On the Oregon Trail

 There's no IRM report this weekend because I was out of town.  My wife and I celebrated our anniversary by traveling west to Oregon -- Oregon, Illinois, that is.  White Pines State Park is a great place to get away, and most of our time was spent hiking and sight-seeing.  

 

Right across the road from our cabin in the woods is this lovely old stone bridge on the Q's main line out to the Mississippi, with a nice overlook so you could sit and watch trains go by at frequent intervals.  What's not to like? 

We also drove out to the big river to hike the palisades.

On the way, I was able to do a little railfanning, but everything we visited was closed.  In Savanna (not to be confused with Savannah) there is a small railroad museum with displays in a Milwaukee Road car alongside the Burlington main line.

Later, we stopped at the Silver Creek and Stephenson, an operating museum on the south side of Freeport.  They have an operating Heisler which runs on about a mile of isolated track, but there was no one there on a Saturday afternoon.  It's been a long time since I was there.

The passenger equipment is mostly these flat cars fitted out for excursion use.  The depot looks nice.

 The railroad is part of the local history museum across the road, the Silver Creek Museum.

 And in Oregon itself, the old Q depot has been nicely restored, with work still underway.  Inside, there's a depot museum with railroad-related displays, but as usual it wasn't open when I was there.  Curses, foiled again!

But meanwhile, while my back was turned, Joel Ahrendt reports that the trolley bases have been hoisted onto the roof of the 319 and are waiting for positioning and attachment.  That's fantastic news.  I really appreciate it.  Perhaps I should stay away more often?