BNSF 6185 - Then and Now

Recently I did a piece on SD9 BNSF 1551, which is still trucking around Balmer Yard like an old soldier. Putting that post together made me think of a Interbay deadline occupant that my son and I photographed back in 2003 and 2004, also an SD9 numbered 6185. In order to get the shot, I had to climb ont the bed rail of my truck and stabilize myself against the cab - all in the effort to get the camera line above the fence between the road and the deadline (click HERE to see the location on a Google Map). Like 1551 this SD9 made it to the 21st century, only to be retired early into the decade. I had posted the pic above in an earlier post, but decided to expand a bit on this engine.

6185 started life as CB&Q 438 in 1957. Photos of 438 don't seem to exist so, thanks to Joe Hughes and #430, this is what 438 would have looked like in 1965:

Photo courtesy of Joe Hughes

By 1969 the unit may have received this paint scheme, portrayed here by CBQ 439:

Photo courtesy of Joe Hughes

BN Merger brought a new number, and it became 6185. By 1982 it was working Interbay, pictured HERE. By 2004 it was tied up in the yard and apparently done working. In April 2009, a picture was taken of the "new" BNSF 6185 in Ohio.

There aren't any details on what happened to the old SD9, but I'm certain it hasn't survived.

News - One Post Leads To Another

Idaho & Montana getting new passenger stations and service?

Occasionally when I'm researching railroad news that impacts the Northwest, I'll get more than I asked for. And now, the news...

Bonner County Daily Bee reported that the Amtrak Station in Sandpoint ID might be replaced by another depot in a different location. While reading the article online, my eyes happened to catch a small phrase that led to a bigger discovery:

“We’re going to study and produce a report that looks at the possibilities, and the costs and opportunities of restoring the North Coast Hiawatha service,” he said."

What?? That opened me up to yet another news story, which was made possible by stimulus money pointed straight at Amtrak. The carrier - in the face of ever-increasing rail passengers - is looking into reinstating the North Coast Hiawatha to run from Chicago, along the southern part of Montana, and on its way to Seattle. The route over Northern Pacific trackage was discontinued 30 years ago, which took many of Montana's major cities off the passenger service map. What's surprising - and a bit pathetic - is the NCH was discontinued because it fell below 150 passengers per mile - coming in at 149.

USA Today has this article about the potential route addition.

Will the North Coast Hiawatha once again run into King Street Station? Maybe not, because Seattle is well served by both the Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight (along with the Cascades and regional Sound Transit routes). But the possibility of a newer NCH terminating in Spokane or Sandpoint is very real, allowing those passengers to simply connect with the Empire if they are coming out to "The Coast."



View North Coast Hiawatha Proposed Route in a Google map

Electric On The Skagit River Hydro Project

Train at Skagit Project, 1947
Originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives

Nice archive shot from 1947 of what appears to be electric trolley being used on the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. The photo was posted by Seattle City Light on Flickr; one of the best parts of the Internet lately has been Creative Commons, which allows shots like this to be viewed by a new generation of rail fans. Some more experienced readers here may know where to find info about this car, but my search came up empty!

I love these old photos; black & white has so much emotion, oddly enough, even in the absence of color. For a current color picture of a more famous unit, check out "Old Number 6" in Newhalem:

http://www.railpixonline.com/SCL_6.htm

To find out more about the project visit here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Dam

Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives

Mainline Steam Meets Online Masses

Making steam-powered locomotives relevant in the 21st Century is a daunting task. It means taking technology from the 1800s and teaching current generations about the legends and history of US Railroading. After steam was removed like the plague from railroads in the 1950s, the task of telling that American story was handed to the men and women who worked on them coast to coast. Then a second generation took over, people who were too young to work on mainline steam in revenue service but grew up listening to the hiss and spit of these big beasts from trackside. With each passing generation, their story was farther removed from what it meant to live and breath steam engine service. In the early 1990s we lost the Norfolk & Western 611 - one of the most beautiful steam engines I've ever seen - from excursion service. Many of the massive machines that remain are beyond functional repair and are only suitable for display.

Only a fraction of these legendary monsters of history still operate in the US, bound by obvious safety laws that have made them antiquated in appearance only, but very modern under the skin. Thanks to dedicated railfans, engines like SP 4449, SP&S 700, UP 844 & 3985 and others have been preserved for future generations to see and experience with a full head of steam. But with fewer steam engines on the tracks, it means the story of steam is tougher to tell. But despite their reduced numbers, steam locomotives are still amazing and mesmerizing new generations of kids all over the country.

