Marty:

I used to railfan this line a lot but not a lot in the last few years, when most of the operation went to nights, outside of Elma to Aberdeen, Grays Harbor and Hoquiam. There is no Saturday operation except for special movements.

My experience on the Elma to Centralia portion. M-F nighttime. Sunday the train would generally leave Elma approximately at noon for Centralia. It usually stops to switch in Rochester.

During the week there is a BNSF local run south to Winlock with cars of chicken feed with one of the geeps and a caboose. The other geep usually works the yard.

M-F There was usually 2 crews that go to Aberdeen from Elma. At about 6 am one crew would take the train to Aberdeen and then at around 8 am the other one would either go by truck or take additional power if needed to Aberdeen.
At Aberdeen usually 2 crew members would then each take a remote control locomotive, one to switch Hoquiam and the other to switch Grays Harbor. I always followed the Hoquiam locomotive power since there is no way to shoot Grays Harbor that I know of. At Hoquiam the NP depot is still standing in the old NP yard. The Hoquiam switcher usually has a lot of A frames for lumber loading. There is a mill on the northwest side of town which includes some street running. Other lumber is loaded in a lot near the yard. Sometimes cars are stored on the western section of track at Hoquiam which was the line to Moclips.

The M-F train from Elma to Belfair used to leave at 8 am but now generally works at night unless the schedule has changed, which it sounds like it may have. I used to check in at the office in Elma and they were always very helpful.
The train from Elma to the Navy base at Bangor is generally on Sunday. Munition trains are run once in awhile, sometimes with run through Union Pacific power.
Cars of scrap are picked up once a week or so at the Bremerton ship yard usually before 1 pm.
Kitsap County has a huge garbage disposal facility at the Bremerton Industrial Center which is across the road from the airport. This is where all the double stacks come from. This is a M-F train. The yard there is named Belfair though its about 2 1/2 miles north of the actual town of Belfair, which is South Belfair on the railroad.

Most of the Simpson trains run in the morning. There is usually one with green lumber from Matlock by 9 am. If there are water logs for Matlock they usually go up the hill to Matlock by late morning. A train of empties usually goes to Matlock in the late afternoon. If you check in at the dispatchers office by the crossover and bridge at the Simpson Mill they are generally very friendly and informative.

L.A.Scrafford

> I started at about 8:00 a.m. in Chehalis, WA.
> Nothing was happening. No power was parked. So I
> went north a few miles to Centralia. Found two
> BNSF green geeps in the yard. One working, one
> sitting. The morning sun allowed nothing but
> backlit photos but in the afternoon I'm sure you
> can capture these guys. I also found one sleeping
> California Northern GP15-1 on the PS&P east/west
> connector.


>
> Highway 12 does a fair job of following the tracks
> up to Elma, the PS&P headquarters. My scanner
> came to life as I approached the town but when I
> got there nothing was happening but at least 5
> geeps of assorted colors were sitting behind
> fences, other objects, and beyond photography
> range.
>
> So on to Aberdeen. Highway 12 does a poor job of
> following the tracks most of the way but there are
> plenty of side roads. I had been noticing for
> miles that the ROW looks in good shape and there
> are even stretched of welded rail. Altamont's NW
> Timetable says track speeds Centralia to Aberdeen
> range mainly between 25 and 40 mph. So far no
> moving PS&P trains photographed.
>
> The next town west of an adjacent to Aberdeen is
> Hoquiam. The PS&P tracks run through town but
> only the eastern portion is used.
>
> The PS&P main tracks are like a "Y" on its side.
> The leg points at the Pacific ending at Hoquiam.
> Elma is in the middle. The lower arm to the
> southeast goes to Centralia and the upper arm
> northeast to the Bremerton area. Bremerton is on
> Puget Sound. Interchange with the UP, BNSF, and
> Tacoma Rail takes place around Centralia.
> Aberdeen is a Pacific Ocean Port.
>
> All the track PS&P (RailAmerica) uses today is all
> ex-NP. All the no trespassing signs say BN
> property, so I guess they not valid. I didn't
> test that theory.
>
> You can't get south of the tracks (sun side) in
> Aberdeen except at two adjacent grade crossings of
> short roads so photography is difficult. I
> thought nothing was happening but then I hear
> horns. I made it to those grade crossings in time
> to catch two CORP GP38s pulling cars out from the
> harbor. I didn't see how to get back in the
> harbor to take pictures.
. Now on to Shelton and Simpson Lumber.
> Route 108 and then 101 and 3 somewhat follow the
> tracks. Shelton is about halfway up the arm to
> Bremerton.
>
> The three Simpson Lumber SWs were in the
> roundhouse behind a chain link fence, over growth,
> and other stuff! No chance for a picture. But a
> southbound PS&P double stack train had just
> arrived in town and began working the yard at
> Simpson Lumber (about 2 pm). It's nearly
> impossible to photograph: fences, overgrowth, and
> guard posts at gates. It took about an hour for
> the PS&P units to get to a place I could get a
> grab shot. This must be the train of which Drew
> posted a picture to the original thread.
>
>
> Looking at the Simpson tracks through town, they
> are used occasionally. It would take some time to
> figure how to get to the tracks west of town. It
> looked like most logs are trucked in.
>
> Should I wait until the PS&P crew is through
> switching and chase the train back to Elma or
> continue to the north end of the line in the
> Bremerton area. Well this is my first look at the
> line so I head north on Highway 3. At Bremerton
> Junction the line forks. One part goes due north
> and the other over to Bremerton. Unfortunately
> both end in Navy Bases with no chance to see
> either PS&P yard. So it's off to the
> Kingston/Edmonds Ferry for a beautiful evening
> ride across Puget Sound to end the day.
>
>
> I'd appreciate corrections and observations.