Sorry to wander off thread but... I remember when I was much younger that I used to play in Hewitt Park in Oroville CA and there were'nt(SP) fences around the 2 locos there. It would've never occured to me to deface one.
More of the Heritage Museum, notice the clay banks in my pics and the old pics, the mill pond was close by. I wish I had taken more picks of the mill area, I didn't fully realize it was slowly being scrapped.
They actually preserved and moved engine shed to this site. Looking towards the mill and the "Teepee". The GN/BN/BNSF mainline and depot are down by the river, about a mile on the otherside of the Teepee.
Me two, I used play on this with my cousins when we were kids, vandalism? never. Now I 'm quite sure the fence is there for legal and insurance reasons. They have been reworking the cab, although progress seemed to be slow.
I was a child then, I did not know the dam project meant the end of FRR. Much less the movement of the mill, When I became more adult-like I went looking for the remnants and it was gone. Gently I'm reestablishing contacts with folks that were adults back then,hopefully some pics will show up. At least someone took an interest in the history of your "backyard". There's a logging group here on Trainboard and I plan to update them on what I can.
Yup. I sure understand the situation in Libby. It may be that way here, soon. Sure would be fun to see this little guy steam again some day. Boxcab E50
I've just tried to call a retired agent/operator, who worked during the 1950's. Darn. He's not home right now. He'll probably know where some of the locals were based, and any switchers as well. Boxcab E50
Also what did a "normal" day work like, ,did they operate as a branch line with an interchange? or was it along the main anyway? How did they operate?
Caught up with him! 1950's Great Northern- "Libby Logger"- Based at Libby ran as a work extra daily. Worked at Libby. Not just for it's own, but switching other s/o, p/u. Would run east as far as Volcour, and back. Pick up or set out. Logs, and also some freight. Would also run west to Troy as needed. "West Local"- Based at Whitefish. Out one day, return the next. Worked everything Whitefish to Troy. "Bull Local"- Based at Whitefish, and Spokane Actually a time freight. But.... Junker (drag) freight. Whitefish-Spokane daily. Usually two days. Whitefish-Troy day one. Troy-Spokane day two. And vice versa. P/U, S/O at Libby, and? Stuck in the hole for anything and everything. Often 150 cars. And more. Newport-Bonners Ferry Local. (Nickname?) Daily except Sunday. Saturday would also run to Port Hill. Troy-Bonners Ferry, no business. And that's about it for this session. Boxcab E50
Awesome Ken, Thanks much!! 150 cars on the "Bull Local" That business doesn't exist anymore, times change.
Forgot to mention that he said the Bull would leave Whitefish with around 75 cars. Usually four covered wagons. And along with other cars as needed, would pick up a sizeable number at Libby. At that point was where they'd be up to or over 150 cars. He also was talking about this time of year, and how Eureka would ship a lot of Christmas trees. Even had to put on an extra operator to handle that additional business. Boxcab E50
Libby would ship alot of Christmas trees as well, Ray Remp, who owned the gravel pit in town, would subsidize his income by growing and selling the trees. My cousin made some nice money loading boxcars this time of year.
We can only imagine what stories could be told about that time period. Unfortunately, most of the people who worked back then are gone. What few remain, are widely scattered. There is a weekly coffee gathering in Kalispell, where a few do get together and chat. Boxcab E50
