This photo shows the first train of the US Construction Railroad from Odair to Grand Coulee Dam, way back when in July of 1935.
This was probably the only time any sort of passenger service was provided on the line.
This site features daily historical railroad posts from the Big Bend/Columbia Plateau region of Washington state. As a personal site, this is my online filing cabinet of interesting things I've come across about railroading in the area. Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
First Train on the US Construction Railroad
This photo shows the first train of the US Construction Railroad from Odair to Grand Coulee Dam, way back when in July of 1935.
This was probably the only time any sort of passenger service was provided on the line.
Last Act of the Waterville Railway?
This story is about how the flood of 1948 affected the Waterville Railway. This information was derived from the minutes of the Waterville Railway books, and was written up by Scott B. Tidd.
Referring to the minutes on May 31, 1949, Pres George Wilcox brought the meeting to order. Sec. at the time was Hugh S. Godlove. There was a statement by L. M. Smith regarding aid from the Great Northern Railway, asking for help in rebuilding Wtrvl. Ry. This was looked into, and unfortunately G.N. Ry. would not provide the financial aid needed. Nels Hagerstom estimated that it would cost $35,000 to rebuild the Wtrvl. Ry. Chief Engineer Seaton, however, said it would cost $200,000. Seaton was a representative for G.N.Ry. Hagerstrom’s estimation was assumed wrong.
Now, going on successive minutes, questions were brought forward asking how the Wtrvl. Ry. would get the wheat from Waterville to Douglas. So the Board thought it would work out if they shipped by truck. Because of the damage done by the flood, the income tax report showed a net loss of $31,879.01. This was the income tax report from the year 1948. The Board then, because of the financial problems, decided to sell the Waterville Transfer. The sale of the Transfer resulted in a net profit of $10,343.60.
Representative A.J. Hensel received an order from the Interstate Commerce Commission. This order authorized the operation of commercial trucking from Waterville to Douglas. the Board decided to ship by truck at the explanation of the order received by Hensel. There were questions asked on building an elevator leg at Douglas. There was also a bid asked from a local dealer on buying a truck for hauling. The Board also decided to sell the diesel electric engine that had been used and all the iron used as rails. There were bids asked on building the elevator leg. They got the bid and the elevator leg would be built at Douglas. The Waterville Ry. did progress; it bought a truck and the financial report shoed a net profit of $2036.35. This was for the year 1950. The Board also decided to buy savings bonds. Then, I assume, when business was really rolling, the minutes asked for a larger truck for hauling, and for making a shed and pouring concrete on the Douglas elevator leg.
Referring to the minutes on May 31, 1949, Pres George Wilcox brought the meeting to order. Sec. at the time was Hugh S. Godlove. There was a statement by L. M. Smith regarding aid from the Great Northern Railway, asking for help in rebuilding Wtrvl. Ry. This was looked into, and unfortunately G.N. Ry. would not provide the financial aid needed. Nels Hagerstom estimated that it would cost $35,000 to rebuild the Wtrvl. Ry. Chief Engineer Seaton, however, said it would cost $200,000. Seaton was a representative for G.N.Ry. Hagerstrom’s estimation was assumed wrong.
Now, going on successive minutes, questions were brought forward asking how the Wtrvl. Ry. would get the wheat from Waterville to Douglas. So the Board thought it would work out if they shipped by truck. Because of the damage done by the flood, the income tax report showed a net loss of $31,879.01. This was the income tax report from the year 1948. The Board then, because of the financial problems, decided to sell the Waterville Transfer. The sale of the Transfer resulted in a net profit of $10,343.60.
Representative A.J. Hensel received an order from the Interstate Commerce Commission. This order authorized the operation of commercial trucking from Waterville to Douglas. the Board decided to ship by truck at the explanation of the order received by Hensel. There were questions asked on building an elevator leg at Douglas. There was also a bid asked from a local dealer on buying a truck for hauling. The Board also decided to sell the diesel electric engine that had been used and all the iron used as rails. There were bids asked on building the elevator leg. They got the bid and the elevator leg would be built at Douglas. The Waterville Ry. did progress; it bought a truck and the financial report shoed a net profit of $2036.35. This was for the year 1950. The Board also decided to buy savings bonds. Then, I assume, when business was really rolling, the minutes asked for a larger truck for hauling, and for making a shed and pouring concrete on the Douglas elevator leg.
