This is what Number 274 must have looked like on the day he was completed and handed over to the Great Northern Railroad in 1950. He's an EMD F7, 150 tons, 1500 horsepower, and proud of it! He's well loved in a small railroad museum near the Oregon Coast.
Zooming in from the same location as yesterday-- Thousands of giant logs are ready to be shipped to the orient. The ship has its own cranes to load the logs. Sometimes as many as 8 ships will be anchored in the Columbia River waiting to take on cargo at the port. Besides logs, it is one of the largest grain ports in the country, with the grain coming in on mile-long unit trains.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge across the Columbia River connects Longview, Washington to Rainier, Oregon. It was completed in 1930 and was the longest and highest cantilever bridge in the US at that time. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. The Port of Longview is 66 miles from the Pacific and is served by two major railroads, inland barge traffic, and the main North-South highway on the West Coast. In terms of travel time it is the closest port to the Orient from the US.
Winlock used to be a thriving town of lumberjacks, mill workers, and small farms. The Church of the Sacred Heart is closed now due to dwindling congregation and a shortage of priests. But its facade still speaks of better times.
