Not right now. I was barely able to get out of bed this morning. My back is trying to give out. Yet another disk is slipped, or going down. It may be a while. Sorry. I have it. But moving that mess downstairs may not happen for a little while. Boxcab E50
The eastern section of the Lake Shore was also acquired on July 10th, 1896 by a new company called the Spokane and Seattle. Its officers were the same as those of the Seattle & International, the west side Lake Shore line. The 50 mile line from Spokane to Davenport was always operated by the NP. It closely paralleled the Washington Central, successor company to the Central Washington. This latter company had been sold at Spokane January 19th, 1898, and bid in by the bondholders for $100,000. The NP acquired all of the capital stock and leased it in March. In March a year later the NP purchased the Medical Lake-Davenport section of the S&S, and in October, 1900, the Spokane-Medical Lake section. Along with the purchase went the abandonment of the 29 miles from Spokane to Ditmar which was the section paralleling the Washington Central. No better example of railroad over-expansion and disregard of sound business principles can be found than that shown with the Central Washington and the eastern section of the Lake Shore. The Washington Central was later extended to serve much of the Great Bend region of Eastern Washington and became a very fruitful branch. In August, 1902, the NP decided to extend the Washington Central to connect with the GN main line west and thus possibly give another quicker line to Puget Sound. In May of 1903 Larson & Foley of Spokane started track laying from Coulee Jct. and the 21 miles to Adrian on the GN were ready September 11th. Five years passed and in July, 1908, a line from Adrian to Connell, on the NP main line north of Pasco, was considered as a joint venture by the NP-SP&S-GN. There was no action so in June, 1909, the NP incorporated the Connell Northern and by November 1st, 1910 the 73.5 mile line Connell to Adco had completed the big loop through the Big Bend of the Columbia. This was to be a very valuable feeder to the NP in later years after the completion of Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project.
Most of these have good info in the CW as well as the SLS&E. This is the list I have assembled so far. “The History of the Northern Pacific Railroad” by Louis Tuck Renz, Ye Galleon Press, Fairfield, WA 1980 “Pacific Slope Railroads” by George B. Abdill, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1959 “This Was Railroading” by George B. Abdill, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1958 “Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History Vol. III” by Donald Robertson The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, 1995 “Postmarked Washington Lincoln County” by Guy Reed Ramsay, Lincoln County Historical Society, Davenport, WA no date “Postmarked Washington Grant County” by Guy Reed Ramsey, Grant County Historical Society, Ephrata, WA 1972 “A Report on Washington Territory” by W.H. Ruffner, Seattle, Lake Shore, and Eastern Railway, New York, 1889 “The Mightiest of Them All: Memories of Grand Coulee Dam” by L. Vaughn Downs, ASCE Press, New York 1993 “The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern: Judge Burke's railroad apprenticeship” by Robert C Nesbit “Reorganization agreement of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway Co” [25 Mar. 1896] by James D Smith
I've not seen the "postmarked" books you listed. When referencing the "Encyclopedia Vol III," look carefully. You'll find some of his dates conflict. And cannot be reconciled with other sources. Boxcab E50
Yup. Judge Burke is the first half of the noted "Burke-Gilman Trail." Extending from Ballard (Seattle), to Woodinville. If proponents can ever get those evil tracks out of the way, on through Redmond, to Issaquah. Residents between Redmond and Issaquah are very unhappy. And wish the tracks were still in. (Wanted them out. Then discovered their error!) NIMBY's who don't want that trail next to their expensive beachfront property along Lake Sammamish..... Boxcab E50
I'll keep that in mind about the dates. Guy Reed Ramsey had records of the whole state of Washington. I've seen most of the Eastern Washington counties except Yakima. The book covering Spokane and Whitman counties also lists all RPOs that ever operated in Washington, due to his research on postal history. Some of these books are really hard to find, as they were not widely distributed, being generally published by that county's historical society. The Spokane county book is listed as Vol 1 of a 3 volume set, yet sadly the other 2 volumes may never be publised. I have copies for Grant, Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Kittitas counties. They are a great source of railroad history, especially when researching the CW.
One more SLSE book. Sons of the Profits by William C. Speidel, Nettle Creek Publishing Co., Seattle, 1967 His book has quite the impressive bibliography to research.
That's how I developed my info. By going down lists such as this one. You'll quickly find which volume has any value to you. There are books that you can get, from places such as the UW, that list biographies of notable early Washingtonians. Many SLS&E officials, backers, etc., can be found that way. Boxcab E50
While were on the subject, whenever I go to Spokane from Seattle on I-90, past Moses Lake, on the south side of the interstate, there's an old abandond grade. I have looked everywhere, and there's no mention of a rail line near there, ever. Any taker's?
Graded. But not built. As far as I understood, the only portion that ever saw rails, is the Bassett Junction to Schrag segment. Was to have rejoined the NP, vicinity of Ritzville. I have seen a map, that showed a dotted line west from Bassett Jct., to Ellensburg. But it got no further than that. I have always wondered how they'd have crossed the Columbia River. Knowing those high volcanic cliffs..... Boxcab E50
You can see specifically where it joins the main at Ritzville. It is right next to I 90 there as well.
Whenever I have driven along I-90, it's always appeared to have quite a few tight curves. Makes me wonder how viable the route would have been, if actually built. Boxcab E50
I found a map of the proposed extension of the CW from Coulee City up to the Okanogan area: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/home/www/data/gmd/gmd412/g4126/g4126p/rr005020.jp2&style=rrmap&itemLink=D?gmd:4:./temp/~ammem_vMov::&title=Northern%20Pacific%20Rail way%201900.
It's possible, as I have seen it happen before, that land was actually acquired in advance of potential construction. NP may have actually owned some of the property. If so, they'd have been paying taxes. So, sometimes, if they've survived, old County Assessors records will have blueprints in files. Boxcab E50
Interesting tidbit: I can make out the ROW of the Bureau of Reclamation railroad in places that are now under the water of Banks Lake, just north of Coulee City. The lake itself is owned by "USA" but there are still narrow bands of land ownership underwater. One has to be the railroad, the other has to be a road of some sort. I'm still researching...
Found a book that details the building of the CW and the SLSE in the "Big Bend" country. "Across the Columbia Plain" by Peter J. Lewty Washington State University Press 1995 Only 1 chapter on our subject, but it has lots of details not found elsewhere. His bibliography and notes for this chapter are from firsthand accounts and periodicals from the day.
I just moved to Cheney last september so my wife can finish her masters at Eastern Wa U. It seemed to me they moved quite a bit of grain traffic off the CW branch in Sept and Oct. So when are they accualy planing to rip it all out? I thought the state was going to step in and buy it because the WDOT figured it was cheaper to maintain the RR then the extra maintince the roads will need because of the incresed truck traffic. Kevin D Mumaw