Friday, August 22, 2008
1963 Quincy Train Wreck
Wreckage of two Great Northern freights near the Quincy business district is shown here. The upended boxcar is leaning against the front diesel unit of a mainline freight. Front end of the cab, smashed in beyond recognition, is to the right of the upended car. Immediately in front of it is all that was left of a switch engine in which two trainmen were killed. All of the superstructure was stripped off by the three boxcars shown here, loaded with aluminum ingots, which piled forward and swept all of the cab off of the platform.
Point of Impact
Graphically showing the point where a Great Northern local freight rammed a parked mainline freight in Quincy Wednesday morning is this photo from the Grant County Sheriff’s office. The diesel locomotive on the left is the leading cab of a four-unit engine that was stopped on the main track. The wreckage on the right is all that was left of a smaller switch engine pulling 14 cars which failed to go onto a siding and smashed head-on into the other engine. Cars behind the smaller engine piled up and over the superstructure, sweeping off the cab and killing the fireman and engineer. Motor of the small locomotive may be seen in the foreground. The local was eastbound while the parked mainline freight was headed west.
The “Grant County Daily Journal,” Ephrata, WA
Nov. 6, 1963
Quincy—Two trainmen were killed and one other critically injured this morning when a local freight of the Great Northern Railway ploughed head-on into a parked mainline freight in the middle of Quincy.
One other trainman was in the hospital reportedly in good condition and two others were released after treatment following the accident, which occurred at about 6:45 a.m.
Dead were Nick Winker, 38, Spokane, who died in the Quincy Valley Hospital after the wreck. He was listed as engineer of the local which ploughed into the parked freight. Killed immediately on impact was Ray Barnhardt, 44, East Wenatchee, fireman of the local.
In critical condition at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane was John Bergman, 47, Spokane, engineer of the parked mainline freight. Injured but reported in good condition in the Quincy hospital was Bob Griffin, 37, Spokane, who was also on the mainline freight. Two other trainmen, presumed to be brakemen on the mainline freight were treated and released. They were John Pruitt, 39, Spokane, and Frank Garsky, 47, also of Spokane. Both reported knee, leg and ankle sprains.
The collision occurred about 100 yards east of the Central Avenue crossing in Quincy. The westbound local, pulled by a switch engine, was supposed to go onto a siding alongside the parked mainline freight, composed of 144 cars westbound for Seattle. An automatic switching signal located about 100 yards west of the Central Avenue crossing apparently did not work and turn the 16-car local onto the siding.
The local, drawn by a single switch engine, smashed into the front of the four-unit diesel which was at the front of the through-line freight. The two cabs were so badly twisted together it was hard to tell they had once been separate units.
Four of the cars immediately behind the local locomotive immediately telescoped the switch engine, sweeping off the superstructure of the locomotive and piling cars on both sides of the track close to Quincy’s business district. The Quincy fire department was immediately called to quell the danger of fire, but none broke out.
The cars eastbound from Wenatchee were loaded with aluminum ingots from the Alcoa Aluminum plant at Rock Island. Their weight carried them forward, piling them up on end, on their sides ans smashed below the grade of the track. The local, sometimes called the Alcoa Local because it hauls aluminum from the plant near Wenatchee, was apparently traveling at such a speed that there was no chance of stopping when the siding switch failed.
The four diesel units on the long freight parked on the mainline remained on the track, but the front end of the leading one was missing where the local switch engines smashed into it. Trainmen were working to pull the two unit apart and clear the tracks for operation at noon today.
The wreck also tore out communication lines which parallel the tracks. The 144-car mainline freight stretched past the east city limits of Quincy until after the noon hour, stopping the flow of traffic from north to south. The Central street crossing was cleared as the only main arterial across the tracks soon after 8 a.m.
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The “Grant County Daily Journal,” Ephrata, WA
Nov. 7, 1963
Crash Cause is Studied by Railroad
Quincy—Great Northern Railway agents continued to probe the cause of a head-on accident Wednesday in which an eastbound local ploughed into a parked westbound mainline freight at Central Avenue close to the Quincy business district.
