Thursday, October 25, 2007
Train Wallpaper
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers has a nice little extra on their site - Locomotive Wallpaper for your PC's Desktop. Check it out!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
One Sentence Per Subject
Most of the time I keep my opinions private. The goals of Washington Railblog don't include political activism, but sometimes I just have to say a few words about something for which I feel strongly. Scant few words. Essentially, one sentence per subject. This does two things; first, it forces me to keep my comment simple, and second it keeps you - dear readers - from getting too wrapped up in how I feel about something. Enough said; here goes!- Sound Transit Light Rail Project - A necessity that is not seen well by critics for its long-term goals.
- Rail in East King County - It would be smarter to use the line instead of pulling tracks out of the county's most populous area.
- BNSF Crossing at Safeco Field - Stop, look and listen people and stay off the friggin' tracks when a train is coming!
- Central Oregon & Pacific closing its Line - State of Oregon is getting the shaft at the whim of a railroad who is hiding lack of profitability behind "safety issues."
Amtrak Cascades Talgo Cars Back in Service
Sooner than expected, the Talgo cars that went out of service in August have been approved and sent back to run the rails once again. Service north of Seattle, however, will continue using the "Superliner" cars, much to the dismay of anyone hauling a bicycle on their trip since there are no racks on board!
White Pass & Yukon #114 - Then and Now
Today's Then and Now segment is a bit different from previous ones, focusing this time on a locomotive project that some shops wouldn't even attempt...
The White Pass & Yukon 114 was involved in a
2006 derailment that injured three crew members and tragically killed one. When photos of the poor mangled engine were first posted on the Internet, people were shocked. "Hard to believe that there's much left worth saving..." is what one person wrote in Railroad Forums about this special engine. The entire body was crushed end to end. The cab had been pushed over to one side so badly that a huge chunk of it had to be cut off in order to transport it over the road from the Seattle docks to the Tacoma repair shop. Most large railroads would have scrapped something that had incurred this much damage, electing to pull the motor and generators in favor of a nicer replacement. But thankfully White Pass is not a large railroad. Either out of necessity or tradition, they chose to rebuild.
So what makes the 114 special? Well for starters the WP&Y runs on an unusual 3-foot Narrow Gauge track (Standard Gauge railroads place their tracks 4-feet 8 1/2 inches apart). Given that the majority of North American railroad equipment is built for Standard Gauge you can imagine that Narrow Gauge equipment is pretty hard to find, especially when you consider that much of the Narrow Gauge stuff in the world is vintage steam rather than modern diesel. Add to mix the rarity of this particular engine. The DL 535 shown here was built by Bombardier in Canada, being one of maybe four or five in the world. White Pass is a traditional railroad and probably found more benefit in having it repaired instead of searching out new equipment. Insurance paid for the repairs and the work was done here in Washington, at Coast Engine and Equipment in Tacoma.
The forum post about this engine provides back story, making the whole experience into something more than a mere rebuild. Allegations of ineffective low-priced labor, reuse of scrap-worthy metal, corner cutting in the project, and wiring issues keep the story juicy if somewhat off-base. Are the allegations true? It's not my place to surmise their validity, since I'm neither a mechanic or a railroader. Considering what CEECO had to work with coming in the door, I'd say they had their job cut out for them. Did the WP&Y get a good locomotive back? Well see for yourself....
CEECO accomplished something amazing here. We can marvel at the sharp metal work and paint that took this machine from a mangled pulp to a shining example of Narrow Gauge Goodness. Nice work CEECO! The shops in Skagway AK will apply the White Pass lettering and numbers. While some wince at the green and yellow paint scheme, I'm a huge fan of it. Finding a way to incorporate the WP&Y Thunderbird on the front would be a nice addition.
Thanks to Steve Carter for these great Before and After shots!
The White Pass & Yukon 114 was involved in a
2006 derailment that injured three crew members and tragically killed one. When photos of the poor mangled engine were first posted on the Internet, people were shocked. "Hard to believe that there's much left worth saving..." is what one person wrote in Railroad Forums about this special engine. The entire body was crushed end to end. The cab had been pushed over to one side so badly that a huge chunk of it had to be cut off in order to transport it over the road from the Seattle docks to the Tacoma repair shop. Most large railroads would have scrapped something that had incurred this much damage, electing to pull the motor and generators in favor of a nicer replacement. But thankfully White Pass is not a large railroad. Either out of necessity or tradition, they chose to rebuild.So what makes the 114 special? Well for starters the WP&Y runs on an unusual 3-foot Narrow Gauge track (Standard Gauge railroads place their tracks 4-feet 8 1/2 inches apart). Given that the majority of North American railroad equipment is built for Standard Gauge you can imagine that Narrow Gauge equipment is pretty hard to find, especially when you consider that much of the Narrow Gauge stuff in the world is vintage steam rather than modern diesel. Add to mix the rarity of this particular engine. The DL 535 shown here was built by Bombardier in Canada, being one of maybe four or five in the world. White Pass is a traditional railroad and probably found more benefit in having it repaired instead of searching out new equipment. Insurance paid for the repairs and the work was done here in Washington, at Coast Engine and Equipment in Tacoma.
