Former Douglas Depot photos by Paul Lacombe. Paul was only 16 years old when he worked at the depot in the summer of 1966. He would commute up from Wenatchee in the early morning hours and work the duties of a depot agent by preparing waybills and other necessary paperwork. By this time, the train only ran Thursdays and Sundays. The days the train didn't run, gave the young man lots of time to explore the little community of Douglas. Everyday he would eat lunch prepared by Lois "Jeff" Friel at the Douglas Store. He only worked there one summer, but the memories he said are very fond and clear. These photos show him back at the depot 25 years later with his cousin on July 28, 1991. Paul would later become a pharmacist and retire in Spokane.
Great Northern Rwy's Mansfield Branch Line (1909-1985) and the Waterville Railway Co. (1910-1974)
Built by the Great Northern Railway in 1909, the 61 mile Mansfield line branched off the mainline at the Columbia River and snaked its way up across Douglas County, WA to its terminus in Mansfield. In 1970, Burlington Northern took over operations of the line. In 1985 it was abandoned, thus closing the book on railroading on the Waterville Plateau. This blog is dedicated to preserving the history of the Mansfield Branch Line as well as the Waterville Railway Co. And some HO scale stuff.
Monday, March 1, 2021
Thursday, February 4, 2021
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