Work On Coulee Won't Be Rushed

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

July 25, 1934

2020 Davenport Derailment

Guest post by Rodney Aho.

February 2, 2020

Almost exactly five years ago today, on February 2, 2020, fellow railroader Zachary Hastings and I had an interesting assignment: to help clear up the derailment of an eastbound Washington Eastern Railroad grain train that had occurred east of Davenport. Our job was to roll several undamaged railcars away from the wrecked section of track so that cleanup could get underway.

Zach and I uncoupled the cars from the train in groups of two and “gravity-drifted” them toward town, reconnecting (recoupling) them into a long string of cars that we secured under the US-2 overpass.
After the derailment was cleared a few days later, the cars were taken east for unloading at HighLine Grain’s facility near Four Lakes.

That was one of the fun things about working on the railroad: there was always something new and different to be working on. Never a dull moment. Some days I truly miss my job!

 

The derailment occurred about a half mile east of Davenport along the old Sunset Highway. A similar derailment occurred eight years earlier at the same spot.

 

It was incredible to see how much damage had occurred, and to ponder the forces involved, even though the train had been traveling only 10 mph (or less) at the time of the accident. Physics works!

 

Think about the enormous forces required to rip apart rails and ties!

 

Newton’s Second Law of Motion states that the decelerating force equals the time rate change of momentum (mass x velocity). A string of heavily loaded grain cars coming to a rapid stop develops a terrific amount of force!

 

 

Zach and I reassembled the cars into a string and secured them under the US-2 overpass for later

collection.

Ted Curphey got a photo of the kink prior to any fun happening. He said "This is kink in the track they refused to fix. Had a 5mph slow order on it forever. Finally one night it wide gauged and the cars started rolling on the ties until one broke the rail and dug into the ground."

 

 

CW Turn Near Deep Creek

Courtesy of Tom Carver.

Tom says:
"The Coulee City Turn always had a Geep trailing the consist to use for switching at elevators where seven units would be too long a consist for switching. Getting a late start on this day, the train is westbound near Deep Creek, Washington, in October 1980."

2005 Empire Builder At Rock Island Dam

Courtesy of Steven J. Brown. 

He says:
Amtrak Empire Builder #7 at dawn approaching the Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River at Voltage, Washington - February 6, 2005.

Crab Creek Nears The Top Of A 25-foot Pole

From the "Grant County Journal."

February 28, 1957

WER Near Reardan

Courtesy of Blair Kooistra.

September 2020

Blair says:

"Dawn just east of Reardan, Washington as Eastern Washington Railroad's scoot train climbs to Hite past a windmill that I used as a photo prop back in 1980! Amazed to see it still there, but the landowners placed a manufactured home just out of view to the left, somewhat changing the original view."

 

Sessions Closed As Hanford Spur Line Is Debated

Thanks to William Russ for digging this one out.

From the Spokane "Chronicle."

February 2, 1948