Being a rail fan means that when you see interesting equipment on the track, you stop and take a look. This is what I did on a bike ride Thursday night.
What would prompt a crew from the Portland & Western Railroad to take up a track and dig a long, deep hole under the Pacific Boulevard viaduct in Albany? On a hot Sunday in July no less?
Those phone numbers posted at rail crossings? Guess what: Somebody actually answers when you call.
Well, I was wrong last month in thinking that we may have seen the last of Locomotive 1501, the 71-year-old switch engine working in the Albany railroad yard. It’s still on the job, as I discovered on Thursday. But for how long?
If you’re interested in American railroads and Oregon history, and even if you’re not, this is an important centennial year.
Here’s the thing about Albany: It’s a railroad town, and cruising around town on a bike inevitably means you’re going to see trains.
A reminder: This crossing closed 2 days
You probably saw the announcement on social media, but in case you missed it, here’s what it said: The railroad crossing on Salem Avenue in Albany is closed today and Saturday for repairs.
Tags: crossing repairs, railroad, Salem Avenue crossing, track repairs, Union Pacific