Delta Junction 2003

A BNSF train brings logs into Everett across the Snohomish River Bridges. September 17, 2003.

Bremerhaven Streetcars 1970-71

One of my favorite things about living in Bremerhaven, Germany, in 1970 & 1971 was the Straßenbahn.

It is long gone now, and was only a single line (evocatively numbered "Line 2") while I was there.

When I look at a map of Bremerhaven, from then or now, I realize how garbled my navigational memories are -- I almost always navigated via the streetcar route when at all possible, and have little remaining sense of more "important" paralleling arterials.

Edmonds

I found myself wandering out to Edmonds in a bit of a rain the other day, but found a patch of sun when I got there. And a train.

This Santa Fe unit is a bit the worse for wear. I've long felt that the BNSF Heritage schemes were a big improvement over any of the BN or ATSF schemes -- perhaps because I did much of my early color photography near where these pictures were taken, in the days of Great Northern Orange & Green. In fact I have pictures in almost exactly this location, but from the beach side, of GN Empire Builder scheme SD45s, led by 404, on one of their very first trips West.

In those days, the Ferry was quite likely to be the San Mateo, the last of Washinton State Ferries' steam powered boats. My, she had a lovely whistle.

Richmond Beach Saltwater Park

Richmond Beach

Richmond Beach - Talgo

Signals

The new signal cantilevers being installed. This is just RR East of Carkeek Park.

Looking RR West from the beach at Carkeek Park, we see the new "Control Point Blue Ridge," with the North Beach neighborhood behind it,. The pair of new crossovers, with high-rail removal point between them, are between the two visible new cantilever signal towers. The North Beach community beach access crossing through the middle of the control point via a new set of steel stairs down from the bluff and a set of wood stairs down to the beach. The Blue Ridge neighborhood and Blue Ridge community beach access are both out of the picture to the left.

Looking further RR East from Carkeek we see a pair of the classic signals such as have characterized this stretch for many years. I think I will enjoy the more dramatic appearance of the new cantilevers more than I will miss the older signals.

[Note that due to constraints of time & laziness, these images were made by telephoto with resulting comprimise of image quality.]