Trains in Albany, Oregon, on August 31, 2006

I took these pictures near the depot in Albany, Oregon, on August 31, 2006.

Leading a freight train, Portland & Western #3003 is a 3,000-horsepower GP40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1967 as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #380. This was one of a group of seven GP40s that the Rock Island was rebuilding to Dash 2 standards in its Silvis shops when the railroad went bankrupt and shut down in 1980. Before the shutdown it was completed as GP40u #3004. The last two of the seven were unfinished. Chrome Crankshaft acquired all seven locomotives along with the shop in 1981, and finished the remaining two locomotives. The seven locomotives were sold to Toronto’s GO Transit in 1982. This locomotive became GO Transit #725. As they were not equipped with head-end power generators, they had to operate with HEP cars rebuilt from F-units. In 1994 they were retired and traded in to EMD for new F59PHs. EMD put the locomotives in their lease fleet and this locomotive became EMDX #200. In 2001, EMD transferred the locomotive to Locomotive Leasing Partners (LLPX), a partnership with GATX Leasing, and the locomotive was leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic as #3203. St. Lawrence & Atlantic was taken over by Genesee & Wyoming in 2002. The locomotive was transferred to the Portland & Western Railroad in April 2004, where it was considered a GP40-2, even though it lacks all the Dash 2 external spotting features like the water level sight glass, rear cab overhang, and vertical shock absorbers on the trucks. Renumbered to PNWR #3003 in mid-2005, it still wears its St. Lawrence & Atlantic yellow and black paint scheme.

Next, Willamette & Pacific #1852 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1955 as Southern Pacific #5438, a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was placed in service on May 24, 1955. After the 1965 system renumbering, it became Southern Pacific #3916. On January 9, 1975, it was rebuilt by Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops to SD9E #4397. It was retired on November 12, 1993, and sold on March 4, 1994, to the Willamette and Pacific Railroad where it became #1852.

Trailing, Portland & Western #3603 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1970 as St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) #9153, a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was placed in service on January 4, 1970. On January 15, 1985, it was upgraded by Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops to Southern Pacific SD45R #7537. It was retired on sold on July 31, 1995, to Helm Financial Corporation and became HLCX #450. In 1996 it was sold to the Buffalo & Pittsburgh, part of the Genesee & Wyoming system, retaining the road number #450. It was transferred to the Illinois & Midland, another Genesee & Wyoming railroad, in 2001 or 2002, still numbered #450, then transferred again to the Portland & Western Railroad in April 2005, being renumbered to #3603.

There was also a pair of Union Pacific SD40-2s near the Albany depot.

Union Pacific #3160 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1972.

Union Pacific #3380 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1977.

This unit still had its red sill stripe, while on the other SD40-2, the sill stripe had been changed to yellow in accordance with a Federal Railroad Administration ruling from March 5, 2005, that required yellow or white reflective striping 42 inches above the rail by May 31, 2010.

After leaving Albany, I spotted this specially-decorated truck trailer heading north on Interstate 5. Carrying the slogan "TRACKS ARE FOR TRAINS! STAY OFF! STAY AWAY! STAY ALIVE!", this trailer #538717 was sponsored by Washington Operation Lifesaver, Washington Utilites and Transporation Commission, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, and the trailer was donated by Interstate Distributor Company.

Special Train in Rainier, Oregon, on May 16, 1999

On April 29, 1999, the Portland & Western Railroad reopened its Astoria Line to Astoria, Oregon, after clearing a landslide that had cut off rail service to Astoria in February 1996. To celebrate the reopening of the line, Portland & Western operated a special train to Astoria on May 15, 1999, carrying a number of elected officials.

On May 16, the locomotive was operated to the very end of the line at the Port of Astoria, where an impromptu ceremony was held. This was the 101st anniversary of the first train to operate from Astoria to Portland. The special train then returned to Portland. These pictures are of the return trip as it passed through Rainier, Oregon.

The locomotive that was used for this train was Portland & Western SD9R #1851, Hillsboro. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1954 as Southern Pacific #5360. In 1965 it was renumbered to #3819. On January 11, 1971, it was upgraded at Southern Pacific's Sacramento General Shops as SD9R #4326. It was retired by Southern Pacific on February 12, 1993, and was sold to the Willamette & Pacific on April 4, 1994, where it became #1851. It was transferred to the Portland & Western in May 1995.

