My quarter finals from school ended around mid-morning on Wednesday, October 20, 2004.  So my dad and I packed up our stuff and headed out for a couple days of railfanning in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.  On the way we stopped off at Sprague, WA area to catch a fleet of eastbounds.  The first one was already passed and the second one wasn't far behind.  The second one was a hopper train (BNSF 1058, 4407, ATSF 945(patched)).  Then on to Pilfer we stopped and set up just in time for the V-PTLKCK (BNSF 1102, BN 7050(patched), ATSF 6873(patched)).   After that we decided to wait for the next train which we guessed would be the Z-PTLCHC and shouldn't be that far behind it.  At 12:35pm it rounded the corner with 4 engines pulling stack and TOFC (BNSF 4518, 5165, 4865, BN 7012(patched)). 

     On the way, we had seen a westbound that was stuck in the hole at Sprague for all of these trains.  So we drove down to Keystone, WA where we set up to wait.  It wasn't very long before the westbound manifest barreled around the corner (ATSF 6729(patched), BN 7002(patched) FURX 7225).  After getting another shot of the train navigating the S-curves at Essig and then another shot at Lind we hit the road south.  The next train we found was at Eltopia, WA in the siding.  It was an eastbound manifest with 4 units (BNSF 5184, 904, 1069, 4554).   We went down to the crossing and set up for the westbound he was going to meet.   It wasn't very long until it arrived and flew by.  It was a westbound hopper train with 2 units in DPU mode (BNSF 4912, 4084, 4903, 1063).  Next we headed on down to Pasco, WA to the yard.

     In the yard there was quite a bit of power including MRL 310, BNSF 8291, EMD 9007, ATSF 654 and unpatched BN 7855.  There was a local train headed to Kennewick, WA with an unpatched BN 1519 for power and a caboose on the end.  After shooting the local as it left the yard we headed to the grain terminal.  In the yard there was an eastbound hopper train getting ready to leave (BNSF 4893, 727, 705, CSX 9027).  After getting some gas we headed south towards OR again.  At Wallula, WA we found UP 1212, 1084 and BLMR 2606 in the yard.  That was all that we saw until we got down to Hinkle, OR.  Getting ready to leave was an E-PGBK heading north (BNSF 8897, 8300, ATSF 8205(patched)).  UP 3183 and 3716 where pushing cars over the hump in the yard while there were several engines in the deadline including SP 8370, 8529, UPY 1062 and 8865(both just patched SP units).  In the fueling area the power consisted mainly of UPs with the exception of CEFX 112, 119 and NS 8857. 

     An eastbound manifest called up the dispatched and got permission to head down to the end of the yard and go when he got the light so we headed out east to find a spot for him.  At Echo, OR we met a westbound stack train at 5:00pm (UP 4847, 4515, 5829, 6679).  After getting a shot of him we found a spot and set up for the eastbound.  Pretty soon it rounded the corner with 4 units up front and a long manifest train and two more units on the rear (UP 5831, 8069, 8169, 4537, 6620, 6594).  Next we followed this train east to the other side of Pentleton before heading to find a campsite for the night.  The last train we saw was a work train with UP 2172 in the siding at Gibbon, OR.  Unfortunately the campground we found was closed so we drove around a bit more before finding a side road with a little pullout back into the woods.  After setting up camp and cooking supper we hit the hay for the night.

     The next morning dawned cold and rainy.  We got up and ate breakfast in the rain.  Then we packed up and headed up the mountains.  At Meacham we found a nice little side road that followed close to the tracks all the way to Kamela, OR which is the top of the pass.  At Ross, OR we found a westbound auto train and so quickly turned around to find a spot for it (UP 5115, 9192, 3916, CSX 7756).   After getting a shot of it we continued up to Kamela where we found an eastbound manifest train tied down (UP 6470, 6669, 5828, 7084).  There were 4 units on the point and another 2 on the rear which we never saw very well.  After exploring down the other side to Motanic we sat around and waited.  Finally around noon an we heard that an eastbound was coming so we set up for it at the summit.  It soon came into sight and slowly rolled past in the pouring rain (UP 4592, 4469, 4936).  We chased this eastbound manifest train down the hill all the way to La Grande, OR stopping at different spots for shots.

