Message Areas - "Hinkle, OR - Pocatello, OR Route idea - Long!"

Train-Sim.Com Message Areas

"Hinkle, OR - Pocatello, OR Route idea - Long!!"

Email this topic to a friend
Printer-friendly version of this topic
Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)
Previous Topic | Next Topic Conferences MSTS Route Design (Protected) Original message
Macster (454 posts)
Apr-15-02, 01:30 AM (EST) "Hinkle, OR - Pocatello, OR Route idea - Long!!" I have returned from THE most beautiful and scenic route I have yet to seen in person, this being the second time I have visited the Blue Mountains in Oregon. This route offers one of the most amazing arts of scenery, workmanship, friendly crews, and MoW people. The grades vary, mainly 2.2% except at Telocaset which is 1.2%. I'll keep my gibberish to a min and will include the trip report from Drew Mitchem, a companion along this awesome trip. We never went to Pocatello, in fact, we never went pass North Powder... just way to many trains to get out there. From La Grande to Hot Lake, this offers a great chance to pace trains, as I soon found out by pacing a z train westbound on Hwy 30 at 70mph, with video to back it up, and from Telocaset to MP316, we paced trains up/down grade at 35-25mph................. anywho... i'll turn the floor over to the trip report.......
Trip Report by Drew Mitchem:
Brian Ambrose, Brian Bundridge, Bret Gray, Glen Oikary
and I took a little jaunt to LaGrande OR and the Blue
Mountains this past weekend. Saw numerous trains and
tons of Flagged C44ACCTE's. Here is our sightings:April 12, 2002
First off, on the way to the Blues, we travelled via
the Yakima Canyon on BNSF's Yakima Valley Subdivision
between Ellensburg and Yakima. Took pictures of the
morning westbound at MP 111 S-Curve:930 am MP 111(West Wymer)
BNSF Westbound H-PASBRV1-12 (Pasco,WA-Brownsville,BC
High Priority Manifest)
BNSF 4747, BNSF 783, ATSF 120, BNSF 3197The off to Pasco, where we spotted a few trains, and
lots of power sitting around, first, the trains:1210pm Pasco, WA
BNSF Westbound M-PTLPAS1-12 (Portland,OR-Pasco,WA
Manifest)
BNSF 4827, ATSF 3331212pm
BNSF Light Power for the H-PASGAL1-12
(Pasco,WA-Galesburg,IL High Priority Manifest)
BN 9261, BN 9220, ATSF 6861215pm
BNSF Low Line Local (Pasco,WA-Ayer Jct, WA via UP Ayer
Sub trackage rights)
BNSF 2273, BNSF 2874
Decent sized Train headed for Interchange with the
Camas Prairie Railnet at Ayer Jct.Power sitting around Pasco Yard:
BN 1521, BNSF 6137, BN 1438, BNSF 6198, BNSF 6106,
BNSF 6120, BNSF 6121, BNSF 6262, BNSF 6296, BNSF 6185,
BNSF 1600, BNSF 8214, EMD 9067, BNSF 8735, BNSF 7840,
BNSF 6297, BNSF 6263, BN 2735, BNSF 2748, CBRW 201,
BNSF 6733, BNSF 6385, BNSF 6329 Now On to Hermiston/Hinkle...we drive via Walulla, and
follow the UP Ayer Sub to near Cold Springs.....
We spot this train at Walulla about to head out to
Finley and Richland via the Kalan Draw Bridge:
120pm UP LID41-12(Walulla,WA-Richland,WA Local)
UP 2552, UP 2049Blue Mountain RR Power sitting at a Grain elevator
just south fo Walulla Jct:
BLMR 730, PCC 2353 (GP 35's)Now on to Hermiston, where we hear of a train about to
head up the Washy...we set up at a Highway overpass
and catch this train:
218pm Hermiston, OR
UP nothbound MHKET12(Hinkle,OR-Eastport, ID CP
Interchange Manifest)
CEFX 104, CEFX 139, CP 8545, CP 9565, CP 5833, SOO
6017, UP7520
6 Different Paint schemes in 7 engines, WOW!!!!!!!! After shooting that awesome lashup, we press on east
to LaGrande, but on the way up, we make a little side
trip to Kamela, and end up catching a few trains at
various locations on the east side of the hill....we
dont make it to LaGrande until after 630pm....405pm Kamela, OR
UP Eastbound MHKRO12 (Hinkle,OR-Roper,UT Manifest)
