August 12, 1999 Railfanning
| On the road again.... Yep, it was another day of travel heading on west from Glacier National Park towards Sandpoint, ID. Of course, I had to go east first following a train or two before heading back west. On this day, I followed the rails of BNSF's Kootenai River Subdivision. |
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| As you will see, this is a day of multiple shots of the same train - most of them coming and going. Due to maintenance windows it was actually a pretty slow day all the way to Sandpoint. However, I do like this telephoto shot. You can definitely tell which track here is better maintained. |
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Anyway, this is the fourth eastbound train snaking its way along the Kootenai River at the base of Tony Peak. This is where the old alignment use to head north towards Eureka before the Libby Dam was built. The bridge over the Fisher River is still in place and there are a few segments of the old track still in place. The old right-of-way is now under Lake Koocanusa. |
| Here is the same stack train heading south along the "new" alignment which follows the Fisher River. This line is not double track as it may appear but instead has very long siding such as the 10,799 ft one here at Riverview. |
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From Riverview, Montana all the way through Bonners Ferry, Idaho, I didn't see or hear of a single train, there was plenty of MOW people out doing their jobs though. Finally, I found another eastbound blasting out of Tunnel 10.1 near Moravia. |
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And just seconds later the eastbound train flies by with the flanges screaming their disgust at the curve and the ballast shaking. Just imagine the doppler effect of the passing train with horn blaring its warning to the road crossing ahead. |
| The late afternoon sun glares off the first set of double stacks as the eastbound Z-train continues north towards Bonners Ferry near MP 1376. This landscape is typical of northern Idaho. |
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