1950 Mansfield Branch PR Letter

Krupp Depot Anecdote

The following story was found in the September 1908 edition of “The Coast” magazine.

It is reported that the present depot at Krupp was mistaken the other day for a chicken house. This is the way the story goes:

A prominent farmer in the vicinity of Krupp, expecting a chicken coop to arrive, sent one of his hands, a newcomer, to fetch it.

On arriving in town the man saw the depot; loaded it on his wagon and started for the ranch.

On his way back he met a man in uniform with the word “agent” on his cap.

“Hold on,” cried the official. “What have you got on that wagon?”

“My boss’ chicken coop,” was the reply.

“Chicken coop be blowed,” exclaimed the official. “That’s the Great Northern depot.”

--Jim Goodwin, in “The Krupp Signal.”

Value of Railroad facilities in Coulee City in 1926 dollars

Passenger and freight depot, two stories, 20 by 44 feet, one
story 20 by 62 feet, frame, built 1890. $4394
Furniture. $344
Platform, 6240 square feet, frame. $879
Grading, 351 cubic yards, cinders. $255
Outside piping. $1535
Sundry items. $339

Stock yard, 20068 FBM (1 FBM (foot board measure) is equal to a board 12" wide x 12" long x 1" thick), built 1905. $1092

Ice house, 22 by 30 feet, frame, built 1902, $722

Roundhouse, two stall, 67 feet, brick, built 1890. $7191

Turntable, 56 feet, deck plate girder, built 1890. $4085

Sand and oil house, 18 by 26 feet, brick, built 1890. $1469

Ash pit, 64 feet long, brick and concrete, built 1890. $939
Pipe lines $695
Coal dock, 14 by 240 feet, frame, shed with 254 foot frame loading trestle and 206 foot frame approach trestle. $4821

A value of $100 1926 dollars would be inflated to $1184 dollars today.

Comparisons on the Marcellus branch of the Milwaukee Road.

This branch hauled mostly wheat out to coastal ports. Management considered it a money loser. These numbers show gross revenue only. 1951 is included for comparison.

1977 $852,428
1951 $548,515

In contrast, the Moses Lake-area stations were loading time-sensitive potatoes and sugar for the transcontinental haul. Service was six days a week handled in relatively short trains. A lot more revenue was made from such transcontinental traffic, but perhaps a comparable number of carloads to the Marcellus Branch grain.

In the period from 10-1-1975 to 9-30-1976, this branch shipped 2,326 cars, mostly of wheat, all in 40 foot boxcars on light rail.

There was clearly much more money involved shipping from Moses Lake and Warden to points east than there was with short-haul grain from the Marcellus branch.

A 1977 traffic study found the following:
The 39 mile branch between Marcellus and Tiflis is laid with 65# rail. The line does not see much traffic, especially at the end. Some repair and ties are needed and, through muddy areas, some surfacing. Fifteen per cent of the track is unplated.

The 28.2 mile branch between Warden and Moses Lake is choppy and rough between Mileposts 3 and 6 with surface bent 90# rail. Some of the 80# and 85# rail between Tiflis and Moses Lake is surface bent. The branch is fairly good between Moses Lake, Milepost 15 and the Air Base, Milepost 19. The branch requires ten miles of rail, 15 miles of surfacing and 800 ties per mile.

The 5.2 mile branch between Royal City Junction and Royal City is a new and good railroad laid with 100# and 131# rail. There are heavy curves and grades, but all that is needed is some cut cleaning of fallen rock.

Marcellus branch shipment points

A traffic report for the Marcellus branch of the Milwaukee Road shows the following shippers (S) and consignee (C) for the movement of grain. Date is from the 4th week of September, 1977.