Now an extra arrow has been added to the quiver of steam awareness; Union Pacific has entered the world of Social Networking by starting a Twitter account for the UP Steam Program. If you're not familiar with the service, think of it as an extremely small version of what you're viewing right here - a mini-blog with 140-character posts. Much of the media surrounding Twitter lately has been filled with excitement, because as a communication tool it is simple and effective. It forces a person to make smart word choices, because there are only 140 characters to work with. If you're not long winded, and you just want people to know where you're at, then Twitter is for you.

That's why UP's Twitter account for steam makes so much sense. Railfans can follow the progress online as UP 844 and 3985 move around the nation on their seasonal tours. No frills, just basic info saying where they are and what's happening with the units. Also, from the messages posted, I discovered that UP has 50 different Earth Day projects going on in 40 locations. Clearly this is a tool that will provide a 21st century view (including pix) into steam railroading, in a form not previously used. The online masses can now see and understand the machinery that made this country. Check out the feed right here:

http://twitter.com/UP_Steam

And while you're at it, you can follow Washington Railblog too!

http://twitter.com/warail

Archive Photo - UP in Pullman

Another example of motorcycles and trains...

The other day I found some negatives in the garage, black & white but with no prints to be found anywhere. They document the two motorcycles we owned at the time; I only remember vaguely taking these photos, and I would have never figured they would have any significance someday.

This particular one is significant for what is no longer there. Primarily the shot depicts my wife's 250 Rebel in 1990 along SE Riverview St, but also shows former Missouri Pacific railcars owned by the Union Pacific - presumably there after dropping coal at the university power plant. Behind it, the East Main Street bridge - then locally known as "The Viaduct." The UP no longer runs through Pullman, nor does the BNSF; both pulled out in the early 1990s and the area has been Short Line territory ever since - now under the ownership of the State and serviced by the Washington and Idaho Railroad.

For more archive shots of Pullman and other areas, visit Robert McDonald at Oil-Electric. For pictures in and around Pullman from the present day (and Washington at large), visit Mike Bjork's collection at Railpictures.net!

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Porters - Historic Heroes of The Rails

As part of America's Black History Month, Seattle Times today reported that Railway Porters - historically a job filled by men of color - are being honored next week in Oakland as pioneers in civil rights. This vital part of the railway service industry broke barriers starting just after the Civil War, with many former slaves joining the railroads to tend to needs of passengers. The job came with newfound freedoms, but also its fair share of racism. Because of this, porters are being considered the lamplight to a movement that ensured rights to everyone, and ultimately ushered in our country's first Black President.

The picture is of Nat Love, famous cowboy better known as "Deadwood Dick" and railway porter. Don't you just love history?

Photo - Old School Signaling

You know what's cool about Public Domain? It's cool that you can use pictures like this for anything you like! Even though this photo wasn't taken in Washington, it still gives us an important visual into the past of railroading. The Library of Congress describes the scene as follows:

Indiana Harbor Belt RR, switchman demonstrating signal with a "fusee" - used at twilight and dawn - when visibility is poor. This signal means "stop." Calumet City, Ill.

Milwaukee #356 - Then and Now

Welcome to another Then and Now segment at WARail! In this post we focus on the once mighty Milwaukee Road.

EMD Serial #74610-1 was one of the many GP38-2 units built for the MILW in the early 1970s. This first Then and Now photo was taken at the Morton Depot in the summer of 1977. Morton is in the eastern part of Lewis County, near the southern end of former Milwaukee Road trackage (now owned by Tacoma Rail). MILW #356 was photographed by John Crosby, former Milwaukee Road employee and railroader. John had the sense to document a lot of MILW activity in the 1970s when he worked there; what he compiled then is now a rare look at a "Fallen Flag." This picture is only one of the many he has on file.

The second picture is of the same unit - now known as SOO 4506 - and was taken by Frank Rizzo during the summer of 2008 in North Dakota. That's 34 years to date on the rails...and counting! For those who might not know why this unit is now in SOO paint (and technically owned by Canadian Pacific), #356 was one of the many locomotives purchased by SOO Line when they bought all the bankrupt Milwaukee Road assets in the mid 1980s. For more pictures of the same unit over the years - in various paint schemes - click HERE!

