Happy 18th Birthday!

 Wow! Eighteen years!This website is now old enough to vote!

 

 

I started this to chronicle railroad history of the area, and that is what is has continued to do. It's helped produce two books (and a third, in the works), numerous speaking engagements, and allowed me to have some credibility in historical circles. I've volunteered with the Coulee Pioneer Museum in Electric City, the Grant County Historical Society in Ephrata, the Ritzville Railway Depot Museum, the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Society, and the Great Northern Railway Historical Society (of which I am on the Board of Directors). Big thanks to the initial encouragement of my wife to put all this stuff somewhere easily accessible, rather than stuffed into a filing cabinet. Consider this site my online filing cabinet.

Life changes a lot in 18 years. Like a child growing up and leaving his parents at home, life has handed me a number of big curves in these 18 years. My daughter, who is a few years older than 18, left here and moved to the big city. She got married, and has a kid of her own now. She's really not that far away and I adore visiting the three of them.

I've had a health challenge of my own, but that is now more than 5 years behind me. I nearly died.

Speaking of death, my wife recently passed. I didn't note it here, as it was unimportant to the page. She passed in October 2024. I normally work a few days ahead of what is actually posted (I'm typing this out on December 29), so I sat back and let the posts roll out while I tried to figure out which way was up. I got through the major holidays and our anniversary (December 28) and have come to appreciate the stability of this page. It always wants a new post, which I am ALWAYS happy to do. 

Thanks for stopping by and having a look around. Leave a comment, or don't, it's okay.

 

Trinidad Loop

Courtesy of Tom Carver.

"My intent was to get both ends of the train in the photo here at Trinidad Loop, which is out of the frame to the right, but prior to that this Frisco boxcar caught my eye which I think is a better image anyway. This westbound is fully occupying the loop on BN's Spokane Division 5th Sub between Spokane and Wenatchee. It is on a 1 percent grade down to the Columbia River, which runs generally due south in this part of Washington State and occupies the canyon in the middle distance. The train will then turn compass north to Wenatchee, upriver out of the photo to the right."

2019 Wheeler Turn

Photos by Jonathan Fischer.

November 22, 2019

Jonathan says:

" CBRW 302 leads a short, two car, Friday local from Warden, Washington, to Wheeler, Washington (and return).

CBRW 302 is initially spotted leaving Warden northbound in the early morning. Also noted were CBRW 652, 608, & 651. Five miles away, at Bassett Jct., the sun had given way to fog/low clouds."

 

Out here?...Wye not?

Photo by Tom Carver.

August 15, 1981

Tom says:

"In a location where one would not expect to find three F-units and a Geep, the CW local's crew is turning the power for the return to Spokane from Coulee City. This photo was made just prior to the photo posted yesterday showing Dan on his bike."

1981 BN Train At Adrian

Photo courtesy of Tom Carver.

No date, but I'd guess about 1981. 

Tom is standing on the former NP bridge.

1981 Coulee City View-With Me!

Photo courtesy of Tom Carver.

August 15, 1981

I've known of 5 fellows that had taken photos of the railroad to Coulee City in the 1980/81 timeframe, recording on film what I only have memories of. I've managed to catch up with all 5 of them over the years to see their work. One question I've posed to them is if they ever caught some kid trackside during that time. Today, one of these fellows, Tom Carver, posted this image from August 18, 1981. Here is what he had to say:

"After several discussions with Flickr member Dan Bolyard about my photos of the CW local in Coulee City, he asked if we remembered seeing a "snot-nosed kid hanging around the tracks," because it was most likely him. Well, that jogged my fading memory and I subsequently found this photo of Dan on his bike, positively identified by his T-shirt! So many of us when young did our train watching by bicycle–myself included–that this is probably why I shot the image in the first place. So, Dan, herewith, assuming this is really you and not someone who stole your T-shirt ?!? Glad you were old enough to see and remember the F-units! I'll be happy to send you a hi-res scan and the original slide if you like."

F Unit Surprise

Photo courtesy of Tom Carver.

August 16, 1980.

Tom says:
"The edict had already been handed down to withdraw all F-Units from service in Western Washington, so we all thought that was it. At the time I was working for an air freight forwarding company delivering to Eastern Washington and Idaho, with my westbound trip from Spokane to Wenatchee always on U.S. Rt. 2, which followed BN's 8th Subdivision branch line between Cheney and Coulee City. Having pulled over for a rest stop west of Davenport, I heard a train whistle, and having yet to see a train on this line I waited for the ubiquitous Geeps to show up...WTF...F-Units?!? Turns out the Parkwater (Spokane) based Fs, which also served as Marias Pass helpers, were still in service! Once back in Seattle I spread the word, and several trips were organized to catch this train, known as the CW (Central Washington) Local or Coulee City Turn."