From the archives:

Back on April 21, 1987 I was driving I-90 east to Montana and made a couple of former NP “depot” stops along the way.  First was at Ritzville where I took a number of photos.  Note the train order board is still in place.  BN deeded the Ritzville depot to the town the next year in 1988.

I also photographed these fallen signals near the depot.  The SP&S was being abandoned and the ex-NP was being rebuilt at this time so these signals were probably removed from around Ritzville as new CTC was going in.  The two 40′ MOW cars and motorcar are also interesting additions to the scene.

One move view of the depot, this one from the east end.  On the far left you can just make out the tool shed that is still there today, but painted white in 1987.

Continuing east I stopped at Sprague for some photos of that depot.  Unlike the Ritzville depot this one is in a bit worse shape.   In later years it would be moved just east of this location on the other side of N. B street.  But here it is in its 1987 location with N. B street just to the east.

And a photo looking up the hill towards Spragues Catholic Church with the east end of the depot on the left. 

That is my 1987 Chevrolet Camaro in the scene less than a month old.  I had gotten it just a few weeks previous and this was my first of many trips railfanning with it.  I still own the car but right now it needs a bit of work to get it running again.  Someday soon I hope!

And one last photo of the east end before leaving for Spokane.

Both the Ritzville and Sprague depots have changed considerably since these photo were taken.  I can see some comparisons of old and new images are in order.

The first two reports of my drive to Pasco via the Stampede and Yakima Valley Subs can be found here:

http://stampedesubblog.qstation.org/?p=362

http://yakimavalleysubblog.qstation.org/?p=133

After arriving at Pasco on the afternoon of Saturday 6-12-10 I first headed over to the A street grade crossing just in time to see the Z-CHCPTL come around the curve towards me.  The sun angle was not real good but I took the photo anyway.

I then drove down A street to an NP brick building similar to the last one left at Auburn for some photos.  I had never taken a very close look at this building before now.

You have to admit it sure does look a lot like this building at Auburn.

http://stampedesubblog.qstation.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/01-auburn-wa-6-27-09.jpg

I wonder how much of a coincidence it is that only these two brick NP built buildings remain at both Auburn and Pasco.  Driving back to the tracks I noticed another westbound led by an H1 C44-9W.  I had been wanting to photograph something from the Ainsworth St overpass and this looked like a good train for it considering the poor sun angle.

Here is the photo looking the other way towards the Columbia River bridge.  It would be great but there are some low hanging wires in the shot that are distracting.

A dedication sign is mounted on the west side of the bridge. 

Hard to believe this bridge has been here almost 4 years and I am just now getting a photo from it!

Another goal I had was to find the NP steam engine on display in Pasco and check out good photo angles of it.  Some earlier research showed it at Volunteer Park and with a map in hand I easily found it.  I parked and checked out NP 4-6-0 1354 with BN caboose 10222.  Morning shots would be better as it faces east but I was quite disappointed to see Christmas lights strung along the steam engine and caboose.  December maybe but not in June!  Plus the lettering on the tender and a Monad just does not look right.  And then there is the bright silver front end.

The BN painted caboose 10222 is former CB&Q waycar 13636 built in 1964.  Nice looking but not a whole lot of “Pasco” heritage packed into there!

I then made my way over back over to the tracks and drove east to the hump to see what power was working it today.

The 1564 is an ex-Frisco SD38-2 now classed as an SD38P and the 1658 is former BN SD40-2 7060.  I then went back towards the engine facility and photographed some buildings that were in good light.

The one on the left is certainly NP built but the one on the right I question if it is NP or BN.  Former BN SD40-2 6703 was in the engine facility and I had to get a photo of it as it still had a BN emblem on the cab.

And here are a few shots of the NP built building at Pasco from a couple of different angles. 

This was the first time I had been here with good light on this side so I wanted to take advantage of it. 

I then checked out all these EMD’s in the yard.  Nice to see some former BN SD40-2′s still with their BN era numbers.

Moments later I heard the sound of power and saw a westbound stack train coming around the curve towards me so I quickly set up for a photo where not long ago an NP signal bridge would have been in the background.