Tiflis (nothing shipped)
Laing (nothing shipped)

Ruff-
(S) Odessa Trading
(C) Kalama-Northern Pacific Grain Growers
(C) Tacoma-Continental Grain

Moody
(S) Odessa Trading
(C) Kalama-Northern Pacific Grain Growers

Batum
(S) Odessa Trading
(c) Kalama- Northern Pacific Grain Growers

Lauer
(S) Odessa Union Warehouse
(c) Continental Grain Tacoma

Jantz (nothing shipped)

Reiman
(s) Odessa Union Warehouse
(c) Seattle-Fisher Flouring Mill
(c) Tacoma-Continental Grain

Schoonover
(s) Odessa Union Warehouse
(c) Longview-Continental Grain
(C) Tacoma-Continental Grain

Packard (nothing shipped)

Marcellus
(S) Ritzville Warehouse
(c) Tacoma-Continental Grain
(C) Kalama-Northern Pacific Grain Growers

Passenger train service to Neppel

Schedule effective November 9th, 1915


Train 115 Depart Warden 7:00 am
Arrive Tiflis 7:25 am

Then became Train 215
Depart Tiflis
Arrive Neppel 8:25 am

Train 216 Depart Neppel 8:40 am
Arrive Tiflis 9:45 am

Then became Train 115 Depart Tiflis 9:45 am
Arrive Marcellus 12:15 pm

Then became Train 116
Depart Marcellus 1:15 pm
Arrive Warden 4:25 pm

Coach service only.

These trains operated only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Tidbits from the Milwaukee Road Timetable of 1980

CMSTP&P RR CO.,
Office of Division Manager,
Washington-Montana Division

Tacoma, Washington
January 1, 1980

Timetable NO. 32

TWENTIETH SUBDIVISION

Do not exceed 15 mph 600 feet east to 600 feet west of Alder Street HWY Crossing located just west of depot at Moses Lake, account short circuit for highway crossing signals.

There is a broken rail on Main Track at Alder Street Crossing at Moses Lake. Trains and Engines will operate through the Auxiliary Track Switches lined and locked for movement through the Auxiliary Track.
Westward movements MUST STOP after activating Highway Crossing Signals at Alder Street in order that Highway traffic has adequate warning and then proceed over the crossing.

TWENTY-FIRST SUBDIVISION

Between Tiflis and Marcellus trains do no exceed:

10 MPH over east and west switches at Old Moody

10 MPH over west switch at Old Schoonover

Do Not exceed 10 MPH between MP 11 and east switch of Laing Industry Track.

D.H. Burke
Acting Division Manager

Coulee City to Ellensburg, but this time via the LONG way

December 2, 1898
Charles S. Bihler
Division Engineer
Tacoma

To: Edwin Harrison McHenry
Chief Engineer
St. Paul
I beg to hand you herewith estimate of cost of lines in accordance with your letter of October 20th. I also attach reports of J.M. Dixon concerning his reconnaissance of Okanogan Valley, also his report concerning river crossings and freights handled on the
Columbia River and report of F.J. Taylor of his reconnaissance of the Peshastin Range, and the following plats:
General map showing lines under consideration
Condensed profile, Coulee City to Bridgeport
Map of Peshastin country accompanying Taylor's report
Map of Peshastin country showing Clark's preliminary

Following is a summary of the estimates:
Grand Coulee to Moses Coulee 26.5 miles $10,066, $280,000

Moses Coulee to Sec 16 T 2 R 23 22 miles $13,000 $286,000

Moses Coulee to Bridgeport 21.2 miles $16,792 $337,600

Bridgeport to Chelan Ferry 33.5 miles $30,450 $1,020,000

Chelan Ferry to Chelan 5 miles $29,800 $149,000

Chelan Ferry to Wenatchee 38.5 miles $20,000 $770,000

Wenatchee to Mouth of Swauk 60 miles $27,000 $1,620,000

Total $4,462,000

COULEE CITY TO MOSES COULEE

This line was located in 1891 and placed under construction. The line ascends the westerly slopes of the Grand Coulee with a two percent compensated grade, making a summit elevation about 880 feet above Coulee City. From there it runs to the head of Moses Coulee, which it crosses at an elevation about 335 feet lower than the summit. The westbound adverse grades are one percent maximum; while the eastbound grades are 1.1. By some minor revision the westbound grade can be reduced to 0.5 virtual and the eastbound grades to one percent.

