Back on June 17, 2008 a thread was started about NP Surviving Depots, while the one I'm interested in no longer survives, I'm wondering if anyone out there has any photos of the last NP depot at Kanasket, WA? I visited that depot a number of times back in the eighties, but any photos I took back then are lost to history (and several moves). If anyone has any photos that they would be willing to post I'd really appreciate it. While the third depot still exists down the hill from where the last one was built, it's on private property and not accessible for good photos from the front, and there were some differences between the two that I'd like to identify. Thanks in advance for any help.
I should have a slide or two of the last one. But nothing transferred to digital. Sure wish number three would be somehow preserved.
I have some from the mid-90's, after it was violated pretty good by the locals. Martin Burwash's book "Cascade Division" has a few shots from the late 70's, early 80's in B&W.
It's still standing, along with the water tower. I'm with ya', be nice to clean it up, put a stretch of rail in front of it......
Wasn't there a pump house still standing behind number 3? Or is that gone now? Water tower- Do you mean the tank on the hillside?
Well, too much snow out there in the sticks, I could only make it barely to Ravensdale.... But, did catch some Cascade Green in Kent!
Well, the weather is nice and a good day for a drive.....so decided to drive up to Kanasket. A buddy who works for BNSF "Maintenance in the Way" as he calls it, said I should get up here to see something. Hmmmmm...... Soooo, I figured I'd get some pics of the old NP station that was on the old line.... Yup, still there.....
But get this-part of the original NP main from Palmer Jct out to Veazey,(where BNSF gets local ballast from), is getting some work done!! The foreman was telling me that a 1/4 of the ties don't have tie plates!! And the close to 5,000 ties they're replacing, are from the 50's! My buddy Jason using the magnet to unload tie plates... You wanna stay away from that if you're wearing alot of metal!
Unfortunately, the reason for the line rehab, is for car storage and the occasional run to the ballast pit. The ties were so badly rotted, the tie plates were to the point they were paper thin and the rails wouldn't stay in gauge over most of the line, and some small culvert washouts weren't helping. Cool history though-NP,(then BN), and the Milwaukee Road used this line to Enumclaw, Wa. up till the 80's.
I think I saw barely the roof of it thru all the brush, but not positive. So overgrown now. Sure wish someone would give it a makeover.
Drove out to Cumberland to see the progress on the line.... Looking south towards Veazey. Looking north towards Palmer Jct.
Hard to believe the NP used they're Z class Challengers on this line to Tacoma. Milwaukee Road was also a tenant in this line to Enumclaw.
This amount of work scares me a bit. I have seen (BN) do it previously. Then shortly thereafter abandon and pick it all back up again! Pouring in dollars to tip the books, so they can go to govt and wail about losing money on the line....
Are you speaking of this branch? Or the old NP transcon? They only could use very small Z's on the transcon, due to the Stampede tunnel. Not sure if I ever have seen any Z photos on the branch. Would sure like to... I know the MILW did use their N classes to Enumclaw.
