Editorial on Sound Transit East Link

Recent editorial in the Bellevue Reporter about Sound Transit's East Link to Bellevue and Redmond: "City Council can stop East Link - Bellevue Reporter."

I wouldn't go so far as to call this project a "debacle" like the contributor. I'm also not clear on the motive behind his clear opposition to the East Link. Whenever I hear someone grind on and on about how the "taxpayers are getting the shaft," I get suspicious. My thought is that he lives near the proposed Right-Of-Way and is using the taxpayer as a scapegoat.

Spokane BNSF Conductor Safety Winner for 2008

Conductor Terrence "Ed" Carlson of Spokane is one of 2008's BNSF Safety Employees Of The Year. Also included is a 33-year employee who has never had an accident at work! I'm thinking he may have had a hangnail or two over three decades, but the company is probably not counting those.

Video - BNSF 2125 And The Garbage Train

Here is a video I shot of BNSF 2125 assembling the Garbage Train. It was the first time I attached my video camera to a tripod, in an effort to create a smooth transition back and forth as the train moved. I still prefer hand-held for this stuff, but I'm willing to try other methods. The right-of-way is along 2nd Avenue S. at Horton Street; one can park and - mostly importantly - stand legally and safely off railroad property to watch the procession of trains. Gritty as it is, this is now one of my favorite spots for train watching.

2125 is officially an EMD GP38AC built in 1971 as #648 for the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, better known as The Frisco. This railroad was merged in to Burlington Northern in 1980, and the engines were spread across the system.

It's nice to see these merger machines still in service, almost 40 years after being built! For the record, up close this thing sounded awesome. I can imagine it in the great Frisco red & white paint scheme at some time in history.

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Photo - Graffiti On A Hopper

Taken at Interbay, with my lens sticking through a fence! While I don't condone defacing private property, I have to admit this is perhaps one of the most stunning graffiti jobs I've ever seen.

Video - SDRX 904 Pushing Sounder

4/17/2009 - I just barely got out of my truck when this Sounder started blowing its way through the Spokane Street crossing. A quick power finger and a steady hand caught it on video heading north to King Street Station!