UP 5733, UP 5721, UP 5716, UP 5735
Matched set of Flagged C44ACCTE's430pm West Hilgard,OR
UP Westbound ZAPSE10 (APL Chicago-Seattle Priority
Intermodal)
UP 4855, UP 4658, UP 2452445pm West Hilgard, OR
UP Westbound IMNSE09 (Marion, AR-Seattle Intermodal)
UP 4359, SP 297544pm Perry, OR
UP Eastbound QPDNP11(Portland,OR-North Platte, NE
Quality Manifest)
UP 5791, UP 9489, UP 9209, CNW 8572
DPU's UP 4131, UP 5776605pm Hilgard, OR
UP Westbound MNPHK09 (North Platte,NE-Hinkle,OR
Manifest)
UP 5763, UP 4283
DPU's UP 4084, UP 5815We bypass LaGrande and head east a ways to catch up
with an eastbound and to see a couple of westbounds as
well.....615pm Hot Lake, OR
UP Eastbound QHKNP12 (Hinkle,OR-North Platte,NE
Quality Manifest)
UP 5789, UP 4762, UP 3370, UP 9275
DPU's UP 5841, UP 5780725pm Telocasset, OR
UP Westbound ZKCPD10 (Kansas City, MO-Portland,OR
Priority Intermodal)
UP 6103, UP 9573, UP 9111800pm Lone Tree, OR
UP Eastbound OBAGR12 (Barnes Yard, OR-Green River, WY
Soda Ash Empties)
UP 6755, UP 6445823pm LaGrande, OR
UP Westbound AGBSE10 (Argo, IL-Seattle,WA Autos)
UP 9783, UP 4067After seeing some choo-choos, we check into our Motel,
the Quail Run Inn, which is right next to the tracks
off of Hwy 30...we find out from the owners that some
UP MOW crews are staying there and there is a 4 days
maintainence blitz eith curfews going on for 4
days....Both Main Lines thru LaGrande are shut down
from 5am until 230pm.....so after 230pm the trains are
runing like street cars...
We then go get some food at different places, then I
see a couple of more trains from the Motel before i go
to bed.....1102pm LaGrande, OR
UP Eastbound ZSEME12 (Seattle,WA-Memphis, TN Priority
Intermodal)
UP 9268, UP 92101118pm LaGrande, OR
UP Eastbound ASENP12 (Seattle,WA-North Platte,NE
Autos)
UP 4462, UP 4085, UP 36351143pm LaGrande, OR
UP Westbound ZAPSE11 (APL Chicago-Seattle, WA Priority
Intermodal)
UP 9771, UP 9674, UP 46084-13-02One more train before i go to sleep:1222am LaGrande, OR
UP Westbound MROHK11 (Roper, UT-Hinkle, OR Manifest)
UP 4114, UP 9192, UP 3125, UP 5723, UP 7578Since the MOW Curfew is in effect, we slep in, and
dont go go out until after 1000am(well, me and Brian
Ambrose woke up at 1000am or so, and went an got
breakfast, while the rest took off around 11am or so).
We get breakfast at Dennys, then decide to go west to
see whats parked on the hill....1050am Perry, OR
UP Westbound QNPHKB10 ( North Platte, NE-Hinkle,OR
Quality Manifest Second Section)
UP 5726, UP 4650, UP 5809, UP 31881052am Hilgard, OR
UP Eastbound MHKGR13 (Hinkle,OR-Green River, WY
Manifest)
UP 5797, UP 4034, UP 4414
DPU's UP 5801, UP 5778last 2 trains were parked waiting for crews/MOW Curfew
to endThis guy was moving though....1053am Hilgard, OR
UP Westbound MPCHK11 (Pocatello, ID-Hinkle,OR
Manifest)
UP 5785, UP 7513
DPU's UP 5786, UP 9339Then Brian Ambrose and I wait for this guy coming down
the hill....
122pm West Hilgard, OR
UP Eastbound ITAG15-12(Tacoma,WA-Global 1 Chicago, IL
K-Line Stack Train)
UP 4167, UP 4251, UP 9881We then get a phone call from Bret and the gang, and
they are at Noth Powder, OR..so we got out there and
meet up with them at Telocasset...but first we catch a
couple of trains....209pm West Crooks, OR
UP Westbound IMNSE10 (Intermodal-Marion,AR-Seattle,WA)
UP 9486, UP 2903225pm North Powder, OR
UP Westbound W??PT(Empty Rail Train to Lake Yard, OR)
UP 4670, UP 4436251pm West Crooks, OR
UP Westbound IG2SE11 (Global 2 Chicago, IL-Seattle, WA
Intermodal)
UP 4762, UP 3068We then decide to pace a couple of trains between
Sago and Telocasset....415pm Sago, OR
UP Eastboud ZPDCS13 (Portland-Chicago Canal St., IL)
UP 4184, UP 9511, UP 9678444pm Sago, OR
