Golden Spike Stirs History

From the "Spokesman Review."

December 8, 1934

Sink Gold Spike On December 8

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

November 21, 1934

Dill To Share Honors Driving Coulee Spike

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

November 10, 1934

Railways And Highways Connecting The Grand Coulee District With Spokane

From the "Spokesman Review."

October 1, 1934

Work At Dam To Start Soon

From the Spokane "Press."

August 14, 1934

Work On Coulee Won't Be Rushed

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

July 25, 1934

2020 Davenport Derailment

Guest post by Rodney Aho.

February 2, 2020

Almost exactly five years ago today, on February 2, 2020, fellow railroader Zachary Hastings and I had an interesting assignment: to help clear up the derailment of an eastbound Washington Eastern Railroad grain train that had occurred east of Davenport. Our job was to roll several undamaged railcars away from the wrecked section of track so that cleanup could get underway.

Zach and I uncoupled the cars from the train in groups of two and “gravity-drifted” them toward town, reconnecting (recoupling) them into a long string of cars that we secured under the US-2 overpass.
After the derailment was cleared a few days later, the cars were taken east for unloading at HighLine Grain’s facility near Four Lakes.

That was one of the fun things about working on the railroad: there was always something new and different to be working on. Never a dull moment. Some days I truly miss my job!

 

The derailment occurred about a half mile east of Davenport along the old Sunset Highway. A similar derailment occurred eight years earlier at the same spot.

 

It was incredible to see how much damage had occurred, and to ponder the forces involved, even though the train had been traveling only 10 mph (or less) at the time of the accident. Physics works!

 

Think about the enormous forces required to rip apart rails and ties!

 

Newton’s Second Law of Motion states that the decelerating force equals the time rate change of momentum (mass x velocity). A string of heavily loaded grain cars coming to a rapid stop develops a terrific amount of force!

 

 

Zach and I reassembled the cars into a string and secured them under the US-2 overpass for later

collection.

Ted Curphey got a photo of the kink prior to any fun happening. He said "This is kink in the track they refused to fix. Had a 5mph slow order on it forever. Finally one night it wide gauged and the cars started rolling on the ties until one broke the rail and dug into the ground."

 

 

CW Turn Near Deep Creek

Courtesy of Tom Carver.

Tom says:
"The Coulee City Turn always had a Geep trailing the consist to use for switching at elevators where seven units would be too long a consist for switching. Getting a late start on this day, the train is westbound near Deep Creek, Washington, in October 1980."

2005 Empire Builder At Rock Island Dam

Courtesy of Steven J. Brown. 

He says:
Amtrak Empire Builder #7 at dawn approaching the Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River at Voltage, Washington - February 6, 2005.

Crab Creek Nears The Top Of A 25-foot Pole

From the "Grant County Journal."

February 28, 1957

WER Near Reardan

Courtesy of Blair Kooistra.

September 2020

Blair says:

"Dawn just east of Reardan, Washington as Eastern Washington Railroad's scoot train climbs to Hite past a windmill that I used as a photo prop back in 1980! Amazed to see it still there, but the landowners placed a manufactured home just out of view to the left, somewhat changing the original view."

 

Sessions Closed As Hanford Spur Line Is Debated

Thanks to William Russ for digging this one out.

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

February 2, 1948

Train 201 At Othello

Guest post by Ryan Reed.

In 1977, train 201 is about to cross West Main Street rolling toward the Othello depot. The structure in the background is Othello's very own Soil and Crop Services - a family run business dating back to the early 1960s. While the Milwaukee Road had a strong presence in Othello, so did the companies that made the town what it was.

Late 1970s Beverly View

Photo courtesy of Blair Kooistra.

Late 1970s.

Eisenhower Visits Ephrata

Photographs by John Lee; Courtesy of David Lee.

Note on John Lee here for a moment. Some of you might recall the photo I posted some years ago of the first train being christened at Odair before rolling out to Grand Coulee Dam. Miss Mary Cole was the one doing the honors. She went on to marry John Lee. These photos are courtesy of their son, David. 

I mentioned yesterday I'd speak more about Fred Frick. I really don't know much more about him, but he was campaigning hard during Dwight Eisenhower's presidential train visit to Ephrata during the summer of 1952. All I can say further at this time is Mr. Frick did not win the seat he was running for.

Milwaukee Grain Company-Marlin

From the "Grant County Journal."

