RAILFAN GUIDES of the U.S.

Todd's Railfan Guide to
PORTLAND OR
the other side of the Columbia River... Vancouver WA

PORTLAND RAILFAN GUIDE HOME
RAILFAN GUIDES HOME
RAILROAD SIGNALS HOME

The Portland Railfan Guide is divided up into the following sections:
Portland Home Page
Map 1 - the Amtrak Station area
Map 2 - UP and the east side of the Willamette
Map 3 - BNSF and the west side of the Willamette
Map 4 - South of Downtown, Milwaukie
Map 8 - Vancouver WA - You're on this page
 

I also have the following transit maps available for the Portland area:
   Portland Transit Home
    MAP 2 ..... the Portland Streetcar
    MAP 3 ..... WES - the Westside Express Service Commuter Train
    MAP 4 ..... the Downtown Area
    MAP 5 ..... the Westside Light Rail Guide
    MAP 6 ..... the Eastside Light Rail Guide
Please note, these are only maps, and not guides, so there are no pictures or information contained within.

    1        the Amtrak Station

In reading the various railfan nets floating around the internet, the Vancouver Amtrak station appears to be the number one spot for watching trains in the Portland area.

Going east from Vancouver along the Columbia, you have railroad crossings at Wishram and Kennewick/Pasco... there are two fairly good size yards along the way, one in Pasco, and one in Wishram.  The Wishram yard was the main classification yard for the SP&S.  The track out of Pasco heads on up to Spokane.

Heading north from the station and wye takes the BNSF up to Tacoma and Seattle.  I-5 follows the tracks pretty well up to a couple of miles north of Castle Rock, and then rejoins it at Chehalis - only for a short while tho, cause I-5 takes off NW from the tracks at Centralia... Amtrak stops in Centralia.  Chehalis is also home to the Chehalis Centralia Railroad and Museum.  Along the way, there are a couple of yards on the south side of Longview/Kelso.

New 10/23/2011
last Modified: 10 Mar 2012