Walter Dean, Dome Diner #8008 City of Portland, Diner #4808 City of Los Angeles, Dome Diner #7011 Missouri River Eagle, Power Car #208, Business Car #102 St. Louis, Inspection Car #203 Idaho.

From here, the train continued north. I photographed the train further north in Kalama, as seen in this post. Meanwhile, my dad proceeded on to Kelso to wait for the train there.

Canby Depot Museum

The railroad depot in Canby, Oregon, was originally built in 1873 by the Oregon & California Railroad and was originally located at North First and Grant Streets. It is the oldest railroad depot in Oregon. The railroad was taken over by the Southern Pacific in 1887.

Additions were made to the depot in 1891 and 1907. The depot closed on August 4, 1976, and in 1978 the Southern Pacific Railroad offered the building to the people of Canby with the provision that it be moved off railroad property.

The building was moved to its current location on August 4, 1983, and the 1907 addition was removed so its materials could be used to restore the rest of the building.

The Canby Depot Museum opened on October 6, 1984. It is home to the Canby Historical Society.

Several other railroad artifacts are here as well including signals, a speeder shed and a caboose.

This caboose at the Canby Depot Museum was originally Union Pacific #25584.

This is one of 100 class CA-8 cabooses that were built for the Union Pacific by the International Car Company of Kenton, Ohio. 

Union Pacific caboose #25584 was built in November 1964. 

It was retired from service by Union Pacific on April 4, 1988.

 
The Canby Depot Museum acquired this caboose in August 1989.

Though it is a former Union Pacific caboose, it has been repainted in the colors worn by Southern Pacific cabooses, and wears the Southern Pacific's "Sunset" herald.

The interior of the caboose is largely intact, though much of the space is now occupied by display cases for museum artifacts.

The museum was not open when I stopped by late in the afternoon on May 11, 2007, so I wasn't able to go inside the caboose or get a good look at the museum displays.

I was only able to look in the windows from the platforms at each end.

While there are no traces of the caboose's original identity on the exterior, its original number can still be seen on the inside.

Southern Pacific adopted this standard design of concrete telephone booth in June 1922. These phone booths were built by the railroad and weighed about 3,000 pounds. They contained a telephone that connected directly to a railroad dispatcher, allowing train crews, track workers, and signal maintainers a way to communicate before radios became available and made these booths obsolete in the early 1980s.
 

Another railroad structure at the Canby Depot Museum is this shed, which was originally used to house a handcar or "speeder" motorcar for use by track maintenance of way personnel.

The "Magnetic Flagman "Wig-Wag" crossing signal was a common grade crossing signal before the modern crossbuck became a standard and flashing lights and gates were mandated. It takes its name from the movement it makes; the black and white banner with the red light in the middle swings, or "wig-wags" back and forth simulating that a human flagman would make with a flag or lantern to stop traffic. The signal also features a bell. 

This type of signal was manufactured by the Magnetic Signal Company of Los Angeles, California from 1910 to 1949. There were several versions of wig-wag made; this is a Model 3 lower-quadrant signal, which was the most common in Oregon and was widely used by the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

There were a number of these signals remaining in service into the 2000s, but in 2006, after receiving federal funding, the State of Oregon announced plans to replace the remaining wig-wags on freight lines, and by 2008 most if not all had been removed, leaving only two (now one) on the Willamette Shore Trolley line plus those on static display or in museums like this one.

Assorted museum artifacts were scattered on the platform of the depot.

Another railroad artifact at the Canby Depot Museum is this switch stand.

This lower-quadrant semaphore signal was built by The Union Switch & Signal Company of Swissvale, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Union Switch & Signal was founded by George Westinghouse in 1881 and survived under that name until being renamed Anasldo STS - USA in January 2009.

Trains on May 3, 2007

I took these train pictures on May 3, 2007. Union Pacific #5302 is a 4,400-horsepower General Electric ES44AC that was delivered to Union Pacific on March 24, 2006. I photographed it from my car on Highway 99E leading a southbound freight train through Canby, Oregon, in the morning. 

Kansas City Southern #4607 is a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in November 1999 as Kansas City Southern #2032. Following Kansas City Southern taking full control of Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana and renaming it Kansas City Southern de Mexico in 2005, this locomotive was renumbered to #4607 as part of a system renumbering to integrate the KCS and former TFM fleets. I photographed it in the afternoon as the trailing unit in a southbound Union Pacific freight train at Aurora, Oregon.

Union Pacific Train at Oregon City, Oregon, on April 23, 2007

 I photographed this Union Pacific freight train in Oregon City, Oregon, on April 23, 2007.

Leading the train, Union Pacific #5398 is a 4,400-horsepower ES44AC that was built by General Electric in February 2005. 

It was delivered to Union Pacific on March 16, 2005. 

Union Pacific #5414 is another 4,400-horsepower ES44AC that was built by General Electric in March 2005. 

It was delivered to Union Pacific on March 29, 2005. 

Union Pacific gives its ES44AC locomotives the designation C45ACCTE.