Supplee.  August 1, 1983.  The train is on it's way to Withrow, but before it can do that the crew must clean up the station by picking up empty box cars that have run out on the main track.  These cars will be pushed on ahead to Withrow to be filled there.  Blair Kooistra photo.

Climbing out of Moses Coulee

Train pulling the grade about 1 mile north of Palisades in the early morning hours.  A cabless Massey-Harris combine rests in the foreground.  August 1, 1983 photo by Blair Kooistra.  Here is a picture of a speeder car in the same spot on the line.

Douglas Depot

Date and photographer unknown.

Supplee in 1983

Supplee.  August 1, 1983.  Blair Kooistra photo

May 2010 photo taken where the box cars are resting in the above photo.

Supplee in 1983

Supplee August 1, 1983.  Blair Kooistra photo.

This photo is taken at the same spot where the locomotives are in the above picture.  May 2010 photo.

  

Waterville Railway Co. Engine House

Former Waterville Railway Co. Engine House.  2012 pictures by Dan Bolyard.  Dan has a blog called Big Bend Railroad History.  It's a great read.

South end

South end

View of north end of building

South end view in 1942

Mansfield.  Date unknown.
Similar photo and about the same location around 1914

A lonely box car rests on the siding next to fruit storage warehouse buildings as well as a Ford Model T truck in Palisades, WA.  All that exists to today are the foundations of these buildings.  Date unknown.

   

'DOUGLAS' Depot Signs

1985 photo of south end 'Douglas' Depot sign.

2011 photo of same sign placed on top of a bank of mailboxes in Douglas.  Right across from the Douglas General Store.

The north end depot sign is in a person's shop.  I've been trying to buy it from this person for years but they won't sell it.  The north end sign was salvaged the night before the depot was burned down on December 5, 1993.  This photo dated Oct. 1983.

The Withrow Banner: June 12, 1914

This would be bridge #41

The Withrow Banner: Jan. 14, 1916

I guess no one knew how "Touhey" was supposed to be spelled back then.  I wonder what work was being done out there?

  

Repairing damage caused by a big flood in 1938.  Here in this picture, construction crews are revising the alignment of the track and moving it away from the wash-out.  Looking south.  This is at mile post 33 about half way between Alstown and Douglas next to the Daling Ranch.

A bladeless dozer hard at work with a pull-scrapper grading the new alignment.  Looking north with the Daling Ranch in the background.  Skykomish Historical Society provided photos.

Looking at the north tunnel portal entrance from the east side of the creek.  Ryan Reed photo March 8, 1986.

Train exiting tunnel on August 1, 1983.  GP9's #1743 and #1713 hold back boxcars loaded with grain on a steep section of track along the line.  This train will drop about 350' in elevation in about 3 miles down to Palisades.  One of my favorite photos taken of this line.  Blair Kooistra photo.  Here is another shot of that train just moments before.

Here is a picture taken from the locomotive's perspective some 26 years later.  September 2009 photo.

Moses Coulee in 1983

Early morning train in Moses Coulee 1.3 miles south of Palisades, Wa.  Near the middle of the train is bridge #6.  August 1, 1983 photo by Blair Kooistra.

Waterville Railway Co. Map

1950's look at Alstown.  The structure in the middle of the picture is a pump house.  In the distance just to the right of the pump house you can see the station sign.   Photo provided by Bob Kelly. 

BN crewman walks the tops of the boxcars and does one last check before the train departs out of Douglas.  "Last Train" resting just a little south of US 2.  In just a few hours time, the sights and sounds of railroad activity will just be a distant memory on the plateau.
March 2, 1985 photo by Tim Repp.

These rusty 40' boxcars getting ready to depart Douglas, WA. These are some of the last pictures showing boxcars being used to haul wheat in the entire United States.  Boxcars became out of fashion once hoppers came in to use.  "Last Train" leaving Douglas for the last time on March 2, 1985.  Tim Repp photo.

Picture taken from above the tunnel's south portal entrance.  The track alignment used to run straight through where the curved section is seen in this photo.  A short little 68' structure, bridge #8 once crossed a small gully about where the speeder is parked.  The bridge was removed during the 1920's according to GNHS archives.  March 8, 1986 photo by Ryan Reed.  1988 article about the tunnel being sealed up.

  

Bridge #15

Looking at the north end of bridge #15.  This bridge spanned 165.5' across the creek. 

  Early 1980's.