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.
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.
Finding a railroad relic at the Albany yard
I had heard about an interesting artifact in railroad history at the Albany yard of the Portland & Western. Looking for it Saturday, I found it on a track near where Ferry Street runs into the east side of the yard.
Tags: Amtrak, Overland Route, Portland & Western, rail car, railcar, railroad, RPCX 3602, Shasta Daylight, Southern Pacific, SP 3602