The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern located a line about the same time. This line makes a summit several miles north of the Northern Pacific summit, at an altitude of about 60 feet above ours. The line is likewise located on a two percent for the rise out of the Grand Coulee and from the summit to Moses Coulee has one percent maximum each way. In general the grades are more broken and though located considerably further to the north, the line does not find ground materially higher than our line. Its length is slightly in excess of the Northern Pacific line. In order to show the general features of both lines relative to each other, I attach condensed profile of both lines. Construction was commenced on our line in 1891 and about four miles of grading have been finished, and three miles more about half completed. No bridging has been done on this line. The country through which the line runs, though the land is generally taken up, is very sparely settled and very little is under cultivation.The appearance of the soil and character of vegetation is in general same as through the eastern part of the Waterville district, which is more or less under cultivation. There is perhaps a little more scabland, but on a whole the absence of settlers, I believe, is to be accounted for by the scarcity of water for domestic purposes.

It seems improbable that any considerable amount of additional traffic can be obtained by an extension as far as the head of Moses Coulee. The line will draw some wheat from the country between Foster Creek and the Columbia, which now goes to Bridgeport, but will be too far away from the heart of the present wheat district around Waterville to come in competition for the traffic of the latter as distributing point. Several townships of wheat land, which would be tributary to the terminus of this line, have been selected by the state under its grant and are at present not on the market.

MOSES COULEE TO SECTION 16, T 26, R 23

In order to make the extension from Coulee City profitable it would be necessary to extend the line from Moses Coulee to the west a sufficient distance to make it more profitable to the farmers to haul there wheat to the railroad than to the river. A the present time the principal wheat shipping point is Orondo, from where about 600,000 bushels are shipped by boat to Wenatchee. At Chelan Ferry about 100,000 bushels are shipped and smaller amounts at Bridgeport and the mouth of the Methow. The present wheat product of the district around Waterville, north of Badger Mountain and west of Moses coulee, is about 800,000 bushels. When all land capable of raising crops is brought under cultivation the district is capable of producing about 2,000,000 bushels annually. By summer fallowing and methods of farming adapted to the climate a crop of twenty bushels to the acre can be counted on with a fair degree of certainty. On the basis of present production, the earnings and charges of the branch line would compare about as follows:

Earnings
24,000 tons wheat at $4.25 for $102,000
5,000 tons merchandise at $10.000 for $50,000
Passengers, $200 per road mile for $10,000
total $162,000

Expenses
Interest on cost, $566,000 at five percent for $28,300
Maintenance, 48.5 miles at $400 for $19,400
Operation, daily trains at $25,000
Maintenance of equipment at fifteen percent for $3,750
General expenses at ten percent for $2,500
Total $50,650

Cost of Interchange Business
80 trains times 108 times 2 for $12,528
30 trains times 256 times 2 for $15,360
40 trains times 128 times 2 for $10,240
33 trains times 108 for $4,752
22 trains times 350 for $7,700
Total train miles 50,580 at $1.30, $65,754
Total expenses $144,704
Surplus $17,296

I have not figured the cost of interchange business according to average cost per net ton mile, the result appearing unreasonably high. The average has been converted into equivalent train mileage and cost calculated according to average cost per train mile. As the bulk of the freight will be moved in car loads of more than double the net tonnage than the average, this method would appear to be more correct in this case.

