Sunday, May 3, 2026

Tunnel Construction Scene

Courtesy of the NMAC.

1935-36 timeframe. 

This tunnel was built on a 5% grade, It's located adjacent to the Coulee Dam city hall.



Saturday, May 2, 2026

Milwaukee Clawing At Cohasset

Courtesy of Blair Kooistra.

Blair says:

"Here's one from August, 1978: Milwaukee Road Westbound freight (likely a #205 symbol) claws its way up the 2.2% Saddle Mountain grade near old Cohasset Pit, Washington. Two SD40-2's cut in behind a couple dozen grain loads. Loud. Smoky. Sand in the air. Incredible to experience."


 

Friday, May 1, 2026

BN CW local At Medical Lake

Courtesy of Tom Carver.

October 1980

"BN's CW local, a.k.a. the Coulee City Turn, is westbound at Medical Lake, Wash., after diverging onto the branch at Cheney. BN's numbering scheme placed A units with even numbers and B units with odd, so the chances of lead F9A 818 being paired with trailing 817 were only fair at best. Covered hoppers were starting to take over by this time in October 1980, but there is still a good sized cut of 40-foot grain boxes entrained as well. It's harvest time, so the seven-unit mix of Fs and Geeps will be needed on the return trip the following day."




Thursday, April 30, 2026

ERDA 3730

Photo by RR.

R says:
"ERDA 3730 at the North Richland yard in September 1977. The Hanford Plant Railroad (located on the Hanford site in southeastern Washington State) was always one of my favorites and is the subject of a project layout I'm working on. I wish I could have chased it though. In the late 1980s, I photographed this RS1 getting scrapped along with its sister 3732."



Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Don't Tell

Courtesy of RR.

Marengo Meet: MILW 22 East should be passing MILW 144 West in the passing track, but the passing track is in such bad shape by 1978 crews began asking the UP operator if they can use the Washy. Note MILW 144 West in the background happily parked on the UP mainline - with no authority or knowledge from division brass.



Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Little Power On The Move

Photos courtesy of the Grant County Historical Society's BPA photo archive.

1945

Locomotive moving by truck due to the track being temporarily out of service due to construction work.





Saturday, April 25, 2026

Action At Naylor

Guest post by Chris Malm. Photos by him.

March 11, 1992

An eastbound intermodal train with GP50 3126 and B30AB 4019 was first up. About 45 minutes later came what looked like train 4 with some apparently hot boxcars on the point, led by EMDX SD40-2 6301 (ex-MILW 178 to 17 to SOO 6301) and two more SD40-2s. The third train was a westbound stack train, possibly 15, as it met the 6301. March 11, 1992.