Chris and I went to have a fantastic continental breakfast before gathering our bags and making our way to the hotel parking lot to wait for the shuttle bus to take us to the train.
Early risers like us waited in the cool morning air.
At 7:14 AM, the bus arrived and took us to the train.
After putting my belongings on our seats, I walked to the front of the train for the first of many pictures of Southern Pacific 4449 today.
The rear of our train.
When the train was getting ready to move forward, I was ready.
I changed my location to a small loading dock for the short forward move.
Southern Pacific 4449's cab.
To clean our coach windows, our car attendant held up several children who did an excellent job of cleaning them.
Southern Pacific 4449 to Portland 9/17/2006Everyone boarded and we departed at 9:00 AM by reversing down the siding to the mainline beyond the BNSF station. Once that switch was thrown, we pulled forward, beginning our trip back to Portland.
Three Sisters Mountains in the distance west of Bend.
After passing through Prineville Junction, we crossed the Crooked River a few minutes later.
The Cascade Mountain Range loomed off to the west. We continued north passing freights at Opal City and Culver, then it was announced that there would be a photo runby at the Willow Creek Trestle. A few minutes later, we crossed over the trestle then stopped, detrained and walked over to the canyon edge.
The Willow Creek Trestle is a 970 foot long steel bridge which is 200 feet above the creek.
Southern Pacific 4449 slowly reversed the train onto the bridge.
Southern Pacific 4449 paused for a static photo.
The static pose of Southern Pacific 4449 on the Willow Creek Trestle.
The steam engine and train was high above the bottom of the canyon.
The static pose of Southern Pacific 4449 and train on the Willow Creek Trestle.
Southern Pacific 4449 then reversed off the trestle before starting the photo runby.
The scene before the photo runby.
Photo runby two, which was fantastic and everyone was happy with their pictures as we all reboarded. Once on the move again, Southern Pacific 4449 ran north through Madras and onto Gateway and I returned to the "Pony Express" to see the view on the other side of our crossing of the Deschutes River.
We rounded a sweeping curve which was the start of Trout Creek Canyon which would follow downgrade to the Deschutes River Canyon.
Trout Creek.
Looking to the rear of our train, I could see the canyon walls begin to increase as our route dropped.
Southern Pacific 4449 descended the Trout Creek Canyon and crossed the 390 foot Trout Creek bridge.
This picture is just after we crossed the bridge.
The 390 foot Trout Creek Bridge.
We reached the Deschutes River, along which we would run north to the Columbia River. The Deschutes River is one of the very few rivers in the United States that runs north.
One of the many beautiful river views from our unique trip.
A rather rustic setting.
Every turn of the river brought another beautiful view.
Occasionally we saw birds along the river.
Interesting rock formations are found all along the Deschutes River Canyon.
The canyon grew deeper and deeper as we continued north. A few minutes later, the train crossed the Deschutes River and I returned to my seat to relax where I enjoyed the scenery and talked with several people about trains. Once the roads returned, watching the chasers proved to be an interesting pasttime.
Perhaps the most interesting chaser was the one in a small airplane which flew by us and later had landed in a very small field. The photographer climbed up to the tracks to take his pictures at a unique location in the canyon. Later we saw him pass us again for the last time. We ran to Moody where Southern Pacific 4449 was serviced again.
The train returned us to the Columbia River and we had to pass through Tunnel 1.
Southern Pacific 4449 exited Tunnel 1 as we descended to the bridge that would take us across the river into Washington.
Rounding a curve, BNSF's Wishram Yard came into view across the Columbia River.
Looking back at Tunnel 1.
Two freight trains passing each other in the Wishram yard.
Running above Interstate 84 caused traffic to slow as the drivers watched our train.
We started across the bridge over the Columbia River.
The Columbia River from the middle of the bridge.
Once across, the train curved off the bridge to the west and into Washington.
The junction facing east.
The bridge that we had just crossed.
Mount Hood covered in clouds and one last photograph of Southern Pacific 4449 running along the north bank of the river. I returned to my seat and relaxed. Daylight Sales had merchandise for sale inside the "Pony Express" and I bought a Daylight jacket then returned to my coach.