Nevertheless, the proposition is not sufficiently attractive to justify construction for the present traffic. With the tonnage doubled which may not unreasonably be expected in the course of a few years, the branch would be paying a surplus of $100,000 per year. In case construction to Moses Coulee should be undertaken for the purpose of reaching the Columbia River, the spur from Moses Coulee west would make a valuable feeder. In making the estimate for this extension, I have assumed that the character of the work will be similar to the Waterville line, which was surveyed in 1891 and believe the estimate will be found quite close.

MOSES COULEE TO BRIDGEPORT

The line after climbing out of Moses Coulee crosses the divide between the Coulee and Cottonwood Canyon, following the later down to Bridgeport with a maximum grade of 2.2 compensated. The line has not been rerun but the original estimate has been revised in detail.

A preliminary was run last month for a revision of line to eliminate the flat spot in the vicinity of Cottonwood and to gain the top of the bench with an unbroken maximum grade. The preliminary shows this to be feasible, though at an increased cost for construction. The total fall from head of Moses Coulee to Bridgeport is about 1,280 feet, the fall from the top of the divide being 1,430 feet.

Bridgeport is a small town, the only industry being a flouring mill, serving local consumption, the town being the unloading point for the settlers to this vicinity. The north bank of the Columbia opposite Bridgeport is within the Colville Indian Reservation. With railroad facilities at Bridgeport would become the distributing point for the Okanogan country. About 3,000 tons of wheat are shipped from Bridgeport to Wenatchee and about 150 tons per annum will cover the shipments of merchandise to Bridgeport.

The Okanogan country at present time furnishes an inbound traffic of about 2,000 tons of merchandise. Its product is about 3,000 head of stock, of which about eight percent comes to our line at Coulee City, balance going to Wenatchee. At the best we can only obtain the twenty percent in addition to what we have now. There is considerable mining in the upper Okanogan country and on some of the mines a fair amount of development work has been done. The ore is of low grade and cannot stand the wagon haul to river. These conditions would probably not be changed materially by the construction to Bridgeport.

According to the U.S. Engineer's report the Okanogan can be made navigable for a comparatively small amount for a distance of 75 miles and the development of the country will undoubtedly force this work within a short time. in that case the wheat lands along the Okanogan would also stand a chance of being brought under cultivation.

It is quite evident that present traffic will not support a line from Coulee City to Bridgeport. In connection with the western spur from Moses Coulee it would pay interest and operating expenses, as this combination would permit a reduction in train service corresponding with the amount of traffic offered.

Earnings
24,000 tons wheat a 4.25 $102,000
7,150 tons merchandise at 10 $71500
Passengers 200 per mile $13800
Subtotal $187,300

Expenses
Interest on cost of $903,600 at five percent $45,180
Maintenance 69.7 at $400 $27,680
Operation daily trains $25,000
Maintenance of equipment twenty percent $5,000
General expenses $2,500
Subtotal $105,360

Cost of interchange business
80 trains by 108 by 2 $12,528
30 trains by 256 by 2 $15,360
40 trains by 128 by 2 $10,240
64 trains by 108 $6,912
32 trains by 360 $11,200
Total train miles 56,240 at $1.20 for $73,112
Surplus $8,828

BRIDGEPORT TO CHELAN FERRY

The line is located on the south bank of the Columbia to a point opposite Virginia City, about three miles below the mouth of the Okanogan River, where it comes to the north side. The river at the point of crossing is about 800 feet wide at lower water, about 1,500 feet wide at high water and range between high and low water is about 50 feet. I have estimated a permanent structure, steel spans on concrete substructure, pneumatic foundations for the channel spans. The bottom is gravel and boulders, no rock being in sight. Cost of the structure is about $350,000, including traffic charges. Comparative estimates would probably show longer spans than estimated for, more economical and would permit some reduction of the estimate. Outside of the Columbia River crossing there will be the crossing of the Methow for which 2,150 foot Howe truss spans have been provided on temporary piers.

Two small towns are located on the line, Virginia City, consisting of a few house and two stores; and Ives, at the mouth of the Methow, which forms the supply point for the Methow Valley. About half-a-dozen orchards comprise all of the cultivated land along the river.

