Sidewalk running in Salem, Oregon

[pmpete]

I got a chance to catch the southbound Coast Starlight #11 passing the Capital district.
This is an interesting stretch with the tracks where the sidewalk would normally be. However there is a real sidewalk on the other side of the tracks. This is only blocks from the train station.

Got an awesome splash of fall color in this closer shot.

Pete

 

[Bill Anderson]

Good shots. About how fast is the train moving at this location?

 

[pmpete]

Maybe Amtrak hogger can specify but he was doing about 25-30. Always seems faster right next to the tracks.
Pete

 

[Itsed65]

Cool shots. I remember area from riding the Starlight way back when thinking how close it was to the street.

 

[wigwagfan]

Great pictures!!!

I would, however, offer a piece of advice. Next time I would seriously reconsider taking photographs from that location. The UP mainline through Salem has been a major location of pedestrian-versus-train incidents and I bet the engineer was getting very nervous about you being there. There's a reason there's a big brick-and-iron wall between the tracks and the pedestrian path - and for the pedestrian path itself.

There's a sidewalk on the west side of 12th Avenue...and there's also the pedestrian overpass that links Willamette University with the Tokyo International University. While there is no exit on the east end of the overpass you can walk onto the overpass and take pictures of the train as it runs down 12th Avenue, or at the station. I haven't explored the north end of the path as it crosses Mill Creek but I think there's some open areas where you can get pictures there too.

 

[Cliffs]

Nice shots, Pete.

Been down that street a time or two myself.