The Monster USCC Off-Topic Thread

[ilvla2]

Speaking of Oregon and rail, here's an article on the Coos Bay Line, the port has just purchased it from the UP and is in the process up upgrading and reopening it-

http://www.joc.com/maritime/union-pa...-bay-line-port

"Union Pacific Sells Coos Bay Line to Port
Bill Mongelluzzo | Jan 4, 2011 9:15PM GMT
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story
Class I Railroads | Short Lines | Ports/Terminals | Maritime | United States
Port of Coos Bay plans to rehabilitate line, restore freight service
Oregon International Port of Coos Bay finalized a transaction with Union Pacific Railroad transferring ownership of 23 miles of the Coos Bay rail line to the port. The line includes rail yard facilities in North Bend and Coos Bay.
Tunnel rehabilitation and maintenance work on the Coos Bay Line was completed in October, and the port staff is working with its engineering consultants to plan repair work on the track structure.
By The Numbers: Containerized Ocean Trade - U.S. Pacific Northwest Ports.
Additional work will include rehabilitation of at-grade public crossings and upgrade of signal devices. Restoration of freight rail service is planned for mid-year.
The port staff is evaluating shortline railroad operators that have expressed interest in providing freight service on the line. When service is restored, the Coos Bay line will be operated as the Coos Bay Rail Link.
-- Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bmongelluzzo@joc.com."

[Fallstar]

Those are Double Stack Trains, the ones you see with containers stacked onto each other, intermodal is HUGE and growing. As far as blowing the horn, I can assure you they do that for YOUR protection, not out of a love of waking people up lol It's funny about the sound, people used to see it as sign of progress and that the country was doing well, now people don't want anything to inconvenience or "intrude" on their precious little lives, not ranting against you just ranting Where in OR Are you by the way? We're served by the Northwestern Pacific RR (North Coast RR), they connect with the California Northern and the main rail network at Schellville, near Sonoma. We also have the World Famous Skunk Passenger trains (California Western, now owned and operated by the Sierra RR) which travel through some of the most beautiful Old Growth Redwoods on it's trip between Willits and Fort Bragg on the coast, and Amtrak thruway busses stop in Ukiah (and Willits, Laytonville and Leggett) twice a day north and twice a day south, they connect the North Coast (up to McKinleyville) to the Amtrak and Amtrak California trains in Martinez, it's nice, you can literally go anywhere in the state or country from here via those busses.

Yeah, I have the utmost respect for any large vessel of transport, be it train, plane, ship or automobile/rig. I'm probably one of the few that actually looks both ways before crossing a track...and while driving a gov rig, I come to a stop before crossing. I'm in northeast Oregon, but my work has me driving all around eastern Oregon and part of eastern Washington.

Oh, a couple of summers ago, I remember hearing a "strange" whistle sound, and thinking "what the heck was that?". It sounded vaguely familiar, something I remember hearing on one of those old 'Wild Wild West' tv shows...I looked out my window in time to see an all black steam locomotive (No. 844) heading east. This year is 844's 50th Anniversary, so they apparently came through town again this past summer. http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_tr...am/index.shtml

I grew up in a place without regular train service (Hawaii), other than the historical one or the small sugar cane one used for tourist. So I tend to find them (here) kind of fascinating.

[ilvla2]

Yeah, I have the utmost respect for any large vessel of transport, be it train, plane, ship or automobile/rig. I'm probably one of the few that actually looks both ways before crossing a track...and while driving a gov rig, I come to a stop before crossing. I'm in northeast Oregon, but my work has me driving all around eastern Oregon and part of eastern Washington.

Oh, a couple of summers ago, I remember hearing a "strange" whistle sound, and thinking "what the heck was that?". It sounded vaguely familiar, something I remember hearing on one of those old 'Wild Wild West' tv shows...I looked out my window in time to see an all black steam locomotive (No. 844) heading east. This year is 844's 50th Anniversary, so they apparently came through town again this past summer. http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_tr...am/index.shtml

I grew up in a place without regular train service (Hawaii), other than the historical one or the small sugar cane one used for tourist. So I tend to find them (here) kind of fascinating.

Right on, you must be up around the LeGrande, Hermiston, Powder or Pendleton, am I close? The 844, my grandpa actually worked on it (and others like it) at Pocatello, he was a Machinist there for 50 years, he saw a ton of steam and then the transition to diesel in the 1950s, his dad was an engineer on trains such as the City of Portland between Pocatello and Montpelier. The 844 has never been off the UP Roster since it went on duty in 1944, it was the last new stream locomotive delivered to the UP, and all mainline steam ops on the UP ended in 1960, save the 844. For a while it was renumbered the 8444 because of a number conflict with a diesel, but was renumbered back to 844 when that diesel was retired. The other steam locomtive they have running, the Challenger 3985 was in a park in Cheyenee for years, then a group of employees restored it to running order, the UP Steam Crew do all of that on their own time, it's a volunteer service with lots of dedication and love. I have seen the 844 in person twice, once when it came through Pocatello, my grandpa and I both got to see it together, and at the 50th Anniversary of Los Angeles Union Station in 1989, they also had the 4449 SP Daylight Steam engine, several historical diesel locomotive's and passenger cars and Amtrak had equipment on display and tours through it. Good ole Pocatello is a big UP railroad and college town, Idaho State alumni here, as well as my dad and a ton of other family, Bengal pride runs deep here LOL

Speaking of Northeast Oregon, they are working on restoring Amtrak's Pioneer Train from Portland to Denver via Boise, Pocatello, Ogden, SLC and Wyoming, they cancelled the Pioneer in 1997, but it's coming back and with it passenger service on the Portland to Denver route, we're all pretty excited! That is the route of the UP's City of Portland and Portland Rose. I know all that area pretty well, while most of our family settled in SE ID with the LDS Pioneers (along with parts of UT and CA), some also settled in Eastern Washington around Walla Walla, and into the Palouse Country.