In recent years there has been an awakening to the history of The Milwaukee Road and the years it served Washington. The Lost Rail blog does a great job of documenting the relics left from the line. There is a beautiful restored depot in South Cle Elum. Streets around former locations of Milwaukee Road properties are named things like...you guessed it...Milwaukee Rd, Milwaukee St, and Milwaukee Way. In Tacoma one can still see the tilted red rectangle of its logo painted on a trestle Sound Transit uses day in day out. The Milwaukee Road's "Tideflats Yard" is now the "Tideflats Division" of Tacoma Rail. The underdog of the Western rail expansion pulled out of Washington in 1980 before eventually disappearing into a paper trail around 1987. In its wake the Milwaukee left legends, stories, a kickin' logo, and a large number of Washington-based former employees spread from Port Angeles to the Idaho Border.

It's no secret that I love the Milwaukee Road. I won't hide that fact. My oldest son wears a Milwaukee Road hat because he too loves the Milwaukee Road. I even created a fictitious railroad called The Wilburton Line and based the logo on the famous angled rectangle. It's something in the colors, the versatility, and the fact that it ran here when I was in my formative years, even using trackage rights through East King County within earshot of my home.

If a person knows where to look, bits of "The Road" can be found all over Washington. Thankfully we have pictures like the ones above to see what was and what is still today!

Other Then and Now segments:

• Great Northern SDP40 - Then and Now
• Kingdome - Then and Now
• Easton WA - Then and Now
• White Pass & Yukon #114 - Then and Now
• Under Jackson Street - Then and Now
• Interbay Yard - Then and Now
  

Milwaukee Road at Othello, 1972

CZ17 took this photo in Othello back in 1972, when the wires were still up and the GEs still ran. If you visit Othello today there is very little left of the Milwaukee Road. Even a caboose left town for South Cle Elum. But the city still associates with its railroad heritage. After all, the Milwaukee Road provided jobs and a connection to the world for 60+ years.

Othello is on Washington State Route 26, which runs 133 miles from I-90 to Colfax. Over the miles you can literally see the terrain change from scrub land to wheat field!

UP: Railroading Turns 160 Years Old in Chicago

Okay, so this post has only indirect relation to Washington and WARail, but a Railroad turning 160 Years Old in Chicago is quite a feat, and a huge piece of American history!

9/11

One of my neighbors put it like this:

"7 years later. No major domestic terrorist attacks. I guess we're doing something right."

I take this day each year to think of ways to be thankful for what I have, because 9/11 is a tragic lesson that all can be taken away in an instant. But in that loss for some, there was gain for many. We gained a renewed sense of American pride, a strong (and sometimes overachieving) defense of our borders, and most importantly a feeling that we should appreciate what it means to be a US Citizen.

Today I honor those who preceded us in death 7 years ago; they will never know what they accomplished, just being regular people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Destiny turned each one into a hero. For those of us in our early 40s or younger, this day is the equivalent to Pearl Harbor or JFK's assassination. Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when it happened. And we will never forget.

God Bless America.

UP Aerotrain Visits Seattle - 1956

Courtesy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection
Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
All Rights Reserved

In 1956 the Aerotrain visited Seattle's Union Station, where this photo was taken. Lightweight and powered by a switcher engine, the Aerotrain was designed by GM and used modified bus bodies for the car consist. It's still one of my favorite trains, because of its outlandish style and relationship to the classic cars that I already enjoy. Union Station can be seen in this photo behind the train; consists were backed into the line, unlike the run-through style used at King Street Station just a block away. Another view of the station can be seen HERE.

This photo would be impossible today, as all the ground and tracks have been filled in and tall buildings now occupy the site. All that remains is the station itself, now headquarters to Sound Transit.

Opinion Piece on Rail Service in Central Puget Sound

Think it's new and modern to concoct huge over-arching transportation plans for the Central Puget Sound? Think again. Ross Anderson wrote this Opinion Piece on rail transit in Seattle; aside from discussing Seattle's streetcar future, he also reminds us that the region has a long history of "forward-thinking consultants" and lavishly grand schemes to advance the lifestyle of King County. Think transit tunnel under Lake Washington, huge civic centers, and all of Mercer Island turned into a city park....in 1912.

There is also a long history of people voting down those plans, and ultimately choosing the cheapest alternative available at the time. So in a way the message is "we want mobility now, but we don't want to pay for it."

Ghost Trains in Nome AK

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There are still Bones of The Past left from the Gold Rush. These trains - left behind after a failed attempt to create railroad - stand as idle testament!