Pasco lost a bit of its attraction when both signal bridges were removed.  Modern BNSF signals are just not the same.  Once the stack train was gone I headed back to the freeway and started west.  I wanted to get back to Gibbon for some late afternoon photos of those NP signs at the east switch.

Back on the weekend of May 8-9, 2010 I drove to Pasco with two main goals in mind that were planned for Sunday morning 5-9 as morning shots would be best. 

The report and photos from the drive to Pasco on Saturday 5-8 can be found here:

http://yakimavalleysubblog.qstation.org/?p=116

Sunday morning was sunny and clear just as I had hoped.  My first goal was to photograph the BNSF yard power at Pasco, former BN and ATSF SD40-2′s, now classed as SD39-2′s for yard service.   It was a very short drive to the south side of the yard where I found a number of yard trimming and hump power sets.

Here BNSF 1873/1979 pass BN cabooses 12573 and 12332.

BNSF 1979 is the former BNSF 7158, built as the BN 7158.  Still looks good in BN green!

Satisfied with these photos I decided it was time to accomplish my second goal, photograph the NP built concrete bridge between Glade and Sagemore I had seen on page 115 in the Dale Sanders NP book.  In that 1966 photo three NP U25C’s are westbound across the bridge.  Heading east I first saw a tied down westbound grain train led by BNSF 4195/727 at Glade.

On the end of the train was single DPU unit 4510.

Just past the east switch of Glade I came upon a shorter bridge I had not really noticed before.  A quick stop and photo was made of bridge 136.7 down a little used dirt road.

Before arriving at the “NP photo bridge” I could hear the dispatcher talking to a highrail at Eltopia about a westbound nearing his location with another westbound at Cunningham.  So I knew I had at least one westbound nearby I could photograph on the bridge.  First I took these overall shots of the bridge itself which is located at MP 135.9 (miles from Spokane) 

Here are some details from the NP Pocket Bridge List.  It was built in 1918 and is 96′ long and 15′ high.  It consists of 6 RCT sections.  And lastly it is located in the Esquatzel Coulee which covers the area from Glade to Connell.  Soon I could hear the westbound blowing for the crossing at Sagemore so I set up and photographed the BNSF 5703/6397 leading a loaded coal train at 0924.

The DPU’s were BNSF 9866/5833 but the photo turned out blurred and unusable.  Next I moved up to Sagemore and waited at the grade crossing for the next westbound to arrive.  The coal train had been moving pretty slowly so I figured I could make it to the bridge once I saw the train approaching.  This next photo I planned to take from the highway shoulder, as it looks like the NP shot was.  After a bit of a wait I noticed an eastbound approaching from the west.  It was the Z-PTLCHC led by BNSF 5405/4961/5459.

Once the 5405 East had gone by at 1011 I contemplated the number 5405.  It had an NP tie.  There was an NP FT set numbered 5405 and back in 1964 it was assigned to the Tacoma Division.  It didn’t take long for the Z to get to Eltopia and I was quite pleased when I could hear a meet happening.  A waited a bit longer and once I saw the headlight appear down the track I got back in the truck and headed west to Bridge 135 where I photographed the 7593/7822 cross it at 1035.

I followed the general merchandise train on into Pasco and caught it again at Pasco East.

The sun angle in Pasco was getting kind of bad so I decided it was time to head towards Providence Hill.  I first photographed BN caboose 10648, minus its steps but still has trucks and is now across the road from the yard near some retired reefers.

Then I started east but first decided to stop at Br 135 one last time for some closer shots.

Interesting to note all the rocks piled up inside the large concrete culvert.  Wouldn’t be surprised if you’d find a few rattlesnakes in there during the summer months.  As I neared Connell I could hear a westbound approaching but there was nothing I could do about it.  Sounded like the westbound Z train.  I still pulled off at Connell and headed towards the depot.  Might as well get a few photos as the sun angle here was still pretty decent.  The NP brick depot at Connell was built in 1945, measures 22′x45′ and still looks great.

I stopped at a store and got some lunch before heading to Providence.  I was curious to see which fields were green this year.  The field in the background at the summit sure wasn’t as seen by this eastbound grain empty with units 4558/4131 coming around the curve west of the summit at 1:15 PM.

