Our monthly meeting tonight, March 16, 2020, of the West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS has been canceled due to the station being closed to help combat the spread of the Corona Virus. Please pass the word to other chapter members you know. As of now we will meet next month on April 20th.
Month: March 2020
A week ago (preceding page), I stumbled portraying the closeness of the Milwaukee Road to the Northern Pacific Railway trackage. The two pictures here are the same location as last week’s Northern Pacific eastbound North Coast Limited, just nosing under the bridge. In both pictures above, the Milwaukee freights are westbound. The tunnel where #22 is exiting is about two car lengths behind the four diesels. If you were to Google-Earth this location you would see the valley is quite constricted here. The river is flowing away from the photographer.
The four diesels are crossing the Yakima River, but will only remain on that side for about a mile. The Milwaukee line continues up the Yakima River Valley, ducks into a short tunnel, follows the shoreline of Lake Keechelus, enters two snow sheds before the 11,789-foot Snoqualmie Pass tunnel. Both railroads enjoy relatively level travel up the valley, the Milwaukee all the way to the long tunnel. Northern Pacific trackage climbs a 2.2 percent grade from just behind the cameraman for about six miles to their Stampede Pass Tunnel.
The NP and Milwaukee do chase each other at various locations in the states of Washington and Montana. They are within sight of each other from the scene in these pictures, Lake Easton to Ellensburg, most of 40 miles. In western Montana for many miles along the Clarks Fork River they are much like double-track in some places, and zip in and out-of-sight for about a hundred miles. They share sides of the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana for about 85 miles.
Picture credits: diesels on bridge by Robert W. Johnston; #22 at tunnel by Dale Sanders
Pride of the Northern Pacific Railway, the eastbound vista-domed North Coast Limited, Train # 26 is drifting down the Yakima River Valley near Easton, Washington. This 1962 shot was taken from an open vestibule by the late great photographer Jim Fredrickson. The nose of the leading unit is under the Milwaukee’s line crossing to the other side of the river. In less than a mile it will bridge back to this side of the river.
The NCL left Seattle at 2:45 PM and has tunneled under Stampede Pass and descended into the scenic valley. It will follow the river for over a hundred miles, and will slip into Chicago Union Station the second afternoon out.
So, if this is the center-piece of the NP’s passenger fleet, why didn’t they paint the third car..? That car is a Slumbercoach, sort of a mini-Pullman, but not a Pullman requiring first-class ticket. Rather, the budget-minded sleeper was available for a reasonable price to coach-class passengers. Imagine 24 single and 8 double rooms, with sinks and toilets in each room, all put into less than 850 square feet of railcar. Accommodations were tight, but you had your privacy, a bed, your own bathroom for a decent price. Justine and I travelled to Butte in 1969 on a house search utilizing the NCL and a double Slumbercoach. Very adequate.
The stainless-steel Budd-built cars were left unpainted so they would stand out prominently. Sort of a “look what we have – that you don’t,” to the other railroads. Slumbercoach space was sold-out more often than not. Amtrak?? Take note.
While dad Jonathon watches trains, daughter Harper practices her dance which happens to be at the dance school next to the railroad tracks in Madisonville.
Photos by Jonathon Young.
