Rail congrestion at Wishram, Washington!

 

 

It all happened by chance when a few of the guys were running their trains past Bakersville when it became apparent that a photo op was possible.

Keith is on the outside main. Steve Weso was on the inside main.  New member Colin Fitzgerald has the 2 RS units with the reefer cars and my 2 units

sitting in front of the station are waiting for another train to arrive. The Union Pacific Shay on display is still a mystery if it is Wishram. Ignore those giants

in the background.

 

First generation diesels rule the rails as one set takes the reefers into the yard while the other set is

heading for far off towns such as Spokane.

 

Mr Keith Wiles, formerly know as Mr. SP&S as he grew up in Wishram and his dad worked for the railroad,

has this matched 4 unit set in original paint heading off for the 300 mile run to Hillyard yard in Spokane.

 

Interloper Don Carnegie is a die hard Milwaukee Road fan and here is is with the 4-8-4 steamer with

the premier passenger train on the line. Rumor has it that he can't even spell SP&S!  But it's only a rumor!

 

Speaking of Milwaukee Road I too fell victim of its attractions when at one time

I had 3 of these beauties of electrication. I t all ended in 1974 when they pulled the plug and retired

these 12 units along with the remaining boxcabs. Now mine are gone as well

to the evil Ebay.!

 

She'll be coming around the mountain....but very slowly!

 

 

 

This odd looking steam engine was unique as steam engines go but it served a purpose to run on very rough rails in the backwoods of America. Speed was

not required but getting over quickly laid track on uneven ground was. The Climax engine served the logging industry for some 50 years and like most things

their time has past into history except in the modeling world. Our member Janus Ledum owned this little piece of history.

 

Member Tom Hindley asked me to rough up these 2 covered hoppers as they were too shiny and bright colors.

Now they look like they are earning a living for the railroads.

 

Happy go lucky Steve Weso has this 4 unit set of BN power pulling a 40 car coal train around the layout

on Thursday with 2 lease units in the lead.

 

The tail end of Steve's train was this highly detailed BN caboose  (when they used cabooses up until 1985)

Steve's friend heavy weathered this caboose just like the way they looked at the end of their careers.

 

New member Ver Walker acquired these 2 brutes in UP colors showing the flags on their flanks.

He also had a unit in push position at the rear and the train ran flawlessly.

 

Marvin again made pies and cake for our 3 members who are celebrating birthdays in May and everyone

who attended enjoyed the fruits of his efforts. Rod Huffman and Jim Bowden were the birthday boys

who were in attendance. Russ McPherson could not make it, maybe next time.

The past is relived every day at the Evergreen!

If you traveled on the Northern Pacific in the early 1950s you would have the pleasure of riding behind a multible set of F units such as these beauties

that Jim Bowden had on the layout today.

 

Jack was all over the layout today doing switching jobs with his little switch engine working the mines

and other industries and yards we have on the layout

 

When the Montana Rail Link started life in the early 1980s, Owner Dennis Washington decided to invest in

hand me down BN locomotives and part of the deal was a few of these wide nosed F45 units.

 

The Milwaukee Road was in business until 1980 when they decided to shrink the railroad back to the

midwest and abandon everything west of Mobridge, North Dakota. That was a sad day for railfans,

employees, and investors. Losing a transcon was painful.

 

Jack pointed out that this experimental paint job on this Southern Pacific diesel was very unique as to

the fact that there are 2 different schemes involved in this experiment. Look at the nose as one side has

the wings in red and the other was solid red.  Strange these railroad people?

...and what was her answer?

 

 

 

 

Fw: Too many choices from the Evergreen! FOR UPCOMING CONVENTION WITH MNRA

Almost 9 years ago 12 modelers decided to start a new HO train club in the Spokane Valley called the Evergreen Railroad Modelers. We now have over 35 members

to work on and play with a nearly finished layout that features 3 separate rail lines plus a trolley line. We modeled a 1950 era layout with DCC and Code 83 rail.

We have conducted many clinics for our members and guests over the years teaching scenery, DCC, tree making, weathering with an air brush and other subjects.

The layout consists of 18 bridges, numerous tunnels, large yard, mountains, towns, city and a sea port. Open Tuesdays from 1 to 6 pm and Thursdays from 1 to 9 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

Intruder alert!

 

Last week the club suffered an invader from the southeast in the form of Southern Railroad power.

They were big on high nose units that gave the crew a bit more crash protection from cars and trucks that

might get in their way. I can't remember who brought them in but they will return!

 

Speaking about foreigners, does Montana Rail Link count? Their tracks end about 75 miles northeast of Spokane at Sandpoint, Idaho where they connect with the old NP line

just north of the Sandpoint bridge. These units are from some guy named Steve Weso that makes railroad videos for our enjoyment.

 

Now we get to friendly territory where hometown boy Spokane, Portland and Seattle made Spokane

their eastern exit. These 4 Alco FAs are in the original scheme.

 

You heard of grain trains, now a new term has been hatched called crane trains. This one is the brain

child of Rod Huffman and it is being pulled by a Milwaukee Road steam engine, what are the odds?

 

Gone but not forgotten is this Northern Pacific 4-8-4 passenger engine. It was just sold on Ebay.

Western Pacific is well represented by John Schwarze who recently retired from the BNSF. Now that he is retired,

what does he do? He plays with model trains!!!

Guess who officially retired today?

 

 

 

Keith's retirement party happened today and that should remove any doubt to any street rumors to the contrary. Here we see Keith with me at his

official last day as a BNSF engineer in the Spokane office at Yardley. 38 years is enough and that seals the deal!

 

Now we can play with model trains all day long just like Don Carnegie with his Milwaukee Road trains.

One loaded train going one direction where the opposite train brings the empties back to the mine.

 

Tom Kirk now has 4 UP engines for his trains pulling a long freight.

Jack Papas likes to do switching with a single unit just like they do around the Spokane yard.

 

Jack took my Milwaukee Road Fs for a spin with the clubs passenger cars.

 

Speaking of F units I am in the process of working over a bunch of plastic shells into BN units in both

A units with cabs and B units that are cabless. Of all the engines I have sold recently the BN Fs were

the ones that I regretted so I am making more for me and others.

Modeling mirrors real life!

Jack Pappas works the port district at the Evergreen club with his BNSF Geep while his short line loco waits its turn.

 

Burt broke away from the Camas Prairie mindset to run his Santa Fe steam engine that is scheduled

to become a Northern Pacific steamer.

 

The Goat goes Blue! From 1966 to 1970 the Great Northern played with Big Sky Blue just before the

BN merger canceled any attempt to  change to anything else than BN Green.  Janis owns the passenger train but

I'm not sure who owns the freight train other than Jim Hill?

 

This one is owned by happy Steve Weso working the Green branch looking for an industry that needs empty

bulkhead flats. The crew is praying that the bridge will hold together as it is a Heimerdinger creation.

 

East meets west as Maine Central trains rule the rails. At least they don't smoke?

 

Burlington Northern still has a remnant of one of their merger units still in service as a modern set

passes in the background.