Tunnel time!
We passed the summit, marked by the first and longest tunnel, 3655 feet long, on the route at 12:12pm.
Now for some photos. I walked to the rear of the train, finding many of the coach passengers were asleep. I stood by the back window and photographed the tracks, including several tunnels.
Through the Cascades
This offering is available only by rail!
Over the canyon and through the hill.
I also captured a few snowsheds, half tunnels designed to keep snow from falling off the hills and onto the tracks.
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A very short snowshed |
A very long one |
The shortest tunnel is just 150 feet long. I photographed the north end of it this year, and the south end of it last year:
The shortest tunnel in the Cascades
Meanwhile, another man had also come to the rear, and when he learned I had some knowledge of Amtrak, he began asking me all sorts of questions. I attempted to answer him as best I could while shooting photos at the same time.
Lunch time!
I walked back to my room just as my name was called for lunch. I sat down in the diner at 12:52, again at a window seat, this time on the train's right, facing rearward. I sat with a retired couple from Fresno en route to a Washington vacation. On my right was an older woman who, like me, was destined for Salem. Most of the conversation was with the man across from me, and most of the conversation was about Amtrak and the terrible mess Congress has let it become. He also mentioned that some Union Pacific officials had boarded at Sacramento to monitor our delays. He wasn't sure if they were still aboard this afternoon. I had not seen anyone fitting that description during my travels through the train, so I imagine they had left us in the morning.
I ordered the sirloin burger. It came with either fruit or potato chips. I chose chips. My appetite was fairly mild, and it was a big burger, so I didn't expect to get through it all. But it turned out to be so flavorful, and so juicy, that I had no trouble consuming the entire thing. Unfortunately, that put dessert out of the question. I was hoping to try the apple pie, but it would have to wait for the return trip.
The Parlor Car is quiet this afternoon.
We pased Oakridge at 1:33. Ten minutes later I left the diner and spent a little time in the Parlor Car. It was almost empty. I sat in there reading the funnies in the Oregonian, which we must have picked up in Klamath Falls. USA Today, which was routinely handed out to all sleeping car passengers on the California Zephyr two years ago, was nowhere to be seen. The Oregonian is better anyway.
Lookout Reservoir
2:21pm, "UP detector, milepost 616.0, no defects, axles 57, [where'd the extra one come from?] speed 40"
Eugene was 31 miles ahead. Salem is 70.9 miles beyond Eugene.
We came into Eugene at 2:40. I was in my room, watching the people on the platform as we rolled in. Much to my surprise I saw my sister Maggie among them! I knew she was in Eugene on business today, but didn't expect to see her until dinner at Mom's house. I ran downstairs, and told Dave I'd seen my sister, and asked how much time we had. Since this is a smoking stop he said we'd be here about 10 minutes. So I walked down the platform towards the station. I could see Maggie in the distance, and waved. She waved back and started my way.
Maggie asked if I had been paged. She had arrived just three minutes before the train, and the person at the desk offered to have me paged. I said I just saw her and came down.
Maggie approaches.
Maggie offered me a ride to Mom's house. In fact, she had already inquired about getting my bags off here (she thought I had checked them) and they told her it could be done. But I really didn't want to do that. Doggone it, I paid for first class ticket all the way to Salem and I wanted to get the entire train ride! Besides, it would take me awhile to get my things packed up, and I didn't know if we had enough time.
However, with Dave's permission, I was able to show her my little room. As we climbed the stairs there was an announcement "Passenger Jim Toy, there is someone waiting for you on the platform."
The visit was brief, and I escorted Maggie back to the ground. She knew it was a long shot that I would go back with her. As much as I love my sister, I'm glad I stayed with the train. She had two more stops to make before she could leave town, plus, as I later learned, her car was overstuffed with samples (she sells stuffed animals to retailers), leaving precious little space for me and my bags. So we talked on the platform until the whistle blew. I returned to my seat, happy to have seen my sister, but glad to be riding in the comfort of a Superliner instead of a Toyota.
Crossing a street in northern Eugene
Our progress out of Eugene was somewhat slow at first. I had heard there were some speed restrictions in this area of late, so that may have had something to do with it.
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We roll along past houses, farms and fields as we proceed through the Willamette Valley |
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Parallel tracks require parallel bridges.... |
....Including these over the Willamette River |
At 3:25 Nanette announced some activities in the Parlor Car including the daily wine tasting, a trivia contest, and a kids movie in the theater. Since Salem was not too far away I opted to stay in my room. Someday we'll have to go all the way to Seattle so we can play the trivia contest.
Between Harrisburg and Albany the tracks parallel Highway 99E
3:30pm "UP detector, milepost 681.1, no defects, axles 56, speed 71." That puts Albany 9.8 miles ahead. As we passed a sheep pasture many of the wooly critters ran away from the train. The older fat ones just sat there.
We made a brief stop in Albany at 3:37, two hours and seven minutes late. We then passed the awful smelly paper mill immediately north of town. The wonderful part was I couldn't smell the horrific fumes inside the train like one does from the highway.
Albany's infamous paper mill.
We crossed under Interstate 5 at the Jefferson exit, as we made our way around some hills into Salem, passing tiny rural communities along the way.
3:50pm UP detector, milepost 697.8, no defects, axles 56, speed 70. Salem was 20.4 miles away.
Willamette Valley rural living
We stopped on a siding near the Salem airport at 4:02. I later learned the name of the siding was Renard, and I would later make photos at each end on Sunday and Monday. We were here to wait for train #11 to clear the Salem station and pass us before we could proceed into town. #11 would pass us on the main track on the right side of our train. I went over to the hallway window to watch for it. One of our conductors got off and took a position on the other side of the main track as required by railroad regulations to make a visual inspection of a passing train. It appeared he had a problem. He was watching one way for the southbound train, while at the same time yelling and waving at someone on or near our train. I couldn't tell for sure, but I suspect someone had his head out a vestibule window and the conductor was trying to get him to put his foolish head back inside before #11 came by.
Train 11 passes, now we can proceed.
The southbound Starlight passed without incident, but when the conductor came back aboard he said to another crew member "I've got to go back and yell at somebody."
In these last few minutes I knocked on Dave's door and and handed him a tip. I was afraid if I waited until I detrained, I would forget.
We finally pulled into Salem at 4:25, 2 hours and 22 minutes late. Dave helped me and my bags off. My mother was waiting on the platform, camera in hand, to snap a photo.
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LOOK OUT SALEM
I HAVE ARRIVED! |
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Mom said she arrived when #11 was in the station, and she thought she was late. After all, the side of a southbound train looks just like the side of a northbound train. She looked all over for me and panicked when she couldn't find me. Once informed that she was looking at the southbound train, she had a good laugh.
We arrived at Mom's house at 4:50. It was another half hour or so before Maggie showed up. When she finally arrived I said "I won."
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