     In La Grande we found this backed up quite a bit.  There was an eastbound manifest with 4 or 5 units that was pulled up to the end of an eastbound stack train.  Arriving at the station we found the head end of the eastbound stack train with a NS and unpatched SP in the consist (UP 3827, 3995, 4845, SP 9802, NS 8926).   In the yard there were 4 SD40-2s sitting there waiting for something to do.   We decided to head east since there were quite a few eastbounds in the area.   But by the time we got to Union we heard over the scanner that MOW had the line tied up for 3+ more hours.  The weather was also getting much worse so we decided to head back west.  Near Motanic we met an eastbound stack train descending the hill (UP 4818, 9616, 9174).  At Nordeen we found an eastbound reefer train with just a few cars (UP 4371, 4083).  Also we found a westbound manifest heading up the pass (UP 4450, 3932, 6649, 5832).  We followed this train down to Meacham taking several photos on the way.

     At this point we realized that there wouldn't be any more westbounds up here in the daylight hours and eastbounds were looking kind of sparse too.   The weather was still horrible so we decided to head down the pass to Pentleton and then out to the gorge for the last day of railfanning.  In Pentleton we found a local that was switching cars in the yard (UP 546, 1055).  An eastbound stack train rumbled through around 3:30pm (UP 3922, 9599, 9644).  Pretty soon the local left the yard and headed west to switch a couple industries.  We followed it and found the westbound auto train we had seen earlier sitting in the siding.  The sun was obscured by clouds but after almost an hour wait we were rewarded to have the sun come out for some great lighting with storm clouds in the background.  Then we heard about several eastbounds coming so we headed west a little bit to find a suitable spot to shoot them at.  The first one was an eastbound hopper train at 4:30pm (UP 6595, 8033).

     Then 20 minutes later an eastbound manifest rounded the corner (UP 6686, 8613).  The 3rd one was another eastbound manifest in 3x2 combination (UP 5843, 5799, 4555, 7096, 6650).  After that we headed west and at Echo we caught up to a westbound stack train (UP 4557, 3998, 4766).  Next it was on through Hinkle and out the gorge.  We eventually found a spot to set up the tent at Rufus, OR and so set up camp and cooked supper.  At 7:50pm an eastbound stack train rumbled passed (UP 4470, 9592, ????).  Then a few minutes later a westbound stack train rolled by (UP 4998, 9449).  After that it was silence until after we went to bed which is when the trains started to roll.  Thankfully during the night it didn't rain and all the wind dried out the tent.

     The next morning we got up and made breakfast around 7:30am.   It was cloudy but it didn't look like rain.  The first train of the day was a westbound UP manifest in 2x3 combination (UP 5736, 9214, 5720, CEFX 2795, FURX 7100).   Next we headed down to Biggs and over the WA side of the river.  At Maryhill we saw Amtrak go flying by but we didn't have time to get a shot (Amtrak 160).  Next up was an eastbound stack train on the BNSF.  We had found a spot out along a little road near Maryhill and were ready and waiting when it rounded the corner (BNSF 4354, 5378).  Across the river we could see a UP train heading east so we raced back to the bridge and across.  But there wasn't any need to hurry since it stopped at the end of the double track at Biggs to wait for a westbound (UP 6577).  After getting a shot we heard over the scanner that the westbound had gone into emergency about a mile to the east so we decided to go check it out.

     The train had just suddenly lost its air and came to a grinding halt (UP 8241, 6608, 7509).  So they started walking back to find the problem.  A second westbound that was following it pulled up to within 3 or 4 car lengths of it and started searching from the back (CEFX 105, UP 7575).  As luck would have it the problem was found on the last car.  Somehow some brake rigging had been knocked off and was dragging.  It had torn up several ties over the last couple miles and now the whole brake wheel assembly wasn't working.  So after setting it and another car out at Biggs, OR they were able to continue west.  Well it took them a long time to figure this whole thing out and get things corrected so in the meantime we hopped back to the other side of the river to catch a westbound BNSF hopper train at Maryhill, WA (BNSF 4982, 4454, ATSF 685).

     Next we headed back to the OR side and drove west to find a spot to shoot the westbounds.  We found another eastbound stopped behind the first with 3 units and a hopper train (UP 7514, CP 8624, 9671).  Continuing on west we ran into another eastbound manifest train pulling up to a stop behind the other two (UP 5138, 4453, 4102).  After shooting this guy we headed down near OT Jct. to set up for the westbound.  After a bit I heard over the scanner that a MOW wanted track time but the dispatcher just told him that he had way to many trains out there today.  He said something about 5 or 6 westbounds and around the same in eastbounds!!!  Then just about that time another eastbound manifest rounded the corner.  After getting my shot I watched as the train came to a grinding halt.   On the scanner he called the dispatcher to let him know that he had just lost his air and was in emergency.

