09-MAR-2007
PCC Railroad
I recently learned that I knew a guy who worked with someone, who knew another guy who worked for the Palouse River and Coulee City RR. I met the gentlemen last September and explained that we were practically family. Lucky for me he had a good sense of humor, and was more than happy to allow me to ride one of their trains.
This is a story of my day riding the rails in southeast Washington.
Colfax Depot
The day started in Colfax Washington where the engineer and conductor received their work orders and completed some paperwork before boarding their train.
Confirming Orders
Engineer Kyle Nelson confirms the work orders he has been given for todays train and finds an issue. A customer has more cars on the train than their siding can support, so Kyle makes several phone calls to straighten the matter out.
Our Train @ Winona
The Pleasent Valley Subdivision:
We meet our train out at Winona Washington where the engineer and conductor work quickly to get the train operational.
Todays train is 26 empty grain cars which were brought up from Hooper where the railroad has a interchange with Union Pacific. We will spend the first part of the day taking most of these empties 32 miles northeast to Hornton.
Power; GP40-2
As you can see the lead power for this train is a GP40-2. This 3000 horsepower locomotive was originally built for the CN railroad and is geared for passenger service. It does not have dynamic brakes.
A Focused Lens
This was my first all-day shoot on a locomotive, and there was a learning curve for me. There were things I knew I wouldn't be accustom to, like shooting through a dirty windshield or roaming in an area I was not familiar with. There were also things I didn't anticipate; for example, when you're chasing a train or shooting a specific location, you can always move so the sun is at your back, or wait until it is. That wasn't the case when riding in the cab.
Needless to say I spent the day with a big smile on my face appreciating how lucky I was to meet people so openhanded.
Power; GP30M
The second unit is a GP30M. Built in 1963 and formally owned by CSX, this 2000 horsepower locomotive has a traditional cab, and dynamic brakes.
The Locomotive Engineer
Today's locomotive engineer is a bright, Mountain Dew soda-holic named Kyle Nelson. Big thanks to Kyle for answering all my questions, and stopping the train a few times - where safe - so I could get pictures.
The Conductor
Today's conductor is a pretty smart guy named Tony Viviano who knows a lot about local, and railroad history. Big thanks to Tony for letting me tag along, and sharing all he knew about the area.
First Trespasser
The only trespassers on this Eastern Washington branch line was the occasional deer.