UP Westbound ZKCPD11 (Kansas City, MO-Portland,OR
Priority Intermodal)
UP 4700, UP 4860, UP 4588, UP 4514Me and Brian Bundridge decide to pace this train back
into LaGrande, while the rest of the gang hung around
Telocasset for a couple more trains... We pace the
ZKCPD11 from Hot Lake to LaGrande at 70mph, doing
video.......Then we dink around town a bit, seeing a couple more
trains in the process....:608pm LaGrande,OR
UP Eastbound QHKNP13 ( Hinkle,OR-North Platte, NE
Manifest)
UP 5808, UP 9827, UP 4686, UP 9834
DPU's UP 9453, UP 5714625pm LaGrande,OR
UP Westbound W??SK(Loaded Welded Rail train to
Spokane,WA)
UP 5742, UP 9756, UP 6356We hear the Soda Ash Train is coming...so we set up
for him at Hot Lake, OR...652pm Hot Lake, OR
UP Westbound OGRBA12 (Green River,WY-Barnes Yard, OR
Soda Ash Loads)
UP 8155, UP 5770, UP 7026
DPU's 2/3rds of the way back of the train UP 5835, UP
5735, UP 5716, UP 5721
102 CarsAll of us pace the Soda Ash Train all the way to
Kamela, OR (Summit of the Blue Mountains)...where he
meets one:845pm Kamela,OR
UP Eastbound ITAG25-12(Tacoma,WA-Global 2 Chicago,IL
K-Line Stack Train)
UP 8500, UP 9231, UP 5809We catch another train at LaGrande that we passed up
coming down the hill to pace the Soda Ash Train...but
befroe that a grain load..908pm LaGrande, OR
UP Westbound GS??VA(Grain Load to Vancouver, WA)
UP 6680, SP 228, UP 6640, UP 7220
DPU's 2/3rds of the way back in the train: UP 5772,
UP 5725, UP 5731, UP 5799
Found out later that this trian stalled on the
hill.....925pm LaGrande, OR
UP Eastbound QPDNP13 (Portland,OR-North Platte, NE
Quality, Manifest)
UP 5779, UP 4581, UP 4301, UP 9119
DPU's UP 5730, UP 5771After this train we go get dinner, then back to the
Motel...see one more train before lights out..1126pm LaGrande, OR
QNPHKB11 (North Platte, NE-Hinkle, OR Quality,
Manifest)
UP 9241, UP 8629, UP UP 5703, UP 5747, UP 57814-14-02We wake up at 900am, get breakfast of McDonalds, then
go west towards Hermiston, becuase the MOW curfew is
in effect.....we see one train at Perry, thats it
until we split company at Hermiston, me going via the
Gorge/Vancouver to Centralia....Brian A, Bian B, Bret
and Glen via Pasco to Seattle
Here is the trains i saw on the way home....1000am Perry, OR
UP Westbound QHKNPB13 (Hinkle,OR-North Platte,NE
Quality Manifest 2nd Section)
UP 5739, UP 4056, UP 4723, UP 4198, UP 7565, UP 3488
DPU's CNW 8571, UP 5723
(We found out that this train had also stalled on the
hill the previous night)138pm Hinkle, OR
UP Westbound MHKCO14 (Hinkle,OR-Eugene,OR CORP
Interchange Manifest)
UP 9700, UP 6177147pm Munley,OR
UP Eastbound OBAGR14 (Barnes Yard, OR- Green River, WY
Soda Ash Empties)200pm Boardman, OR
UP Eastbound ASENP14 (Seattle,WA-North Platte,NE
Autos)
Could not get unit numbers, train too far away253pm Biggs, OR
UP Eastbound MEUHK13 (Eugene,OR-Hinkle,OR Manifest)
UP 9386, UP 2435, UP 9583303pm Celilo, OR
UP Eastbound ISEG214(Seattle,WA-Global 2 Chicago,IL
Intermodal)
UP 4193, UP 4639, UP 9047331pm Celilo, OR
BNSF Westbound/Southbound H-PASBAR1-14
(Pasco,WA-Barstow,CA High Priority Manifest)
BNSF 4992, BNSF 4801, BNSF 5486
DPU's 29 cars deep: BNSF 5425, BNSF 752
85 Cars total340pm Celilo,OR (Looking across Columbai River to
Wishram WA)
BNSF Westbound Grain Load
Power was 2 GP 50's, 4 GP38-2 (4 GP38's were set out
at Wishram, Grain Loads to be set out at
North Bonneville, WA Siding)345pm Avery WA(via scanner)
BNSF Baretable to Watson, CA
Didnt see the train, but the train was being
identified as a 500 series BNSF Unit405pm Hood River, OR ( from I-84)
BNSF Eastbound Grain Empties
Power was 2 BNSF H2 C44-9W's424pm Meno, OR
UP Eastbound ZSEME14 ( Seattle,WA-Memphis,TN Priority
Intermodal)
UP 9487, UP 2452, UP 4658

