I live 2 hours south of Portland Oregon(Eugene). And was Curious if the was a good Place to watch trains from. I work on highway 58 going over the Santiam Pass and heard Rumors of the Line coming out of Eugene has 13 tunnels If this is true does anyone know of a good place to watch this from. I am kinda new so any help would be helpful
I have railfanned the Santiam twice. In the summer, with a 4-wheel drive, you can get really close in the Pass area. Otherwise, at Oakridge is a great spot to watch from, lots of food spots also. The trains slow down through town, so you can get a good look at the motive power. Also, at Crescent Lake is a great spot. You can hear the rumbling of the locomotives climbing up or braking down for many miles to come.
If you get the chance, go down the Columbia Gorge to Hermiston. That is where the Hinkle yards are. It is located just off of I-84, about 180 miles east of Portland. Awesome amounts of train traffic there. There is a new locomotive rebuild shop that the UP runs. You can expect upwards of 100 locomotives in the yard each day.
Drive the Oregon side down to Hermiston, railfanning the UP all the way, then cross the Columbia River on I-82, and pick up SR 14 down to Vancouver on the Washington side, watching the BN all the way. While in Vancouver, visit the Amtrak station. That is where the BN and UP lines all cross between Portland and Seattle.[:D][:D]
I’ll put in my two cents for the Vancouver, Wash. area around the passenger station. It has two busy lines coming together right by the depot, an adjacent drawbridge, nearby industrial lines, good parking, food nearby – in all, one of the best railfan environments anywhere in the Pacific NW.
Best thing to to is get Lane County or Forest Service Road Map. As you go uphill above Oakridge on Hiway 58 the railroad is to your left and above the highway. A few miles out of town you will see a road to the right to McReedy Springs. A few miles further the railroad crosses the highway on a steel deck plate girder bridge which is part of a 180 degree horseshoe curve. A mile or so back toward Oakridge, or the right as you head to Eugene, there is a little dirt road that will take you up to the railroad. If you take that and it is a clear day look across the valley you can see two levels of track on the mountain. The lower level climbs to McReedy Springs, makes another 180 degree curve and climbs toward the summit via the upper level. The more spectacular portions are accross the valley from where you are standing. It is pretty wild. If you are willing to poke around for a day with a tough vehicle you might be able to find something. I have not done it myself so you are now at the limit of my knowledge.
Mac
I live 2 hours south of Portland Oregon(Eugene). And was Curious if the was a good Place to watch trains from. I work on highway 58 going over the Santiam Pass and heard Rumors of the Line coming out of Eugene has 13 tunnels If this is true does anyone know of a good place to watch this from. I am kinda new so any help would be helpful
I have railfanned the Santiam twice. In the summer, with a 4-wheel drive, you can get really close in the Pass area. Otherwise, at Oakridge is a great spot to watch from, lots of food spots also. The trains slow down through town, so you can get a good look at the motive power. Also, at Crescent Lake is a great spot. You can hear the rumbling of the locomotives climbing up or braking down for many miles to come.
If you get the chance, go down the Columbia Gorge to Hermiston. That is where the Hinkle yards are. It is located just off of I-84, about 180 miles east of Portland. Awesome amounts of train traffic there. There is a new locomotive rebuild shop that the UP runs. You can expect upwards of 100 locomotives in the yard each day.
Drive the Oregon side down to Hermiston, railfanning the UP all the way, then cross the Columbia River on I-82, and pick up SR 14 down to Vancouver on the Washington side, watching the BN all the way. While in Vancouver, visit the Amtrak station. That is where the BN and UP lines all cross between Portland and Seattle.[:D][:D]
I’ll put in my two cents for the Vancouver, Wash. area around the passenger station. It has two busy lines coming together right by the depot, an adjacent drawbridge, nearby industrial lines, good parking, food nearby – in all, one of the best railfan environments anywhere in the Pacific NW.
Best thing to to is get Lane County or Forest Service Road Map. As you go uphill above Oakridge on Hiway 58 the railroad is to your left and above the highway. A few miles out of town you will see a road to the right to McReedy Springs. A few miles further the railroad crosses the highway on a steel deck plate girder bridge which is part of a 180 degree horseshoe curve. A mile or so back toward Oakridge, or the right as you head to Eugene, there is a little dirt road that will take you up to the railroad. If you take that and it is a clear day look across the valley you can see two levels of track on the mountain. The lower level climbs to McReedy Springs, makes another 180 degree curve and climbs toward the summit via the upper level. The more spectacular portions are accross the valley from where you are standing. It is pretty wild. If you are willing to poke around for a day with a tough vehicle you might be able to find something. I have not done it myself so you are now at the limit of my knowledge.
Mac