THE RAILROAD AT YEAR NINE

August 1 marks the anniversary of the start of construction on my SP Cascade Line.  Each year I conduct a photo survey of the railroad to document progress.  Last year’s survey may be viewed at:  https://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-railroad-at-year-eight.html  You can work back from that post through preceding years.  

 

While the past year has seen challenges, a major track project finally extended the WP Siding from in front of the Eugene Depot to fully one side of the reverse loop staging and arrival-departure yard.  This project was suggested originally by retired SP railroaders Tom Dill and Rick Kang at the first full operating session in June 2015.  You will see in this year’s photos that project required five double slip switches.  That completely explains the delay in accomplishing this track rearrangement.  Double slip switches are not something one should add to a model railroad lightly.  

 

Noting the genesis of that track project also brings a sad moment, as I reflect upon the loss of two of my core crew and the health challenges faced by others.  We lost Chuck Clark to heart issues at the beginning of lockdowns in March 2020.  Chuck was the foundation stone of our mid-Willamette Valley operating group.  This past spring, we lost Tom Dill to cancer.  My blog post on Tom attempted to convey his impact:  https://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2021/04/tom-dill.html  Still with us, but facing severe health challenges is Rick Kang.  Rick contributed mightily to the operating scheme on my railroad.  He has educated a great many of us on SP operating practices and the art and practice of railroad dispatching.  Each of these men and others have had a huge impact on my model railroad experience and I greatly miss their presence in my basement during operating sessions.

 

The railroad continues to roll and see enhancements.  Follow along as Amtrak Number 11, the southbound Coast Starlight, makes its way over my railroad.

 

AMTRAK No. 11 exits staging track #1 (representing traffic from Portland) and pulls over the first double slip switch that helps form two main tracks between the staging yard and the Eugene Depot.

 

The full scope of the track rearrangement at East Eugene.  Five double slip switches were required to establish a second main track while maintaining full access to Eugene Depot tracks and a developing industrial siding—seen here with switch tie plates placed in their future locations.

 

Befitting its status on the railroad, No. 11 has taken the main track at the Eugene Depot.  Typical of the SP, the main track is displaced one or more tracks over from the depot.  In the case of Eugene, the track closest to the depot is the “WP Siding” (reference is to the company name used to construct the Coos Bay Branch).  As seen in the previous photo, both the main and the WP siding now extend fully to the departure side of the arrival-departure yard.  Also notable in this view is the Eugene freight station, completed during the past year and a half.

 

As AMTRAK No. 11 rolls out of Eugene, it passes the Crown Zellerbach warehouse and the Eugene Planing Mill.

 

No. 11 crosses the Willamette River and into Springfield, passing the former Borden Chemical plant along the river.

 

At Springfield, No. 11 passes the under-construction Springfield Depot.  The depot kit is of an SP Type 18 depot produced by the Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society.  We also get a view of the industry developing in Springfield.

 

No. 11 passes alongside sheds that are part of the extensive Rosboro Lumber Company facility in Springfield.

 

Rounding the curve at the end of the Springfield peninsula, No. 11 rolls by industry on the Marcola Branch.  The Neste Resins wood chemicals plant continues development.

 

No. 11 passes the former Western Lumber mill at Westfir and then crosses the North Fork of the Willamette River before plunging into Tunnel 22 and into Oakridge.

 

At the RR-East end of Oakridge, No. 11 takes the main and passes another RR-West freight waiting for it in the Oakridge Yard.  The freight has its mid-train helpers entrained and is ready to follow AMTRAK up into the mountains.

 

No. 11 continues to roll through Oakridge.  Both a through freight and the Oakridge Turn (local freight) await AMTRAK’s passage.  One of the tasks of this past year was to paint much of the exposed track on the railroad.

 

No. 11 passes under Montieth (aka, Rooster) Rock.

 

No. 11 crosses Eagle Creek on its way out of McCredie Springs.

 

Halfway up the Cascades climb, No. 11 rolls through Wicopee and out over Salt Creek Trestle.

 

No. 11 crosses Noisy Creek Trestle and passes through Tunnel 9 on its way into Cruzatte.  Wicopee is down below, on the right.  

 

No. 11 passes the company village at Cruzatte.

 

Just beyond Cruzatte, No. 11 crosses over Shady Creek Trestle, the third major steel viaduct on the line.

 

No. 11 completes the climb to Cascade Summit after passing through Tunnel 3, the Summit Tunnel.

 

At the other end of Cascade Summit, No. 11 rolls by the wye with its unique single-ended tunnel for the tail track.

 

Our journey is complete as AMTRAK No. 11 takes it habitual spot on the outside track of the Crescent Lake staging loop.

 

The big effort this past year involved completing the second main track at RR-East Eugene.  Four of the five double slip switches were installed and wired to a new control panel this past year.  The railroad has been brought back to life—carefully—after the shutdowns of the previous year and a half.