Thursday, November 27, 2014

1956 Olson Spur Topo Map

I've yet to determine just who this spur was named for, but it is long gone. The location today has been a wrecking yard for decades, so perhaps Olson was the name of the original wrecking yard.


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

1956 Air Base Spur Topo Map

Built to serve the Army Air Force Base in Ephrata in the 1940s, it continues in service today with BNSF.

There is evidence of the connection to the spur having a switch in both directions, forming a wye here.


Monday, November 24, 2014

1912 Neppel

Map view from not too long after the line was opened, but long before the spur to the Air Force Base was considered.


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Scalley

Courtesy of the GN-NP Joint Archive.

NP era map showing the layout of the spur to the U&I sugar plant near the station of Wheeler. The NP called it Scalley. Of note is where the Milwaukee tracks connected to the NP, south of the sugar plant, and highlighted in the third image.





Saturday, November 22, 2014

CW Hike

The Central Washington grades west of Coulee City are fairly complete to near the top of the coulee to the west.

It starts climbing just after the grade crosses what is now SR 17.

  View to the south, with the Dry Falls visitor center over the edge to the left. The grade would have had an impressive curved trestle here.

  Coming up the hill towards US 2. Not so easily seen here is the Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern grade just below this one.
 Jumping up the hill a bit is a horseshoe curve, carved deep in the hill on a steep grade.
 Looking towards Coulee City from the curve.
 Mid curve looking downgrade.
 Mid curve looking upgrade.
 Upper end of curve.
 Another view of end of curve without the farm equipment.
 Looking beyond the curve.
 Cut in the hillside near the entrance to Pilot Rock Estates.
 Fill where it would have Garred Road.

Deep cut looking downgrade from the previous view. That might be Dean Ogle.



Friday, November 21, 2014

Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Hike-4

I took our family out for a hike a few years ago along the coulee west of Coulee City to find the grade of the old SLS&E. Note that this was before the area fell under the development of Pilot Rock Estates.





Portion that curves into the hillside and seems to be the end of this section of grade.

 Looking out towards the area around Cement.



Thursday, November 20, 2014

Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Hike-3

I took our family out for a hike a few years ago along the coulee west of Coulee City to find the grade of the old SLS&E. Note that this was before the area fell under the development of Pilot Rock Estates.





Bureau survey marker right in the center of the grade.






Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Hike-2

I took our family out for a hike a few years ago along the coulee west of Coulee City to find the grade of the old SLS&E. Note that this was before the area fell under the development of Pilot Rock Estates.






Coulee City in the distance.





Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Hike-1

I took our family out for a hike a few years ago along the coulee west of Coulee City to find the grade of the old SLS&E. Note that this was before the area fell under the development of Pilot Rock Estates.

There are 2 railroad grades west of Coulee City. The more complete one was built by the Central Washington Railroad. We were walking on the other one, the one generally crossing the below image from lower left to upper right.

The big horseshoe curve on the lower left was part of the Central Washington, and now has a resident living nearby.




We had parked at that curve and started walking generally north.

Looking generally south from near the horseshoe curve.

  Part of the CW grade having been bulldozed away.

 A trench of sorts leading away.