Seattle, Lake Shore, and Eastern - Today in 1885

History is a big thing for me. Today in 1885, according to HistoryLink, the Seattle, Lake Shore, and Eastern Railroad Company was incorporated by local businessmen. It was a planned route running from Seattle, past Lake Washington, up to Sumas. Another route was built out to Snoqualmie, as part of the railroad's original plan to extend into Eastern WA. In fact the SL&E was an integral part of the Woodinville Subdivision, mentioned in today's previous post!

SL&E would eventually become part of the Northern Pacific.

Canadian Railroad Trilogy

If you're sentimental like me, there are certain songs, chords, TV shows etc that get to you in the heart. The Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot has history and darn good songwriting all wrapped into one package. In the above YouTube video, that song has been set to old photographs from the archives of railroading and the wild; you may recognize some of the photos as not being from Canada, but the feeling is still there. And the resulting video is great to watch.

So grab something to drink and click the video when you have seven minutes to spare. It may just get to you too.

Stevens Pass - Wellington Avalanche of 1910

Everett Herald: Stevens Pass train disaster of 1910: History's valuable lesson

"They know that Mother Nature has the upper hand.."

Truer words never spoken. The 1910 avalanche that killed 96 (and possibly more) on Stevens Pass continues to reign supreme as the worst avalanche disaster in U.S. History. With all the snow that has fallen in the Cascades this winter, visions of 1910 have returned with the unfortunate loss of at 9 people so far this year.

This newspaper article is a great compilation of historic data, plus accounts handed down to descendants of first responders and victims. Martin Burwash, quoted as a rail historian in the article, also is quite shot with a camera and specializes in Black & White photography. You can see some of his rail photos HERE.

Last Operational Wig-Wag in Washington?

Mike Bjork - fellow rail nut and Coug - sent me this picture from the Kamiaken Street crossing in Pullman WA. This could possibly be the last operational Wig-Wag signal in Washington State. The line that runs through Pullman is now owned by the Dept. of Transportation - WSDOT. A representative from that agency indicated to me in email that the State would definitely be interested in preserving this signal once its time has come. Until then, it will remain to warn drivers of the occasional train that runs through this intersection.

If you are interested in making sure this wig-wag gets saved, send me an email. I'll find out what we need to do!

Seattle Streetcar Timeline

This is a wonderful piece of research that I want to share with you, and it goes back 120 years!

A funny bit in the timeline shows voters rejecting a plan to replace trolleys with busses, only to have the plan go forward anyway without a vote (sound familiar in our political history around here?).

Seattle Streetcar Timeline

Northwest Railway Museum in Win-Win Land Deal

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The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie has long been know as an advocate for railroad history and preservation. That task will become easier in the future, now that they have swapped a four-acre parcel near a county-owned park for a four-acre parcel right next door to their newly-built Conservation & Restoration Center.

Essentially this was a win-win for everyone involved.

One of the great things this does is it will move much of the Museum's stored equipment indoors out of the elements. This includes the Union Pacific 529 2-8-0 Baldwin steam engine, a Milwaukee Road box car, a Shay locomotive, and countless other examples of rolling stock. In a double-speaking little nugget of commentary, Snoqualmie's mayor Matt Larson says the move "will substantially change downtown Snoqualmie."

"Getting the trains indoors will keep them from deteriorating further."

Indeed, this is true. This statement also appears to be short hand for "I like trains, but some of our residents think they're an eyesore and hate looking at them every day." The Northwest Railway Museum started in 1957, years before many who have mounted land-use battles with them were even born. Young transplants to the sprawling Snoqualmie Ridge subdivision of the city sometimes don't appreciate the old equipment for what it is - a history marker of the Northwest's industrial past. Much of it sits in view of State Route 202, and has done so since my days of living nearby in the late 1960s. The Musuem's Restoration Center - known as the CRC - was embroiled in a land battle with neighbors who saw the facility as a deficit to their lifestyle; this added a few years to the project, but thankfully the CRC was completed and occupied in 2006.

It's great to see this group getting what it needs to preserve railroad history in the area. The towns and hills around it were once teaming with rail; The Milwaukee Road ran close to this former Northern Pacific line, and the few miles of track the Museum owns is now all that remains in this part of the county. It's essentially a land-locked railroad, since the Milwaukee tracks are all gone and the line west of Snoqualmie Falls was abandoned in the 1970s.

This land deal will help them maintain what's left and teach people the historic importance of rail here.