1965 NP Wahluke Branch Map And Proposed U&I Sugar Plant Location

 

1968 NP Wahluke Branch Map

Click to see a larger view. 

 

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."

ICC Denies Milwaukee Road Petition, Favors NP On Wahluke Branch Line

1967 Wahluke Branch NP Telltale Announcement

BN Train Briefs

From the NP Telltale Email Group

BN train briefs

May 18, 2008

Local Freight Trains-Portland Division Revised 4-1-83

Pasco-Walla Walla-Lewiston Area------Trainmaster Distric 1

Local Train-----On Duty-Freq------Territory

61810 WWV Local 0830 DXSa-Su W Walla-Milton Freewater & Ret A

61810 WWV Local As Reqd. College Place-Baker-Langdon

& Ret B

61613 Pasco-Dixie Local 0900 Mo-We-Fr Pasco to Walla Walla,

Dixie & Ret.

61811 Snake River Swr. 1500 DXSu Pasco-Finley-Yellepit & Ret. A

61811 Snake River Swr. DXSu Pasco-Martindale-Burbank & Ret. B

61811 Snake River Swr. DXSu Pasco-Kennewick & Ret. C

61811 Snake River Swr. As Reqd.--Kennewick-Richland & Ret.

61817 Riparia Turn 1930 DXMo Pasco-Riparia & Ret.

61819 Pendleton Turn 0800 DXSu Pasco-Pendleton & Ret. A

61819 Pendleton Turn As Reqd. Smeltz-Athena & Ret. B

Connell-Wheeler-Cheney Area-------Trainmaster District 2

61826 Connell-Whlr Turn 1000 DXSu Connell-Wheeler & Ret. A

As Reqd. Bassett Jct-Schrag & Ret. B

61828 Pasco-Bruce Turn 1500 DXSu Pasco-Bruce & Ret. A

As Reqd. Mesa-Basin City & Ret. B

61823 Wheeler-Othello Turn 1800 DXSa Wheeler-Othello Lake &

Ret. A

61421 Wheeler-Moses Lake 0700 DXSu Wheeler-Moses Lake & Ret. A

Turn 0700 As Reqd. Wheeler-Royal City & Ret. B

Yakima-Toppenish-Grandview Area------Trainmaster District 3

61832 White Swan Local 0830 Tu-Th-Su Yakima-Mabton & Ret. A

61832 White Swan Local As Reqd. Toppenish-White Swan & Ret. C

61835 NYV Local 0830 Mo-We-Fr Yakima-Moxee City & Ret. A

61835 NYV Local 0830 Mo-We-Fr Yakima-Naches-Tieton & Ret. B

61833 15th Sub div. Lcl 0800 As Reqd. To Pasco-Buena & Ret.

Lynn

May 18, 2008

Local Freight Trains-Spokane Division Revised 4-1-83

WENATCHEE AREA

51882 Quincy Spud Loc. 0900 DXSa-Su Wenatchee-Quincy A.

51882 Quincy Spud As Reqd. Columbia River-Bon Spur & Ret. B.

51881 Quincy Spud DXSa-SU Quincy-Wenatchee C.

51881 Quincy Spud As Reqd. Columbia River -Bon Spur & Ret. D.

51898 Quincy Spud As Reqd. Quincy-Ephrata & Ret. E.

51886 Alcoa Loc. 2100 Wenatchee-Rock Island & Ret. A.

51886 Alcoa Loc. As Reqd. Rock Island-Bon Spur & Ret. B.

51888 Alcoa Loc 2nd Trip As Reqd. Wenatchee-Rock Island & Ret. C.

51888 Alcoa Loc 2nd Trip As Reqd. Rock Island-Bon Spur & Ret. D.

51690 WO Local 1700 Tu-Th-Sa Wenatchee-Oroville

51691 WO Local 1500 Mo-We-Fr Oroville-Wenatchee

51894 Mansfield Turn As Reqd. Wenatchee-Mansfield & Ret.

SPOKANE WEST & SOUTH

51671 CW Loc 1030 Mo-We-Fr Yardley-Coulee City A.

51672 CW Loc 0630 Tu-Th-Sa Coulee City-Yardley B.

51672 CW Loc As Reqd. Davenport to Eleanor Industry C.

51672 CW Loc Tu-Th-Sa Cheney-Babb & Ret. D.

51803 Babb Turn 0700 DXSu Erie St-(Spokane)-Babb & Ret. A

51803 Babb Turn Tu-Th Latah Junction-Geiger Field & Ret. B

51619 Yardley-Pullman Loc 1300 Mo-Th Yardley-Pullman A.

As Reqd. Mt. Hope B.

51620 Pullman-Yardley Loc 0700 We-Sa. Pullman-Yardley A.

As Reqd. Palouse-Grinnell-Viola- B.

As Reqd. Rosalia-Balder C.

