crankcase to wipe it out after the pistons were pulled during the rebuild. I was elected because I was not only the young- est, but also the smallest,” Poncil recalls. With only three operating employees
on the railroad, not only are they responsible for train operations but they also must act as a carman when putting the trains together. This involves more than air and brake tests, and includes measuring knuckle heights on cars to ensure they meet federal requirements. In addition, they are also the track maintainers, responsible for basic track inspections and minor railbed repairs, including changing out ties and fixing broken rails. As our train ambles south towards the interchange, engineer Troy Terry talks about the remoteness of these areas. “It is pretty sparse out here. You may only see people out along the line during hunt- ing season or mushroom picking season,” explains Troy. There is only one paved crossing on the entire line, with the oth- ers being forest service dirt crossings and an overpass over Oregon Route 58. Winter can be especially challenging
for railroad operations. Poncil is happy that this past year’s snow was limited. “Any snow or ice on the line and there is no amount of sand or feathering the throttle that can help out.” This sometimes requires them to double the train to the interchange. “During heavy snow, we will stop prior to the Route 58 overpass in each direction and shovel snow from in front of the engine’s plow so we don’t drop snow down on the highway and cars when we go over the bridge,” he explained. “This is time consuming but it is also the safe thing to do.”
Current Operations The railroad operates Monday through
Friday with the crew on duty at 5:30 a.m. at Gilchrist. Union Pacific’s Klam- ath Falls, Ore.-based LIM70 local pro- vides Monday, Wednesday, and Friday interchange with the Klamath Northern at Gilchrist Junction. Since today’s run is on a Friday, they will return to the mill with light power. Morning work to set over cars to be loaded will allow them to tie up immediately in the single-stall engine house at the mill. On busy days, there may be two trips made from the mill to the junction for interchange. Out- bound loads also increase toward the end of each month as mill output goals are met. Access to this railroad can be tricky depending on the time of year. Most ac- cess is on Forest Service roads that may not always be maintained in winter. During the summer the fine powder dirt will create huge dust clouds that will in- evitably find a way into your vehicle and equipment. Summer also brings a high fire danger, so the railroad is required to carry fire tools and equipment, given its easement through Forest Service lands. The fine powder dirt can mire unsus- pecting drivers into deep mud during the thaw months after winter or during the summer thunderstorms. U.S. Route 97 is the best access to
the town of Gilchrist, which is about 20 miles north of Chemult, Ore. Route 58 ducks under the railroad just prior to the interchange at Gilchrist Junction. Unless the outbound train runs into
issues, it can usually be seen crossing Router 58 and arriving at Gilchrist Junc- tion between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. About
an hour’s worth of work blocking the cars for the UP and making any pick-ups has the train back northbound towards the mill soon after. There is one short sid- ing called Cement between the mill and the junction used for extra car storage. The siding was named for the site where materials were offloaded during the con- struction of the nearby Wickiup Reser- voir. Adjacent to the siding is the site of a former box company that has not been in use for years. Returning light power, the train ar-
rives back at the mill site. With all of their work complete and no second trip needed, Troy eases No. 207 into the sin- gle-stall engine house that dates back to 1938. He eases the engine to a stop, secures it, and shuts the motor down. Final tie-downs are made, and the two doors are swung shut. Another day is done hauling lumber and chips from the pine forests of central Oregon. Troy Ter- ry and Tom Wood pack their grips out of the engine house. In just a few short hours there will be more lumber to haul and the crew will return to the one-stall enginehouse to stir No. 207 back to life. To see the essence of railroading, one
that ties the livelihood of a region to its export products, you don’t have to go to the large Class I railroads. Look to Gilchrist, listen for the bell, horn, and burble of the small GE center cab switch- er run by the dedicated railroaders of the Klamath Northern.
Originally from from Benicia, Calif., Robert W. Scott now resides in Rochester, Wash., where he is a fire chief for a regional fire authority.
BELOW: The KNOR’s unusual GE center cab rests on the Interfor mill property awaiting its next assignment on a winter afternoon. ROBERT W. SCOTT
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