[Fallstar]

That is so cool! I wish I had known when it was here in town...I'd have loved to check it out in person. Yeah you're close, Pendleton. lol I know there is a museum here in town for the railroad, haven't been to it though. I think there used to be the Amtrak passenger service that stopped here, but no longer is the case, although there are other locations that still have it. I've heard there are some very nice (ie scenic) passenger trips in the Northwest, and the one that runs along the Pacific coast. I wouldn't mind going on one of those. My past rail experiences weren't so great, so I don't usually think about it when I want to travel.

Worst was taking Amtrak from Phoenix to Dallas-Fort Worth area late summer (20 years ago?), and we were too poor to afford a sleeping car! yikes! That sucker stopped at every little hole in the wall border town on the first day! At one point, we stopped and waited while border patrol searched all the passenger cars for a "non-citizen" that snuck onboard the previous stop. All they had to do was ask those of us that were sitting within smelling distance (peeuuw) of the guy. Anyhoo, stopped in El Paso, then non-stop through western TX, then middle of the night stop in (I think) San Antonio for at least an hour. I think it was to switch to a different engine? Anyway the AC was turned off during that time, so it was pretty nasty hot inside. Trip was something around 30 hours total...which sucks when you're not in a sleeping car.

So what is the Pioneer Train? Passenger? Historical? Wonder if it will go through here.

[Nicholas]

I love getting stuck when a train crosses, me being the train nut I am I will even go out of my way to get stuck at one so I can watch it and maybe take some shots

There are any number of reasons why they are going slow, ie. a long, heavy train going up grade, slow order restrictions due to weather or recent track work, a poorly peforming or dead locomotive in the consists, local rules keeping trains under a certain speed through town, getting ready to do a meet with another train on a siding, getting ready to do a set out or pick up, etc.. Where was this by the way? I know you're in WV, you told me where but I forgot, old age

Way I figure it is, yeah it may be time consuming to wait but they're not running for the fun of it. We all have jobs you know? They're just doing theirs.

This one was running through Fairview, WV. Northern something, I forget exactly what because this head cold just won't quit. NS, I do recall that. I know the tracks cross at least two roads in this area. Even though it's a rural area there's still more than a few houses around it and here in WV no paths run in a straight line for more than a second lol. So yeah, had to take his time.

[ilvla2]

here in WV no paths run in a straight line for more than a second lol.

That describes Mendocino County, and most of NW CA to a tee lol You'd feel right at home up here lol That looks to be a big Industrial Area, in nearby Proctor I see a ton of chemical or oil plants, and all served en masse by rail.

[Nicholas]

oh yeah there's all sorts of stuff through there. On the leg of my drive a bit before that I passed an adhesive factory and a rubber factory (the product we vulcanize, not the other one ) that I hadn't noticed before.

[Fallstar]

a rubber factory (the product we vulcanize, not the other one )

lol! eeew, that would be weird living near the "other" kind of rubber factory.

[tearsonurcheek]

I'm still here. Unfortunately, I had to drop Cox (long story...sort of), and so I currently have no internet at home. I'm still poking my head around, so don't get any ideas, ya punks.

[ilvla2]

lol! eeew, that would be weird living near the "other" kind of rubber factory.

Lol Here's the info on The Pioneer, it indeed stopped at Pendleton from 1977 to 1977, and with it's return will again be stopping in Pendleton on it's way from Seattle to Denver via Portland, Boise, Pocatello, Ogden, SLC and Wyoming.

http://www.pioneertrain.com/



The UP mainline runs down the Oregon side of the Columbia River, and the BNSF runs on the WA side.

They are working on getting it going again, and all the states and many of the cities, like Pocatello have pledged their support, hopefully this new chincy, backwards thinking House of Reps in Congress won't ruin things. Those of us who care about our future are going to make darn sure the anti-rail/anti-progress people don't louse things up!

[Fallstar]

Thanks that's so cool! I wouldn't mind taking a trip from here to Denver on that, would be a neat way to see places I've not seen before. I can't tell from the website...are they still working on trying to bring it back on a regularly run schedule? I don't see time-tables or prices.

[tearsonurcheek]

Oh. Em. Gee. The Aint's are one-and-done, while the *hack* SeaChickens are on a plane to Chicago (if Green Bay wins tomorrow) or Atlanta (if *ptewwiie* Philadelphia wins) for Divisional weekend.

Who'da thunk it? A 7-9 team as the 4th seed in the NFC. Says a lot about the NFC West, eh?

[ilvla2]

Oh. Em. Gee. The Aint's are one-and-done, while the *hack* SeaChickens are on a plane to Chicago (if Green Bay wins tomorrow) or Atlanta (if *ptewwiie* Philadelphia wins) for Divisional weekend.

Who'da thunk it? A 7-9 team as the 4th seed in the NFC. Says a lot about the NFC West, eh?

Huh? lol

[tearsonurcheek]

Well, I'm torn on the Chiefs/Ravens. As a native of MO, I like the Chiefs. As a Steelers fan, I absolutely hate the Ravens, but would welcome the chance to have my Steelers send them packing. Plus, a Steelers/Ravens game is guaranteed to be an old-school bruiser of a game. Hmmm...

[ilvla2]

I don't follow football much, mainly just my high school of Covina High in SoCal and my Alma Mater of Idaho State University, and I watch the 49ers a little, but I am a big Basketball and Baseball fan, go Lakers and Dodgers! Overall though, I am not a major sports nut, I follow those teams and things but not much else.