I had seen some green fields back towards the west near Cunningham so if a westbound should come along I would photograph it back there.  Another eastbound grain empty led by BNSF 9380/4090/4550 went by at 1:33 PM but the light was still pretty bad so no photos.  I followed it down to Sand where it stopped.  This meant I probably had a westbound coming.  After a short wait a westbound grain load showed up heading up the hill.  Nice.

I went straight towards Cunningham and set up at on the small hill over looking the tracks east of grade crossing at Milepost 96.  Lots of green here.  At 2:37 PM BNSF 5260/4571 came into Cunningham headed towards Pasco.

And a few shots of the DPU on the rear, BNSF 4097.

I had been thinking about getting some photos at Bruce of the NP water tower so I decided it was time to leave the Providence Hill area and head that way.  I got on Highway 26 westbound towards Othello and turned onto Booker Rd towards Bruce which was just a few miles up the road.  Back in the NP years this was the Eight Subdivision Washington Central Branch between Cheney and Connell.  Now it is operated by the Columbia Basin and this segment runs from Warden to Connell where there is an interchange with the BNSF.  All these years passing nearby here on Highway 26 headed for Providence Hill and I never came up to Bruce.  The NP water tower looked great against the blue sky.

Rather than head back to Highway 26 I continued north towards Warden.  Might as well see what CBRW power is there.  Only unit out in the open was GP9 1626 which was just fine with me as it was former NP after all.

Before leaving for Moses Lake I checked out the ex-NP boxcars and took a few photos of them as well.

Someday I’ll have to find out why there is such a large gap in the boxcar series as the first car photographed is WCRC 201 and the last the 109.  I kind of doubt the Washington Central had over a hundred former NP boxcars.  I then made my way to Moses Lake and then west on I-90 towards home.  I had accomplished my main goals around Pasco and had also managed to find some “NP” to photograph on the old Washington Central branch.

I had plans to be at Warden, WA on Saturday 1-23-10 for a 1:00PM open house of the ex-Milwaukee Road depot turned museum in town. 

I left home early enough to spend an hour or so around Providence Hill first.  It wasn’t much time but it had been awhile since I was last there.  Just as well I’d just planned an hour as the weather was very overcast all the way over.  Coming down the hill on Highway 26 towards the Hatton-Cunningham Road I debated which way to turn, right to Hatton or left to Cunningham?  My decision was made for me as I watched three BNSF C44-9W’s on an autorack train motor under the overpass headed east.  A left turn was made and as I headed towards Providence Summit I heard the dispatcher talking to someone on “Connell Radio” about a detector giving a wrong axle count of their train.  Could be something else coming.  Past Cunningham I noticed the road was very wet and it appeared I was right behind a rain shower!  Kind of a surprise.  I arrived at the Summit well ahead of the train photographing it at 11:46 AM.   

Leading the V-PTLLPC8 were BNSF 4371/5075/5389 and note the “peach” 5389 which has a lighter shade of faded orange.

About 5 minutes after the train was by I heard a meet on the scanner.  Had to be the V-train meeting a westbound I figured so I got out of the truck and listened to see if I could hear anything.  All I could hear was horns blowing, to the west.  There was an eastbound coming all right.  Then after a few more moments I heard something climbing the grade from the east.  Westbound.  So I set up for the westbound which turned out to be loaded coal train C-SCMRBE0-13A with units 5808/6080 up front.

After the head end was by at 12:02 PM I waited for the DPU’s to pass expecting the eastbound to charge around the curve before the westbound cleared.  Luckily that did not happen and the coal trains DPU’s BNSF 9918/5629 were by long before the eastbound showed.  But I could hear it coming and at 12:10 PM the Z-PTLCHC with units 978/4620/4886 came around the curve towards the summit of Providence Hill.

Cresting the hill and starting downgrade. 

The old Milwaukee Road line is off in the distance but the tracks are gone with nothing but the ROW left from Warden past here to the east.  With the Z-train by it was time to head towards Warden for the open house but even though it was overcast I was still happy to have seen the three trains on Providence Hill.  Not bad for less than a 30 minute wait!