August 26, 1949

Posting this to help chronicle the progression of grain elevator companies around here (this location is now part of Highline Grain. More on Fred Frick tomorrow.

1996 Quincy View

Photo courtesy of James Belmont.

Burlington Northern & Santa Fe train No. 3, the "Pacific Zip", rushes its Chicago - Seattle container traffic past the Great Northern depot at Quincy, Washington the afternoon of Sept. 13, 1996.

1936 Dam Cement Silo Views

 

1908 Beverly Bridge Views

By various photographers.

1911 Marengo Wreck

May 30, 1911

The Dam Brothers Ranch At Priest Rapids

Thanks to John Taubeneck for finding this.

October 26, 1915.

The Dam Brothers Ranch, Priest Rapids.  The Milwaukee depot and water tank are just right of center.  Note the steam shovel to the right of the water tank. 

More 1976 Milwaukee Mudslide Photos

Photographer unknown.

Summer of 1976.

See previously posted photos here.

 

Trinidad Loop-2

Courtesy of Tom Carver.

"Into the teeth of the 1% climb out of the Columbia River valley in the background, this eastbound is now heading east and west simultaneously as it ascends onto the Columbia Plateau. This loop is actually a full horseshoe up a side coulee of the Columbia valley. After leaving Wenatchee, WA., BN's ex-GN line crosses from the west to east side of the Columbia River and initiates this 20-mile climb to Quincy on its way to Ephrata and eventually Spokane."

Happy 18th Birthday!

 Wow! Eighteen years! This website is now old enough to vote!

 

 

I started this to chronicle railroad history of the area, and that is what is has continued to do. It's helped produce two books (and a third, in the works), numerous speaking engagements, and allowed me to have some credibility in historical circles. I've volunteered with the Coulee Pioneer Museum in Electric City, the Grant County Historical Society in Ephrata, the Ritzville Railway Depot Museum, the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Society, and the Great Northern Railway Historical Society (of which I am on the Board of Directors). Big thanks to the initial encouragement of my wife to put all this stuff somewhere easily accessible, rather than stuffed into a filing cabinet. Consider this site my online filing cabinet.

Life changes a lot in 18 years. Like a child growing up and leaving his parents at home, life has handed me a number of big curves in these 18 years. My daughter, who is a few years older than 18, left here and moved to the big city. She got married, and has a kid of her own now. She's really not that far away and I adore visiting the three of them.

I've had a health challenge of my own, but that is now more than 5 years behind me. I nearly died.

Speaking of death, my wife recently passed. I didn't note it here, as it was unimportant to the page. She passed in October 2024. I normally work a few days ahead of what is actually posted (I'm typing this out on December 29), so I sat back and let the posts roll out while I tried to figure out which way was up. I got through the major holidays and our anniversary (December 28) and have come to appreciate the stability of this page. It always wants a new post, which I am ALWAYS happy to do. 

Thanks for stopping by and having a look around. Leave a comment, or don't, it's okay.

 

Trinidad Loop

Courtesy of Tom Carver.

"My intent was to get both ends of the train in the photo here at Trinidad Loop, which is out of the frame to the right, but prior to that this Frisco boxcar caught my eye which I think is a better image anyway. This westbound is fully occupying the loop on BN's Spokane Division 5th Sub between Spokane and Wenatchee. It is on a 1 percent grade down to the Columbia River, which runs generally due south in this part of Washington State and occupies the canyon in the middle distance. The train will then turn compass north to Wenatchee, upriver out of the photo to the right."

2019 Wheeler Turn

Photos by Jonathan Fischer.

November 22, 2019

Jonathan says:

" CBRW 302 leads a short, two car, Friday local from Warden, Washington, to Wheeler, Washington (and return).

CBRW 302 is initially spotted leaving Warden northbound in the early morning. Also noted were CBRW 652, 608, & 651. Five miles away, at Bassett Jct., the sun had given way to fog/low clouds."

 

Out here?...Wye not?

Photo by Tom Carver.

August 15, 1981

Tom says:

"In a location where one would not expect to find three F-units and a Geep, the CW local's crew is turning the power for the return to Spokane from Coulee City. This photo was made just prior to the photo posted yesterday showing Dan on his bike."

1981 BN Train At Adrian

Photo courtesy of Tom Carver.

No date, but I'd guess about 1981. 

Tom is standing on the former NP bridge.