Monday, October 25, 2010

Ephrata AFEs

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

From the GN-NP Archives.

1893    Construct 100x100 stockyard
1898    Extend passing track 531 feet
1899    Construct 700 foot industry track
1900    Replace 2 foot water pipe line with 4 foot
1900    Erect mail crane
1900    Equip mail crane with bag clamp
1900    Grade driveway
1901    Construct temporary stockyard
1901    Place 8 ton standard stock scale at stockyard
1901    Extend industry track 1550 feet
1902    Erect 24x48 station facility
1902    Construct public crossing
1902    Renew water pipe to stockyard
1903    Widen banks on road bed
1903    Install rain gauge and instruments for measuring rainfall
1903    Build an additional 98x99 foot pen to stock yard
1903    Install mail crane
1906    Construct private crossing
1906    Construct standard section house and standard laborer house
1907    Construct passing track
1909    Construct passing track
1909    Move water closet to new location
1909    Change outlet fixture on water tank from 7 inch to 10 inch diameter
1909    Install ROW fence
1910    Move station water closet
1911    Install 5700 feet of ROW fence 2 miles west of Ephrata
1912    Install electric crossing alarm bells at Pacific Ave
1912    Place public crossing 2 1/2miles west
1912    30x52 addition to depot, place flush toilet in each waiting room, rearrange for freight house and warm room, extend platform
1913    Remove stockyard scales
1914    Construct 400 foot extension to industry track for Standard Oil Co.
1914    Replace signals
1914    Construct 1064 foot extension on east end and 400 foot extension on west end of passing track
1914    Move public crossing 250 feet east
1914    Install ROW fence
1915    Install feed racks in stockyards
1915    Install sheep loading chute
1916    Install ROW fence
1916    Deep well and pump
1916    Relay passing track with 85# rail
1916    Pipe connection to city water
1916    Install culvert at bridge 344.1
1917    Install ROW fence
1917    Cess pool at depot
1918    Pump house for water tank
1919    Replace water tank
1920    Purchase lawn mower
1920    Extend drain from standpipe
1920    Enlarge pump house & replace pump
1920    Pipe from water tank to section house
1921    Bunk houses from Adrian and Columbia River
1921    Move 8x12 hand car house from Quincy to Ephrata
1922    Construct public crossings
1922    Bunk house from Circle
1922    Replace motor at pumping plant
1923    Install 11200 feet of ROW fence 4 miles west of Ephrata
1923    Ephrata to Quincy: Relay present 85# rail with new 100# rail from present end of 100# rail at station 6736-22 about 1/2 mile west of west switch Ephrata to west end of 90# rail near west switch Quincy station, a distance of 16 miles, providing 7x10 1/2 inch new tie plates and 5/8x6 inch spikes out of face. Relay rail lighter than 75# with second hand 85# rail in passing tracks at Naylor, Winchester, and Quincy; also tie plate curves in passing tacks with second hand tie plates and relay 68# turnouts with #9 turnouts, using second hand switch material recovered from main line. Provide curve number and elevation boards. Place 13000 cubic yards ballast out of face from Adrian pit charging 40% to capital account, balance to operating expense, provide for track bonding in connection with signal department. Extend passing track at Quincy to connect with east wye switch
1923    Electric lights in depot
1923    Move section house from Chopaka to Ephrata
1924    Electric lights in section house
1924    Construct Union Oil spur
1924    Install car body building
1924    Install cut-out for alarm bell
1925    Place oil drums
1925    Connect to city water
1925    Fill bridges 344.1, 344.2 & 362
1926    Deepen well
1928    Auxiliary telephone in depot warehouse
1928    Replace 100# passing track switches with 110# material
1929    Extend passing track
1931    Private crossing at Cyrus Ave
1932    Enlarge signal maintainers cottage
1934    Extend public crossing at Pacific Ave
1934    Move gas engine from Lyons to Ephrata pumping plant
1935    Highway underpass
1935    Air compressor for pumping plant
1935    Extend public crossing
1936    Add bedroom to section house
1937    Remove private crossing at Cyrus Ave
1937    Retire bunkhouse
1937    Install bunkhouse from Quincy
1939    Replace engine at pumping plant
1939    Water hose connection
1940    Assessment for sewer
1941    Shingles on roof of depot
1941    Loading platform
1942    Replace pump
1943    Remodel 29x100 station
1943    Sewer pipe
1943    Extend industry track
1943    Turnouts for Army tracks
1943    Grading for west leg of wye
1943    Fit up four 2689' capacity arch bar cars for use as bunk cars to house employees
1944    Relay through turnouts of passing tracks with 112# rail
1944    Remove mail crane
1945    Install spring switches
1945    Construct tool house
1945    Place derail on lead to Army Air Depot track
1945    Basin Concrete spur
1946    Griswold signals on Division and Third Ave
1946    Sewer line
1947    Assessment for streets-8th
1947    Pave platforms at depot
1947    Remove switch and connect industry tracks
1947    Purchase billing machine
1947    Purchase adding machine
1947    Install toilets in laborers houses
1947    Construct sidewalk on Third Ave
1948    Pave and repair crossings and relay 253 feet main line
1948    Improvements to company house
1948    Install shoo-fly tracks for canal crossing
1949    Morrison-Knudson siding
1949    Remove Union Oil spur
1950    Extend depot platform
1950    Purchase property
1950    Morrison-Knudson spur
1950    Irrigation pipe
1950    Dedicate part of station grounds for road
1951    Hand throw at Columbia Concrete Pipe spur
1951    Remove Morrison-Knudson track
1951    Install metal tool houses
1951    Temporary timber bridges Ephrata to Winchester
1952    Construct roadway and fence
1952    Partitions in depot
1952    Easement for street
1952    Retire water tank
1953    Purchase property
1953    Improve depot platform
1953    General Tractor spur
1954    Sale of property
1954    Midstates Supply spur
1955    Retire & remove stockyards
1955    Crossing gates
1955    Easement for highway
1955    House track
1956    Assessment for sewers
1956    Sun Basin Lumber spur
1956    Signal timing circuits
1957    Easement for BPA
1958    Assessment for streets
1958    Easement for over head highway bridge
1960    Sell section house
1963    Sale of property
1965    Extend loading platform 80 feet
1965    Wheel change truck
1966    CTC Ephrata to Columbia River
1968    Retire stockyard facility
1968    Purchase truck
1970    Install CTC with 4th aspect Lamona to Ephrata

