Mansfield Branch Gets Train

From the "Spokesman Review."

December 7, 1913

New Waterville Road Schedule

From the "Spokesman Review."

February 3, 1914

Railroad Manager Resigns

From the "Spokesman Review."

September 5, 1914

R.R Directors Hold Over

From the "Spokesman Review."

January 9, 1915

Waterville News

From the "Spokesman Review."

May 2, 1916

Water Over Douglas Streets

From the "Spokesman Review."

April 1, 1919

1974 Wenatchee Depot Area Views

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Fischer.

April 8, 1974.

1974 Appleyard Electric Shop Views

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Fischer.

April 8, 1974.

Hartline Studebaker

Photo courtesy of Lauren Scrafford. 

Lauren says:

"WW2 Studebaker US6 2 1/2 ton 6X6 Cargo Truck in use as the railroad car mover at the Hartline, WA Grain CO-OP, on the Eastern Washington Gateway. This was on April 12, 2012 and the Studebaker was about to move Burlington Northern, BN 449196 a loaded covered hopper. 

"A collector was able to twist the arm of the Grain Co-op and purchased the Studebaker. Hopefully this has been restored."

BN 818 At Reardan

Courtesy of Blair Kooistra.

Blair says:
"I remember that long hot day with Michael Sawyer only 42 years and three days ago.

"We were out on a long weekend trip from Seattle looking around Eastern Washington--Burlington Northern, mostly. Did the funnel, down to Pasco, then down the SP&S back to Vancouver and home. But the afternoon in question--brutally hot for what us wet side boys were used to, we were chasing the CW local west of Cheney for the third day in a row. Late afternoon this time, and the locals left the mainline and headed off towards the setting sun with a train of covered hoppers to peddle. Power wasn't that bad, either: a pair of F9's leading a trio of Geeps.

"We knew what we'd be doing the rest of the day. The last of the Covered Wagons on the west side of the mountains had been placed into storage at Auburn only a few weeks before--so F-units weren't exactly rare to us (we'd actually chased them on this branch a few times previous), but they were on borrowed time.

"The train pulled into Reardan to make a setout, and before departing, the crew walked across the highway to a general store, and made a beeline into a cooler in back where they could luxuriate in the freezing air and try to get that eastern Washington heat to stop clinging to their sweaty bodies before climbing back into that blazing cab of the F-unit. We joined them. It felt so good. I don't think my brown Toyota Corolla hatchback had a working air conditioner, either.

"We chased west to Davenport, where the crew dropped its train and all but a single GP9, which it took down the Eleanor Spur a dozen miles or so with eleven empty 40 foot boxcars picked up at Major siding. THAT was an experience in itself.

"But 42 years and three days later, it is standing in that cooler chilling out that I remember the most. I didn't bother to take a photo of that, but in retrospect, I really didn’t need to."

2023 Funding For State Of Washington PCC System

This is as close to timely news as this page might get!

September 20, 2023

Wahluke Branch Alternate Route

Info courtesy of Dean Ferris. 

"There was another alignment for this line out of Eltopia that NP bought the land for. It joined with the actual line around half way between Mesa and Basin City. If anyone's interested I'll post a map showing that alignment. This came up as a question at work recently - a farmer wanted to buy a portion of the right of way, but no abandonment could be found. The question came to me, and I was able to figure out that the reason it was never abandoned is because it was never built..."

Green is still owned by BNSF. Blue has been sold off.


"The property for the Eltopia to Basin City right of way was acquired in the early 1960's, the Mesa alignment was acquired in the mid 1960's. I'm uncertain as to why this happened other than the Mesa alignment was shorter, but it was certainly more challenging from an engineering standpoint."

Harrington Depot View

No date known.

It Was "Light Plant"

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Cars And Storage Short

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Shipping? Yes--But More, Too

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Mainline Built City

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Steel Spans Columbia

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

GN Right of Way Near Future Rock Island Dam

Moving the GN over for construction of the roadway along the river from the bench that is behind and to the right of the photographer.

Terminal Site In Dispute

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Shipwreck, Fire Dogged C&O Craft

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Small Town With A Big Future

From the Wenatchee "World."

October 1973

Bacon: Gill Lived There

From the Wenatchee "World."

Unknown date.

Bacon-A Highly Significant Name

From the "Grant County Journal."

August 29, 1968

Trains Run Again

From the "Grant County Journal."

January 8, 1968

Harrington's Best Flour

From the Leavenworth "Echo."

April 15, 1910

Early Raugust Area View.

Courtesy of JP3.

This is the location of US 10, now Interstate 90, east of Moses Lake, near the old NP siding of Raugust.

Repairing An Auger At Coulee City

July 18, 2023