Seconda Amtrak Cascades in Vancouver BC

Amtrak #513 Cascades Departing Vancouver, BC, originally uploaded by R R Horne.

While corresponding with my buddy Oil-Electric, he wrote that another railfan north of the border in BC caught an image showing one of the first runs of the second Amtrak Cascades train visiting Vancouver. That image, by RR Horne, captures the Cascades in early morning light on its way south.

Now our northern neighbors get two Cascades a day!

Video - BNSF & UP Meet in Vancouver WA

BNSF #4582 Meets UP #7772 in Vancouver, WA
by Tran77

Sit back for the next four minutes or so and check out the embedded video above. If you don't see it, click HERE to view directly in DailyMotion!

SR 519 Starts to Span SODO Tracks

SR 519 girder setting 1, originally uploaded by Washington State Dept of Transportation.

The girders are being put in place, and the overpass of this infamous crossing in SODO will soon be a reality. Royal Brougham Way at this crossing has been on this blog a number of times in the past, with people getting clipped by trains and even one getting a wheelchair stuck in the tracks. All instances reported occurred when people went around the crossing gates.

I looked at the plans for this overpass, and they're pretty awesome. It's a complicated plan to complete this Phase of the State Route 519 project, which makes it easier for goods to move back and forth to the port. But to me the safety element being created here is really important, and quite frankly makes for some great pictures.

Pentrex Ending Video Tape Sales July 31st

SONY 5850 3/4" VCR with SMPTE code reader installed! $50, originally uploaded by Great Deals Every Day.

As a railfan, you may know the name Pentrex; they have provided train nuts like me with truckloads of railroading video entertainment for more than two decades. Not only do they offer their own content, but also the entire catalog from Video Rails. Son David's favorite Pentrex products are mostly video tapes, ones we've picked up over the years at clearance racks, surfside bookstores, and on eBay. They include:

- Those Incredible ALCOs Volume II
- Snow On The Run
- Trains Along The Upper Mississippi
- Above California Rails

Now Pentrex is focusing their business on DVDs only, and ending all sales of video tapes after July 31st. So for one more day they are offering most of their VCR Tapes for $9.95 each! Final chance to get some great railroading tapes for cheap, if you still have a VCR like we do. Railroading media (books, magazines, DVDs etc) tend to be expensive since it's a niche market, so an opportunity like this one is a great way to get the good stuff for cut rate; and we all know how important that is right now!

My order has been placed, and we'll be receiving:

- Battle For Donner Pass
- Street Running

Hope you find something good too!

Clouds and Double Stacks

The Rain on Plain, originally uploaded by steveeshom.

Steve Eshom got this stunning shot of clouds above double stacks in Chelan County. Let's face it: unless you're really into taking pictures of locomotives, by themselves, sitting on tracks in a yard, getting out into the weather and catching those same locomotives in their element can be very rewarding! I'll admit that I do like to take "roster shots," but catching something like this would be my Holy Grail.