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Northwest Rail Pictorial Vol 1 and Volume 3
A Northwest Rail Pictorial with photographs from the collection of Warren Wing
Hard cover with Dust jacket Has plastic protective covering
Copyright 1983, SECOND PRINTING 1988
160 Pages
Indexed
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In the Mountains page 9
Along the Shore page 44
Salmon Bay Bridge page 57
Interbay page 62
In the Cities page 70
Argo Crossing page 90
Black River Junction page 98
Going South page 120
On the Peninsula page 140
The Interurbans page 146
Pacific Coast Railway page 152
Skagit Railway page 158
DUST COVER INTRODUCTION
To the serious rail enthusiast, the discovery of an unknown and unpublished collection of photographs is akin to an archeologist uncovering a long lost tomb. One such collection of photographs is owned by Mr. Warren Wing of Seattle, Washington.
Actually, Warren's collection is not really "unknown." He has been collecting photographs and other memorabilia on Northwest railroads for many years, and because of his involvement in local railfan activities, his collection is well known here. However, on a national level, the great majority of his collected works has remained unseen, and for the most part, unpublished.
The importance of this collection to rail historians is unparalleled. Going through it, you can see the entire history of Northwest railroading unfold. It spans a period in time from the arrival of the first transcontinental railroads right down to the present. His collection is both large and varied, and features photographs by some of this area's best rail photographers ... men like Al Farrow, an ex-Northern Pacific engineer who had the presence of mind to carry his camera in the cab with him; Jim Fredrickson, who also worked for the railroad; personal friends, Harold Hill and Lawton Gowey, as well as the brilliant pictures of early-day photographer, James Turner, to name only a few.
From an historical viewpoint, Turner's photographs are fascinating because they chronicle an era in railroad history ... 20's and 30's ... when the Nation's railroads, free from the government control of WW I, were coping with the boom of one decade and the depression in another.
For these reasons, and the fact that fans of the Northwest's railroads are everywhere ... in every state and every part of the globe ... we felt that a book based on Warren's outstanding collection was long overdue.
To the casual and non-railfan reader, all this interest may seem a little strange, and perhaps an explanation is necessary.
To say that the railroads built this part of the world would be an understatement. There was no Northwest until the arrival of the transcontinental railroads ... the Northern Pacific was first in 1887, followed by Hill's Great Northern in 1893, and later, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.
All three railroads faced tremendous obstacles trying to reach tidewater on Puget Sound. Both the NP and GN employed temporary switchbacks, reverse loops, and later, summit tunnels at Stampede and Stevens passes to overcome the rugged Cascades. The Milwaukee Road's crossing at Snoqualmie Pass was no less difficult. Only the fourth transcontinental, the Union Pacific, avoided the problem by building up from the south. Double-headers, helpers, and later huge Mallet-type locomotives were needed to boost tonnage up and over the mountains. In winter, the tracks were often blocked by snow, requiring rotary plows, snow-sheds and manpower to get trains through.
Not only was the railroad's right-of-way of interest but the motive power and rolling stock as well. Any fan of the Northwest railroads worth his salt can tell the difference between say, a GN or NP steam locomotive at a mere glance. Even in the diesel era the railroads maintained their own individuality. The GN's units were painted a striking orange and green, while the NP's were a somber two-tone green for passenger power and yellow and black for freight.
Combine these factors with the rugged and beautiful scenery of the Northwest and you know why this region's railroads enjoy such popularity with the railfan fraternity.
We should mention that the title of this work is actually a misnomer. It does not contain everything that ran on rails in the Northwest .. : to do that would require a bigger book or several volumes. However, hopefully, we will expand the coverage in the future, hence the generic title, `A Northwest Rail Pictorial." Certainly Warren Wing's outstanding collection deserves further coverage.
One aspect of the collection, and a favorite of Warren's, is the section devoted to the streetcars and interurbans that crisscrossed the Puget Sound region. With the opening of the new Seattle waterfront trolleys, there has been renewed interest in this area's traction. For that reason we thought to include several interesting views that typify both street and cable operation as well as the big interurbans that sped between the major metropolitan centers on Puget Sound.
While this book is intended for and aimed at the rail buff, we know that there will be something of interest for local and long-time Northwest residents. Perhaps some view or photograph will trigger memories of long-ago trips on the great trains and the trolleys that once ran here; or of places that have long since been forgotten or changed. We certainly hope so.
FOREWORD
This is a remarkable collection of photographs that chronicle not only the author's remembrances but the entire history of rail transportation in the Puget Sound area. It spans a period of time from the arrival of the first transcontinental railroads to the dawn of the diesel age and Amtrak.
The collection is the result of one man's dedication to preserving that history, photographer and author Warren Wing, a Northwest native with a deep interest in trains and their impact on the region.
Born in Seattle in 1918 as a youngster Warren worked a newspaper route spending his spare change riding trains and trolleys. At the beginning of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as a cook and later mess sergeant. He was assigned to troop movements and traveled from coast to coast, giving him further opportunity to ride and watch trains.
After the war, with his army service behind him Warren joined the Postal Service as a letter carrier. It is interesting to note that he shared the same occupation with another rail photographer and collector, the legendary Otto Perry of Colorado narrow gauge fame. It was during his career with the Post Office that Warren began collecting photographs and meeting many of the photographers who are represented here.
What makes Warren Wing's collection so unique is its complete coverage of the railroads around Puget Sound in all eras, especially the 1920's, a period seemingly missed by many of the great rail photographers. Warren is indeed fortunate to have in his collection photographs from the brilliant Seattle photographer, James A. Turner. All rail enthusiasts and historians should be indebted to Turner for the trips he made into the "wilds" of the Cascades, to Stevens and Stampede Passes, to capture on film the trains of the 20's and 30's. To our knowledge this is the first time a large number of Mr. Turner's pictures have been published.
Of course there are other great Northwest rail photographers represented and the author graciously acknowledges them all. To each we would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation for sharing their work with us.
At one time the Northwest was served by four transcontinental railroads ... the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Union Pacific and the Milwaukee Road, plus smaller roads like the Pacific Coast Railway. The great stations, the "marble temples" of their age, Seattle's King Street, Union station and Tacoma's Union depot were never quiet. On their rails and beside their platforms stood the great trains of yesteryear ... the Empire Builder, North Coast limited. Cascadian, Olympian to name only a few. Seattle's streets were criss-crossed by trolley and cable car lines and the big wood interurbans sped between Everett and Seattle; Seattle and Tacoma.
Most of this is gone now. And we sometimes wonder, as we sit in our automobiles trapped in an 1-5 traffic jam, if their replacements are any better. We think not. That's why it is fun to look through Warren's collection. It brings us back to an earlier time when at every corner was a streetcar, and at every depot, a train.
In planning this book, we realized we could only use a small portion of Warren's magnificent collection. Hopefully there will be other books featuring his photographs. Knowing that more in-depth histories of the individual railroads have been done, we also attempted to keep this work simple, without lengthy text and just enough information in the captions to satisfy the most exacting rail buff. We felt that Warren's pictures have their own story to tell; not only for railfans but local residents as well who remember the great age of railroading in the Pacific Northwest.
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