Nothing Academic Please: My Afternoon Off

Sometimes a break is a good idea, and this afternoon was one of those times. After tallying my student's grades to date, I sat at my desk looking longingly out the window at Washy Skies when I heard the "blaaaaap" from the horn of a PCC GP30; without a second thought I was out the door with camera bag in hand. The end of the semester be damned, I needed an afternoon away from reading, writing and anything generally academic.

After dashing here, then there, and then doubling back again and dodging frat boys out on the prowl, I finally found the PCC just departing Pullman westbound. The Colfax-Pullman line is one of the most scenic lines in the Palouse: there are several pile trestles, great vistas, crib elevators, and stereotypical barns; and it is all surrounded by the 100 bushels-to-the-acre wheat fields with big ponderosas along the creek. What's not to love? Pullman's city council would love nothing more than to take up the rails and make it a bike trail, but today the line was anything but an abandonment proposal as 22 mty fertilizer cars -- the largest revenue train I've seen on the line -- worked from Moscow back to the UP interchange at Hooper.

The photos below are presented without much caption information, and are sequential from Pullman to Winona, where the crew tied down the train. Enjoy, the quiet and fresh air were certainly what I needed to get through the rest of finals week!



West of Albion - Trying to make use of perfect afternoon light on a line I had not driven along in several months proved to be a minor challenge, but it is hard to go too terribly wrong with a nice long pile trestle. Whether you love or hate the PCC, their orange and black paint is nice to photograph.



Risbeck - a small country elevator, a perfect model railroad prototype and a scene I keep coming back for time and again. Crib elevators are becoming more valuable for the recycling of their lumber than as grain bins, and not very many like Risbeck still stand by an active rail line. Parvin, two miles to the east, is now a pile of kindling; as is the beautiful gambrel roof barn I photographed a year ago. This shot is the result of the barn's demise, but I hope this little crib will stand for a while longer.



After picking up two mty fertilizer tanks and a load of bagged peas for distribution to 3rd world countries, Larry has the two leading geeps notched out, and the 24 mtys and 1 load reluctantly follow up the 3% grade west of Colfax.



Still climbing two miles further up the hill . . . and that grade is clearly visible.



Diamond - The abandoned siding and the row of crib elevators say it all: time has passed by these industries.



Near Diamond - Carloads of empty fertilizer tread through a field of the spring wheat, encouraged by post-WWII fertilizations practices.



Near Thera - More spring wheat lends a green hue to the fertile soil and dust on the horizon indicates more spring planting is underway.



Winona - One time a business district, and the one town that made me say: "I've gotta photograph the PCC just to document these towns before they disappear altogether."



Winona - The local pulls up to the big crib, Rich lines the south leg of the wye for Hooper, and ties down for the day.



Winona - Last light. Not even a dog barking.