The forum post about this engine provides back story, making the whole experience into something more than a mere rebuild. Allegations of ineffective low-priced labor, reuse of scrap-worthy metal, corner cutting in the project, and wiring issues keep the story juicy if somewhat off-base. Are the allegations true? It's not my place to surmise their validity, since I'm neither a mechanic or a railroader. Considering what CEECO had to work with coming in the door, I'd say they had their job cut out for them. Did the WP&Y get a good locomotive back? Well see for yourself....
CEECO accomplished something amazing here. We can marvel at the sharp metal work and paint that took this machine from a mangled pulp to a shining example of Narrow Gauge Goodness. Nice work CEECO! The shops in Skagway AK will apply the White Pass lettering and numbers. While some wince at the green and yellow paint scheme, I'm a huge fan of it. Finding a way to incorporate the WP&Y Thunderbird on the front would be a nice addition.Thanks to Steve Carter for these great Before and After shots!
Monday, October 22, 2007
The Impossible Shot
If there were ever a picture that could benefit from editing, this would be the one. The edited photo is impossible, mostly because it doesn't exist in real life. Allow me to clarify.
When The Clark Boys and I set out on before church Sunday morning to get Egg McMuffins and take train pictures, I was hoping for a shot that I could post on WARail. We pulled off Holgate Street to investigate an older Geep sitting on a siding; as I had just taken my third picture of the engine and its two company cars, I turned around to the tell-tale sight of a high-powered headlamp and a couple of ditch lights. Perfect spot, I thought, as there were no buildings or abutments in the way of this shot and the Seattle cityscape was behind approaching train. I was thrilled! Several shots were taken, and the engineer even waved as they passed by with their load of piggy back trailers on flat cars. Everything seemed to be aligned to make this the shot.
Downloading from the camera told a different story.
In my efforts to capture the photo quickly, I didn't see what was right in front of me until I saw the photos on the computer. Once again the nemesis of old and young photogs alike - pesky electrical wires, reminder of an industrial society - ruined an otherwise fun photo. Everything else in the photo captured Seattle well. The colors in the buildings and sky, typical to the Pacific Northwest aesthetic, were greyish blue and filled with the demoralizing ambiance that has spawned many hard-rocking bands in and around Seattle. In the center, a bright orange freshly-washed GE on the point of a hard-pulling train. Exhaust smoke curled into the sky as a signal that this train was going places with horsepower to spare.
All topped off with a heaping dose of electrical wires crossing over everything.
So in the end I am now more thankful for the free "Wire Pilot" tool from the folks at Color Pilot. It pretty much saved the photo, as you can see below. You just move across the page and remove want you want gone. Will I try posting this to RailPictures.net? Heck no. First, I don't think the photo captures the true nature of the scenery, since the wires are actually there, even if I like the wireless photo more; it's an impossible shot, because in order to make it look good I had to fabricate what was in my head at the time I took the photo. Second, RP's focus tends to be photos beyond what Seattle has to offer most of the time: "Common Power" and grey skies. My difference of opinion on that subject is an argument I'll leave to anyone else familiar with RP's stringent policy of photo acceptance.
So for now I'll continue taking the shots that I see in my head, because now I've got the tools to actually show others what's going on in my brain!
When The Clark Boys and I set out on before church Sunday morning to get Egg McMuffins and take train pictures, I was hoping for a shot that I could post on WARail. We pulled off Holgate Street to investigate an older Geep sitting on a siding; as I had just taken my third picture of the engine and its two company cars, I turned around to the tell-tale sight of a high-powered headlamp and a couple of ditch lights. Perfect spot, I thought, as there were no buildings or abutments in the way of this shot and the Seattle cityscape was behind approaching train. I was thrilled! Several shots were taken, and the engineer even waved as they passed by with their load of piggy back trailers on flat cars. Everything seemed to be aligned to make this the shot.
Downloading from the camera told a different story.
In my efforts to capture the photo quickly, I didn't see what was right in front of me until I saw the photos on the computer. Once again the nemesis of old and young photogs alike - pesky electrical wires, reminder of an industrial society - ruined an otherwise fun photo. Everything else in the photo captured Seattle well. The colors in the buildings and sky, typical to the Pacific Northwest aesthetic, were greyish blue and filled with the demoralizing ambiance that has spawned many hard-rocking bands in and around Seattle. In the center, a bright orange freshly-washed GE on the point of a hard-pulling train. Exhaust smoke curled into the sky as a signal that this train was going places with horsepower to spare.All topped off with a heaping dose of electrical wires crossing over everything.
So in the end I am now more thankful for the free "Wire Pilot" tool from the folks at Color Pilot. It pretty much saved the photo, as you can see below. You just move across the page and remove want you want gone. Will I try posting this to RailPictures.net? Heck no. First, I don't think the photo captures the true nature of the scenery, since the wires are actually there, even if I like the wireless photo more; it's an impossible shot, because in order to make it look good I had to fabricate what was in my head at the time I took the photo. Second, RP's focus tends to be photos beyond what Seattle has to offer most of the time: "Common Power" and grey skies. My difference of opinion on that subject is an argument I'll leave to anyone else familiar with RP's stringent policy of photo acceptance.
So for now I'll continue taking the shots that I see in my head, because now I've got the tools to actually show others what's going on in my brain!
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