p51
Marty, it runs on steam!
What a cool but quick day.
The day started early at the Amtrak station in Tacoma. While waiting, we were treated to a running meet just feet away, a BNSF coal train met a UP container train, which met each other in the center of the platform!
We soon boarded the Cascades and raced down to Vancouver to hop onto 4449 and consist. I sat next to Bob himself and we and two other guys we sat with wound up on the same car (everyone but me in dome, as I thought the dome would be sweltering but it turned out not to be the case). But I grabbed a great seat, one window over from the tail end of the obs car!
I'd never ridden the Cacades before and I can't say enough nice things about it. What a smooth ride! I felt bad for the riders not familiar with the area as it was foggy as heck that morning. But everyone got great views on the return. We didn't get to board the train in Portland and instead transferred at Vancouver. We didn't wait very long for 4449 to arrive and had a great and quick run to Tacoma, never once going in the hole. The trip was amazingly undersold. Some of the Amtrak coaches had next to no riders!
The day started early at the Amtrak station in Tacoma. While waiting, we were treated to a running meet just feet away, a BNSF coal train met a UP container train, which met each other in the center of the platform!
We soon boarded the Cascades and raced down to Vancouver to hop onto 4449 and consist. I sat next to Bob himself and we and two other guys we sat with wound up on the same car (everyone but me in dome, as I thought the dome would be sweltering but it turned out not to be the case). But I grabbed a great seat, one window over from the tail end of the obs car!
I'd never ridden the Cacades before and I can't say enough nice things about it. What a smooth ride! I felt bad for the riders not familiar with the area as it was foggy as heck that morning. But everyone got great views on the return. We didn't get to board the train in Portland and instead transferred at Vancouver. We didn't wait very long for 4449 to arrive and had a great and quick run to Tacoma, never once going in the hole. The trip was amazingly undersold. Some of the Amtrak coaches had next to no riders!
- Photo One: 4449 crossing the Columbia. I do wish we'd been able to ride over the bridge, but oh well.
- Photo Two: The view from the dome. Thanks to Bob and his fellow dome riders for letting me up there!
- Photo Three: After arriving in Tacoma, another meet at the Amtrak station.
- Photo Four: Mine and Bob's car for the trip. Nice digs!
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