Bridge #33

Train crossing brige #33 on the MB Line on the down grade.  Alan Loebsack photo.  Date 1984.  Other pictures from this area of the line.

North Portal End

Late 70's look of the Tunnel in Douglas Creek.  Picture by Alan Loebsack

Between Supplee and Douglas

Aerial photo of train location

Here is what that section of abandoned ROW looks like today.  Photo by Alan Loebsack

Braking on the Down grade

BN GP9's #1743 (lead engine) and #1713 bring loaded box cars down the Mansfield Line near Douglas Creek Falls area.  The box cars are still exiting the tunnel on the south portal.  These locomotives are probably using heavy dynamic braking to control the load.  This picture was taken in August of 1983.  Photo provided by John Rust.

Mini Fake Photography

1983 photo of train coming around bend having just crossed Bridge #9 on the downgrade ready to enter the tunnel.  Taken by John P. Henderson

Where Bridge #36 used to cross the creek.  See original photo.

Looking on the down grade south of Bridge #36.  See the series of photos along with the orginal.

I was playing around with Mini Fake Photography on Photoshop and thought these turned out pretty cool.  They almost look like they are taken from a model layout.

Spokesman-Review, Sunday, December 26, 1948

Joseph Ritner "Shorty" Hosler ( 1893-1977)

Bridge #25

1985 photo showing Bridge #25 on the Mansfield Branch.  This was taken the same day as this photo on our family snowmobile ride along the line.  Photo was taken on the west side of the creek looking on the down grade.

Bridge #14

Looking east on the down grade across a damaged bridge #14 caused by a massive summer rain storm.  Date 1948.  Photo provided by the Skykomish Historical Society

Looking south at bridge #14 after the repairs.  Date 1949.  Photo provided by the Skykomish Historical Society.

Nov 2007 of the same view as photo above

GN Steam Locomotive #748

This 1949 picture shows GN Steam Locomotive, #748 resting on the mainline in Palisades on the down grade.  This locomotive was a G-3 Class 4-8-0 (twelve wheeler).  The locomotive is pulling two coal tenders and a mixed train.  The structure in the middle of the picture is the water tower, the building on the right is one of two cold storage warehouses used to store fruit, and the track on the right is the siding.  This particular locomotive was scrapped in 1953.  Thanks to Bob Kelly for providing the photo.

Douglas Depot

Date unknown

Riding the old ROW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20R59Dke2Vw

The first part of this video shows me riding on the old road bed between Bridge #10 (near McCue) and #9 (near the old tunnel) on the down grade.  Make sure you set the video to HD.

Douglas in 1984

This picture taken by Alan Loebsack in the late winter/early spring of 1984.  These BN locomotives are pulling the unit grain train through the Douglas Siding and on pass the depot which was retired 9 years prior in 1975.  To the right of the train are piles of grain doors used to seal up the box cars before being filled with grain.  About one year later, the depot would host the site of the "last train" (additional photos) ceremonies on March 2, 1985.  Here is a picture of the same train crossing Highway 2 in Douglas.  Aerial photos of Douglas Siding over the years.  Here is map of where Douglas was located on the Mansfield Line.

Here are some more photos (1) (2) (3) (4)  showing BN era action in Douglas

Bridge #25 then and now

 Pictured above is bridge trestle #25 on the Mansfield Branch.  This picture was taken in the spring of '49 after the repairs to it were completed.  This bridge, along with many others, were severly damaged in the June '48 flood and was closed 9 months for repairs.  The frame bents are still resting in place today.  This bridge was orginally constructed 137.5' long and consisted of 9 trestle bents and 2 mud sills.  It was also built on a curve. .  2006 photo of bridge  1949 aerial of bridge  Photo provided by the Skykomish Historical Society.

November 2007 of the same view as above

Change of alignment

This is a small section along the MB Line that had an alignment shift. Most likely because of the major flood of '48. See the pervious post for pictures of this area.

Kelly Davis Crossing 5-27-11

Checked out the line between the Kelly Davis Crossing and Bridge #36 (this location about 1 mile south of Alstown, WA). Found and old alignment on the other side of the creek with ties still laying in place. Probably abandoned after the '48 flood, my guess. Nice and wet on the Waterville Plateau with beautiful looking wheat. Happy for the farmers!

Cut looking on the down grade just south of Bridge #35


Old tie and plate still in the ground on the old alignment (see map for location)



Old ties on the old alignment

old ties

Looking across Bridge #36 on the down grade

Rock cut at south end of bridge #36 on the down grade

Rock cut at the south end of Bridge #36 on the up grade

Kelly Davis County Road Crossing. Mansfield Branch Line Bridge #33 was just to the right of that crossing. Pilings still visible.

Grade between Bridge #36 and Bridge #35. Looking on the down grade.

Looking at where Bridge #36 use to cross the creek. Hoppers derailed here in '84

Rock cut at south end of Bridge #36. Looking on the down grade.

Bridge #17

Bridge #17 on the Mansfield Branch that was washed out in June of '48. The view of this photo is looking up stream. About a mile up stream is where Duffy Creek enters Douglas Creek. Photo provided by Skykomish Historical Society.

Fun times...

My brother (left) and I standing next to a hopper car that derailed a little south of Alstown on the MB line. This was one of 3 cars that broke loose from Douglas. On this day my dad, mom, brother and I rode snowmobiles from Alstown all the way down to the Tunnel on the tracks. I remember crossing over the bridges and riding through the tunnel. We never touched snow the whole way. Fun memories!  1985 photo.

Check out the wreck photos here

Withrow '84

The Wenatchee Daily World: May 17, 1952

Masakuni Nakashima Takeda  (1902-1952)

Accident map from the Interstate Commerce Commission

Accident location 2010 photo looking northeast

Accident location 2010 photo looking southwest

Accident occured on May 16th, 1952

Bucking the snow

Waterville Railway Co. Locomotive 4-6-0 #299 plowing its way through the heavy snow near a cattle guard crossing. The photographer was Chester Lockwood, a local man. C. 1914. Photo provided by Harold Badten.

Bon Spur/Appledale

This picture taken in 1983 by John P. Henderson. This train is between Bon Spur and Appledale headed on the up grade with about 40 empty boxcars in tow.

Boom Town

Mansfield in the early days. c. 1914