Saturday morning - early
The Special had overnighted at the UP yard at The Dallas, Oregon on Friday (5/11)and was scheduled to leave the yard at 8:30 am, Saturday (5/12). No such luck! Something delayed the departure until almost 9:45 am. I was monitoring the train movement on the UP website. The 844 has GPS installed and you can follow the train as it goes down the line. The Special was scheduled to come right up the BNSF mainline from Portland (10:30 am) with a stop in Centralia for service (12:30 pm) right past me at Tenino to the UP Fife Yard.
On a Saturday! My day off!! RIGHT THRU MY BACKYARD....just about. The mainline goes through Tenino, Wa, about 7 miles from my house. I couldn't believe it! What luck!
Saturday morning - 10:15am
The Special is really moving slow. Already 90 minutes behind schedule, the run along the Columbia River seems to be taking forever. Went and did my morning chores.
Saturday morning - 11:30 am
The train still has NOT made Portland. Decided to finish up a painting project outside, but will continue to check twice an hour to see how much progress the train makes..
Saturday afternoon - 12:45 pm
The train is finally in Portland which should be a 30 minute service stop. I went back to work on my chores, as it is a scheduled two hour run from Portland to Centralia. With the train moving this slow, I will have everything done with plenty of time to get into position for taking photographs.
Two of us OMRS members had chatted about joining up to take pictures. But on Thursday, 5/10, at the weekly meeting of the O.M.R.S. every one decided to go on their own and I lost my chance for doing video. With just myself in the vehicle, I could not drive the two mile stretch and run the video camera at the same time. Oh well. So I came up with another plan.
I had been checking out the UP site the past couple of days, looking over the historical part of the website and viewing a LOT of pictures. Most of the stills were taken obliquely to the track and looked ok, but it struck me that this was what you might call "a standard shot" of a locomotive in action. I wanted something different. Video - of a train in motion...perhaps sweeping around a curve, majestically moving towards the camera...smoke and steam billowing from the stack and vents....and sound as well! Yes, I had the sound video camera; it could be done!
On the mainline by Tenino, there is a portion of the track that sweeps left onto a more northerly direction and there is a quiet country road, with a private track crossing about 90 yards from the curve and no trees blocking the view. That would make a perfect place to shoot my video!
Saturday afternoon - 3:00 pm
So, with video camera in hand, I leave the house with plenty of time to spare. The Special has not even reached Centralia yet, so I have time to set up, check my equipment and find the best spot for my video. I get to the crossing that I am going to stake out and there is no one there. While setting up, a south bound freight rolls by. Very noisey. I am only 25 feet from the north bound track but I don't have the camera set up yet, so I miss the shot.
I have the video camera out, load up the freshly charged battery and begin with a light check. Everything seems to be functioning ok. I shoot a 20 second piece and pan the area. But the camera does not respond. No video!?! I double check the casette and the battery. All appears to be in order. After spending 15 frustrating minutes working with the camera, I decide that it isn't going to work. I call home and have my son check the PC for the location of the Special. He tells me it still has not gotten to Centralia.
With no working camera, I decide to race home and get a still camera ( I know, stupid mistake) which I do and I get back in record time to find my spot still deserted. I have no sooner parked and set up the tripod when who should appear but Jon Olsen from the TriCities Railroad. He lives and works in Kennewick and has been to the OMRS clubhouse during the County Fair. He parks right next to me and we wait.
Saturday afternoon - 3:40 pm
A north bound Amtrack Cascades rockets around the corner, catching us off guard. Quiet little bugger, I miss the shot entirely; I think John got a shot, tho. This sort of woke us up and we started paying attention. I get a call on my cel from another member who originally would not have been able to railfan due to other obligations. I advised him of the delays in the schedule and that the Special may be in Centralia by now, but he hasn't missed it. He decides to pickup another member and stake out the East Olympia station further up the main from us. I call home to check where the train is and yup, it's in Centralia.
Saturday afternoon - 4:10 pm
Both of us heard the whistle announcing the arrival of the train in the area. It's whistling for the crossing at State Road 99 just outside of Tenino. We have our cameras ready. As the special becomes visible through the trees and enters the curve, I take this shot - full telephoto.
I try to take another picture- - - the camera is still cycling the first frame! The train is really moving and will pass me in seconds. I raise up the camera and take the next shot, not having any time to frame anything. This is the result.
I realize that the telephoto is still on but the train is past me now, roaring on towards Olympia. I snap another fast shot...what a bummer. My only shot of UP 844.
And here is the final shot I took. Four pictures in less than 20 seconds. The Special was really moving when it got to us. Had to have been doing 55 or so.
After the train was gone, I called the other OMRS members at East Olympia and told them it had just screamed past us and to get ready. It would be there in about 7 minutes. What a day!