Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

I was watching a VR Grab Bag and AMTK 100 going through Asheville VA all painted up with a 50yrs paint scheme. Looks great. 49 years ago I 

just graduated from High Skoolen. Bellingham Wa pre-BN merger was 2 passenger trains each way between Seattle and Vancouver on the Great Northern

the famed "Internationals". One of my first "great shots" was this GN International southbound through GN Bellingham yard winter of 1969. 

GN and the ill-fated "Sky Blue" paint scheme. Never got to apply that paint scheme much in the 2yrs prior to BN merger. Good thing. Next is

the BN "Sky Blue" SDP40 stopped at Bellingham with the SB International. 2nd to last BN passenger train to stop at Bellingham April 29 1971

and May 1 1971 BN stops running passenger trains between Seattle and Vancouver BC. Low ridership one of the reasons. No passenger service

for over a year and then Amtrak started the "Pacific International" on July 17 1972 and I was there to photograph the event. A lot of speculation

of what unit would be on the train and the passenger car make-up. No disappointment with a ex-CBQ E8 on the point. Ex-CBQ E-units were on 

most of the AMTK trains the first year in the GPNW. Amtrak ran the Pacific Internationals  until Sept 30 1981 when for some reason they stopped.

It wasnt until 1995 when Amtrak started up passenger service between Seattle and Vancouver BC calling it the "Mt Baker International". Was running

2 trains a day between Seattle and Vancouver BC with high ridership until the covid 19/pandemic March 2020 and the closing of the USA/CAnada border.

Border still closed. 

-- Edited by The Krink on Wednesday 9th of June 2021 01:59:30 AM