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The Pre-Winterail Albany and Eastern Excursion Train 3/17/2017

Bob, Elizabeth and I checked out of the Shanico Inn in Lebanon, Oregon and drove to the golden arches of MacDonald's for breakfast where I had my usual hotcakes and sausage, then proceeded to the Albany and Eastern's station.

The Southern Pacific station in pre-dawn light.

The Oregon and California Railroad began its history all the way back in 1880 with the Albany-Lebanon Railroad that connected communities throughout the Willamette Valley. Once the railroad was completed, its ownership was transferred to the Oregon and California Railroad. The railroad transported logs, lumber and agricultural goods throughout the Willamette Valley.

The railroad was first laid by the Oregon & California Railroad. The Southern Pacific Railroad then took over this company and expanded to branch lines in 1887. The SP would later expand the reach of this line with branch lines, even though much original hardware has been replaced over time. As demand for lumber grew, the Southern Pacific began constructing a new branch line connecting Lebanon with Mill City. The line between Mill City and Albany was completed in 1910. Lumber and logs were transported from Mill City to the rest of the west.

The Oregon Electric Company constructed the Sweet Home branch line. It connected Foster and Sweet Home to the then SP Railroad. Since 2007, the owners have augmented and improved their system. The Mill City Branch was rebuilt and renovated to larger rails to serve modern needs. Its construction was finished on time and under budget. Today, the AERC wants to improve safety while reducing travel times to move efficient freight, still serving communities throughout the Willamette Valley.

Our excursion trains run over the 17+ miles of track on the Sweet Home Branch line. Our Willamette Valley excursion train is unlike any other on the West Coast. While on board you will see amazing stretches of farmland, forest ranges and the beautiful Santiam River while rolling past our shipper’s sites and seeing the railroad world in action.

Since Lebanon is within half an hour's drive from Corvallis, site of Winterail, I decided to explore the possibility of organizing a pre-Winterail excursion, the first such trip I had ever organized. I contacted the railroad and worked with Rose to put together an excursion from Lebanon to Sweethome. Everything worked out extremely well and the trip was sold out.

As it was rather chilly, I waited in the warmth of the car until others arrived, then introduced myself to each driver or in some cases, parties of passengers. There were a few passengers who needed to pay for their tickets, as well as a few walk-ups and I was able to accommodate them all.

I had been told the train would be at the station at 8:15 but later learned it would not arrive until 8:45 AM because the railroad had had a conference and decided not to block the streets so early in the morning as buses would be needing to get children to school. We had made our photo lines and were all set for the train to arrive when Mother Nature threw a curveball with a small rainstorm which sent people underneath the eaves of the depot and inside the depot which was now open. After a few minutes inside, and beginning to feel claustrophobic, I went back across the street and we assembled the photo line, where I was joined by many of the photographers. About 8:40 AM, we started hearing horns and when I heard the horns in rapid succession, I knew the train was on its way.

Our photo runby with the engineer using the Mars headlight. Since this was an oscillating headlight, care had to be taken to press the shutter at the correct time so as not to be blinded by the light and therefore ruin the picture. At this point, Elizabeth and I walked over to the crossing where the crew was about to start boarding the train and I asked Elizabeth to stand across from me, then announced "All Aboard!". Our passengers immediately started to form a line and as it was raining, I advised them to board and Elizabeth would check their tickets later when we were underway. At the top of the vestibule, Bob Alkire passed out the trip guides I had made to everyone, including the crew.

We departed at 9:00 and most of the passengers were on new mileage. I made my way out to the open car for a few minutes for some fresh air and to start taking photographs but decided to walk the train first to make sure everyone was comfortable in their seats or at tables.

Elizabeth the Zephyrette checking off people's tickets and punchin them, which enabled me to enjoy myself.

The interiors of each of the cars. The consist was: Southern Pacific GP9R 5399, WPRX 1402 generator car, Great Northern table car 1099, WPRX 1241 Great Northern Ranch Car "Running Crane Lake", RFRX baggage car 1003, former Union Pacific 5742, AERC open car 1802, Southern Pacific caboose 4716, AERC GP35 2501.

Rounding the first curve east from the depot.

A look back to where we had started this wonderful trip.

The train finished the first curve then crossed both branches of Highway 20 before arriving at the junction with the line that goes to Mill City which is still owned by the Union Pacific, but operated by the Albany and Eastern Railroad.

Rounding the curve to travel in a more southerly direction for the next few miles on the way out of Lebanon.

Three tracks of stored cars at Weldwood Lumber Mill.

The old water tower at Weldwood.

Cheadle Lake which once was a log-sorting lake for Georgia Pacific.

An old barn.

We went by Milepost 18 on our way to Sweethome.

The large Weyerhaeuser Santiam Lumber mill plant is the largest customer on this section of the railroad.