Saturday morning 12-12-09 I was in Spokane after a good trip to Montana to photograph the MRL.  It was a cold overcast day but after taking some photos around Spokane of the former NP depot and a few ex-NP overpasses I headed west towards home on I-90.  I didn’t see any trains at all past Sprague but I got off the freeway at the Tokio scales exit and followed the tracks towards Ritzville.  In the siding at Tokio was a westbound grain train with KCS power on the head end and on the DPU.  So I decided to go into Ritzville to wait on it for some photos.  Normally on a day like this I would not have bothered but the KCS power made it a little more interesting.  Soon one eastbound grain empty went by, then the eastbound Z-PTLCHC and lastly an eastbound autorack train.  Busiest I have seen the Lakeside Sub in a long time!  At 12:47 PM the westbound with BNSF 4528/KCS 3973 up front went by.

Then a back shot of the DPU power BNSF 4830/KCS 4694 passing by the former NP Ritzville depot, now a museum.

After it had gone I continued west towards Moses Lake.  As I neared the Warden exit I decided to get off and head south to see what Columbia Basin power was there.  On my trip to the MRL I did not see any MRL GP9′s and knowing there were a few ex-NP’s on the CBRW I hoped they might be at Warden today.  After driving the 8 miles to Warden I was pleased to see both the 302 and 1626 were here along with two non-NP locomotives.  All were running and the 1626 even had ditch lights on.

But as it was Saturday no crews were around.  I figured they were running as it was well below freezing so the railroad wanted to keep the engines from freezing up.  The 302 was over on the other side.

Then I drove back to I-90 and continued west.  I crossed Snoqualmie Pass as it was getting dark but the road was bare and dry making it an easy drive home.

Sunday morning July 12, 2009 I was in Spokane, WA headed home after spending a few days on the MRL.  My plan was to take pictures around Spokane before heading west.  However it was overcast and the scanner was very quiet so I left earlier than I had planned.  Heading west the clouds were getting darker the closer I got to Sprague.  Though it was overcast I wanted some photos of the former NP depot so I got off I-90 and headed into town.  I noticed it was getting new coat of paint.  The solid white it wore in BN days was being replaced.  Here is a photo from the North B street grade crossing.

The Sprague depot was originally west of B street but was moved to the east side a number of years ago.  This next photo is from the east end of the depot.

I then went up the hill overlooking the depot and tracks.  As I was taking this photo the rain started to fall.

I quickly went down to the depot and stood under the eves until the shower ended.  I decided I ought to get a photo of me with the Sprague depot so I set the camera up on the bay window and took a self portrait.

I went back to the car and as I was leaving took one more photo from the other side of the tracks. 

I can’t wait to see the depot once it is finished.  Not sure what the plans for it are though.  Perhaps a museum?  A westbound train appeared under the highway overpass with a filthy H1 C44-9W leading.  Still it was something to follow towards Ritzville.  I could see clearing to the west and hoped the sun would be out by Ritzville.  It was filtered enough for a photo at the east switch of Ritzville but still not brightly sunlit. 

It was a nice lashup with BNSF 1055/BNSF 5247/CSX 7692 leading a V-train.  (with a cut of garbage cars on the head end)  I then stopped in Ritzville and first got a photo of the NP built tool shed.

And lastly a broadside view of the Ritzville depot.

I then got back on I-90 and headed west for home.

This is a continuation of my Thursday 7-9-09 drive across Eastern Washington to Spokane and the MRL. 

After leaving Warden I headed the 8 miles back to I-90 and east to Ritzville.  I wanted to check out the late afternoon light at the depot for some photos on the street side.

The shadows were kind of long but the light was pretty nice.  My first photo of the west end of the depot was taken at 6:20 PM.

Here is a view showing the north/west side of the depot turned museum.

This last view shows part of the brick platform at the west end of the building.  I am not sure if these are original NP installed bricks but I would like to find out for sure.