51873 Pullman-Julietta Loc Tu-Fr Pullman-Genessee-Julietta

51847 WIM Local 0800 DXSa-Su Potlatch-Palouse-Boville & Ret.

SPOKANE EAST & NORTH (Pt-1)

51842 Coeur D'Alene 0930 DXSa-Su Post Falls-Coeur D'Alene & Ret.

51801 Athol Turn 0400 As Reqd. Yardley-Hauser-Athol & Ret.

51816 Bonner Ferry Loc 0630 DXSa-Su Sandpoint-Crossport & Ret.

51821 Newport Loc 0730 DXSa-Su Newport-Sandpoint & Ret.

51846 Green Acres Loc As Reqd. Ydly-Erie St-Post Falls 7th Sub.

51819 Sandpoint Turn 1900 DXSa Sandpoint-Yardley & Ret.

51820 Sandpoint Turn 2300 DXSa Yardley-Sandpoint

Lynn

May 18, 2008

SPOKANE EAST & NORTH (Cont.)

51844 Velox Loc 0830 DXSu Yardley-Velox-Athol & Ret. A.

Sa May run Hauser Jct-CDA & Ret. B.

51827 Chewelah Turn 0830 DXSa-Su Chewelah-Arden-Loon Lake & Ret.

51826 Kettle Falls Swr 1200 DXSu Colville-Barstow & Ret. A

51821 Kettle Falls Swr 1200 As Reqd. Kettle Falls B.

51832 Kettle Turn 1200 DXSa Yardley-Kettle Falls & Ret.

51831 Kettle Turn 0030 DXSu Kettle Falls-Yardley

51834 Mead Turn 0630 Mo-We-Fr Hillyard-Dean & Ret. (Sw Eng)

51848 Grand Forks Turn 0800 DXSa Kettle Falls-Danville & Ret.

**The following locals not operative due to track washout and

BN embargo issued.**

51622 Nelson Loc 0900 0700 Mo-Th Kettle falls-Salmo A.

51621 Nelson Loc 0500 We-Sa Salmo-Kettle Falls B.

51823 Ketl-Danville Turn 0900 We Kettle Falls-Danville & Ret. C.

51623 Republic Loc 0700 Tu & Fr Republic-Kettle Falls B.

51624 Republic Loc 0900 Mo & Th Kettle Falls-Republic A.

51825 Salmo-Nelson Turn 0500 Tu & Fr Salmo-Nelson & Ret. C.

WHITEFISH-LIBBY AREA

51802 Kalispell Tfr 0800 Mo-We-Fr Whitefish-Somers & Ret. A.

51802 Kalispell Tfr As Reqd. Columbia Falls-Conkelley & Ret. B

51804 Whitefish East Loc 1430 DXSa-Su Whitefish-Conkelley & Ret.A

51804 Whitefish East Loc As Reqd. Conkelley-Coram & Ret. B.

51807 Eureka Turn 0800 Tu-Th-Sa Whitefish-Eureka & Ret. A.

51807 Eureka Turn As Reqd. Stryker-Fisher & Ret. B.

51812 Libby Logger 0630 DXSa-Su Troy-Fisher River-Everett A.

51400's=Road Switchers 51500's=Exa trips of 51400's

51600's=Straightaway Locals 51700's= Exa Trips of 51600's

51800's=Turnaround Locals 51900's=Work Trns,Helpers, Light Engs

DX=Daily Except

*=Changes & Additions Since Previous List

& Ret=And Return to Origin

---SW=Switch Crew (1 Time-On Duty;2 times Inclusive Hours of Service)

Letters A-B-C-D-E-F Indicate Trips of one Crew

Lynn

Notes On The Wahluke Branch

From the NP Telltale List.

Nov 5, 2002

The old NP track profiles for the Wahluke Slope Branch show the end of the prepared grade at MP 53.29, with a future end at MP 54.75. I don't believe the track was ever laid beyond MP 21.33, which was identified as Sagehill. However, the grade and (the few) bridges were built to the end of the prepared grade. The bridges were all heavy design, and were salvaged and re-used at other locations in the 1980's. Your recollection is correct that the line was well built, as the rail was second-hand 112 lb. welded (with a laid date of 1969), and the ballast was crushed rock from Cactus Pit, which is ballast still used on the mainline today.

My recollection is that the line was not used beyond Basin City from the mid 70's due to a slide in the vicinity of MP 11 or 12, although you could hi-rail on both sides of the slide. The line was removed between Sagehill and MP 11.20 by AFE 83-947, and some time later was removed to MP 10.0, about 1.5 miles west of Basin City. I haven't been over there in quite a few years, but the current BNSF track chart still shows the line in place from Mesa to MP 10, and the current Northwest Division timetable has a reference to the Basin City Stub.

Glen XXXX

BNSF Track Segment 454

Compiled by the late Alan Eisenberg.

Red indicated that the station was abandoned at the time of compilation.

BNSF Track Segment 454

Compiled by the late Alan Eisenberg.

Red indicated the line was abandoned at the time of the compilation.