Everett Luse, switch and signal foreman for Great Northern, said that the accident did not result from the failure of automatic switching equipment at the wreck site. He said eastbound trains going on the siding are required to stop and manually switch the rails to put the train on the siding.
He said he did not know why the eastbound Alcoa Local did not stop but continued to head straight into the parked mainline freight, composed of 144 boxcars. The 14-car local was loaded with aluminum ingots from the Alcoa plant near Rock Island.
Normal procedure, he said, is for the train going on the siding to stop and manually change the switch. He said a flagman from the parked freight attempted to stop the other train. Both engineer and fireman aboard the local were killed. The engineer of the parked freight, John Bergman of Spokane, was still in critical condition in Spokane today.
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The “Grant County Daily Journal,” Ephrata, WA
Nov. 11, 1963
Engineer Still Critical
John C. Bergman, Great Northern engineer injured Wednesday in a train collision at Quincy, Wash. has not regained consciousness and remains in critical condition, Sacred Heart officials said Friday.
Bergman, 47, W3427 Queen Place, has undergone surgery.
The accident, in which an eastbound Great Northern Railway freight train rammed head on into a stopped freight in the center of Quincy, killed two railroad crewman, Nick J. Winker, 38, E3005 Francis, and Ray Barnhardt, 40, East Wenatchee.
Funeral services for Winker were set for 10:30 a.m. today.
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From the Spokane "Chronicle."
November 16, 1963
Sunday, August 10, 2008
New Roadbed for the GN at Trinidad
From "The Quincy Quill," Quincy, WA
March 17, 1905
The Great Northern let a contract to shorten and straighten the main line of the railroad six miles east of Trinidad. It will reduce the curvature of the road and one-half mile of new line will be built to reduce the grade. A 1000 foot tunnel will be built and will cost $100,000.
(Note-this is not the grade currently in use, but the one visible above the current line.)
March 17, 1905
The Great Northern let a contract to shorten and straighten the main line of the railroad six miles east of Trinidad. It will reduce the curvature of the road and one-half mile of new line will be built to reduce the grade. A 1000 foot tunnel will be built and will cost $100,000.
(Note-this is not the grade currently in use, but the one visible above the current line.)
Many Cars in the Ditch
From "The Quincy Gazette," Quincy, WA
September 3, 1909
Many cars are piled up in the ditch at Trinidad as a result of the westbound freight No 487 running into the work train No 1158, which is graveling the road at Wenatchee. The work train was partly on the sidetrack, but had not yet cleared, when No 487 bumped into it, throwing many cars into the ditch. No one was hurt. It is estimated that it will take eight hours to clear up the wreck and it is probable that No 1 will be sent from Spokane via the Northern Pacific.
TOLD BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
Trinidad--Freight engine Nos 1818 and 1158 were completely demolished in a collision at the gravel pit two miles below Trinidad at 7:30 Saturday morning, delaying traffic for 27 hours. No one was injured.
the cause of the wreck is not known. The engineer misread orders or disobeyed them and failed to hold his engine under control and drove down grade at a high speed, crashing into the tender of the gravel train as it was taking the spur, carrying the engine and tender and tearing up the track for 100 yards, finally leaving it and crashing into the bank of the river side, throwing the gravel train into the pit on the other side.
The trainmen jumped, thus averting any serious injuries. Friends of the engineer on the 1800 say that he lost control of the brakes and could not control his train. When he recovered from the shock resulting from the jump he went to the engineer of the 1100 and said, "If you'd been under that debris I'd jump straight into the river," then took his grip and went down the track and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
There being two wrecking crews and the passenger trains here Saturday night and Sunday morning, melons and other eatables were in great demand.
September 3, 1909
Many cars are piled up in the ditch at Trinidad as a result of the westbound freight No 487 running into the work train No 1158, which is graveling the road at Wenatchee. The work train was partly on the sidetrack, but had not yet cleared, when No 487 bumped into it, throwing many cars into the ditch. No one was hurt. It is estimated that it will take eight hours to clear up the wreck and it is probable that No 1 will be sent from Spokane via the Northern Pacific.
