ABOVE: The eastbound Toledo Hauler’s power is pulling with all its might as the train approaches the top of the two percent grade up from Nashville at the aptly-named community of Summit on a misty March 31, 2011.


RIGHT: The eastbound Toledo Hauler passes the covered bridge at Chitwood on the rainy morning of March 31, 2011.


big bridges, wide open fields, and street running in Harrisburg and Junction City, plus multiple opportunities to witness a local freight train switching lineside industries. Following a round trip of the American Turn out of Eugene can make for a great day of photography in its own right, and you’re never more than a few miles from mainline traffic on the Union Pacific. The 663 job that works between


Tigard and Vancouver is another excellent photography subject. The Willamette River Bridge between Lake Oswego and Milwaukie is a good place to wait for the train to come out of Tigard, which tends to happen after the morning WES commuter trains have run. Alternatively, you could spend the morning photographing those WES commuter runs until the 663 is ready


36 MARCH 2016 • RAILFAN.COM


to depart. Just north of the Tualatin station, WES trains duck under the Westside Branch and cross the Tualatin River. The scanner can be a great help with the 663, since its crew will need to get permission from the Union Pacific dispatcher, the Steel Bridge tender, the Portland Terminal Company, the BNSF dispatcher, and the Vancouver yardmaster. Depending on Portland traffic, it’s possible to chase the 663 and


get several shots. Another good strategy for the 663


is to spend the day around Portland’s downtown riverfront, which offers seemingly inexhaustible photography angles. This is a great area to explore on foot and by public transportation, since finding a parking place can often be a challenge. Besides the 663, you can see Union Pacific and BNSF freight trains, Amtrak Cascades and long-distance


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