The whole country is sparsely settled and vies the impression of being exceedingly backward. There is some bench land along the river but no extensive farming country. Fruit does well and does not require irrigation.

The Methow Valley, from the small amount of merchandise shipped, does not appear to be, as yet, a freight producer of any importance. About 2,000 head of stock are shipped out annually, most of which goes to Coulee city. The mines, some of which show a considerable amount of development, are not shipping to any extent. Practically nothing comes out except sample lots.

The passenger business done by the Columbia River boats at present time amounts to about $6,000 to $7,000 per annum. With better communication and the country becoming better known, the passenger travel to Lake Chelan should, in time, become a feature.

The Chelan River, which above Chelan widens out into a lake of an average width of one and one-quarter miles and 70 miles long, located about 360 feet above the level of the Columbia, drops from this lake to the river through a narrow canyon, forming in its lower course a series of low falls. The line was located through this canyon on a 1.2 compensated, which holds the line a considerable distance above the river at its mouth and necessitates a long and expensive descent on the slopes of the Columbia River, increasing also the cost of the canyon work itself. The estimate was made on a revised line following the bottom of the canyon more closely. The grade on this line would be about 2.5 percent maximum.

Chelan is a town of several hundred inhabitants. The lake has considerable attractions as a summer resort and along its banks are a few scattering ranches. No farming land of any extent is found along the lake; if this region should ever assume importance as a traffic producer it would be on account of mining, which is yet in its infancy, none of the mines having advanced beyond the prospect stage.

The annual freight shipments to Chelan amount to about 250 tons, nothing coming out. The boat running on the lake does a business of about $8,000 per annum, about half of the receipts being passengers.

CHELAN FERRY TO WENATCHEE

The estimate of the cost of this line is based on the average cost per mile for the line between Chelan Ferry and Bridgeport, after eliminating special features and adding the expense of river crossing at Chelan, Entiat and Wenatchee rivers. No local traffic could be expected on this line.

WENATCHEE TO MOUTH OF SWAUK

In accordance with your instructions a hasty exploration of the Peshastin Range was made by Mr. Taylor, whose report I enclose. The exploration settled chiefly the fact that now low pass exists at the head of Wilson Creek as reported. The range is lowest immediate east of Mount Stuart, the lowest elevation found being about 4,100 feet. By tunnel this elevation could practicably be reduced to 3,800 feet. East of this pass the range rises to an elevation above 5,000 feet and then runs without any marked depressions and a general slope towards the east, its lowest altitude being 3,250 feet at the head of Johnson Creek, nearly due east from Ellensburg. A line to utilize any of the eastern passes would have to follow the Columbia and make the rise in one of the side creeks, making suchdevelopment as the ground would permit.

D.D. Clark made an examination of this range in 1867 and ran a preliminary up Teanaway, crossing the divide over to the Swauk and then up Swauk Creek to main divide and across down the Peshastin. As his reports give a good idea of the country in general, I attach his report in full. [Not included.]

It appears that a line with three percent maximum grades is the best that can reasonably be expected on this route. Any lower grade would require a supported line for nearly the entire distance. The estimate is based on this preliminary, the line being considered in sections according to their general features.

From Clark's report it appears that even as early as 1867 this country was settled to some extent and that some local traffic might be expected on this line. It would differ in this respect from the Columbia River route, which would be entirely barren.

The length of the line via Columbia River and Quille Desmenes Creek would be about 75 miles in connection with the main line east of Ellensburg, and its cost about $17,000 per mile, or $1,275,000. This line would make a summit elevation of about 3,670. The pass at the head of Johnson Creek appears to be too far south to be considered in this connection. The distance from Coulee city to mouth of Swauk, via Foster, Creek, Columbia-Wenatchee and Peshastin is 180 miles. Via Cheney the line is 378 miles. Distance from Cheney to Swauk is about eighteen miles longer by the new route than by present line.

