Track Layout in Easton and Cle Elum?

[Caddy58]

Hellow fellow NP Buffs and Modellers,

I am looking for a track diagram of Easton and Cle Elum in the early '50.

I am planning an extension of my layout to include the eastern slope of Stampede Pass until Cle Elum or potentially Ellensburg and would like to get the tracks right.

Any help / link / reference will be highly appreciated

Cheers
Dirk

[BoxcabE50]

Dirk-

I should have a condensed track profile for the line. But it's about 1967-1969. Would need to check that date. By then, there had been some changes at Easton. But it might help as a start? Can scan and post. Once I find that box.

:D

Boxcab E50

[Caddy58]

That would be a temendous help! I do have some old photographs, but by looking at them I can not figure out how they fit together.

Specifically in Easton: Where was the wye to turn the Challengers in relation to the turntable and the coaling station? The wye would probably been gone in 67-69, but it could be possible to figure it out by looking a diagram...

Do you happen to know if there was ever a locomotive service facility in Cle Elum? I expect that there were Engines for the Roslyn Branch somewhere, but where were they based and serviced? graemlins/headscratch.gif

Many Thanks for your help!!
Cheers
Dirk

[Kurt Moose]

Hi! The wye was at the west end of the yard, west of the depot and on the north side of the tracks and I think it might still be in use for the spreaders and such in the winter time. The only facilities were for the steamers and the turntable was covered,(pretty big!), but I think by the mid-fifties, most of it was gone. If you get a chance, look at the library for all of Warren Wing's books. They have all sorts of pictures in them. graemlins/wink.gif

[BoxcabE50]

I found the box that the NP track profile should be in. Will dig through it tomorrow.

If I recall correctly, BN removed the wye at Easton. Plus virtually everything else. BNSF has put the wye back in. And an extended siding, etc.

Not like it was, when I'd last visited with the operator. In the now just a memory depot, back during the early 1980's.

At one time, Ellensburg has a roundhouse and yard. The Local to Ronald and Roslyn probably came from there during NP days.

:D

Boxcab E50

[Kurt Moose]

Speakin' of depots, I was on a service call over in Renton, Wa., (where I work for Les Schwab Tires), and it was at a lumber yard on Lake Washington along side the old NP line up to Sumas. The office there was right next to the tracks and had a sign on the front of it that looked like a railroad type and said "Quendel" on it so's I ask the guy there if it was the old depot and he said "sure is"! graemlins/222.gif I went inside and it was cool! Even had old train pictures hanging on the wall. It is brick and appears to be turned around and facing away from the track. Anyone know any history? graemlins/headscratch.gif

[BoxcabE50]

Interesting! In my lifetime, I don't recall ever seeing a depot at Quendall. Just the siding. Any chance for some pictures?

:D

Boxcab E50

[BoxcabE50]

Just for fun, have e-mailed a retired NP Tacoma Division dispatcher I know. Hope he'll get back to me before too long. Maybe he'd know more about that depot.

:D

Boxcab E50

[Caddy58]

Kurt,

many thanks for the orientation, great help! I got all 3 "Northwest Pictorials" plus tons of other books, but I just could not figure out how it all fits togther geographically. Thansk to your help I think I can now.. graemlins/notworthy.gif

I most enjoy Jim Fredrikson's picture of the Oil Train (can't remember if it was "J" or "Q") coming down from Stampede pass behind a FT ABBA and blasting through Easton. What a show!!

Boxcab, if you can find that track diagram I am obviously still interested (you can never know too much whilst planning your Layout) :D

Many Thanks
Dirk

[BoxcabE50]

Kurt-

I had a reply from the dispatcher. He said there never was a depot at Quendall. I mentioned Kennydale. He said no depot there either.... Did say there was one at Wilburton. So, we have a small mystery at hand. Was this Wilburton? Moved south?

Dirk-

I have the profile sheet sitting here on my desk. Dated January 1, 1969. A few too many distractions over the weekend. Will try to have it scanned and uploaded this evening.

:D

Boxcab E50

[BoxcabE50]

Dirk-

Here is the NP Easton profile page.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/700/NP_Condensed_Profile-_Easton_WA-Martin_WA_.jpg

Hope this helps!

:D

Boxcab E50

[Kurt Moose]

Ya, I'll have to go back there and check it out again. The sign on the front looks just like the standard BN era side of the track sign they used for towns.

[BoxcabE50]

Kurt-

If you can get a photo or two, and give me the OK, I can send them to my contact. Am betting he'll know when he sees the pix.

:D

Boxcab E50

[Caddy58]

Boxcab,

that is great, many thanks!

Given the orientation of Easton in a North-South direction I assume that on this Map "Up" is east and "Left" is north?

In other words, the Milw crossed the NP north of Easton and went through Easton on the West side of the NP?

And I can see the wye, hurrah :D

Any chnace that you woulk have Cle Elum as well? Awfully few pictures taken there...

Cheers
Dirk

[BoxcabE50]

Dirk-

Actually Easton is laid out in a northwest- southeast orientation. The top of that scanned page is northwest. The Milw crossed them west/north west of town.

Yes. I have NP Cle Elum from the same dated profile set. Will make a note to scan it.

:D

Boxcab E50

[BoxcabE50]

Dirk-

Here is Cle Elum:

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/700/NP_Condensed_Profile-_Cle_Elum_WA_.jpg


Just for fun- The station name at far right, is pronounced "tee-ANNA-way." There once was double track extending from Cle Elum to Teanaway.

:D

Boxcab E50

[Caddy58]

Hello Boxcab,

wow, this is what I needed! smile.gif
Now I need to go back and draw up a new plan to better represent Cle Elum. What a fascinating track arrangement!

I developed a more detailed plan on Easton based on all the phot evidence I couls find, but a recent hardrive crash wiped it out. Lucky me I had backed up most data, but this was just 2 days old, so I will need to start over again.

Many Thanks for the support!
Cheers
Dirk

[BoxcabE50]

Dirk-

Glad it helped.

Know all about backing up data. I was just trying to do some, and my CD burner seems to have died. Bummer.

Keep us posted on your planning! That would be great fun to see!

:D

Boxcab E50

[Caddy58]

All I have right now are some very rough sketches.

I will need to relocate an oil tank out of our basement to the garden first to make room for the expansion, which is quite a major task and subject to approval by the local authorities. As we live close to a small creek it might never be granted :(

But if I am successfull I plan to cover Martin, Easton, Cle Elum with the Branches to Roslyn and Ronald, Ellensburg and down the canyon to Yakima. I will try to pencil something presentable and post it here.

Cheers
Dirk

[BoxcabE50]

Good luck with that tank! I hope it all works out. Your scenario sounds really interesting.

:D

Boxcab E50

[Caddy58]

Just checked the local building code: Outside tanks still legal, not subject to approval.

Now I need to persuade my wife to incorporate the tank relocation into the lists of thinbgs to do on the house (new roof, new deck, new carport)

So I am not holding my breath and building Tacoma Union Station (including Pacific Avenue) and parts of the Tidewater Flats will keep me busy for the near future. And then there are always more cars to weather and engines to be rebuild.

But the thought of long stretches of Milwaukee and NP Mainlines through Yakima Valley is very tempting.

I will try to follow up with some sketches, but please dont tell my wife :cool:

[SDP45]

We won't say a word!

This thread has been very interesting guys.

[BoxcabE50]

The tank news sounds great!

I'm looking forward to this project. As my wife has/had family in the Thorp-Eburg-Kittitas area, we spent a lot of time there. Memories....

It will be interesting to see how you recreate this scene. So am looking to see the sketches!

:D

Boxcab E50