The upper level of my two-level layout is all narrow gauge, depicting a portion of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Fourth Division line in southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico.
BNSF in the Pacific Northwest
Chemult, Oregon
Chemult, about 60 miles south of Bend in central Oregon, is the junction point between the BNSF (former Great Northern, Oregon Trunk) line north to the Columbia River and the Union Pacific (former Southern Pacific) main line from California to Portland. In 2008, my friend Larry and I lucked out as a northbound BNSF barreled through town while we were passing through.
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is one of my favorite scenic spots in the Pacific Northwest, as the scenery changes dramatically from arid desert to evergreen forests as one travel westward. In September 2008, Larry, John, Rich and I left the Sumpter Valley RR in eastern Oregon and followed the north bank of the Columbia in Washington state to Portland. Here the BNSF (former Spokane, Portland and Seattle RR) was a raceway for eastbound stack trains and westbound grain trains.
Some BNSF, some UP, and Some Amtrak at Vancouver, Washington
A great place to watch trains is the Amtrak depot platform at Vancouver, Washington. Positioned at the north end of the double track swing bridge across the Columbia at Portland, OR and at the junction of BNSF’s Seattle Sub and the former SP&S line (BNSF’s Fallbridge Sub) east into the Columbia River gorge, it provides almost constant rail activity.