Thanks for the note in the September WCRA News about the Budd cars operating in Oregon. I had totally lost track of them since I took a ride to Astoria a few years ago.
Wallowa and Union counties bought them and it is my understanding that they have been operating them weekly through the Grande Rhonde/Wallowa canyon. (Elgin to Wallowa) They split the starting point so that half of the trips started in Wallowa County and half in Union County. Rails Northwest chartered this particular run from Elgin to Joseph and back.
I haven't been able to figure out what those two counties are doing with a railroad. I saw three freshly painted GPs. They are painted in the yellow/blue of the Santa Fe with the warbonnet scheme. I asked if they were moving cars and was told they moved some propane and they said something about "once a month." A mill that had been a source of traffic closed last month.
The two Budds did not operate on their own. We were pulled by one of the GP’s. They said that they have been having mechanical problems and this was to make sure that the trip went as planned. I don't think we got over 10 mph the entire trip. Somebody said 15 but I missed it if we ever went that fast. We had a hi-rail truck ahead of us going through the canyon and it was on local roads giving a roll by when we got in the open.
The Grande Rhonde / Wallowa canyons are similar in appearance to BC in the Lillooet area. Except the streams are very, very small (I could wade the Grande Rhonde just about anywhere) and the railroad stays next to the stream instead of climbing out. When the railroad got into the Wallowa valley at Enterprise and Joseph it was flat land about 4000' in elevation. Ten miles away were mountains in the 9000' plus elevations. Problem was we could barely see them due to smoke from forest fires.
Thanks again for the note in the newsletter.
