Walter Holmes (1890-1957) is seen here picking a chopping away at the ice on the grade crossing on Highway 2 just east of Waterville. Walter wore many hats while he worked for the Waterville Railway Co. He was the fireman on locomotive 949, conductor, brakeman, switch-man as well as section gang. Picture taken in the winter of 1942.
Built by the Great Northern Railway in 1909, the 61 mile line branched off the mainline at the Columbia River and snaked its way up across Douglas County, WA to its terminus in Mansfield. 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 and Waterville Railway Co., as well as showcasing my scratch built HO scale models.
1 comment:
I know where that curve is!
Dan
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