mook Wrote:
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> Anyplace else, at least in the US West? I'm not
> familiar with the Portland and Seattle systems
> though of course through this board have heard
> about WES (which is the oddball with full rail
> equipment compatibility).

WES is not an "oddball" it is a commuter rail train operating on FRA regulated interstate commerce trackage. It is not light rail; in fact it is operated using P&W crews (engineer and conductor) and not TriMet employees. Operators wear white shirts (as opposed to blue shirts for most TriMet non-supervisory employees) and have a GWI shoulder patch on one arm and a TriMet patch on the other arm.

The Orange Line will also cross the Oregon Pacific (East Portland Traction Company) route at grade, near the ORHF museum.

The Orange Line from Portland to Milwaukie will operate alongside the UP mainline (ex-SP) in southeast Portland and as a result comes under partial FRA regulation for crossings. TriMet is applying for a quiet zone here. However, until a few years ago the Westside MAX line operated along a portion of the former BN Oregon Electric line in Beaverton (which was at the time reduced to an industrial spur) and shared two grade crossings with the OE (one road crossing and one pedestrian crossing to the Beaverton Creek station), but did not whistle for the crossings. The OE track, now operated by Portland & Western, has since been removed here.

The original Blue Line from Lloyd Center to Gateway TC is alongside the UP's Graham Line but is physically separated and shares no grade crossings as the route is alongside I-84. UP has just one grade crossing in this area, but MAX passes overhead and the road (to a storage warehouse) passes underneath MAX.