TOLD BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
Trinidad--Freight engine Nos 1818 and 1158 were completely demolished in a collision at the gravel pit two miles below Trinidad at 7:30 Saturday morning, delaying traffic for 27 hours. No one was injured.
the cause of the wreck is not known. The engineer misread orders or disobeyed them and failed to hold his engine under control and drove down grade at a high speed, crashing into the tender of the gravel train as it was taking the spur, carrying the engine and tender and tearing up the track for 100 yards, finally leaving it and crashing into the bank of the river side, throwing the gravel train into the pit on the other side.
The trainmen jumped, thus averting any serious injuries. Friends of the engineer on the 1800 say that he lost control of the brakes and could not control his train. When he recovered from the shock resulting from the jump he went to the engineer of the 1100 and said, "If you'd been under that debris I'd jump straight into the river," then took his grip and went down the track and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
There being two wrecking crews and the passenger trains here Saturday night and Sunday morning, melons and other eatables were in great demand.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
High Winds Damage Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Steamer
From “The Quincy Gazette,” Quincy, WA
Nov, 23, 1906
Trinidad, Nov. 16—There was a very destructive windstorm at the Milwaukee bridge site. The steamer St. Paul was blown onto the rocks and badly damaged the cabin. Small boats on the deck were blown half a mile and dashed to pieces. A deckhand was hit with flying debris and slightly injured.
Trinidad, Nov. 21—The wind storm which followed the recent rains was the most severe ever known here. Two good new barns north of town were blown down, also several shacks. The wind carried weeds before it at the rate of forty miles per hour. The St Paul was at Crab Creek with a load of railroad supplies. The crew sates the wind was a fright. The large dining room at the rail camp was blown down, also several new buildings, including Louis Hobells new store building. The top of the steamer, including the pilot house, was blown off. The mast rods were also broken, which allowed the lowering of each end of the boat one foot. The boat was wrecked quite badly, though not past running.
Nov, 23, 1906
Trinidad, Nov. 16—There was a very destructive windstorm at the Milwaukee bridge site. The steamer St. Paul was blown onto the rocks and badly damaged the cabin. Small boats on the deck were blown half a mile and dashed to pieces. A deckhand was hit with flying debris and slightly injured.
Trinidad, Nov. 21—The wind storm which followed the recent rains was the most severe ever known here. Two good new barns north of town were blown down, also several shacks. The wind carried weeds before it at the rate of forty miles per hour. The St Paul was at Crab Creek with a load of railroad supplies. The crew sates the wind was a fright. The large dining room at the rail camp was blown down, also several new buildings, including Louis Hobells new store building. The top of the steamer, including the pilot house, was blown off. The mast rods were also broken, which allowed the lowering of each end of the boat one foot. The boat was wrecked quite badly, though not past running.
First Signs of the Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul at Trinidad
From “The Quincy Gazette,” Quincy, WA
Nov, 16, 1906
A railroad camp is located here, and lumber is being hauled to build a scow to carry material for the new Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul bridge at Crab Creek.
Nov, 16, 1906
A railroad camp is located here, and lumber is being hauled to build a scow to carry material for the new Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul bridge at Crab Creek.
GN Gravel Train
From “The Quincy Quill,” Quincy, WA
June 22, 1906
The GN gravel train which has been loading gravel 3 miles west of town has left after loading 2,400 cars, which have been used at Leavenworth and between here and Quincy.
June 22, 1906
The GN gravel train which has been loading gravel 3 miles west of town has left after loading 2,400 cars, which have been used at Leavenworth and between here and Quincy.
Fire at Trinidad Tunnel
From “The Quincy Quill,” Quincy, WA
June 22, 1906
About 20 carloads of timber were burned up near the tunnel Monday night. The east end section gang saw the fire and were going up there when a train without a headlight ran into them. No one was hurt but the car was demolished.
June 22, 1906
About 20 carloads of timber were burned up near the tunnel Monday night. The east end section gang saw the fire and were going up there when a train without a headlight ran into them. No one was hurt but the car was demolished.
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