commute hours. Portland & Western trains routinely use
the radio to call out when approaching sta- tion locations over their assigned channels, so finding and tracking a train can be fairly easy. With a slow track speed of 10-25 m.p.h., getting ahead of the train to set up at desir- able photo locations is also very easy. Be- tween North Plains and the south portal of the tunnel there are numerous wood trestles, including the impressive Holcomb Creek span located off Dick Road. The tunnel portals have limited access and there are cameras in place to deter trespassing. There are few places left where one can
find such railroad operations. A trip to expe- rience a run of the Harbor Turn is one where you can experience a classic style of opera- tions through a plethora of scenic locations compressed into a very short distance. As someone who makes this trip routinely, Matt Adams is still impressed at running it. “I look out across the valleys from the right-hand seat and marvel at this operation each and every time.”
Robert is a freelance photographer and writer from Rochester, Wash. He is a fire chief with a regional fire authority outside of Olympia, Wash. The author would like to thank Prof. Rob Leachman of U.C. Berkeley and P&W engineer Matt Adams for their assistance in researching and writing this article.
OPPOSITE: The Harbor Turn is all logs as it starts making the run for the grade outside of Banks. The area around Banks and North Plains are fertile farm lans but in just a few miles this will give way to foothills puncuated with stands of fir trees. DREW MITCHEM
TOP RIGHT: Two big units provide power for the loaded Harbor Turn at the new connector track near Banks. The construction of this spur eliminated the need for a time consuming run- around on each leg of the trip at Banks. ROBERT W. SCOTT ABOVE: With the bell ringing and mov- ing at a cautious five m.p.h., a mid-June morn- ing finds the loaded Harbor Turn on street run- ning trackage for four blocks on Adams Street in Hillsboro. RIGHT: A traffic signal warns driv- ers of impending doom if they don’t yield the right-of-way at the end of the street running on Adams in Hillsboro. DREW MITCHEM PHOTOS
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