Good Morning All!
26F @ 67% and clear
Got back from Sandpoint about 1700 yesterday afternoon. Doc appointment went good. Wife is now being setup for a stress test out of abundance of caution. Was impressed by the cardiologist. While asking questions; one was: did you get 'the shot/booster(s)'. When we answered 'No' he said 'Good', then 'Why?'. Besides being untested, I told him that I had not had a flu shot since 1978 and figured my system was in good shape as to the biological's and had good natural immunity. Wife stopped doing those flu shots in the early 2000's; probably because of me. Then he had a couple of horror stories about some of his friends and patients about the China virus. She was supposed to see him last week. He had to cancel. Told us that he had an issue and went to emergency telling the desk jockey that he was in the middle of a PE. Ya, sure they said thinking 'some kind of nut'. He flashed his badge and told them he was a cardiologist. Got him right in! My cardiologist retired last year, and I think he will be my new one; will check and if not, I will make it so.
It was snowing big time in Libby as we were getting ready to go; and not knowing the road conditions ... we left early. Anyway, went and had breakfast which still left us some time so I figured we would drive around for a bit checking out railroad locations I knew. Not a train on the way to Sandpoint, not a train in Sandpoint. In fact we did not see anything until our return when we got near Elmira. There was an oiler on the main just starting to head West ( South ). Had 2 CN's on front, 1 CN and 1 BNSF bringing up the rear. Was in traffic so I could not stop for pix. At first I though UP was running on BNSF although I have never seen UP with an oiler. As a note, UP trackage is a few hundred feet from the location we caught this one. Another oiler was Eastbound ( North ) that came out of the hole and we chased that; kinda, until Naples. BNSF was pretty dead.
So, hope that these pix aren't boring - at least there is some proof we were there. Both of Lake Pend O'Reilly ( pon der ray ), one looking up ( North ) the Lake/River, other looking somewhat SouthWest.
You can kinda see BNSF's long bridge across the lake. New trestle is done, has track. They are now getting ready to run the 2nd track from the bridge to the ( X ) MRL and Kootenai River Sub. Both new little bridges between long bridge and station are in sans ties and track. It is going to be interesting as to what they do with the junction. Besides getting by the Sandpoint Amtrak station, there could be some 'fancy' trackwork at the junction. MRL has a passing siding immediately after the junction, BNSF has the Boyer siding after going across the hiway and waterway; maybe 3/4 mile. BNSF and UP cross at grade just up from the hiway and before the Boyer siding; maybe 2000Ft after the junction. You can get there using Larch, then Boyer Ave, good watching location I might add.
I have asked BNSF guys I happen to run across about how far the double track is going to go, or if it dies at the junction. Nobody is willing to say. I know that the Koot Sub could be double tracked for the most part up to the Flathead Tunnel. Am unsure about the Kootenai River Canyon just after Bonners Ferry though; pretty much from Crossport to Yakt. There are 2 sidings in the canyon: Katka and Leonia; these 2 I have never stood upon as the River is on one side, and a very steep hill on the other. Except for those, I have stood on all sidings between Everett, Wa and East Glacier. When they were working on Katka a few years back I spotted a road going down marked "BNSF construction" but have not found it again. Suspect they trashed it when the work was done. There is a 'pipe' bridge across the Koot at Leonia - maybe some day.
Y'all have a good day.
Later