The train consisted of only two cars, one of which was Business Car Casper Mountain, which was originally built by Pullman in 1924 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Business Car #35. It was originally assigned to the Assistant General Manager of the Eastern Lines. It was reassigned to the General Manager of the Gulf Lines in 1966. It was renumbered to #57 in 1973. It was retired in 1980 and sold to a private owner. It was restored to its original number#35 and named Louisa. It was sold again and renamed Casper Mountain. It carries the road name Wyoming & Pacific on the letterboard, but this railroad does not exist; it was merely a reference to the owner's home state, though at this point I believe it had been purchased by the Portland & Western. Its official reporting mark and number is PPCX #800182.

The other car in the train was Willamette & Pacific Baggage Car #1119, which hosted a historic photo exhibit and an Operation Lifesaver display. The ribbed sides and porthole windows in the baggage doors clearly identify this car as having been built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. If #1119 is its original Milwaukee Road number, it would have been built in 1934, and would have been renumbered to #1128 around 1965.

Astoria Line Excursion in August 1998

On the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd of 1998, the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association's Spokane, Portland & Seattle E-1 Class 4-8-4 #700 was scheduled to pull a series of excursion trains on the Portland & Western Railroad's Astoria Line from Linnton to Saint Helens and back. My dad and I heard about the excursions and went to photograph one of the trips on Sunday the 23rd. When we got to Linnton, we learned that before the first excursion departed on Saturday, the steam locomotive broke down (it turned out to be a bent radius rod), requiring the excursion trains to be pulled by diesel locomotives while the steam locomotive remained in Linnton under a blue tarp.

One of the locomotives that was drafted into service was Portland & Western SD9R #1851, Hillsboro. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1954 as Southern Pacific #5360. In 1965 it was renumbered to #3819. On January 11, 1971, it was upgraded at Southern Pacific's Sacramento General Shops as SD9R #4326. It was retired by Southern Pacific on February 12, 1993, and was sold to the Willamette & Pacific on April 4, 1994, where it became #1851. It was transferred to the Portland & Western in May 1995.

The other diesel locomotive was Willamette & Pacific #2317, Tigard, a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1974 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #3616. It is one of a group of 17 GP39-2s Willamette & Pacific acquired from the Santa Fe in 1993.

Two private passenger cars were parked in Linnton but were not part of the excursion train. One of these was Nicolet Scenic Railroad NBNR 8150 Running Crane Lake, a Lounge-Diner-Coffee Shop Car that was originally built by American Car & Foundry in 1951 as Great Northern Railway #1241 Running Crane Lake for the Empire Builder between Chicago and Seattle. This was one of six such cars, which were referred to as "Ranch" cars on the Great Northern, and featured Western-themed interiors. The car retained its GN number when the Great Northern was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970. After the creation of Amtrak on May 1, 1971, the car became Amtrak #8150 in 1972. After being retired by Amtrak, the car ended up on the Nicolet Badger Northern Railroad in Wisconsin, and was used in an excursion service called the Nicolet Scenic Railroad. The Nicolet Badger Northern Railroad shut down in 1994, and this car was acquired by a private owner.

The other private car parked in Linnton was Business Car Casper Mountain, which was originally built by Pullman in 1924 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Business Car #35. It was originally assigned to the Assistant General Manager of the Eastern Lines. It was reassigned to the General Manager of the Gulf Lines in 1966. It was renumbered to #57 in 1973. It was retired in 1980 and sold to a private owner. It was restored to its original number#35 and named Louisa. It was sold again and renamed Casper Mountain. It carries the road name Wyoming & Pacific on the letterboard, but this railroad does not exist; it is merely a reference to the owner's home state. Its official reporting mark and number is PPCX #800182.

Even though the excursion train was pulled by diesels instead of the steam locomotive, we chased it for part of its westbound trip anyway. Here is the train pictured along NW Marina Way in Linnton, shortly after departure.

Here is the excursion train at Holbrook, Oregon. The train was traveling very slowly, making it easy to get ahead of it on the parallel U.S. Highway 30.

Here is a picture of the excursion train from a point along Highway 30.

Finally, here is the excursion train approaching Lower Rocky Point Road near Scappoose, Oregon. After this, we gave up on the chase and headed home.

Southern Pacific SD9R #4418

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific SD9R #4418 is wearing the “Kodachrome” paint scheme of the Southern Pacific’s aborted merger with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1955 as Southern Pacific #5432. In 1965 it was renumbered to #3910. On November 5, 1976, it was upgraded at Southern Pacific's Sacramento General Shops as SD9R #4418. It was painted in SPSF's "Kodachrome" colors in 1986, and continued to wear them despite the merger being denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission on June 30, 1987, and would continue to wear them to its retirement on September 18, 1995.