The passengers enjoy Car 1, Union Pacific's "Echo Canyon".
Here are passengers in our other heritage coach, Santa Fe "Tolani".
Besides Chris Parker and I, the only other Orange County Railway Historical Society member on this trip was Bob Platfoot.
Inside the baggage car "Pony Express", Chris Parker admired the Daylight jackets that were for sale.
Bob Riskie was really enjoying the view from the large baggage car doors.
Stan Garner, owner of the "Pony Express" which was based in Los Angeles.
Chris Parker and the other riders enjoyed the view from the open baggage door as we rolled west down the Columbia River Gorge.
Passengers enjoy the view on the north side of the train.
At the smaller baggage door more passengers can enjoy the view.
Interior of "Pony Express".
Daylight Sales had merchandise for sale and I bought a Daylight jacket.
Bob and other passengers enjoy the views along the north bank of the Columbia River.
Passengers enjoy the inside of the Amtrak café car.
I returned to my coach and talked to Ed Graham.
Gary Miller and I talked about trains as we enjoyed the last miles coming into Vancouver. I returned to the "Pony Express" and sat with Stan Garner as we watched the train's progress on the GPS on his laptop.
We met the eastbound Empire Builder in the siding at Washougal.
Southern Pacific 4449 approaching Camas before we made our station stop in Vancouver.
Our train then crossed the Columbia River back into Oregon with Mt. Hood still enveloped in clouds.
The train rounded the large curve after crossing the Willamette River and travelled the final miles to Portland Union Station where I detrained and walked toward the engine, thanking Doyle McCormack, engineer of Southern Pacific 4449, for a fantastic two-day trip.
Two final pictures of Southern Pacific 4449, one of my favorite engines of all time. What a marvellous two-day trip it had been riding behind Southern Pacific 4449. I will never forget it as long as I live!
Portland 9/17/2006 After saying our goodbyes to Southern Pacific 4449, Chris Parker and I walked over to the Chinatown MAX station and as soon as we had purchased our tickets, an Red Line train arrived. I returned to 82nd Street and said goodbye to Chris Parker who had to catch a flight home to Los Angeles. I checked into the Days Inn before walking over to Elmer's for a Prime Rib dinner then returned to the hotel, checked sports scores and called home before calling it a night. Alaska Airlines 408 9/18/2006Up with the alarm clock at 5:50 AM on September 18th, I prepared myself for the flight home before walking over to the 82nd Street MAX station. A Red Line train arrived within two minutes and I was on my way, talking with a gentleman on his way home to Albany, New York which made the trip go by really quickly. Once at Portland Airport, I found an Alaska Airlines kiosk and printed my boarding pass for Flight 408. Security took less than ten minutes and I waited at Gate C5 for my plane to board, which I did at At 7:15 AM, to return me home to Orange County Airport.
I had good luck when I walked to that MAX station as it was now raining hard this early morning. We departed the gate at 7:50 AM, then taxied out for take-off which occurred at 7:59. We climbed east through the clouds until we were above them, seeing almost nothing of Oregon this morning and I listened to Metallica's "Master of Puppets". Once we neared California, the sky opened up below us, finally giving me some views that I could photograph.
Mt. Shasta from our cruising level of 39,000 feet.
Mt. Lassen.
Lake Almanor with Mt. Lassen behind.
Portola Railroad Museum and you can even see the balloon track used for their excursion's trains.
Norden on Donner Summit; the former Southern Pacific concrete snowsheds can be seen. I switched my music to Guns N' Roses' "Appetite for Destruction".
BNSF Calwa Yard in Fresno. We continued south and after crossing over Malibu, started our descent and banking to make an "S" into Orange County Airport.
I saw McFadden Intermediate, where I work. We touched down early at 10:02 AM and taxied to Gate 10 then I had to wait for my mother to arrive and we drove home, stopping by Main Photo to drop off my film.
Just in case you were wondering what I look like in that Daylight jacket. What a great trip it had been on Southern Pacific 4449 to Bend and a special thank you to everyone who made it such a fantastic steam railroad excursion.
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