Willbridge spotting report for 5 December, 2017

I drove to work today, and got a quick look at Willbridge on my way by.  GN 3613 was in her usual spot, but she was fired up.  Diesel exhaust was puffing out of her stack!.  Good to see her still in service.

Also saw the Willbridge Switch pair  2276 and an UID unit.  I wasn't prepared to take notes, sadly.

Reading. But not The Reading.

Not the Reading RR, anyway.

I've been spending some time reading some Model RR blogs.  I've come back around to wanting a layout, but I am still trying to figure out how to reconcile my many interests within the hobby with my space, time, and money constraints.

Trevor Marshal's various blogs, all connected here..

http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/ about his Port Rowan in S scale.  http://themodelrailwayshow.com/LayoutDesign/ about his thoughts on achievable layout design, and of course http://themodelrailwayshow.com/ for binge-listening to the sadly closed Model Railway Show that he was part of.

I also found http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/ via Trevor's Port Rowan blog.  Tony Thompson has written many of the books about Espee, especially in his 1950s era.  Some very thought provoking, and inspiring work he's doing there making high-quality models out of some older kit cars I'd have passed over as "Too much work", if I'd even noticed the bits that aren't prototype.

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/17685 is a MRH forum thread about the Iowa Interstate as a shelf switching layout.  Achievable, and plenty of switching action for one crew.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=37591.0 is a forum thread about scratchbuilding an SP&S steam loco.  In N scale.

http://mainecentralcalaisbranch.blogspot.ca/?m=1 a blog about modelling the Maine Central.  And some thoughts on layout design.

https://princestreet.wordpress.com/ a modeler's thoughts on his small shelf layout.  Very interesting.

http://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.ca
Another blog about modelling on a shelf.

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/27772 another MRH forum thread.  This time, about scratchbuilding freight cars in On30.  Not exactly my scale, but if I do 1940s SP&S, or any Gn15 I'll be doing some scratchbuilding anyway.  Heck, scratchbuilding might be a good plan in general, given the cost of an Athern car these days.

There are a couple more I need to pull links to off of my phone, after I read them more.

Spotting Report, 1 March 2017

Passing Willbridge yard today at about 5 PM, I saw GN 3613 in her usual spot, powered up with her lights and rotary beacon going.  Too bad there was no good way to stop for a photo.

And, furhter down in Lake Yard, I saw this unit in Cascade Green and Black!

BNSF 2334 is a former Frisco GP-38-2.  Total blast from the past here.  The photos are poor camera phone snaps, but we'll be glad to have them at some point.

Spotting Report, Willbridge 1 April 2016

Drove by this morning, and BNSF 3613, 2754, and 2812 were all out in the yard.  2812 was shiny in new BNSF paint.  I like it but miss the BN whiteface cascade green she wore last summer.  2754 and 3613 were idling awaiting crews.

Spotting report, Willbridge, 23 march 2016.

.I hadn't seen GN 3613 in a while, but when I drove by this afternoon at 5, she was out in Willbridge powered up.  The rotary beacon on the cab was a welcome sight.

One if the rebuilt GP-30s (GP-39m I believe) is currently working the yard in BNSF paint.  Another BNSF unit assisting. A GP-38 I think.

That's the current yard crew at Willbridge.

Clackamas industrial district

The UP continues the Southern Pacific's Clackamas Switcher.  South of Portland on the valley main, we have an extensive industrial area.

Industries I can see on the Google Maps overhead include

* a Safeway distribution center.  The overhead shows a lone covered hopper spotted here

* a warehouse for Pacific Food Distributors.

* Wymore Transfer, a warehouse and transload facility.

* Thermo Fluids.  Tank facility of some sort.

* Wilbur Ellis, some sort of feed manufacturer.

Wymore seems to be the biggest customer on the line.  This is another promising layout setting.  UPY geeps, and a graffiti bombed espee caboose to use as a shoving platform.

Peninsula Terminal Industries

Doing some "Virtual Railfanning" Via google maps, here's what I can see for industries along the PT

Along Suttle Rd, We saw

1. Supreme Perlite
2. Ecoservices (Listed as Rhodia on google maps)
3. Oil Re-Refining Co.
4. Kleen-Blast

On the East side of the BNSF Main, we see in the Google overhead

1. Graphic Packaging International.
2. Plastic Express, Portland Distribution Center
3. Tricor Braun (Plastic packaging and logistics)
4. PT Food Grade transload area
5. PT Ethanol transload area
6. PT Warehouse (in the GPI Building?)
7. PT Engine house and service facility

PT has extensive transload areas, and that's where most of their business seems to be at this time.