     The dispatcher didn't seem at all pleased with this news and I wasn't all that happy either since he was blocking the only crossing to get out of there.  Now I would be stuck in the same spot for who knows how long with a bunch of westbounds coming at me.  Oh well...you just can't seem to win.  Well the crew finally found the problem and got things back up and running just as the 3rd westbound passed(UP 2212, 3116).  Across the river we could see a set of light engines leaving Wishram yard heading east (ATSF 6360, 6757, 158(all patched), BNSF 114, FURX 3031, CSX 458, 8786).  So we raced down to Biggs and over to Maryhill.   Then went into the siding at Maryhill and we drove down a little road east of the siding to set up for a shot.  On the way we met a westbound garbage train (BNSF 6394, BN 7866, 7049(both patched)).  After getting our shot we headed back for the UP side.   But as we were driving through the apple orchards we came to a clearing only to see the tail end of an eastbound garbage train disappearing.

     While this was happening an eastbound auto train rolled by on the UP (UP 4776, 2100(re#), 4468).  Then by the time we got back to the UP tracks another eastbound was rolling by.  We chased this eastbound stack to Rufus, OR (UP 4847, 4515, 3971).  Then riding his block was another eastbound with 2 units and a manifest train this time (UP 5773, 5795).  After chasing this train to east Goff, OR we drove back to west Goff to see the westbound in the siding.  It was a manifest train with 3 units on the point (UP 4450, 9540, 4114).  In just a couple more minutes an eastbound stack, TOFC and auto train came into view.  After shooting this train we drove back to Rufus, OR where we met another eastbound (the 9th and last in the fleet for those that are counting).  It was a hopper train with CEFX 102 and 108 for power.   We shot the westbound that was at Goff at Biggs, OR and then headed to the BNSF side of the Z-CHCPTL.

     We drove down to Wishram and then on to Avery where we set up for the shot.  In the siding at Avery a southbound BNSF train headed for the Oregon trunk line was waiting.  Then a westbound hopper train breezed by on the UP (UP 8085, 8228, 9309).  Then finally the Z-CHCPTL rounded the curve with an all EMD consist (EMD 9065, BN 7803, 7067(both patched), NREX 5456, FURX 8106).  Racing this train across the river was a westbound UP stack and TOFC (UP 4600, 9113, 2375(re#)).  Next we headed back to Biggs and across to the UP side.  We paced a westbound UP stack and TOFC train all the way to the Dalles, OR before finding a spot to shoot it (UP 9504, 9790, CEFX 120).  By this time it was 4pm and we headed back east.  At OT Jct. the southbound BNSF train called the bridge tender and got permission to cross.  So we pulled up to the side of the road to watch the bridge lower and shoot the train.   While this was happening a westbound UP manifest train flew by (UP 4251, 9454).

     A westbound BNSF manifest train pulled up and came to a stop in the siding waiting for the southbound to clear (BNSF 4561, 8112, BN 6774(patched), ATSF 6901(patched), FURX 3050).  Finally the bridge was down and the train crawled across the bridge with 3 on the point and 2 in the middle (BNSF 4072, 4820, 4418, 5205, 799).   After that we raced down to Moody, OR to set up and shoot him again.  While there an eastbound garbage train rolled through Wishram, WA and on up the river.  The train came at last and we shot are photos and then headed back to the car.  Heading back towards home we caught up to the garbage train at Bates and got a couple pictures there (BNSF 522, 3196, BN 2807(patched)).  Next it was on to Roosevelt where a westbound hopper train was setting out a bad car that had tripped the detector (BNSF 701, 4950).

     A few miles farther down the road and we ran into a westbound manifest (BNSF 5489, ATSF 901(patched)).  On the UP side a westbound hopper train rolled down river and by this time it was getting dark and was close to 6pm.   Continuing on east we met another westbound at Creed, WA with 4 engines (BNSF 5186, 4427, 1064, 856).  It was a loaded coal train and had to stop to wait for the train ahead of it to clear out a bit.  Then 10 minutes farther down the line and we met another westbound.  This time it was a hopper train with another 4 units (BNSF 5332, 795, 4353, FURX 3030).  That was the last train we saw until just out of Pasco, WA.   Here there was a westbound manifest train but we didn't see the head end.   Continuing on we reached home around 9:30pm without seeing any more trains.   It was a great trip with a very busy UP line in the Gorge on Friday.  Even with the rain it was lots of fun and made me appreciate the sun more often!!  Well see you trackside.