My then-wife and I moved to Oregon in 1979. The apartment complex in which we first lived overlooked a curve in the Burlington Northern's (former Oregon Electric) tracks at Tualatin. This well-maintained, unsignalled line went from Portland through Salem via Cornelius Pass, and the BN ran a couple of trains a day each direction.

It was a real treat living there; the curve marked the beginning of a fairly steep grade between Tualatin and Tonquin, so the diesels were usually notched out when they passed heading south. Northbound trains could be heard coming down the grade long before they rolled into view.

It was a visual treat as well: BN used an assortment of locomotives on this line. Alcos were almost as common as GEs and EMDs, and there were several covered wagons as well. Even if a train did not have a cab unit in the consist, a B unit was often mixed in with the other road power. And of course, a green caboose always brought up the rear.

Tualatin had a very short passing siding, and a spur that served the Blue Mountain Pet Food plant (neither of which is still in existence). The siding seemed to be the temporary home of an old heavyweight baggage car-turned-tool car, painted rust brown with MOW markings. At the north end of town, SP's Newberg branch crossed the BN on a long trestle, which also crossed over the city park and the Tualatin River. Although SP usually ran one train a day, I was never able to get a picture of an SP train crossing above a BN train... the fact that I never saw an SP and a BN train in the area at the same time was probably a contributing factor to that failure.

2539 and a B unit ride the turntable at BN's Portland engine terminal.

Photo # 2539

Brand-new-looking SD40-2 #7121 on the ready track next to a GP30.

Photo # 7121

My favorite BN shot, taken at the ready tracks at BN's Portland engine terminal on a foggy night.

Photo # 7825

GE #5539 on the ready track next to F7 #626. Note the BN caboose at left.

Photo # portland1

In June of 1996, BN 2709 leads a southbound train out of Klamath Falls, Oregon onto the Highline

Photo # 2709

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