Anyone interested in a brief, rare view of Lines West operations, might wish to check this out: http://www.trainboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/ubb/get_topic/f/64/t/000454.html? Caveat Emptor Anxiously awaiting my copy! Boxcab E50
Bill- Cost $25.00 plus $3.00 shipping. The camera work is of course amateur. Silent Super 8 footage. Narration added by the Milw trainman who recorded the action. A few scenes can be a little dark. About 21 minutes worth, during 1978. Mostly brief clips of various locations on the old Washington (nee-Coast) Division. Done mostly from the left side of a diesel cab. Views forward out of the cab window, or out the cab side window. The train being mostly on the move, his camera at times shakes. It starts out with a quick pan of the Tacoma yard/roundhouse area, with a wreck train departing. Moves to Tacoma Junction, where there is some further train action. It then picks up with the train passing east along Lake Keechelus. (KETCH uh luss.) through the snowsheds, and shortly passes a true jewel- Showing briefly amongst the brush at trackside is the long forgotten station of Whittier watchmans shanty. WOW! Then on through the Easton area. Past the Cle Elum substation and depot. (Today, both buildings are being beautifully restored!) Next is the train descending the east side of the Saddle Mountain grade, passing the Hanford Branch junction switch, and crossing the Beverly Bridge. As the train crosses, you can see a quick glint of a sun reflection across the Columbia River at left. This from two metal grain bins that were on the tail track of the Beverly wye. Then quickly on past the Beverly depot. Moving to a westbound train, there is a quick glimpse of running down Maple Valley. Then street running in Renton on Hauser Way. (Not "Street" as some folks err.) You can see the unique structures that held the street crossing signals, and once supported catenary. The train passes BN's depot, (a standard type GN design built by the GN), a replacement for the original Pacific Coast two story with attached freight house wooden structure. And meets the BN "Renton Rocket." A local freight that served Pacific Car & Foundry, etc. (Where I was employed at the time this was filmed.) On south (timetable west) down the Valley through Kent and past it's depot. The white car by the depot was the company car. Used to check industries in the Andover Industrial Park, and at West Siding. A few dark shots in Seattle of yard operations. Then a Seattle switcher, an MP15AC takes a train out to the yard at Black River. Passes the UP tower there. And it all closes with the MP15AC doing some switching in the Black River yard. As the railroad is gone, going back to record it in any fashion is impossible. So I'm happy to have whatever I can find. Nothing like this has surfaced to date! So......... A little bit of a windy writeup. Hope it helps. Boxcab E50 [ 19. March 2004, 18:31: Message edited by: BoxcabE50 ]
Thanks Ken for the very comprehensive review. This sounds like the ideal ticket for those who wish to model this area. Bill
the steam locos from the late 30's and early 40's..the Hiawathas..I know there probly isn't..but I have seen color video of one of them..and can't remember where it was...I'm not very good when it comes to my memory..sometimes
Ah. Explains why I didn't catch those numbers. Those engines only served back on the eastern portion of the railroad. No. This footage is about 1977-1978. All on the lines way out in Washington. Boxcab E50
Hello Boxcab, great writeup: Easton and Cle Elum, WOW. Now, the link in your original post no longer works, can you give me any lead what to to search for? Cheers Dirk
here is the link so that you can view some pics on a sample of the video ken is talking about. I too have bought it and am happy with it. there is very little photos let alone video of this route, i am happy i found it. I wish there was more, i guess that's why i am recreating the route...so i can see the milw run everyday across renslow! John Crosby website
Dirk- The original link is broken, as I had it listed in the Yellow Forum. Old ads there have since been cleaned out. Follow the link Greg posted, to John's home page. However, that is not the site where it is offered for sale. For that info, go to Rick Beaber's pages. Located here: The Milwaukee Road Photo Archives Boxcab E50
It's footage I have never seen anywhere else. Wish that more would come forth. From any source..... Boxcab E50
