Milwaukee Railroad

When the Milwaukee Railroad seized operations, the state of Washington acquired the right of way and turned the old railroad into one long trail. West of the Columbia River it's known as the Iron Horse State Park and the eastern portion was named the John Wayne Pioneer Trail . The Iron Horse State Park (IHSP) is well maintained, it receives much use by joggers, bicyclist or even horseback on certain areas. In comparison, the John Wayne Pioneer Trail (JWPT), is more primitive with fewer access points, passing by pasture and large open ranges. Although it's been about thirty years since the railbed has seen a train, there are still various structures that have withstood the test of time and vandalism. Many of the trestles, tunnels, substations or depots on the IHSP have been well maintained and cared for while the JWPT has struggled to received the attention needed to preserve the history it holds.

On our last day of the year, Traci, Ben and I visited Lind where remnants of the old bridge can still be seen. I am not sure of when the trestle was completed yet the date on picture displays the date of March 14, 1912. We arrived on the west end of the trestle and managed to see a BNSF train heading east from Seattle. While we were there, we met a couple of railfans from the Portland area who were highly knowledgeable on the operations of the BNSF railway. According to one of them, BNSF was on the process of placing another track alongside the current to increase efficiency and avoid delays from eastbound and westbound trains. He also mentioned that the two pillars left standing were to be removed the second week in January. Although the two pillars are no Colosseum or Mt. Rushmore, I felt terrible that one more piece of the historical Milwaukee Railroad would soon meet it's doom. Yet despite the news, I was glad that I had taken the time to see them standing and explore the area.

Our goal for the day was to visit Lind and follow raildbed towards Beverly, WA. We drove by Tauton where substation 21 once provided power to the electric railroad. The building is not in great shape from years of vandalism and neglect. The windows no longer hold the weather outside, the floors are cluttered with tumbleweeds intertwined with garbage and the birds leave an unending mark from their nest perched high above. Bricks and oil containers lay scattered throughout the area among piles of boards and large insulators. What once would supply the energy to the giants of transportation, will one day meet it's fate as more people visit to fulfill an inner desire to destroy. If you are finding out about Tauton through my blog, I plea to preserve and not destroy history.

The last stop on our journey was Beverly where the Milwaukee Railroad constructed a bridge to cross the mighty Columbia River. The bridge still stands although the rails were removed in the early 1980's. Beverly was home to many rail workers between 1905-1920 while the Milwaukee Railroad was being built. All the homes in Beverly are manufactured homes, any older house or shops have been destroyed and filled with graffiti. Beverly was host to a train yard, a depot and even its own post office yet the Bridge and an oil tank base were the only structures left that I could see. Until now, the IHSP and JWPT are divided by one bridge closed to public, perhaps one day they will meet.

I retrieved the first image at University of Libraries from the University of Washington.
http://www.lib.washington.edu/