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Downs AFEs

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

From the GN-NP Archives.

1901    Construct 60x160 grain storage warehouse
1901    Rip rap at bridge #310
1902    Construct public crossing
1902    Construct 24x48 station facilities
1902    Extend passing track 3000 feet
1902    Install mail crane
1902    Construct private crossing
1903    Construct sidewalk at station grounds
1904    Install ROW fence
1905    Install ROW fence
1906    Install ROW fence 1/2 mile west
1907    Change switch at yard track
1910    Place culvert 2034 feet west of bridge #310
1913    Install steel at bridge #310
1913    Install steel at bridge #311
1914    Relay 2418 track feet of passing track
1915    Construct private crossing 2 miles west
1918    Install steel mail crane
1919    In passing tracks, relay all rail lighter than 75#, with second hand 80# rail
1920    Tool house destroyed by fire
1921    Retirement of tool house
1921    Move bunk houses from Bluestem & Downs
1924    Construct private crossing
1926    Install ROW fence
1926    Move 24x48 depot to Marlin
1931    Install ROW fence
1931    Remove 2 mail cranes
1940    Install gates in ROW fence
1940    Relocate public crossing from station 3473+82 west and extend 16 feet.
1941    Remove public crossing at station 3479+54
1947    Relay passing track with second hand 100# rail, also secondary tracks
1949    Remove public crossing
1949    Improve drainage at bridge #310

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Douglas AFEs

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

From the GN-NP Archives.

Douglas
1910    Construct 48x48 one pen stockyard
1912    Construct public highway 1090 feet long
1912    Transfer track to Waterville Railway
1913    Construct road crossing
1917    Install ROW fence
1917    Extend industry track
1919    Install culverts Columbia River to Mansfield
1919    Waterville Railway turnout
1920    Bridges and culverts
1921    Assessment for roads
1923    Repair flood damage
1924    Rip rap
1926    Widen public crossing at Washington St.
1928    Move private crossing
1928    Rip rap Alstown to Douglas
1935    Rip rap
1937    Auto unloading platform
1938    Move public crossing
1938    Repair flood damage
1941    Driveway around depot
1946    Electric lights in depot
1947    2 wire telephone circuit mp 35 to 37
1949    Extend Centennial Mills spur
1950    Repair flood damage
1956    Acquire Waterville Railway tracks
1956    Move section buildings
1960    Well for depot and section
1961    Install culverts
1962    Purchase pick-up truck

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Difference of Decades Moses Lake Depot

The older photo was taken in 1976, the later photo in 2010. Note the buildings on the very right have not changed, except for paint, and that the siding in the old photo is now the only track. Beyond the grade crossing with Alder Street there is a jog in the tracks where the siding goes to the right and catches up with the main track. In the old photo there is a silver grain building in the background, which is still there, but in the later view is obscured by a tree. The depot sign is in a private collection in town.




