hahahahahahaha.......hahahahaha There are actually a few things up there. Looks like there may be a few birds’ nests as well. Sometimes I wonder if the box was placed up there about the same time a group of (most likely) kids spray painted 'Kittitas bong squad' on the east side of the bridge. I have a picture of the birds nest somewhere too...I'll see if i can find it.
As far as remaining depots from the "gap," I have seen a photo of the one from Lind. It is somewhere in the Royal Slope area near Royal City, but its actual location remains a mystery to keep unwanted types away. Real bummer!! It is being used as a storage shed, and then it is only the second story of the depot. There was a picture of it a few years back in the Moses Lake, WA newspaper. The writer of the history column that appears on Fridays knows the location, but he won't tell me. [ March 26, 2006, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: SDP45 ]
Dan- Interesting. Royal Slope area seems like a long ways away! The story about Lind that I was told several times, the same part as you've noted, exists. But it was supposedly moved "up hill" (south) of it's original RR location. I never spent much time looking for it. Should have..... Mission, Impossible? Your next assignment, should you choose to accept it,......... Boxcab E50
Ok so another fantastic set of present day photos! This will be the last set of renslow photos as we will now move east towards boylston! The difference in summer time at renslow. This picture was taken in June, Looking south. This one was taken in August. The side pole brackets. Looks like when the Railroad pulled out the scrappers just cut the poles. Looking north. The birds nest I spoke of early inside the girders. Looking at the ROW heading east to the left.
My brother is in some more of these photos, haha. These pictures were all taken at about mile post 2047 at signal 163/8. Looking east. I turned around and am looking west. One of the two signal bases, tip over and knocked to the side, slowly being taken over by sage.
About mile post 2046, signal 162/7. Riding east. A view of many fills along the route. When built the Milw must have filled many gaps like this one in between hills. Most of these are pretty intense while riding along them. They are much bigger and taller close up. One of the few remaining poles along the way. In fact I think this is the only one left other than the ones at Renslow until Boylston. Another tipped over signal base as well.
haha, it was so gross! he took his shirt off cause his shirt was soaked. Then put his backpack back on without his shirt. By the time we finished his straps on his backpack (which are black) had white like stain marks/runs on it from his sweat. Almost looked like he had salt stains or something like that on his straps. oddly he only recieved sun burns on the top of his shoulders. He did wear some kind of sun screen.
Mind I chime in? I managed to chase a little MILW in north-central Montana this weekend, featuring--you guessed it--my favorite--Tunnels! East of Great Falls about 20 miles, and is al near a little hamlet called Waltham, MT. There are 4 tunnels in this particular stretch of the MILW. Also two spectacular trestles. One of which is still unseen by me. The other I have a shot from a couple miles away, extreme telephoto, even. Anyone know of pics from this area? Eventhough it is still high desert, it is quite scenic, with Belt Creek meandering int he valley. Oh yeah, my short tour: Ghosts of the CMStP&P...
Thanks for the tour! Amazing how E. Washington is nothing more than desert.. Remarkably like Wyoming....
hemi- It’s a cool drive to come from the west over the pass and you'll emerge out of green tress beginning at cle elum and through Ellensburg, tress become sparse. Then as soon as you just get passed Kittitas, it turns very treeless. I think it’s beautiful out there.
I never said it wasn't beautiful, but it looks very devoid of vegetation other than sage--much like Wyoming, which can be gorgeous! When was the line east of Great Falls abandoned/pulled up?
Besides sage, there is native bunchgrass in the undisturbed areas. Remember, Eastern Washington is the "Nevergreen State."
Embargo went into effect at 0001 hours, March 1, 1980. Then came cleanup. And after early March, that was it. BN operated the line north from Lewistown to Geraldine for a few years. Then tried to abandon it. I don't recall when Geraldine to Falls Yard was yanked out. Early 1980's. Boxcab E50
Is this Belt Creek area considered Lines West? My next adventure will be the western portion of the area. The next big trip will be to visit Pipestone Pass and Vendome Loop southeast of Butte!
Anything, from Mobridge, South Dakota, on toward the Pacific Coast, is considered as being Lines West. It was from a point near Mobridge, (a name cobbled from Missouri River Bridge), named Evarts, by building what was known then as the Evarts Cutoff, that their famed westward expansion began. Boxcab E50
