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Rare Mileage Trips Sponsored Excurision for 2006 by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum in Oregon and Washington

Mountains to Tillamook Beaches Special on the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad

This years Southern Appalachia Railway Museum Rare Mileage Trips would be in June of 2006 in the northwest. Bart Jennings tried his best to arranged a really great rare mileage trip but local problems whipped that idea out. He settled on three one day trips. The first on the Port of Tillamook Railroad, Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and the Tacoma Rail lines. That would return me to all three lines I rode part of last summer on the POTB where my camera died, the CC which I rode only as far as Milburn and Tacoma Rail from Elbe to Morton on the Mount Rainer Scenic. Jim Nowell had wanted to take a trip with me so I told him about it and he decided to come. Chris Parker also wanted to come along and later Bob Riskie decided he would join us. I got the hotel reservations for Jim and I then Chris got the same thing for Bob and him. Jim took care of the rental car then we all got our own airline reservations with Jim and I on the same flight, Chris flying solo with Bob taking Amtrak on his pass to Portland. As I planned this trip, the SP 4449 announced that it would be going to Sherwood and then the SP&S 700 would be going to Oaks Park and giving rides on June 10th. That would work since we would be in the Portland area that weekend. There would be a few other surprises that I would spring on our group on this trip.

This was the first time I had been to John Wayne Airport {Orange County} twice in one day. After working at McFadden I drove to the airport to pick my Mother up who was returning from an Alaskan Cruise out of San Francisco. I arrived home finding no absentee ballot in the mail and with my leaving and tomorrow being election day, I wondered what had happened. I called Claudia Alvarez Office in Santa Ana and was told I had already voted which I didn't. Could this be a case of voter fraud? I was then given the Orange County Voter Register Office phone number and after telling them my story I had to be at their office by 5 PM in order to vote. Off the phone at 4:30 PM, I was in their office parking lot by 4:41 PM. I finished voting by 4:58 PM and out the door at 4:59 PM. By doing that I kept my streak of voting in every election since I turned 18. Other Republicans who had dealt with Alaverz's office had the same problem that I had. My Mother and I then went to the Steer Inn for dinner where she told me about her cruise and a few of the things she did off of the boat. I checked E-mail, finished packing before my Mother drove me back to the airport. I was there by 7:20 PM, walked through security and planted myself at Gate 13 listening to "Honkin' on Bobo" by Aerosmith. I found Jim Novell and we talked until boarding. We boarded a 737-700 plane at 8:30 PM and settled in for the flight to Portland. We lifted off early at 8:49 PM and had a peaceful flight. I read the new Railfan and Railroading magazine and Jim reading my new Trains Magazine. We cruised north at 40,000 feet before we slowly descended into Portland touching down at 10:43 PM. We arrived at Gate C5. Jim and I walked through the airport and onto Hertz where Jim got a Chevy Impala. Chris and Bob joined us. Chris had a good flight and Bob's trip on the Coast Starlight was over five hours late. Other than a traffic jam due to night time construction on I 205, our Mapquest Directions guided us on our drive to the Dunes Motel in Hillsboro for a two night stay. We checked in then called it a night as it was now after midnight and the day of our first rare mileage trip.

The Dunes Motel in Hillsboro. I got up and decided to take a walk and found the light rail tracks two blocks away.

Tri Met Train in Hillsboro. Back at the motel, our "Fabulous Four" met in the parking lot before we went to MacDonalds for a breakfast of sausage and hot cakes. We then drove out to Banks. There two things were the same from last July. The Portland Western was switching and my 35 MM Camera had major problems again. Thank God I had the Trainweb.com Digital Camera.

The Maersk SDP40F was being used as part of the Portland Western train set.

Later our train then pulled into the Banks Station. We had SD-9s 4432 and 4405, James Gillipse NRHS 2955 Observation Car, Willamette Pacific {WP"} PMW 6200 Coach, POTB 552 ex NJT RDC, WP/MLIX 262 Baggage Car and WP 5601 Open Car.

The Tillamook Branch of the Southern Pacific was originally going to be an Astoria to Willamette Valley Line. The line was surveyed and graded west of Hillsboro in 1902-1904. On October 13th, 1905 the Pacific Railway & Navigation Company took over the line and changed the line's final destination to Tillamook. In 1906 the line reached Buxton and in 1909 reached Wedeburg. Tillamook to the west end of Mohler was constructed during 1910. Between Wedeburg and Mohler it took between 1909 and 1911 to construct the line which included eleven tunnels and several high trestles in the deep Coast Range canyons. The entire line was opened on November 1st, 1911. On that same date the Southern Pacific Railroad took over full control of the Pacific Railway & Navigation Company. Logging became and remained the main staple of the line until the 1930's when the depression hit. Between 1931 and 1933 three disastrous forest fires burned throughout the Coast Range. The third of these fires was known as the Tillamook Burn which consumed over twelve million board feet of prime timber. The logging industry rebounded out of the depression with the savaging of the burnt timber generating thousands of loads. Passenger service was well used until all weather highways entered the area. In 1932 the passenger train became a mixed train which ran until 1953. In the 1950's the emphasis switched from hauling logs to finished lumber and wood chips. The Port began operating from Tillamook to Batterson, the midway point on the line, in 1983 from the Southern Pacific. When the SP decided to abandon the line, the Port was able to purchase the entire line to Schefflin with help from the state lottery in 1990. Traffic includes lumber, forest products, aggregates and grains. Excursion trains also are operated by the railroad.

Our train pulled out of Banks with me in the open car at 8:50 AM and ran a few miles following West Dairy Creek.

Members of our group in the open car with Bart Jennings in the orange trip shirt. As we neared Manning the train started climbing steadily away from the valley floor along the side of a hill. We left the ranching areas for the dense forest.

Our train crossed over the first curved wooden trestle over Williams Creek.

A few minutes later after the old station location of Scofield we crossed another wooden trestle this time over the Sunset Highway and the West Fork of Dairy Creek. Our train continued to climb curving to gain elevation. We curved over another wooden trestle at Capehorn Creek before running through an area of clear cut timber with nature reclaiming itself.

The Scotch Broom was in full bloom. Back in the forest we ran above Castor Creek making a series of horseshoe curves to continue to gain elevation. A few minutes later we passed an area of clear cutting timber in progress. We passed through Timber then entered Tunnel 24 with a gunited west entrance. Before we entered Tunnel 24, all the passengers in the open car had to return inside for safety reasons as sometimes pieces of the roof falls down during passage of the POTB trains. Our train continued to climb above Castor Creek making more horseshoe curves before we crossed Castor Creek. Near Hulbert we passed through more clear cutting areas. We followed high above the Nehalem River as we curved along the ridge. The view off to the north was very impressive.

Our train crossed over the Steel Trestle over Heidel Creek, a most impressive structure.

A few minutes later we arrived into Cochrane.

West of Cochran a view of Cochran Pond off to the north. Having reached the Summit of the Coast Range at 1,833 feet, we would now start our descent of over a 1000 feet to Enright as our route followed the Denover River to the Salmonberry River. Running below the ridge we went through Tunnel 25 before we crossed over the Big Baldwin Steel Trestle with water tanks at both ends.

This trestle is 500 feet long and 185 feet above the creek. That was even more of an impressive trestle.

A few minutes later we emerged out of Tunnel 27 straight out onto the tightly curved wooden Wolf Creek Trestle. The SP sure knew how to build wooden trestles. The passengers were served their box lunches as we passed through Tunnels 28 and 29 crossing the small creeks in between.

We traveled onward passing into Tunnel 30 as we ran along the beautiful Salmonberry River.

Running along the Salmonberry River.

Our train crossed Belding Creek and North Fork as well as passing through Tunnels 32, 34, 35 and 36. Exiting out of Tunnel 36, our special had reached at Enright.

Passing the water tower at Enright.

Crossing the Salmonberry River.

Later we crossed the Nehalem River at the junction of the Salmonberry River. Our route would now be following the Nehalem River.

Rolling along the Nehalem River. We got to see logging by helicopter which kept everyone out in the open car entertained.

The Nehalem River.

The view looking back.

At Batterson we met the eastbound freight with the POTB 101 in a Holstein inspired paint scheme.

Here we set out the POTB 4402 which would be added to the eastbound freight.

Back on the move, the valley opened up and dairy farming took over.

We crossed the Nehalem River on a 707 foot long structure.

We passed through Wheeler where the Nehalem Bay Winery and the POTB Excursion Train is kept.

Nehalem Bay

Nehalem Bay with Wheeler behind it.

The Nehalem River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Later we passed through Rockaway Beach.

Driftwood on Rockaway Beach.

Rolling south along US Highway 101. The train then passed through Twin Rocks where those unique rocks couldn't be photographed from the train.

The train went by Ocean Lake on the way to Garibaldi.

Rocks at the mouth of Tillamook Bay.

Tillamook Bay before we made a photo stop at Garibaldi.

Polson Logging Company 2-8-2 90 and the Garibaldi Station.

Our special at Garibaldi during the photo stop.

We all reboarded and then our train circled Garibaldi Bay.

We went under US Highway 101 and by an inland bay.

Bart and Sarah Jennings, our trip organizers.

After we passed under 101 again, we ran along Tillamook Bay.

Passing between the trees.

The Kilchis River crossing.

The Tillamook Cheese Plant.

We arrived into Tillamook with everyone detraining to board the bus back to Banks which took just an hour.

We said our goodbyes before we drove back to Hillsboro where we had dinner at Elmer's. I had a King Prime Rib Dinner. After dinner, we went to Radio Shack for more floppy discs for my camera. Once that chore was done, we returned to the Dunes Motel for the night.

We all met in the Dunes parking lot then headed to Elmer's for breakfast. I ordered French Toast and sausage. Bob went outside to make a cell phone call and came back running inside saying a train was coming. Out to the car for the camera and a picture.

The Portland Western Train rolled down the street at Hillsboro. It was the same units that we saw yesterday at Banks. After a filling breakfast, we drove over Cornelius Pass to US Highway 30 which we turned west on.

At St Helens we found the Portland Western Astoria Line train switching. We drove to Rainier then crossed over the Columbia River to Longview. We passed through town then took the Westside Highway and stopped at the bridge over the BNSF mainline.

Cascade Talgo 500 sped by our location.

A few minutes later, a UP freight headed north towards Seattle on this joint BNSF/UP mainline. We went to a Chevron Gas Station which had a Subway from which we took sandwiches to take with us for our next train ride. We drove I 5 north to Exit 77 in Chehalis and pulled into the parking lot at the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad.

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