1909 Mansfield Branch Station Survey

1909 Mansfield Branch Station Survey

From the Jim Fredrickson Collection at PNRA.

Thanks to Aaron Schwarz for finding these documents.  

Originally posted by the Big Bend Railroad blog.

1909 Report On The Mansfield Branch

1909 Report On The Mansfield Branch

From the Jim Fredrickson Collection at PNRA.  

Originally posted on the Big Bend Railroad Blog.

Moses Coulee Siding

From the 1915 Standard Atlas of Douglas County

Moses Coulee / Bon Spur Abandoned

Revised plan indicating that the track within the former ROW for Moses Coulee Siding (abandoned in 1938) was non operational as of Jan 1986.  In 1952, Bonneville Power built a spur off from this section of track to service their power station.  This connection is not shown on this plan.  The ROW still exists today, but is no longer is owned by the railroad.

Sheet No. 2 of abandonment drawing set.  Milepost 3.5 to 7.5.

Blow-up of above sheet

1912 Moses Coulee Map

1912 USGS Topo Map of Moses Coulee.  Siding in the highlighted area.  This siding was removed in 1938.

Moses Coulee in the 1950's

Looking south down Moses Coulee with Palisades in the background.  This 1950's snapshot of the coulee was taken by Gus Christ from the railroad tracks.  Now in the collection of the Wilson Creek Museum.  

Moses Coulee Siding

Aerial showing where Moses Coulee was along the MB Line.

1918 GN track plans superimposed on top of a 2012 aerial of the Moses Coulee Siding.  Moses Coulee was a siding track off the MB Line taken out in 1938.  You can see where Bon Spur was in relationship to Moses Coulee Siding in this image as well.

Another superimposed image of Moses Coulee Siding.  

Train ready to pass under the SR 28 overpass on August 1, 1983.  Photo by Blair Kooistra.  Here are some more pictures of trains at the same spot.  Picture 1,  Picture 2,   Picture 3

Bonneville Power Spur added in 1952

Plan view drawing showing the addition of the Bonneville Power Spur (Bon Spur).  On the opposite side of the tracks across from the spur was the Moses Coulee Siding.  That siding was taken out in 1938.  This drawing is dated 1952.  This line would serve the Bonneville Power Station up until the 1980's.

2011 Aerial

October 1983 photos.  Taken from the SR 28 Overpass looking north up Moses Coulee in the early morning.  Photo by John P. Henderson.

"Last Train" on the down grade just ready to pass under the SR 28 Overpass.  Photo by Tim Repp.  

March 2, 1985.

Early Morning Jaunt

June 14, 1981 photo of train on the up grade between the Columbia River and Bon Spur.  Tim Repp took this photo while standing on the SR 28 overpass looking north.

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.

More GN AFE's

Great Northern Railway AFE’s ( Authorization For Expenditure) on the Mansfield Branch
Info compiled from Great Northern Railway Historical Society Archives


Columbia River
1946 Install steel span bridge #1

Moses Coulee
1901 Put in steel bridge and approach
1918 Install ROW fence
1920 Install ROW fence
1922 Move public crossing
1930 Culvert #1
1938 Remove passing track

Bon Spur
1952 Install Bonneville Power Spur
1957 Grading, ditching, roads and culvert work

Appledale
1947 Replace steel span bridge #2
1949 Repair flood damaged steel span bridge #2
1963 Renew bridge #2
1966 Renew stringers on bridge #2

Palisades
1911 Install 4,975’ of Right of way fence
1915 Remove mail crane
1922 Retire car body depot
1927 Retire fill in bridge #8
1932 Renew timbering on tunnel
1936 Retire Depot
1936 Stream channel and rip-rap bridge #3
1945 Renew timbers in tunnel
1947 Replace bridge #3
1952 Repair tunnel
1964 Fill in bridge #4

McCue
1918 Install mail crane from Rock Island
1928 Remove mail crane
1940 Alter bridge #11
1949 Move camp buildings to Loon Lake, WA
1962 Renew bridge #9
1963 Renew bridge #11, 14, 20, 21, 25
1964 Renew bridge #10, 14, 15, 17, 26, 30
1965 Renew bridge #15-fill 4 spans, #16-fill 1 span
1966 Renew bridge #22

Alstown
1915 Install car body depot
1916 Install portable stock chute
1928 Rip-rap from Alstown to Douglas
1936 Retire section house and bunk house
1950 Remove water tank and pump
1956 Move section buildings
1964 Renew bridge #30
1964 Fill easterly span on bridge #27
1966 Re-drive bridge #30, 31 pilings

Douglas
1912 Transfer track for Waterville Railway Co.
1917 Extend industry track
1919 Install Waterville Railway Co. Engine Wye
1937 Install automobile unloading platform
1938 Repair flood damage-grading, ditching, roads and culverts
1941 Install driveway around depot
1946 Install electrical lights in depot
1947 Install 2-wire telephone circuit-mile post 35 to 37
1949 Extend Cent Mills Spur
1956 Acquire Waterville Railway Co. tracks
1956 Move section buildings
1957 Renew bridge 39
1960 Drill well for depot and section house
1962 Purchase pick-up truck

Supplee
1921 Remove section house and privies, moved to Omak, WA
1957 Grading, ditching, roads and culvert work

Withrow
1915 Move water tank to Glasgow, MT
1916 Remove pump house
1916 Install stockyard
1918 Install section foreman’s cottage
1919 Install private spur track
1929 Section house moved from Withrow to Mohler, WA
1930 Section house moved to Brewster, WA
1928 Remove section buildings
1932 Remove Standard Oil Spur
1936 Retire Depot
1940 Grading, ditching, roads and culvert work
1944 Extend industry track
1957 Renew bridge #41

Touhey
1964 Renew bridge #42


Mansfield
1913 Install portable unloading platform
1916 Install Standard Oil Spur
1917 Install express lockers in depot
1918 Install unloading platform
1920 Lay cinder ballast-Columbia River to Mansfield
1922 Repairs to bridges
1923 Install Columbia Valley Lumber Spur
1931 Remove engine house, coaling platform and 4 tracks
1932 Move tool house from Palisades to Mansfield
1940 Remove industry track
1941 Remove tail end of wye
1942 Remove depot
1942 Remove water tank
1949 Install crossover track between main line and siding
1956 Move section buildings
1957 Retire right of way on Mansfield Branch Extension
1963 Rearrange bents on bridge #43
1964 Rearrange bents and steel span on bridge #43

The Wenatchee Daily World: 1957

1957 shot showing the MB Line running underneath the SR28 overpass. Back then I guess it was called US2.