The grassy area was a project by the town fathers to beautify the area:

Friday, October 15, 2010

Moses Lake Depot

The following is from Allen Miller, regarding operations in Moses Lake, who also supplied the photo:

     "I did a little research on Moses Lake (Neppel) depot. The new depot was completed and the agent's job bulletined in December, 1912. H. L. Johnsrud, the first agent at Warden, bid in the new job and opened the station in January, 1913. He didn't stay long and promptly bid in the vacant agency at Kittitas in March and L. G. Graham, from the agency at Ewan, took over the Neppel agency next.
     "When the Marcellus and Moses Lake lines were built they were not connected to the main line via telegraph. Messages to and from the branch line agencies had to be relayed by phone through the agency at Warden. This resulted in a lot of extra work for the Warden agent, essentially making it a small scale relay office.
     "In March, 1916, repeaters were installed at Warden to connect Marcellus Neppel and Ruff to the main line telegraph. It was said that the boys on the branch were so rusty after several years of not using their Morse skills that their call letters, NP - Neppel, MR - Marcellus and RU - Ruff, had to be sent to them by mail. For the first few weeks there were some strange things heard over the Morse on the branches as the boys struggled to re-aquire their former skills.
      "A fish business developed out of the numerous Carp that abounded in Moses Lake. I read in a newspaper article about Elsie Rudloff, wife of the station agent, that the fish were shipped to Jewish rituals in New York City. In September, 1917 there is mention that J. G. Vickers, Milwaukee agent at Warden, was in Neppel looking after the fish business. In April, 1919 there is another mention that fish were now moving from Neppel to eastern markets. Again, in June, 1919 Agent Vickers was again in Neppel looking after his fishing interests.
      "Emil E. Rudloff, formerly the original agent at Ralston, became the agent at Neppel around 1920-21 I believe. Next was Frank M. Sever. He was there as early as August, 1943 when the accident happened to the troop train at Warden. George LaValley was agent in the 1950's and '60's and I have attached a scan of a train order he copied there in 1954. This is the only order I am aware of from Moses Lake. I once had two copies, but traded one set to Ken Secrest, of Kalispell, Montana.
     "The last agent was Marv B. Williamson, there by 1970 and until the station was closed."

Monday, October 11, 2010

Crater AFEs

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

From the GN-NP Archives.

1902    Add derail to yard track
1903    Widen road bed bank
1905    Construct interchange track
1905    Line change
1906    Install 287' spur
1907    Relay yard track
1907    Install ROW fence
1908    Extend industry spur 50 feet
1910    Construct 12x50 cinder platform
1912    Relay 14.064 miles between Crater and Columbia River with 90# rail
1915    Move watchmens shack to Malaga
1917    Remove loose rocks
1917    Install privy
1918    Remove privy
1918    Extend passing track on both ends
1922    Install culverts
1923    Crater to Wenatchee: Replace 22000 steel tie plates with 7x10 1/2 inch plates on renewal ties that are to be place this season
1924    Crater to Trinidad: Relay present 90# rail with new 130# rail in curve 437 east of Trinidad, length of track to be relayed is 2900 feet
1924    Place 5250 grip rail anchors
1925    Relay curves with 130# rail
1925    Galvanized arch in Tunnel 11.1
1928    Crater to Columbia River: Relay with 90# second hand rail approx 2250 fee of passing track replacing 75/87 rail
1928    Line change
1929    Crater to Columbia River: Relay with new 110# rail approx 13.7 miles of 90# rail, replacing grip rail anchors, tie plates, spikes, providing washed gravel, ballast, and bank widening
1932    Relocate four pump type extinguishers from Grand Forks for use in tunnel 11.1.
1939    Repair tunnel lining
1940    From Teton to Crater relay main track using second hand 90# rail, 17.995 mile of track and 10 turnouts
1940    Crater to Quincy: Relay with 112# rail
1943    Retire pump
1946    Crater to Columbia River and Trinidad: in 110-112# rail place 19280 grip rail anchors
1950    Crater to Columbia River: Install tie plates
1953    Relay 1.81 mile of main line with 115# rail, provide new spikes for track and reuse old to tie down tie plates
1953    Install irrigation pipe
1953    Slide fence at curve 434
1954    Relay with 115# rail
1954    Remove part of passing track
1955    Relay 6.2 miles of main line with 115# rail, furnish new track spikes and reuse second hand track spikes, place 32 rail anchors per panel of track from Crater to Columbia River
1957    Remove west switch, spur, and part of siding
1958    Sale of easement to BPA
1964    Remove remainder of 1138 foot siding

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Columbia River AFEs

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

From the GN-NP Archives.

