Shortly after Mt St Helen blew I hopped a Freight Train out of Spokane, WA and rode it to the Oregon Dalles…
Not being from the area, can anyone figure out what Rail Road line I was on?
Also what Town it was that had/has a Freight Yard stop near the Dalles?
I’m trying to retrace my trip, and was curious since back in the day it wasn’t a big concern as to the names of the towns etc…
I remember there was dust all over the place from the Mt St Helen’s eruption.
Also, once I got off the train I ended up hitchhiking on an Interstate, probably in Oregon, headed west.
Thanks for your help.
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If you rode the same train from Spokane to The Dalles, OR, it would have been the Union Pacific.
The Union Pacific has a yard in The Dalles, OR.
The Interstate that you would have hitchhiked on out of The Dalles, would be known as I-84 today, it was previously known as I-80N(North), I remember seeing road atlases IIRC, dated as late as 1977 designating it as I-80N, I don’t recall exactly when it was designated as I-84, but likely within 5 years of when you were there, if not already by then
Mt St. Helen’s “BIG” Eruption 
that had the most widespread ash dispersals was on May 18th, 1980. I got my Chauffeurs License, which predates the CDL in September of 1986, and started driving tractor trailer in August of 1988, and I am certain that I-80N had been designated as I-84 by that time
Doug
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Your questions made me Curious, I did an online search for when the designation for I-80N, was changed to I-84. Interestingly, I found the answer on UtahRails.net
It seems that the change was May 1st, 1980, less than 3 weeks before Mt St Helen’s Big Eruption , so right before you would have been there
I-80N/I-84, ran/runs between Echo, UT and Portland, OR
Doug
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Another segment of I-84 runs from Scranton, PA to the Mass. Turnpike east if Springfield.