Matt C. Batryn
Arlington, OR
Two more shots from the trip east into the Gorge that Greg Brown and I took the Friday before Winterail. These are now on the PCC operated, ex-Union Pacific Condon Branch. This line was once a 44 mile long branch that climbed its way south out of the Columbia River Gorge to the town of Condon. Starting at the town of Arlington on the UP main it gained about 2,500 feet in elevation as it worked its way up river valleys to the Columbia Plateau. In the early 90’s as most of the former traffic on the line had dried up (first lumber then agricultural good), all but the first 11 miles of the line were abandoned. The remainder of the line today is operated by Palouse River & Coolee City Railroad (PCC) with the predominate rail served customer being the 12,000 acre Columbia Ridge Landfill and Green Energy Plant. This faculty received numerous unit trains of trash and other waste materials from Seattle and other areas every week.
After the PCC crew had tied down their inbound train at the landfill, they picked up an outbound OGLSE that was waiting at Gilliam. Here on the outskirts of town tthey pass the Arlington Saddle Club Arena home to the Arlington Jackpot Rodeo as they run north towards the UP connection in a 1x2 configuration.
Arlington, OR
Two more shots from the trip east into the Gorge that Greg Brown and I took the Friday before Winterail. These are now on the PCC operated, ex-Union Pacific Condon Branch. This line was once a 44 mile long branch that climbed its way south out of the Columbia River Gorge to the town of Condon. Starting at the town of Arlington on the UP main it gained about 2,500 feet in elevation as it worked its way up river valleys to the Columbia Plateau. In the early 90’s as most of the former traffic on the line had dried up (first lumber then agricultural good), all but the first 11 miles of the line were abandoned. The remainder of the line today is operated by Palouse River & Coolee City Railroad (PCC) with the predominate rail served customer being the 12,000 acre Columbia Ridge Landfill and Green Energy Plant. This faculty received numerous unit trains of trash and other waste materials from Seattle and other areas every week.
After the PCC crew had tied down their inbound train at the landfill, they picked up an outbound OGLSE that was waiting at Gilliam. Here on the outskirts of town tthey pass the Arlington Saddle Club Arena home to the Arlington Jackpot Rodeo as they run north towards the UP connection in a 1x2 configuration.