Eastern Washington Scenes

[funnelfan]

A variety of Eastern Washington Scenes from the past week.

Monday a small group of railfans got together for a day of railfanning Providence Hill.

1. A short manifest heads down the Paha Coulee at the west end of Essig Siding. The tunnel motor is a UP patch job still in the UP fleet.

2. A switch grinder was working around the hill.

3. The B-AUBCHC was lead by pair of dirty -2's up the Hatton Coulee.

4. It was slowed down enough by a 10mph slow order at Cunningham for Drew Mitchem and myself to catch it at the top of the hill again.

[funnelfan]

5. The H-NTWPAS cresting the top of Providence Hill.

6. The train contained a surprise, a former MILW E9 that was heading toward Tacoma.

7. The same train again at Cunningham.

8. A really heavy M-SPOPAS crawling up Providence Hill.

[funnelfan]

9. A H-PASCWY coming down the north slope of Providence Hill.

10. The same train on a sharp curve east of Lind.

11. A Bull Snake ready to strike.

12. Three young Badgers working out of a culvert under the road.

[funnelfan]

13. Sunset on Providence Hill

14. A grain train enters the cut at the top of Providence Hill after sunset.

15. Recent heavy rains have left plenty of places for birds to drink.

16. A work train near Wallula, WA.

[funnelfan]

17. Z-PTLCHC climbing the Hatton Coulee.

18. A M-SPOLVJ gliding down the Hatton Coulee.

19 & 20. A heavy stack train struggles over the top of Providence Hill.

[funnelfan]

21 & 22. Crews work to pick up a minor Derailment at Ayer, WA.

23. A westbound grain train led by a new CP GEVO at Ayer.

24. M-HKET crossing the Joso trestle. It was sunny just before and just after the train crossed the trestle.

[funnelfan]

25, 26 & 27. Work train at Merango, WA. Burro cranes were busy picking up scrap from recent projects. They sure do work fast.

28. The M-PASTAC passing beneath the under construction Ainsworth Street overpass in Pasco, WA. The train has the E9 that was heading to Tacoma.

[funnelfan]

29. This timeless scene is something that really means something to me. I've doctored the image to backdate it about 130 years. Can you imagine being a passenger on this sternwheeler in 1876 looking at the imposing walls of the Columbia River Gorge, and realizing the ship is but a tiny outpost of modern civilization in the middle of a vast "wilderness", as most people consisder the unsettled lands of the west. Of course the steamship was considered to be the cutting edge of technology of the day, moving goods and people from the coastal ports to the interior. The shape of the Pacific Northwest was just begining to take shape. In a few short years, a railroad will be laid down on the southbank of the mighty Columbia, spelling the end of regular steamship service on the Columbia River.

30. The work train in the Wallula Gap

31 & 32. A Z-CHCPTL meeting a westbound manifest at Yellepit, WA.

[Macster]

Awesome Awesome set of pictures Ted! That camera is definately treating you well. What was your time for the night shot?

That steamboat picture is incredible, you had my room mate thinking it was a old scanned picture.

[Youngwarrior]

Love the pictures, especially the E9 and the badgers.