B23 Picking Up Mail At Deep Creek

Photographer unknown.

Date unknown, but no later than 1954.

1928 NP AFE Deep Creek Area Wigwags

Courtesy of the NPRHA.

Hand Drawn CW Map

Drawn by Robert Scott for a feature on the Eastern Washington Gateway he was working on at the time.

Grand Coulee Dam-Ten Good NP Trips

BN 1975 Station Revenues C-H

Courtesy of Aaron Schwarz and the PNRA.

Big Bend Region News

From the Spokane Falls "Chronicle."

March 18, 1890

NP Doodlebug Near Deep Creek

Thanks to Mike Denuty for digging this one up somewhere.

1951 timeframe.

EWG Deep Creek View

Photo by Gary Durr.

May 2017

An EWG Westbound scoot train led by three big EMD units, is just starting its climb out of Deep creek at MP 15 on a beautiful warm spring afternoon. After one of the most grueling winters that I have ever experienced, it is wonderful to see the beautiful blue skies, green trees and fields... and BARE ground..Spring has sprung here in Eastern Washington....the many flooded fields and drainage ditches are finally drying up and the weather has been getting increasingly warmer... Life is Good...

BN AFE Index Card-Deep Creek

Courtesy of the PNRA and Aaron Schwarz.

1913 NP AFE Deep Creek Culvert

Courtesy of the NPRHA.

Snowy Deep Creek View

Photo by Gary Durr.

March 2017

One sunny snowy day on the Eastern Washington Gateway RR... When I was not Working....,EWG Engineer, Bruce Butler eases the second half of a loaded train through Deep creek canyon with a single Former MRL SD45 pulling loads that were left at Hite...We had to reduce tonnage as we only had two units and they had to double the hill both down and up deep creek, as there were too many loads for the two SD45's to handle up deep creek and with no working dynamic breaks at this time, and lots of Ice build up on the rails, wheels and breaks of the cars, to many to handle safely on the long down hill also.

EWG Transformer Special

Photo by Ted Curphey.

May 2017

EWG Transformer Special starting it's assault on 1.9% Deep Creek Hill. Deep Creek is a old community, even predating Spokane by years. It was a popular watering hole on the Colville trail when in the waning days of the 49'er gold strike in California, reports of gold in the Colville Mountains brought many a hard luck 49'er north along a path between Fort Walla Walla and Colville. But the Northern Transcon would bypass Deep Creek and favor Spokane with prosperity for decades to come. Today Deep Creek is a forgotten station on the old NP Central Washington RR, now operated by the Eastern Washington Gateway RR.

Eastern Washington Gateway's Transformer Special moving through Medical Lake this afternoon with Zachary Hastings and Gary Durr in charge.

1908 NP AFE Deep Creek Water Supply

Courtesy of the NPRHA.

College Train To Big Bend In May

From the "Spokesman Review."

May 12, 1912

Galloping Goose

From the "Spokesman Review."

February 26, 1950

Rounding The Curve At Deep Creek

Photo by Gary Durr.

June 2018

Gary says:

"One of the great things about working for a shortline railroad... knowing when the trains run...

Here is the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad train HM06=(Hiline Empties on the 6th day of the month)...with 2 former MRL SD45's and a former SSW SD40T-2 Pulling hard on the 1 Percent grade climbing out of Deep creek up to the High plains of North Central Washington, Photographed Rounding the big curve near Espanola as it crosses under Washington State HWY 2. Train is West bound to Hite with a final destination this day of Coulee City."

EWG Grinding At Deep Creek

Photo by Gary Durr.

June 13, 2018

Gary says:

"A beautiful day and rare Eastbound Daylight run up Deep creek got this train master out of the office this day to witness the scene... Engineer Bruce Butler, in Charge of 2 SD45's(328 & 329) and an SD40T-2(8702), has the train of 64 loaded hoppers well in hand as he has just topped the 1 percent grade and made it through Killer Curve. This location is Thorp RD just West of MP14, where the old GN(BNSF) Columbia River Sub crosses over the Former NP CW main...he has just throttled down to notch 6 from 8 and is enjoying his run to Hiline Grain at Four Lakes...The sound of the 20 cylinder EMD's howling up Deep creek grade out in the open fresh country side is worth experiencing. in this day of modern GE loco's, it is a treat to hear these old GROUND POUNDERS doing what GOD and EMD designed them for... PULLING."

2015 Passenger Cars To INRM

Guest post by Bruce Butler.

Leaving Cheney, at 904 - Betts road crossing. Larry A Parker picture.

At the rodeo grounds just north of Cheney. Picture taken by Charlie Mutschler.

North of Jensen Rd. Picture taken by Charlie Mutschler.

Approaching Meadow Lake Rd. That's me running the 8319. Picture taken by Charlie Mutschler.

Setting out the car of rail at Elizabeth siding on the Geiger spur. My picture.

We stopped where the railroad passes under the BNSF Columbia River subdivision near mile post 14 on the CW. Picture by Larry A Parker.

We stopped where the railroad passes under the BNSF Columbia River subdivision near mile post 14 on the CW. My picture.

We stopped where the railroad passes under the BNSF Columbia River subdivision near mile post 14 on the CW. My picture.

That's me on the left and Conductor Jerry Miller posing on the front of the 8319.

Another (better) picture of me and Jerry on 8319. Picture by Larry A Parker.

Rounding the curve at Deep Creek, just beyond MP 16. Picture by Larry A Parker.

Approaching Hite. Picture by Larry A Parker.

Picking up some empty grain cars at Hite. My picture.

Notice the markers on the baggage car.

Ready to leave Hite; as soon as I get back in the cab of the 8319.

Leaving Hite with our slightly longer train. Picture by Larry A Parker.

Reardan. We cut the empty grain cars off east of the crossing and are going to run around the two passenger cars so that they can be shoved into the INRM museum at West Reardan. This was necessary because of the track layout and connection with the CW main at West Reardan. Picture by Larry A Parker.

The train has been put back together and Jerry is riding in the vestibule of the coach, protecting the shove. Picture by Larry A Parker.

We have arrived at West Reardan. The grain cars have been cut off and are standing on the mainline. We have backed down into the museum's stub track and are preparing to shove the coach and baggage car into the museum.

Entering the museum. 8319 is occupying the old Sunset highway. Picture by Larry A Parker.

Telephoto view looking into the museum. Note construction of the building underway. Picture by Larry A Parker.

View looking down the trackage in the museum. Picture by Larry A Parker.

Passenger cars are spotted and we are preparing to cut the 8319 off.

Here is my timeslip for that day. We took the empty grain cars to Davenport and then returned 8319 light power to Cheney.