Western Railroad Discussion > NP brick building at Auburn, WA

Last Saturday I did a bit of exploring between Auburn and Palmer Jct, WA on BNSF's Stampede Sub looking for former NP things to photograph. The full report with photos can be found here:

http://stampedesubblog.qstation.org/?p=270

At Auburn I photographed this old brick building near where the old Northern Pacific engine facility was located. It apparently survived the demolishing of every other NP built building in the yard. I have no idea why it was spared. I am guessing it is used by MOW now. Anyone have any idea of what NP used it for and why it wasn't reduced to rubble like every other brick building here?

However it is nice to see that something from the NP era has survived at Auburn!

Brian Ambrose
Renton, WA

---

It's probably so contaminated with who knows what that if they knocked it down it would be an EPA Super Fund Site!

Brian, one of these days, i'm gonna go there and see if I can get in, there is a ramp that goes down below, IIRC it is on the south end.

Trains magazine did a 'centerfold' of the Auburn Yard, taken from above, with each building labeled. I think it was in early 2007, though I'm not in a position to dig it out right now. I did save the image to my p.c. and it is attached. Numbered, but with no names. Number 10 seem to be the building in question. Was good to bump into you up at Palmer Junction the other day, Brian. Keep up the good job with the blog.

Ed



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/09 22:55 by Edwardjb.

---

Here's some contemporary views of the Trains image. Surprising how much can still be seen. Sad how much is gone.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

---

---

---

I wonder what one would find if someone were to dig up one of those pits in the roundhouse floor?

bnsftrucker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder what one would find if someone were to
> dig up one of those pits in the roundhouse floor?

Jimmy Hoffa?

Ted Curphey
Rochester, WA
Funnelfan\\'s Railfan Website

The Summer 2009 issue of The Mainstreeter, the publication of the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association, has an article by retired machinist Ed Eckes entitled, "A Walk Through the Auburn Roundhouse with Ed Eckes". In the last paragraph, he says that building was the store department that carried locomotive parts. Ed says: "It now is the only remaining original building left of an industrial complex that opened in 1913 and closed in 1981...."

It is interesting to make note that Ed's wife, "Ruth Trueblood Eckes" is a noted rail author and former NP Telegrapher... She has published several of her "Rail Tales" books and has been after me to contribute msterial to do another. She was the "Third trick" operator at STAMPEDE in the old NP days.
It surely had to be lonely up there, maybe scary too. She is also a longtime member of the "Morse Telegraph Club"..

She and Ed are definitely NP pioneers with a lot of memories between them.

KRK

Those views from above are great. The NP photo has SD45's in it so that must have been taken in the late 60's or very early 1970. There really were a lot of buildings (and motive power) in Auburn at that time. I will have to try and dig up that Trains article. It was nice to meet you too up at Palmer Jct too ED and thanks for showing that photo. Speaking of which here is the previous Blog report showing a photograph of that train we saw at Palmer Jct. Really an enjoyable day.

http://stampedesubblog.qstation.org/?p=262

I have that NPRHA magazine (even had it with me in the car while I took that photograph at Auburn) and see the boiler house would obscure the store house from the engine facility. I took a lot of photos there in the BN years and will have to see if the boiler house and existing store house can be seen in the 1979-1980 time period I was photographing power there.

I hope you can get a closer look inside bnsftrucker. I would love to know what is kept in there now or if it is just an empty shell. It does look kind of lonely though with all the other buildings that were once around it gone.

Brian Ambrose
Renton, WA

Good info on the articles and the buildings, I'll have to go digging. Auburn was a definite hot spot in the 80's even when the Stampede Line was closed.

The other building nect to it is the mechanic's shop to repair MOW equipments.