At the east end of the depot/museum is this NP painted caboose that has seen its colors fade over the years.  It is not an actual NP caboose but a former BN built painted up to look like one.  Thus the number 10425 as the NP cabooses were numbered 10400-10424.

Before leaving for Spokane I took one last photo through the fence of the old NP tool shed across the tracks.  A very simple building but I still do not know what BNSF stores in there!

Then it was back onto I-90 and east for Spokane where I was going to spend the night.  Really had a great day photographing things ex-NP!

As the Columbia Basin Railway operates between Connell and Moses Lake, WA interchanging with the BNSF on the Lakeside Sub at Connell it made the most sense to make this update here. 

Driving across Eastern Washington Thursday afternoon July 9, 2009 on my way to the MRL in Montana one of my goals was to get off I-90 just past Moses Lake and drive to Warden, WA and see what locomotives were at the Columbia Basins engine facility.  I knew that ex-WCRC GP9 302 had been seen there at times and as it was a former NP GP9 I thought I should take a look.

In all my trips across the state I have never gone up to Warden.  Past Moses Lake came the exit and I was headed south to Warden.  I had no idea of how far it was or where the motive power was kept.  But it was sunny (though high clouds were headed east fast) and I was just driving to Spokane tonight so I had plenty of time to explore.

It was about an 8 mile drive before I came into town.  I turned right crossing the former Milwaukee Road mainline, still intact here at Warden and a few blocks later came up to the ex-NP facility to my left.  Lots of power here and I could not believe my eyes.  A GP9 painted in BNSF’s H1 scheme.  I knew it must be the 1626 and sure enough it was.  CBRW picked up this former NP GP9 in 2000 and it was high nosed at the time.  It was chopped later on but from the rear it still has the NP’s long hood!  It was only recently I learned this GP9 was even in Washington state!   Last I’d heard the 1626 was working the Gibbon branch near Prosser.  It had been interchanged to BNSF at Gibbon and sent to Yakima.  Then the trail went cold.  I figured it must still be at Yakima and wanted to spend some time there trying to locate it but never had the chance.  And now here I was looking at it, although it was the third unit in the lashup.  There were two sets of power here, that one with the 1626 and a two unit set with the GP9 302 facing me!  As I got out of the car I heard the engine consist with 1626 rev up and start backing away from me!  But the power tied onto a string of cars on the main track and pulled up to the yard office and stopped.

Power was three 9′s, the 171/2282/1626 (SD9/GP9u/GP9). 

The crew then pulled ahead over the crossing and I got my 1626 photos.  CBRW 1626 is the former BNSF 1626 built as the NP 328 and after the BN merger became the BN 1913.

The front end view shows the chopped short hood.  At least CBRW tried to match the orange paint!

I then walked over to the CBRW 302 for a photo of this ex-NP GP9 and SD9 166 trailing it.

Built as the NP 306 in 1957 it became BN 1754 after the 1970 merger.  Retired by BN 12/85 it went to Washington Central, had the nose chopped and became WCRC 302.  It and GP9 301 (another former NP GP9) worked the Spirit of Washington dinner train out of Renton, WA before being replaced by F-units.  In the mid-1990′s BNSF bought back the Yakima main line from Washington Central and the 302 ended up working the short lines kept by the newly formed Columbia Basin Railway which is why it is now on the old NP Connell Northern Line.

To my surprise the train with the 1626 stopped and started backing up again giving me a chance to photograph the 1626 in the consist again.

After stopping at the yard office again I noticed the 1626 and 302 were lined up to be in the same photo so I took advantage of the situation.

A crew was now on the 166 and started moving forward taking the 302 with them.  I managed one last shot of the 302 before they moved further away.

I felt the trip could not have started any better!  Two former NP GP9′s bagged on the first day!  I was very pleased.  But the day wasn’t over yet.  I still had to go to Spokane and wanted to stop at Ritzville first.

On Friday morning May 22, 2009 I was at Pasco, WA hoping to photograph some trains on the former NP line around Pasco.  It was a beautiful sunny morning and I was waiting in the park at the east end of the long bridge over the Columbia River hoping for an eastbound.  While most of Pasco is on the BNSF’s Lakeside Sub a short stretch from SP&S Jct to MP 231 near the engine terminal is the far eastern end of the Fallbridge Sub stretching all the way from Portland, OR to Pasco.  Since the bridge to the engine terminal was a part of the NP mainline I will include it here on the Lakeside Sub Blog report.