meeting this train in the siding at Meno424 pm Meno, OR
UP Westbound MHKSE14 (Hinkle,OR-Seattle,WA Manifest)
UP 5726, UP 4650, UP 3721500pm Sandy, OR
UP Westbound/Southbound QEDRV13 (Edmonton AB.
Canada(CP)-Roseville,CA Quality Manifest)
CEFX 100, CEFx 136, CP 9610545pm Longview Jct. South, WA
BNSF M-PASLVJ14 (Pasco,WA-Longview Jct., WA Manifest)
BNSF 3113, BNSF 3136, BNSF 2882600pm Castle Rock, WA
UP Southbound LIC55-14 (Longview
Jct,WA.-Centralia,WA-Longview Jct, WA PSAP Interchange
train)
Overall a real productive trip. Thank You to Bret,
Brian A., Brian B. and Glen for coming along on this
trip and having an absolute blast!!! Hope to do it
again soon!!! Hope you folks enjoyed reading this!!!Drew Mitchem, MP 54 BNSF Seattle Sub, Centralia,
WA(CTL)
Foamers NW "Hotbox"
Hope you enjoyed this long, but tasteful email... After I study the old BN/Cascade and Columbia River....... now Rail America line from Wenatchee to Oroville (planned route, DEM all set, just learning the Route Editor and all of the tools) So I'm hoping to have "yeah right" MLT type quility to it
Brian E. Bundridge
Seattle, WA USA Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Table of Contents

Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Hinkle, OR - Pocatello, OR Rout... timken Apr-15-02 1

Lobby | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic
Messages in this topic
timken (354 posts)
Apr-15-02, 08:11 AM (EST) 1. "RE: Hinkle, OR - Pocatello, OR Route idea - Long!!" Hi Brian,I can relate to the heavy traffic, I live in Baker City, 1 1/2 blocks from the UP main line. You should have gone a bit further east in you travels though! You missed the Burnt river canyon, south of Baker. It is all tight curves and 2.2% with very tall hills/mountains sqeezing the RR into a little slot by the river. A few years back when 3985 came through, she really put on a show in the canyon. The division point of Huntington still has some RR flavor, and an old sign on the side of an ex RR hotel, "All White Help".The Sumpter Valley RR depot here in Baker City is restored and looks great. It used to sit between the 3' gauge tracks of the SVRR and the UP.Steve Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Lock | Archive | Remove

Lobby | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic