Colombia River Gorge - 5

Hi, Friday, July 20th began our 5th full day in the gorge and the weather dawned clear to the east.  We headed west to the overlook at Lyle, WA still trying to get an eastbound train with good power.  Unfortunately, all we go was a westbound.

However, we did see an eastbound stack train on the UP slowly (as they all seem to do) making its way east so we abandoned Lyle and headed for a point on Oregon Route 206 just east of the Deschutes River.

We then photographed the train at Quinton, OR.

We caught the train again at Heppner Junction but a cloud obscured the sun for my photo.  We dropped back to Arlington, OR, had lunch, and then explored the branch up to the garbage dump.  At Gilliam, the site of the dump, we found a 3 unit set waiting to take empties down the branch.

Then we headed back west and crossed the river.  We set up at Lake Rowland where we photographed 2 trains.

We then chased the second train, which was an empty garbage train, to Bingin.  However, the garbage train met this eastbound at the siding just east of town.

After the eastbound cleared the westbound came into town.

As traffic was running now we returned to Lyle for a different angle.

Finally, we continued east to the John Day Dam.  An Aluminum Smelter was located along Washington Route 14 here and has been partially dismantled.  Two small switchers (which I think are Plymouths) are still on the property and easily photographed from the road.

Then we drove down the John Day Dam Road to an overlook where we caught 2 trains.

 wh

I hope you enjoyed the photos.