TrainPages: Speeder

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Sunday, August 16, 2015

National Train Day 2010 in Portland, Oregon: Conclusion

I originally posted this on my old website on the PORTLAND PLACES: Portland Union Station page on May 16, 2010.

Continued from Amtrak Cascades Talgo Tour…

Also on display were a couple of motorcars, or speeders, displayed by members of the North American Railcar Operators Society, a group of private motorcar owners that arrange to operator their vehicles on railroad lines.

Speeder at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

This Tamper TMC2 named "Sophia" was built in 1984 for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It is powered by an 18-horsepower 2-cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine with a snowmobile-style automatic transmission. Current owners Kay and Guy Howard of Junction City, Oregon restored it to operation in 2006.

Speeder at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

This Fairmont MT-14-M was built in May 1986 for the Union Pacific Railroad. It was last stationed in Pocatello, Idaho and was numbered #2615. It is powered by a 20-horsepower 2-cylinder Onan engine with a 2-speed transmission and has a top speed of over 40 miles per hour.

SP #4449 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

Here are some additional photographs of #4449, the Mount Hood, Oregon Pacific #1202 and the Union Pacific caboose as they were rearranged at the end of the event to return home.

OPR #1202 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

UP #25198 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

SP #4449 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

Here is #4449 positioning itself to lead the consist back towards Brooklyn Yard.

SP #4449 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

UP #25198 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

Here is the train starting over the Steel Bridge.

UP #25198 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

The Oregon Pacific diesel and Union Pacific caboose would be set off at East Portland Yard to return to Milwaukie while #4449 and the Mount Hood would continue back to the Brooklyn Roundhouse.

UP #25198 at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 2010

The following video shows #4449 departing Union Station at the end of the day, and Oregon Pacific #1202 returning to Milwaukie with with Union Pacific caboose.

4449 departing Portland Union Station after National Train Day 2010.

Monday, July 27, 2015

ORHF Holiday Express on December 14, 2008

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

Continued from NRM #2955 James J. Gilmore…

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

On Sunday, December 14, 2008, the last scheduled day of the Holiday Express, a rare snowstorm descended on Portland.

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

Initially the Holiday Express was going to be cancelled for the day.

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

After some riders arrived despite the weather, two runs were made before the weather deteriorated even more.

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

The rest of the event was cancelled for the safety of drivers, who were having difficulty on the road leading to Oaks Park, which was beginning to freeze.

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

I braved the snow and rode the first of the two runs, and took pictures and video of the second run from the ground.

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

This was a rare opportunity to see #4449 operating in the snow.

Doyle McCormack in the cab of #4449 on December 14, 2008

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

Holiday Express Platform at Oaks Park on December 14, 2008

In addition to the steam train ride, speeder rides were also offered, but due the snow the speeders weren't running on the last day.

Speeders at Oaks Park on December 14, 2008

Oregon Pacific's SamTrak caboose was also parked there for both weekends.

SamTrak Caboose #900 at Oaks Park on December 14, 2008

Here are pictures of some of the Holiday Express passenger cars in the snow at Oaks Park.

PNWC Sleeper-Lounge #600 Mount Hood on December 14, 2008

DLMX Coach #1210 Plum Creek on December 14, 2008

PNWC Coach #6200 on December 14, 2008

NRM Observation #2955 James J. Gilmore on December 14, 2008

The following pictures were taken from inside the James J. Gilmore round-end observation car as it led the train during the reverse move toward East Portland.

Aboard the ORHF Holiday Express on December 14, 2008

The following photos were taken from the Gordon N. Zimmerman baggage car heading back to Oaks Park.

View from the ORHF Holiday Express on December 14, 2008

Ross Island Bridge in Portland, Oregon on December 14, 2008

Willamette River in Portland, Oregon on December 14, 2008

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

The following pictures show #4449 departing Oaks Park on the second trip of the day.

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

PNWC Sleeper-Lounge #600 Mount Hood on December 14, 2008

Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 #4449 on December 14, 2008

The video below was filmed on December 14, 2008. All the footage aboard the train was from the first run and the footage on the ground was from the second run.

ORHF Holiday Express with SP Daylight #4449 on December 14, 2008.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Portland General Electric Bull Run Flume Work Train

I originally posted information about Antique Powerland on my website in a PLACES page on November 23, 2007 and last updated it on December 18, 2009. I am posting the railroad-related information here, with pictures and information from the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up. All of my information about Antique Powerland can be found at PlacesPages.

Flume Train Speeder at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

For almost 100 years, a wooden flume carried water from the Little Sandy River to the Bull Run Powerhouse to provide power to the city of Portland. The story begins in 1906, when the Mount Hood Company began building a dam on the Little Sandy River to divert water into a wooden flume that would carry that water to a powerhouse. Except for concrete footings and metal hardware, the flume was otherwise made entirely of wood, lined with replaceable fir wear boards due to the sediment of the river, and was built by hand, with as many as 315 laborers on the project at one time. Measuring 14 feet wide and 9 feet deep, the flume had a capacity for moving 900 cubic feet of water per second. The flume led the water to the artificial Roslyn Lake over three miles away, created in 1911 as a reservoir for the new Bull Run Powerhouse. The Powerhouse was completed and opened in 1912, the same year that the Mount Hood Company was purchased by the Portland Railway Light & Power Company, which would eventually become Portland General Electric. In 1913, the Marmot Dam was built on the Big Sandy River to divert more water into the flume.

Flume Train Speeder at Antique Powerland on August 1, 2009

On top of the flume, rails were laid for a light railway to allow workers to transport materials and equipment for making repairs to the flume. The railway used speeders as locomotives to pull small freight cars. The speeders were originally powered by Ford Model T engines and transmissions but were eventually rebuilt with diesel engines with automatic transmissions and aluminum-sided bodies that could seat six workers. There were two trains, each typically consisting of a powered speeder, an electric crane car and two flat cars. One train also included a lunch car with a restroom. There were also a couple of boxcar-like cars.

Flume Train Cars at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

The Bull Run Powerhouse, which had four turbines producing a total of 110,000 megawatt-hours every year, was closed in 2007. The Marmot Dam was removed in the summer of 2007 and the Little Sandy Dam was removed in the summer of 2008. The flume was dismantled in November 2008. Without the water from the flume, Roslyn Lake disappeared. After they were used in the initial dismantling of the flume, Portland General Electric donated the work trains to the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society in October, 2008.

Here are some pictures of the two speeders during the 2009 Great Oregon Steam-Up. One was inside the OERHS carbarn and the other was parked just outside the carbarn.

Flume Train Speeder at Antique Powerland on August 1, 2009

Here are some pictures of the lunchroom car. During the 2009 Great Oregon Steam-Up, it was coupled to the speeder that was outside the carbarn.

Flume Train Lunch Car at Antique Powerland on August 1, 2009

During the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up the lunchroom car was located on the siding near the Antique Powerland gazebo with some of the freight cars from the flume train.

Flume Train Lunch Car at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

On the track near the gazebo were three of the flat cars and an electric crane car. Two of the flat cars had a small boxcar on them. These cars are shown below.

Flume Train Work Cars at Antique Powerland on August 1, 2009