Lots of good memories over the years. My ears popping when the tunnel door lifted while riiding the f-unit helpers through the Cascade Tunnel under Stevens Pass would be one.

Then there was the the eastbound rear shove of the MRL M/L over Mullan Pass at night. The sudden lurching as we came over the top at Blossburng and then the amazing sight of the headlight of the head-end below going in the opposite direction as we were with the train wrapped around the upper horseshoe at Austin.

So far as just pure pleasure, the night time shove of a coal drag over Winston Hill on the MRL was sweet indeed. I knew it would be the last time I'd ride an SD 45 helper, so I did everything I could to take it all in.

Not to be forgotten was the illfated trip with the new MRL ACe's when unit 4303 melted its invertor just as they were throttling up on a westbound coal heavy shove.

But maybe the best was riding on a set of BNSF power "barrowed" for a westbound coal shove over Mullan, and standing outside on the gangway as the train crossed over the Austin Gulch (Skyline) trestle.

Martin Burwash