Milwaukee Road's Tacoma Yard - Then and Now

Photo Courtesy of Sid Vaught

The Milwaukee Road's Tideflats Yard in Tacoma was the end of the line for the nation's last transcontinental railroad. EMD F7 #81-A was one of the heavily-used "covered wagons" owned by the Milwaukee, photographed here by Sid Vaught in 1975. After the MILW abandonment in 1980, the yard eventually became part of Tacoma Rail's Tideflats Division and the rest is history.

Fast forward 32 years for the photo taken below at the same yard during Tacoma Rail's Open House in 2007. Believe me, those red & white switchers look better in person than they do on a on film shots taken during an overcast day!

Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Project Advocates Hopeful

Chelatchie Prairie Railroad project tops commissioners’ wish list - Columbian.com

It's a story of the "Little Railroad That Could...if it had the infrastructure." Last year WARail reported on an article in The Columbian (article has since been taken down) describing the line as one worth saving. Advocates say the CPR can be beneficial to the community. Commissioners agree, but want the Temple family (who owns the line) to pony up more money to make it happen.