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Going to the First Winterail in Corvallis, Oregon

I have been going to Winterail every year since I have been sober and a few back in those drinking days way back when. We always planned trips to Stockton, every year always finding something new to do and see. When Vic Neves {Mr. Winterail and one of the founders of it} retired to Albany, Oregon the decision was made to move Winterail to Corvallis, Oregon. Chris Parker and I decided why not try it once in Oregon and if we still enjoyed it, we would continue to go, if not we could be done with it. I purchasd our Winterail tickets online so that decided we were going. After all those years of driving to Stockton, the question was how to get to Corvallis. Amtrak could work but since I was still working for SAUSD, I would rather save my days for my spring trip to La Plata for the 2016 railfan event and then finally be able to ride two trips behind Norfolk & Western 611 out of Spencer, North Carolina. Flying would be the choice so in December, I booked a flight to Portland out of Orange County at a good fare. I thought of taking Amtrak back but then decided to fly so it cost me a little more to return via Sacramento.

Next the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad announced they would be doing a post-Winterail trip so I bought us tickets to that. Next I contacted Bob and Elizabeth Alkire to tell them of our plan and they would decided to join us. We would rode new streetcar and trolley routes in the morning, stop by Southern Pacific 4449's new home at the Oregon Rail Heritage Centre then take pictures of depots, trains and steam engines on the way to Corvallis. We would attend the Friday night Railfan Pizza Party and Slide Show where I would show my yearly program, then do Winterail on Saturday, Oregon Coast Scenic train Sunday then fly home that night. I booked Chris Parker and I a night at the usual Days Inn at 82nd Street in Portland and then two nights at the Corvallis Budget Inn. I mapped out our route for the trip, found everything of a railroad interest and waited for the day to fly to Portland.

I asked Robin Bowers to drive me to the airport then went through Security with no major delays. It felt good boarding this flight and I chose a window seat to enjoy the flight. I decided to photograph volcanoes from the plane on my way to Portland, Oregon.

Lassen Peak.

Mt. Shasta.

Medicine Lake.

Crater Lake, a volcanic caldera, with Wizard Island, a cinder cone inside the caldera.

Three Sisters.

Mt. Jefferson.

Mt Hood was my last volcano of the trip. We landed on time and I was off the plane quickly then had to wait for Chris Parker to arrive back at the airport. He had arrived earlier, bought a Max Day Pass and rode it into town. I had called him telling him that Bob and Elizabeth Alkire were just a block away from him. They found him and all went to Beaverton to ride the Westside Express for their first time. I called Chris and he was on the way back to the airport.

This Max Airport Line Trolley waited for Chris to arrive. Chris came in on the Max then we went to Enterprise to get our rental car for the trip. We drove to Elmers on Sandy Boulevard and found Bob and Elizabeth who had just finished their meal. We had a fantastic dinner then drove to the Days Inn Portland Central Motel on 82nd Street for the night.

My last time in Portland was in January 2010 and Tri Met Max had built the line down to Milwaukie and the A and B Loops of the Portland Streetcar lines since then. We all decided to ride all of them this morning. So Chris Parker and I drove down to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center parking lot and parked. A few minutes later, Bob and Elizabeth pulled in and we all walked over the the MAX Water Street station and bought our Day Pass for our rides. My first new ride would be south on the new line to Milwaukie. We waited just a few minutes and then I saw a train coming our way.

The Tri Met MAX train arrived at the Water Street station and the four of us boarded the front end. I was now on new rail mileage. This line has stops at Clinton SE 12th, SE 17th Ave & Holgate Blvd, SE Bybee, SE Tacoma/Johnson Creek, Milwaukie/Main Street and the final stop at SE Park Ave, the end of this line. We detrained here for a few pictures.

Our light rail train at SE Park Ave station.

The end of the line.

The Tri Met Max map.

Another Tri Met Max train arrived at SE Park Ave station. We all reboarded the same train we came out here on and the trip back was very enjoyable.

We went through Water Street and crossed the Willamette River Bridge to the South Waterfront/South Moody station and detrained there.

The Tri Met Max train departs the South Waterfront/South Moody station. We walked across the street to the South Waterfront/South Moody station stop where I discovered I did not ride to Portland State. Well we could do Portland Streetcar rides.

The B Loop train arrived and we boarded. It was National Train Operator Day so we said thank you to our operator.

The train crossed the Willamette River Bridge again before it diverted onto the B loop and more new mileage for me. The B Loop train would stop at stations on the route at OMSI, SE Mill Street, SE Hawthrone Blvd, SE Taylor Street, SE Belmont Street, SE Stark Street, East Burnside Street, NE Holt Street, NE Multnomah Street, NE Broadway Street, Broadway/NE 2nd Street, Broadway/NE Ross Street then crosses the Willamette River on the Broadway Bridge to the 10th Street/Lovejoy station and we went around the corner, joining the original Portland Streetcar route. When we turned south onto NW 7th Street I got two blocks of new mileage until we returned the original Portland Streetcar route. We detrained at NW Johnson Street.

The B Loop Streetcar that brought us here.

NS Portland Streetcar at NW Johnson Street.

A NS Portland Streetcar at NW Johnson Street.

Our A Loop train arrived at NW Johnson Street and we all boarded. This trolley goes on a different route so it will all be new until we reach the original Portland Streetcar route at the south end of the A Loop. We made our stops at 10th Street/Lovejoy and Broadway/NE Ross Street then we ran down to stops at NE Wielder Street and NE 2nd Street south then turned onto NE 7th Street to the lone stop at NE Halsey Street. We turned west onto SE Oregon Street and made a stop there before turning south onto Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd stopping at NE Holt Street, East Burnside Street, SE Stark Street, SE Belmont Street, SE Taylor Street, SE Hawthorne Blvd, SE Mill Street and joined the B loop route. We stopped at OMSI where Chris Parker detrained and the rest of us crossed the Willamette River Bridge and joined the original Portland Streetcar route, which we took to Portland State University and detrained. We waited for a Tri Met MAX Orange Line train to take us back.

A B Loop Train ran by us.

A northbound NS Line train came next.

Another southbound NS Line train came next.

Our Tri Max train came in and we all boarded. We stopped at SW 3rd then Riverplace.

A Portland Streetcar makes the turn at the bottom of the hill.

The Tillikum Crossing, also known as the Bridge of the People. We crossed the Willamette River and returned to the Water Street station and upon arrival there, I had completed the entire Tri MET MAX system once again. We detrained ending our riding for today.

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