Trainspotting Small Museums Tour by Bike 11/04/2006

All Aboard! A day of trainspotting by bike- from real trains at Union Station to miniature models at two railroad societies in Portland. All on a very rainy November Saturday.

Our tour started with 10 bicyclists at our fair train depot - unfortunately our tour guide for the day, had to head up the line to Kelso - at first we were told he would return in 15 min. on the next train - so we amused ourselves at the telephone booths and swapping train stories (ah no train hoppers amongst us), it was then the news came that our guide would not be back for at least an hour - that's Amtrak for ya. But lucky for us steward Craig, gave us the five-minute quickie. He showed us the back luggage rooms, where they still use the old carts (!) and than took us out to the tracks to watch the train come in. We amused ourselves by checking out the special business travel car - the folks who own it, go from city to city attaching themselves to the back of the train! Onwards we went to the
Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Society's open house up on N. Williams. We had a solo riding 5 year old the tour, and he told me he could bike up very big hills - So we rode down Interstate and up up up Russell - The most direct route, but also steep. Soon we were whisked into the model train world - It was amazing - two dozen engineers were opperating numerous trains through scenery of old Portland through the columbia gorge. Working Bridges, a Railroad line that dumped cut logs into the river (that fell through a trap door!), and the whole set even got dark for night time. Wow! We had to go though so we could get across town to visit another model train open house (November is Train Month I gues!). So we lost a few more, and six of continued to the Mt. Hood Engineers Open House on Belmont. This basement room showcasing the model trains was packed (the open house was featured in the paper - with a photo). It was a much smaller set up, less scenery, and fancy set ups, and the engineers had to opperate the trains in the walkways where all the spectators had to be as well. If I had to compare the two model train societies, I'd say the first one was like disney world, and the 2nd like Oaks Park - Portland's little amusement park. Both definitely are worth a visit of course.

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items are from between 04 Nov 2006 & 07 Nov 2006.