The clouds playing hide and seek with the mountain range to the north.

A flooded field along our route.

A nice pastoral view.

The clouds were actively playing hide and seek with the mountains and were winning.

Trees that escaped the cutting of the lumbermen.

We rounded another curve on a very wet morning.

This industry makes wood chips as you can see the stacks in the lower picture ready to be picked up, although today it will be soggy wood chips.

This blue house caught my eye.

More logs create even more wood chips.

Passing through "The Narrows", as it is called on this railroad, on the final miles into our destination.

Going around the final curve into the community of Sweethome, Oregon.

Passing through Sweethome.

The train's final eastward point was 18th Street, where the exempt track begins which no passenger train is allowed to cross. Here our engineer detrained, walked to the south of the train to the other end, climbed into the locomotive and did his standing air test before we departed for Lebanon. I could now relax and talk with my fellow passengers during the return journey. Once we were within about three miles of Lebanon, I walked through the train and thanked everyone for coming and they thanked me back, sometimes with clapping and other times with verbal statements. All these made me feel very satisfied with everything I had done behind the scenes to prepare for this excursion.

As we neared Lebanon, Bob came through the train announcing a photo opportunity for the passengers that he discussed with the excellent AERC train crew, which was to spot the train at the street crossing and open both vestibules on both sides of the train there. People who did not want to take any more photographs were free to detrain and leave. The rest of us with cameras would detrain on the west side and line up for the spotting of our Black Widow SD9 with the BN Lebanon station sign as a prop. Once everyone was off the train, and I had told the conductor what to do, we spotted the train in perfect position for still photography.

Albany and Eastern SD9R 5399, ex. Lavacot Locomotive Works 5399, exx. Lavacot Locomotive Works 4364, exxx. Willamette Valley Railway 4364, exxxx. Southern Pacific 4364, exxxxx. Southern Pacific SD9 3877, nee Southern Pacific 5399, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955.

The views from the other photo line of the train arriving this morning and while I was not able to be in two spots at the same time, managed to get down to that spot before anyone else. I walked to where I knew the engine would be lined up with the sign and the crew reversed the train into perfect position.

The posed photo of our train with the Burlington Northern signpost.

WPRX generator car 1402 built by Pullman in 1926 as sleeper "Point Richards". In 1948, it became Southern Railway 2433 and was re-built in 1952 to steam generator (battery charger) BC2, later renumbered to 960605, then Norfolk Southern 26. In 1990, this car was sold to the New Georgia Railroad as NGRX 1402, sold at the New Georgia auction in 1995 to Lou Steplock-Wyoming & Pacific as WPRX 1402. Steplock was one of the partners in the Montana Daylight operation before it was bought out by AOE and rebranded Montana Rockies Rail Tours. It was later acquired by the Albany and Eastern.

Albany and Eastern 1099 was built in 1947 by the Pullman Company. It was originally a 56-seat coach car with an eight-seat smoking section on one end. The car was built for the Chicago and North Western Railroad as CNW 841. It was sold to the Great Northern Railroad and renumbered GN 1099 then stored with AERC for many years until they purchased it from private hands. It is currently in the process of being turned into a dining car.

WPRX Great Northern ranch car 1241 "Running Crane Lake" built by American Car and Foundry in 1951. It later became Amtrak 8150 and was retired in/1981 then went to the Nicolet Badger Northern in Laona, Wisconsin, followed by the Golden State Limited-Silver Iris in Verdi, Nevada before being purchased by Dr. Louis Steplock as WPRX 1241 for lease service on the Willamette & Pacific Railroad.

RFRX baggage car 1003, nee Union Pacific postal storage car 5743, built by American Car and Foundry in 1957. It was severely damaged by a fire on November 20, 1958 at Hayden, California (near Kelso) then retired in June 1960 and rebuilt and re-instated in December 1960 but retired a second time in December 1971 and became Union Pacific Roadway Office and Tool Car 903012 in August 1972. It was finally fully retired in September 1981 and later acquired by the Albany and Eastern.

AERC open car 1002, open-air coach rebuilt from Union Pacific flat car converted to maintenance-of-way service.

Southern Pacific caboose 4716, built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1980.

Albany and Eastern GP35 2501, ex. Willamette Valley Railroad 2501, ex. Southern Pacific 6303:2, exx. Southern Pacific 6524, nee Southern Pacific 7412:1, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963.

Both sides of the excursion train, after which I walked back down to the depot.

My final photograph of this very unique train that I chartered as a pre-Winterail excursion. After the months of planning, compiling the trip guide, dealing with tickets and promoting the event, I could not believe that it was over. It had been a great success, all the passengers enjoyed themselves and it made for some life-long memories. The three of us met at the car and drove on to Junction City, but that will be the next travelogue.

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