Yes

IN_2577-Loop-Loop

Here’s a stack train on the loop. flic.kr/p/uNtjxy

Nowadays, the only passenger trains are UP or BNSF executive fleet trains. (Both railroads share the tracks.) here’s a UP train at one of the Tehachapi tunnels, on the same day as Nancy Reagan’s funeral, just over the hill in Simi Valley. It rained like crazy that day.

Regular passenger service ended in 1971 when Amtrak assumed passenger train operations. There used to be occasional Amtrak detours for the Starlight when there were issues on the coast, but that hasn’t happened in about 10 years. They are fun to ride, though.

I have West, and East Glacier photos in my kitchen. The West Glacier photo shows a train streaking over the park entrance after a station stop.

The section along the Kootenai River, between Sandpoint and Whitefish is really nice, too. But the eastbound train needs to be late to see it in daylight. The whole route is nice, really.

The section along Glacier Park is nice. Im partial to the route east of the park, east of Cut Bank, through Chester and into Havre. No trees to speak of. Just wide-open wheat fields, gentle rolling hills, and big sky. It’s known as the Hi-Line. It’s my favorite part of Montana.

Yes, I’ve been along that route several times. The tracks — the former Great Northern — skirts the southern boundary of Glacier Park. The West Glacier stop is next to the main park entrance, and East Glacier is on the other side of Marias Pass. East Glacier is where the big lodge is.

It was beautiful on Tuesday. 70° here at home. Then a big storm moved in Wednesday night. Lots of lightning.

I’m 225 miles from Seattle, but I was over there last weekend. I snapped the northbound Sunday at Tacoma, and the southbound leaving Seattle on Monday and Tuesday. I went home Tuesday afternoon.

I saw Bobby and the Wolf Brothers at the Moore Theater last time they came through. Nice venue.

What day did your train arrive Seattle? I shot the Starlight a few times in the past week.

Did you take the train both ways?

Sometimes it’s late enough to catch Shasta in daylight.

When we rode the Starlight it ran on the West Valley line through Woodland and Orland, approaching Davis from the north. Shortly after, it switched to a routing via Sacramento and Chico, which it still runs on today.

It’s a fun trip to Seattle.

I remember it well!

Fun times.

No, haven’t done Canada. Everyone I know who has done it liked it. I’ve done most of the U.S. I have friends who owned a private car, and I did a lot of trips with them. Then in 2018 Amtrak screwed over private car owners, and that scene pretty much vanished.

I’ve also gotten into the Missoula Floods, and the whole ice-age floods period. They played a huge roll carving this region. I’m not far from Grand Coulee Dam, which has its own interesting history. I never really knew much about all that until I moved here.

I’ve been to a handful of Dead & Co. shows (last was Chicago in 2021) but it’s not a regular thing. I take a lot of train photos now. You can browse them at photos.walstib.com

Chicago-Spokane-Portland Amtrak. Four daily intermodal between Portland and Chicago, with lots of UPS and FedEx. Oil and coal westbound. Oil to refineries, coal to BC for export. Domestic autos go west, imports go east. Grain to Columbia River and Puget Sound ports. General freight both ways.

Most farmers here practice dryland wheat farming, so people pay close attention to rainfall. Plant in the fall, harvest in July. I never imagined I would live in a wheat-growing town.

It’s nice today. In the big picture, we see four distinct seasons. This is not the rainy part of Washington. So far in 2024 we’ve seen 8.82” of rain, of which 3.49” was in November. Occasional snow, but not much. January can be really cold. Summer days are really long.

Here’s a link to the eastward-pointing camera. We are still working to bring online the second camera, which is adjustable and can see eastbound, and westbound trains. We see about 40 trains a day, and there’s always another one coming. www.youtube.com/live/LhKRXOS...

Ritzville, Washington, where U.S. 395 meets Interstate 90. Population 1,700, in wheat country. Lots of wheat, most of which is exported. We just installed a streaming rail camera. Find us on YouTube and watch trains roll through town. I was last in MP in October. Rode the new electric Caltrains.

@juliemason.bsky.social Dana speaks the truth about those drop-down menus — the U.S. should be first. It was bad enough when I moved from California to Washington. Now I have to scroll to the Ws. First world problems, haha.

Ladylike?@juliemason.bsky.social hahahahaha, good one. I wonder what the round table will say about that.
Great show!

@juliemason.bsky.social

Yay Taegan @politicalwire.bsky.social it’s barely noon out west, and I’ve already checked Political Wire a dozen times. It’s a really great, and trusted source.

Yea Taegan @politicalwire.bsky.social it’s barely noon out west, and I’ve already checked Political Wire a dozen times. It’s a really great, and trusted source.

@juliemason.bsky.social no kidding about today’s who’s who lineup. Can’t wait to hear them. What about Tomaskey? Is he off crying in the corner yet? Just kidding, he’s a great guest, too.

@juliemason.bsky.social my first job was at the Loco-Boose Electric Train Shop when I was 12, in 1974. Even back then I was a news and political junkie; I remember listening to the radio news while walking home after work when I learned Nixon was going to resign.

@juliemason.bsky.social Tom Lobianco is funny as hell, and he’s a great guest. Great show today, Julie. I’m glad you told Howard Dean how it is.