For several years now I’ve taken advantage of my company’s President’s Day holiday to visit the Columbia River Gorge for a bit of February railfanning. This year I spent the day west of the west siding switch Maryhill which can be characterized as an area with lots of rock cuts and sweeping curves. I’ve always enjoyed this location thanks to the notoriety brought to it by Dan Schwanz but just have never spent enough time here.
Just after 9am the M-TACPAS, with an SD75 leading, rounds
a curve about 1/2 mile west of west Maryhill
Generally the day was overcast. Early on the fog hung low on the sides of the gorge but not low enough to make for interesting photographs of trains. The sun did pop out for a while but when it was at its best (and I was set up for a great photo) the trains dried up. During the drought I did have the pleasure of listening to the radio conversations of Mad Dog and his conductor making a pick up at Wishram.
With its rear end just clearing west Maryhill, a loaded grain
passes below the grape vines of the Maryhill Winery
Around 3pm the clouds rolled in so much that I ended up not photographing a couple of westbound trains because the scene was so flat. Instead I prepared for a couple of night photos. As it ends up I saw 11 trains in 11 hours.
Headed East. Amtrak 28 sweeps through the curves on its way east to Pasco and Spokane.