1898    Extend passing track 500 feet
1899    Construct 700 foot industry track
1901    Install steel in bridge #356 at Moses Coulee
1904    Construct cattle guard
1904    Construct station platform
1905    Install ROW fence
1907    Construct temporary station facility
1907    Install mail crane
1908    Place car body for other purposes
1908    Construct new setout track and throw east end of industry track, extend 500 feet
1908    Construct spur track
1909    Construct standard depot
1909    Install ROW fence 8360 feet 1/2 mile east
1909    Install pipe culvert
1913    At bridge 356, replace pile abutment at east end with concrete
1914    Add 967 foot extension on west end of passing track
1915    Erect 3930 foot ROW fence 7 miles north
1915    Erect 1900 foot ROW fence 1 3/4 miles east
1916    Remove loose rock east of Tunnel 12
1916    Install ROW fence
1917    Remove loose rock east of Tunnel 12
1917    Install ROW fence
1917    Install car body for track workers
1919    Bring in mail cart
1920    Construct 250 ton coal chute and water tank
1920    Relay with 90# rail
1921    Bunk houses to Ephrata
1922    Rip rap at bridge #356 and dam
1922    Remove rocks from bluffs west of Tunnel 12
1922    Move section house from Winchester
1922    Install carbodies, water closet to Leavenworth
1923    Move hand care house from circle
1923    Construct water supply facilities
1923    Move mail crane
1923    Place screen doors on section house
1923    Install car bodies
1924    Purchase motor car body for section foreman
1928    Columbia River to Mansfield: Furnish and place 50000 second hand 5-58 tie plates on curves
1928    Remove mail crane
1928    Relay passing track with 90# rail
1930    Place partitions in depot
1931    Remove coal chute and track
1931    Remove cinder pit and tracks
1932    Remove equipment from depot
1936    Retire bunk house
1938    Remove span of bridge #356
1938    Columbia River to Mansfield, place 6309 second hand rail anchors
1939    Rip rap to protect bridge #356
1939    Columbia River to Appleyard: Relay with 112# &131# rail
1940    Water for section house
1941    Telephone wire to jct
1942    Remove pump at water station
1942    Retire car body
1943    Watchmans house to Soap Lake for depot
1943    Install cattle guard in ROW fence
1944    Retire abandoned ROW
1944    Replace pumps
1945    Electric lights in depot and section buildings
1945    Replace part of bridge #1
1945    Repair run-off damage near bridge #356
1946    Steel span bridge #1
1948    Record misc buildings
1952    Relay with 115# rail
1952    Construct Bonneville Power Spur
1952    Install culvert
1953    Retire test equipment
1953    Install temporary culverts
1954    Retire and sell section house
1955    Columbia River to Crater: Relay 6.2 miles
1956    Easement for highway
1957    Daylight Tunnel #12
1957    Purchase property for curves 459-460
1958    Realigning curves 459-460
1965    Code wires for CTC
1965    CTC Columbia River to Merritt
1969    Replace rail anchors on CTC sidings

Friday, October 8, 2010

Bonspur AFEs

This is a summary to the "Applications For Expenditures" (AFE) files which were project files for all purchases, construction or removal of facilities or equipment from Great Northern property. These files sometimes contain correspondence, invoices, blueprints and other project information, and often contain insight into events or changes in a specific area at a point in time.

As a summary, it does give a look into the changes made over the years.

From the GN-NP Archives.

1952    Construct Bonneville Power Spur
1957    Install culvert
1963    Redrive piles, renew bulkheads and 30% of ties at bridge #2.
1966    Renew stringers in three long spans at bridge #2.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A Difference of Decades Beverly

There was much recent discussion regarding the dates of photos posted here over on the Facebook site for this blog. It resulted in a trip to the area on 10-03-10 to see if we could recreate this view from 1958:


We found where this view was taken, but liked our vantage point better. If only the weather had cooperated.


Changes to note:
Wanapum dam now in place.
US 10 bridge gone.
Interstate 90 bridge in place.
Milwaukee Road long abandoned.
More water.

Thanks to Don and Colleen Long for making this trip happen.

Sunday, October 3, 2010