My son and I wait in line to buy tickets for a baseball game in Klamath Falls, Oregon during 2013.

Tags:   Klamath Falls Klamath Falls, Oregon Oregon Klamath Falls Gems Baseball ballpark

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On September 20, 2012, Montana Rail Link’s day gas local heads east along the Flathead River approaching Perma, Montana, on MRL’s Tenth Subdivision. Powering the train of empty tank cars is MRL EMD SD45 No. 346 and SD40-2XR No. 263.

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From 2011 to 2018, a summer collegiate wood bat team played in our hometown of Klamath Falls, Oregon. The team was named the Gems, in honor of a Class D minor league team that called Klamath home from 1948-51. The name also promoted the potatoes grown in the Klamath Basin. During their eight seasons of play, the Gems' home was Kiger Stadium - a vintage ballpark featuring a wood grandstand built by the original Gems after WWII.

The 21st century Gems began play as a member of the prestigious West Coast League, an organization of baseball teams in the Northwest and Western Canada. After five seasons in the WCL, none of which had a winning record, in 2016 the Gems transferred to the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League in Northern California. After just two seasons, the Gems moved to the Great West League for 2018. Alas, at the end of that season, the league folded. The Gems followed suit not long afterward, ending summer collegiate baseball in the Klamath Basin.

The Gems had a mascot named Tater. How can you not love a mascot that was a bag of french fries? It was undoubtedly a nice, subtle way of urging fans to hit the concession stands. I caught him at a game during a visit to family in 2013. Following the failure of the franchise, you have to wonder what fate befell the mascot's costume.

Tags:   Klamath Falls Oregon USA Baseball mascot collegiate wood bat baseball summer collegiate baseball french fries potatoes potato Klamath Basin

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IAIS gave me a great day-belated birthday gift with a shuttle move of the Silvis-bound donation special a couple years ago. It was a terribly frustrating chase with the most diverse weather conditions I’ve faced in 6 hours in Iowa and a bunch of shit traffic. Compounding the difficulty was the general size and makeup of the consist, but it looked pretty neat at the famed Oxford bend not far west of Iowa City.

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Chicago & Illinois Midland SD20 No. 80 and RS1325 No. 31 rest between runs at Springfield, IL on Sept. 9, 1996.

Tags:   Springfield IL C&IM SD20 RS1325 1996

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