Not much was going on so I decided to check out the old NP signal bridge at the east end of the Columbia River Bridge.  New signals are already in place and working but the signal bridge still stands for now, minus signals.  No telling when it might be removed so I thought I’d better get a photo while it was still here.

Next I walked up to the levee to get a look at the Columbia River Bridge.  It was very impressive!  I then took some photos at various angles.

Note how the three spans on the far west end are different from the six spans to the right of the lift span.

Now for the technical stuff.  The bridge is 2659′ long and 65′ high which I am guessing is from the tops of the ties to the bottom of the river channel.  The 9 spans are 250′ long each and the lift truss is 307′.  Build dates show as 1906-1907.  A date of 1955 is also given which may be for the lift span.  I will have to do some more research.  In remarks there is a note of “piers 1955″ which is around the time the new Pasco Hump was completed.  After awhile the light started to turn bad so I decided to head over to the yard and get some photos of what NP buildings I might find.

I knew there was an old NP tool shed similar to the ones at Connell and Ritzville near the engine terminal so I first stopped there and snapped a photo of it before continuing east.

There is another NP signal bridge here as well with new signals also in place on either side of it but they are not in use yet so the signal bridge is still in service.  It is a better late afternoon photo so it will have to wait for another time.  I drove along the yard to Glade and came back on the other side.  I have never photographed the Hump Tower so I finally got my first photo of it.

Then I continued west beyond the car repair shops and photographed a couple of old buildings I thought might have been built by the Northern Pacific.

Then I photographed the old NP car repair shops before heading back to the west end of the yard.

Waiting back at the Columbia River bridge around 11:30 AM the westbound M-PASINB announced they were ready to leave the yard and head west on the Yakima Valley Sub.  I was hoping the PASINB would not leave until early afternoon but at least I had a train to follow towards home.  I have more photos I would like to take around Pasco but they can wait for another day.

There has been talk that BNSF wants the the now empty Cheney depot removed from its current location.  As I had plans to be in Spokane the weekend of May 2-3 the timing was right for me to get some photos of the building.  I arrived a bit after 2:00 PM but the light was pretty harsh being mainly directly on the west end.  The sides had no sun on them at all.  However I did photograph it as the shadow made the lights on the side of the building stand out.

I also took a photo of the west end of the Mission style building.  Northern Pacific built this depot in 1929.

I figured to get some late afternoon photos when the sun moved further north giving better light on the sides of the depot.  So while waiting for that to happen I followed a train down to Empire where the bridge over Latah Creek at Milepost 3.3 is located.  I wanted a photo of this structure located just west of Spokane as well.

Empire has a siding so the bridge here is double tracked.  It was built in 1921 and is 58′ high and 249′ long.  147′ of that is DRT (deck reinforced truss) right in the middle of the bridge.  I have not photographed a westbound on this bridge as most westbounds use the former SP&S line out of Spokane to Lakeside Jct.  It is the eastbounds that use the former NP over the bridge.

Back at Cheney later in the afternoon the light was indeed much better.  While the BNSF’s Lind Turn was in town cars blocking the depot were pulled out giving a wide open view on the north/west side.  I took advantage and got a number of photos before the local re-spotted the cars.

The west end with the arches.

The center of the depot

And the far east end.

The following morning I headed from Spokane back up to the Cheney depot to get some photos from the south/east side before attending the Mike Gelhaus open house of his former NP passenger cars.  It was a fine sunny morning.  Here is an overall view of the depot.

And this view shows the center of the depot.  It looks as if there was an NP monad above the “Cheney” sign at one time.  I can’t see any other reason for that raised circle up there!

And one last photo of the arches as the west end of the building and the arches. 

I was hoping BNSF would run an eastbound but there were no trains at all the entire morning through Cheney.  Still I was satisfied with the photos I had taken and headed back towards Spokane to see those former NP North Coast Limited passenger cars.