This site features daily postings about historical information on the railroad lines of the Big Bend/Columbia Plateau region of Washington state.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
BN Mansfield Turn Near McCue
Blair says:
"A pair of former Northern Pacific GP9's sand their way up the 2% grade through Slack Canyon, emerging from a tunnel above Douglas Creek on the ex-Great Northern branch to Mansfield, Washington, on August 1, 1983, a string of otherwise-obsolete 40-foot boxcars trailing bound for grain loading on the Columbia plateau above."
Monday, April 19, 2021
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Friday, April 16, 2021
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Milwaukee Power At Othello
Blair says:
"Just as their Box Cab predecessors did just a decade before, a pair of SD40-2s idle at the roundhouse on the Milwaukee Road at Othello, Washington, in August 1978.
Monday, April 12, 2021
BN Malaga Area View
Courtesy of Blair Kooistra.
Blair says:
"TEENAGE-ADVENTURE: A couple days after meeting the memorable Michael "Mad Dog" Sawyer at UP Junction in Tacoma, the two of us made the first of many rail photo trips together, over to Wenatchee in July 1978. We were just out of high school. Here's train #74 eastbound east of Malaga with an old GE U33C up front. But the REAL adventure came later. . ."
Sunday, April 11, 2021
2015 CBRW At Frischknecht
Photo by Jonathan Fischer.
February 13, 2015.
Jonathan says:
" Columbia Basin Railroad 2294 crosses Buehler Road near Frischknecht, Washington with a northbound freight for Warden on the afternoon of February 13, 2015. Moving dead in tow is CBRY 652, formerly of the MRL. It was delivered to CBRY by BNSF at Connell earlier in the afternoon."
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Friday, April 9, 2021
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Vintage 1948 GN Views
Between Malaga and the bridge at Rock Island.
Looking railroad east at the Wenatchee depot.
Train stopped at the Wenatchee depot.
Monday, April 5, 2021
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Friday, April 2, 2021
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Monday, March 29, 2021
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Friday, March 26, 2021
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Monday, March 22, 2021
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Ferrovian Hephaestus-Aka Railroad Jedi
Courtesy of Frederick Manfred Simon.
December 1, 2017
Being a shortline railroader means that one must be a master of many
trades. What was it Yoda once said so succinctly and poignantly? “Do. Or
do not. There is no try.” Here, my colleague Jeff Wall, like a Jedi
Knight doing battle with a Sith switch stand cuts a truculent switch
lock as scintillating sparks slice through the scene like so many
lasers. In no time there’ll be a new lock installed, and order will be
restored in the Eastern Washington Gateway galaxy – for the moment.
Friday, March 19, 2021
"Almira Anthology"
January 4, 2018 and July 14. 2017
A collection of images I’ve made over the last year in Almira: specifically of the Almira Farmer’s Warehouse Blacksmithery filled with wondrous ferrous homo sapiens artifacts has given rise to my first photographic anthology. Except for the weathered, just wide enough for a horse-drawn freight wagon doors, it’s contemporary aluminum-sheathed anterior is still colorfully adorned in Christmas spirit where “Glenn” toils during the day. A good-natured deadpan wheat farmer and metallurgical Hephaestus. ¶ It’s been on my cerebral bucket list for a while now: I just didn’t know how the “shot” would go down. Always wondering if I’d manage to get the image I’d envisioned. Until tonight. ¶ We’d worked through the darkness and our service time was dwindling when it was decided to tie our train down east of the east crossing in Almira adjacent the CWGG crib elevators where the platform used to load 40’ grain-service boxcars remains. Near where the once prominent two-story depot and water tower stood and, until very recently, some of the oldest rail on the line – 1889 56# – had been replaced. It’s an unusual location to tie down, I might add. Making this scene a rare capture. ¶ I hadn’t yet thought that this was the perfect opportunity to bag that yet un-had image. But as soon as we rounded the corner of 2nd and Main to head home, where abandoned anachronistic brick buildings with unique facades still stand tall though noticeably crumbling under the increasing weight of years and lack of gentrification, I said: “That’s it!” and turned back. With the townfolk undisturbed by our presence peaceably resting in the smallest hours of the 4th day of the year and regardless of the ugly three hours into the day temperature, I quickly set up, framed and voila! The result was much better than I had envisioned. Not to mention: Who would have ever thought there'd be a Johnny Reb tunnel motor from the land of cotton working on the “CW” in the wheat belt of the Union?