BNSF 8478 is on the point of this loaded coal train rolling through Woodland, WA. This SD70ACe is hauling Powder River Basin coal up to Roberts Bank, BC, where it will be prepared for export. 3/4/26

Amtrak’s Empire Builder No. 28 leaves the Rose City behind, a few minutes late due to a “security issue” at the station. Note the lounge car just behind the locomotive, showing off Amtrak’s new Phase VII livery for the Superliner fleet.

UP 6473 leads a train through Troutdale, OR, on a rainy Monday afternoon.

Albina Yard is Union Pacific’s classification yard in Portland, OR, and a major hub for the Big Yellow. Here we see UP 1962 on the point of a RCL (remote control locomotive) job, sorting cars while locomotives a few tracks over sit at the fuel racks to get ready for another assignment.

Neat little articulated autorack getting switched around at Albina today

You win some you lose some. Today I wandered over the Broadway Bridge to see if I could find any good vantage points of Albina yard. I found a few good spots to see trains arriving and departing the yard, but nothing was coming by the time I had to pack up and go home. Bookmarked for next time.

A Jordan spreader sits in La Grande yard, in between assignments on the Blue Mountains. Just like the railroad needs to clear snow and ice to keep the country rolling, we need to abolish ICE to keep America on track.

Union Pacific send Big Boy to the PNW challenge

Sporting the company’s new livery, CPKC 9375 leads a grain train under the afternoon sun at Celilo, OR. These are grain empties from the Port of Kalama heading to the UP/CPKC interchange at Eastport, ID, then onto Alberta province to get refilled.

Happy New Year! Starting the year off with this oil train, led by BNSF 6948, westbound on BNSF's Fallbridge line through the Columbia River Gorge.

Guess who finally remembered their password lmao

Spent the day in Hood River, OR, yesterday! Caught the Mount Hood Railroad doing its thing, The Dalles Local picking up lumber loads, and trains flanked by the autumn leaves!

SDRX 910 brings up the rear of this northbound Sounder commuter train on the edge of Puyallup, WA.

Spent some time at Troutdale today! Found a nice little corner where I could set up shop and watch the trains go by, and caught a Canadian Pacific heritage unit rolling through town on the day’s grain shuttle!

BNSF 3908 is on the point of this 3x1 C-BTMBRA, hauling export coal from Wyoming’s Black Thunder Mine to Roberts Bank, BC. 7/17/25

A wave hello from the engineer up front as SC-44 WDTX 1400 leads Cascades Train 506 to Seattle. This Talgo set, the Mt. Jefferson, hit a fallen tree late last year that damaged the cab car. It was recently given a shiny new cab, a welcome relief since the Horizon cars were pulled from service.

Thinking I’ll hang out on the Fallbridge sub today

UP 7930 pulls a manifest by the signals at Mosier siding. These searchlight signals are a rare sight nowadays and what few remain are disappearing fast, replaced with easier to maintain traffic light-style signals. This one’s days are numbered; a new signal mast is on the ground awaiting install.

Mondays are for railfanning! I wanted to go further into the Columbia Gorge and it did not disappoint. Snagged 4 different trains at The Dalles thanks to some luck and careful monitoring of my radio scanner to hear what was going on the Portland-Hinkle UP line.

Went further into the Columbia River Gorge today and was surprised by how close by a lot of really good spots were! Made it out to The Dalles and then just a little farther east I ran into the Oregon Trunk sub (BNSF’s line to Bend) and then this bridge over Lake Umatilla

There and back again . UP 5608 led a 4-motor light power move across Portland’s Steel Bridge. A few minutes later, the signal lit up again and 5608 went back the way it came, in the rear instead of the front.

A northbound Union Pacific local approaches grade crossings at Hubbard, OR, milepost 739 on the Brooklyn subdivision.

UP 7356 leads a manifest train through North Portland’s Kenton Line. Mount Hood can be seen in the background.

Been in a funk all month so I haven’t done much railfanning, but this past week I bucked that. Got some pics in the central Willamette Valley (just north of Salem) and found a cool spot on the UP in Portland with Mount Hood as a backdrop. Going on a trip next week, hope to post edits before then.

Through the mist and clouds of the Columbia River Gorge, a Union Pacific Z train emerges. Flanked by fall colors, this high-priority passes by the tri-light signal and the rock slide fence at MP 28.8 as it races to Hinkle for a crew change. 11/5/24

Dusk sets in as the 4-car Empire Builder Train 28, led by a Siemens Charger in Phase VI scheme, races east through Washougal, WA.

The tri-light signals are lit up as UP 5910 leads a manifest train west at MP 28.8 on the Portland subdivision. The red flag indicates a track gang is working in the area and approaching trains must contact the foreman to get permission through the limits.

AMTK 160, the 50th anniversary P42 affectionately dubbed the “Pepsi can,” leads the 4-car Empire Builder No. 28 across the Columbia River Bridge in Vancouver, WA. A break in the clouds adds a little bit of sunshine to the Oregon side’s greenery and to this beautiful heritage unit.

A snowy and cloud-wrapped Mount Hood rises above BNSF 3828 as it leads a string of tank cars from the oil fields of the Midwest to the refineries of the Northwest. 10/30/24

Part of the fun and the challenge of moving to Portland is finding my own railfanning spots. In UT I was a part of a few groups that would all do meetups, share locations, etc. Haven’t found that to be the case here (yet) so I’m blazing my own trail for better or for worse.

Look both ways for trains

#ThrowbackThursday (a day late) “Pepsi can” AMTK 160, Amtrak’s 50th anniversary heritage unit wearing Dash 9 livery, leads an inbound Coast Starlight Train 11 across the Steel Bridge. 1/30/24 📸 iPhone 14 Pro

On the outskirts of Cascade Locks, rebuilt Canadian Pacific SD70ACu no. 7053 leads a grain train under the overcast and rainy autumn skies and through the greenery of the Columbia River Gorge on UP’s Portland subdivision.

Railfanning the UP today! Can anyone guess where these were taken?

Talgo Series VIII “Mt. Jefferson” is today’s Amtrak 507 southbound from Seattle to Portland then Eugene, OR. The train races past at top speed through Vader, WA, flanked by autumn leaves. 10/14/24

A pedestrian waits patiently as a Union Pacific intermodal train ("stack train") makes its way off the Steel Bridge. Union Station's clock tower rises above as these double-stacked port containers slowly make their way through West Portland.

Hello! I'm a railfan who recently moved to the Portland, OR, area and I want to share my art with you all. Up till now I've been posting on Flickr and Instagram under the handle GoodChristianRailfanning, and I thought I'd start posting here too. :)