| The Mt. Hood Scenic RR is located in Hood River, Oregon. It uses a couple of different diesel engines that pull a variety of coaches depending on how many are needed that day. The Mt. Hood operation is kind of interesting for several reasons. The first is that you might notice that the locomotive is pulling the coaches into the station but is running long hood forward. What happens next, after the passengers are loaded is that the locomotive then pushes the coaches for a few miles until a rather long switchback is reached outside of town. This is one of the few switchbacks that is still in use in the U.S. It exists from a time when the Union Pacific owned this spur and ran commercial operations on it, moving freight for several fruit growing and lumber companies. The spur was lengthened to accommodate up to 13 standard size freight cars and a locomotive. When the switchback is entered, then the locomotive then pulls the coaches out of the switchback and up the hill, again running in the long hood forward position. When the train reaches its destination at Parkdale, the locomotive does a runaround and thus is able to pull the coaches down the hill finally in the short hood forward position. Then, after the switchback, it backs the entire train into the station. This RR is also a bit famous, as in addition to running scenic trips, it also supplies commercial service to 2 or 3 companies that are still active up near Parkdale. They apparently dont mix operations and probably run the freight runs after the last passenger trips have completed. |