The Seattle Lake Shore and Eastern

My interest is mostly in the eastern section of the Seattle Lake Shore and Eastern. This bit of history does include the money-making western division, only because the people involved were focused there.



The Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern was incorporated in 1885 by Seattle interests. The main route was to be Seattle to Everett, to Wenatchee, to Waterville, to Coulee City, and on to Spokane. It also was to have a branch that everyone assumed cross the state over Snoqualmie Pass.
In early December of 1887, the Seattle and Eastern Construction Co. was incorporated to build the road for the Lake Shore. It was not until July 16th, 1888, that the first regular train ran the 24 miles from Seattle to Woodinville. They constructed no further than Sallal Prairie in the Cascades.
The eastern division started working west from Spokane in early 1888. Forty miles were planned to be ready for the fall harvest. Twenty miles of grade were in by July, but a lack of funds only saw 10 miles of track by November. The next few months were more productive and 45 miles of the line were open to Wheatdale in March, 1889. When money problems became acute, the town of Davenport offered to grade the five miles to reach their own town. This was accepted and completed so that in October, the eastern section consisted of the 50.05 miles from Spokane to Davenport, though some grading had been completed as far as a few miles beyond Coulee City.
The NP built a branch to compete with the eastern section of the Lake Shore; it was called the Central Washington Railroad. NP records indicate that between December 6th, 1887, and February 25th, 1888, surveys were made and a line located diverging from the main line at Cheney, and extending westward through portions of Spokane, Lincoln, and Douglas counties across the middle crossing of the Grand Coulee, a distance of 115 miles. To forestall the Lake Shore line, the NP put G.W. Hunt to work grading five miles through the Grand Coulee in early summer 1888. This action, along with the other Lake Shore problems, was sufficient to allow later Central Washington construction. During 1889, the road was completed the 46 miles to Almira. On May 30th, 1890, the grade and bridges were completed for the entire branch, and by July 1st the track was in.
The Northern Pacific acquired control of the Lake Shore in 1890 and ran it until the NP went bankrupt in 1893. The Lake Shore led a separate existence during the NP receivership. Its lease had been given up shortly before the receivership, and it had gone into bankruptcy too. There had been continuing litigation between the NP and the Lake Shore as to who was indebted to whom, and the NP was trying to prevent a foreclosure. However, on March 31st, 1896, a foreclosure sale was ordered for May 16th and the bondholders agreed to this on April 10th. The Lake Shore was thus sold to its reorganization committee on May 22nd for $1,000,000 and the sale was confirmed on June 9th. The road began anew with the western division as one railroad and the eastern division as another, although they both had the same officers. On July 11th, the old bondholders of the Lake Shore began a general creditor’s suit in Milwaukee to forestall the NP sale, claiming that the general creditors had been left out of the reorganization. The case was argued on July 21st and denied on the 22nd. Likewise the reorganization committee for the Lake Shore stated on July 24th that there was no NP lien, as it came after the first mortgage and the road had been sold under that mortgage; thus, they said, the NP lien was against a defunct road.
The NP had been behind the long delay between the sale of the Lake Shore in May, 1896, and its final court confirmation in February, 1897. This was because the NP owned $3,162,650 of stock and $1,258,691 of bonds in the company and the sale price was only $1,000,000. After the confirmation of the sale, the western section of the Lake Shore, which was the part of value, passed to a company called the Seattle and International on July 10th. This company had been formed earlier in the summer for just this purpose. During January, 1898, the NP bought $5,558,000 of the bonds of the S&I and displaced the reorganization management. On March 21st, 1901, the NP purchased the S&I.
The eastern section of the Lake Shore was also acquired on July 10th, 1896, by a new company called the Spokane and Seattle; its officers were the same as those of the S&I. The fifty-mile line from Spokane to Davenport was always operated by the NP. It closely paralleled the Washington Central, successor company to the Central Washington. This latter company had been sold at Spokane January 19th, 1898, and bid in by the bondholders for $100,000. The NP acquired all of the capital stock and leased it in March. In March a year later, the NP purchased the Medical Lake-Davenport section of the S&S, and in October, 1900, the Spokane-Medical Lake section. Along with the purchase went the abandonment of these 29 miles of track, which was the section paralleling the Washington Central.
The S&S had a small rebirth, in that the abandoned track between Medical Lake and Spokane was purchased by the Washington Water Power company for use as an interurban train. The WWP purchased the line from the NP on March 2, 1904. These passenger trains ran until March 12, 1922, as declining ridership caused the WWP to end the operation.
The section of track from Medical Lake to Davenport fared a lot better. A small section between Medical Lake and Eleanor was abandoned, but the remainder operated until 1983, when the successor to the NP, the Burlington Northern, pulled up the tracks.
The final remaining piece of track was operated by the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. The Lake Shore had built a joint depot with the OR&N on the north side of the Spokane River in downtown Spokane. When the S&S was sold to the NP, the OR&N retained use of the depot, plus some surrounding track. This track survived to the early 1980s, when it was pulled up by the Union Pacific, owner of the OR&N.

Coulee City RPO Postmark

A few posts ago I mentioned the Railway Post Offices. Here are a couple of postmarks from the Spokane and Coulee City RPO. Note that one is for the eastbound train, and the other is for the westbound.

Adrian, Washington

I noticed that with the different construction dates of the line from Coulee City to Adrian versus the one from Adco to Connell, that a small mystery had come up, but then solved nearly right away.
I had the understanding that the NP line that went down to the GN at Adrian and the NP line that crossed over on a large bridge were built at the same time.
In the first picture, you can see the GN curving in from the right and then down to the bottom of the picture. The NP line to Adrian comes from the top left of the photo and connects to the GN. You can make out the grade for the line from Adco between the NP and Adrian Road Northeast, headed straight down to the bottom of the photo.


In the second photo, you can see where the NP Adrian line connects with the GN in the top right of the photo. The GN runs through a big curve in the photo, and the NP Adco line is still visible in the middle of the photo, and where the dark line starts near the bottom. Yes, there was a large bridge over Crab Creek and the GN.



I propose that the turntable and water tower at Adrian belonged to the NP, though they now seem to be along the GN. These items would be at the edge of the railroad lines in the second photo, but on the upper portion of the lines. The GN had a divisional shop at Wilson Creek (just a few miles away) and would have no need of a turntable here. The NP ran trains from Spokane to Adrian for a time, and would need to be able to turn their steam locomotives at this spot. I think the current siding track, the upper curved black line in the second photo originally was the NP, which curved along the GN, to the 3 track yard at Adrian, currently still there. Or that there were once more tracks at Adrian which belonged to the NP.

In the third photo, the unnamed marker shows the turntable pit.

Here is a closeup shot of the footings and the turntable pit.




In the very center of the turntable pit was this bit of concrete. It certainly fits the time line.


Before the turntable was built, the NP trains could have used the wye tracks on the GN, which were about 1/4 mile west of the GN depot.

Construction record of the CW

The Central Washington branch of the Northern Pacific was not built all at once. The Connell Northern section was added a few years later completing a wide loop between the NP mainline stations of Cheney and Connell.

1888 construction started. Cheney to 3 miles west of Deep Creek. Line opened in 1889.

1889 construction started. 3 miles west of Deep Creek to Almira. Line opened June 14, 1890. Service to Davenport started July 1, 1889.

1890 construction started. Almira to Coulee City. Line opened November 1, 1890.

1903 construction started. Odair to Adrian. Line opened December 1, 1903.

1910 construction started. Adco to Connell. Line opened November 1, 1910.

1910 construction started. Bassett Jct to Schrag. Line opened November 1, 1910