Steam & Excursion > Washington State Logging Railroads

Several months ago someone posted a map showing the extensive logging
railroads that used to be in Western Washington for all the different
logging companies. Can we get that posted again? I drove to Port Angeles
a few days ago to take pictures of the Rayonier #4. Would like to look
at the map again. Thanks. John

Search Funnelfan (author) about two months ago.

Ed

Were you wondering about some area in particular?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

You're probably looking for the post on Jan 17th 2009 on the Steam forum.

funnelfan Wrote:
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> Were you wondering about some area in particular?

Yes, actually. I go to Port Townsend from time to time and was
especially interested in whatever railroad used to go there,
operational history, what year the tracks were removed and
where they terminate nowadays.

Also when driving to Port Angeles, I drove through the
Discovery Bay area. I saw an old diesel engine and three
cabooses sitting by the road.

It looked like they were stranded; the tracks to them looked
to have been removed, as near as I could tell from the road.
I didn't have time to stop. I'll go back in July when I have
more time to stop and take pictures. Any info on them would be
interesting and appreciated.

Also, when were the tracks to Port Angeles removed?
What's the history? Where do they terminate now?
What year was #4 retired?

Thanks for asking. John

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> You're probably looking for the post on Jan 17th
> 2009 on the Steam forum.

Lynnpowell; That was it. Posted by Funnelfan.
Thanks. John

The first railway on the north side of the Olympic Mountains was the Port Townsend Southern that was built from Port Townsend south along Discovery Bay to Quilcene. Later the MILW subsidy Seattle, Port Angeles & Western built west from Discovery Bay Junction through Port Angeles before petering out at Deep Creek. During World War 1. a Spruce Division railroad west built west from Disque to Tyee Lake by the US ARMY, it was spun off as a logging railroad Port Angeles & Western, one of many many in the area. Most of the logging railroads, many cut off from a future supply of logs by the creation of the Olympic National Park, disappeared in the 1930's. Port Angeles & Western was abandoned in 1953. The MILW survived as a disconnected branchline connected by carfloat to their mainline at Seattle. Their branchlines out of Bellingham were operated in a similar manner until trackage rights allowed a all rail route in the 1970's. Seattle & North Coast took over after the big Pacific Coast pull back in 1980. The SCNT quit in 1984 with the track taken up the next year to Port Townsend. The Olympic Railway took over operations of the carfloat and paper mill trackage in Port Townend and lasted until 1996.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Ted, Thanks. Next time I go to Port Townsend, I'll see
if I can figure out where the tracks used to be.

John

You can see the right of way in Port Angeles near the ferry terminal

Hwy 101 and the old MILW right of way are not very far apart in most places between Port Townsend and Port Angeles.

The old Spruce right of way is now a bike path (dirt surface the last time I used it years ago) along the north shore of Lake Cresent. There is an old tunnel at one point along the route, although the trail does not go through it.

When on Railroad Ave in Port Angeles at the Western End there is a hobby shop.

The hobby shop appears to be the old depot building

Walk in there and you will see a bunch of images posted on a board

Studying the images recently, it appeared to me that the railroad survived into the 1980's

There is a color photo of a passenger train from that period.

TH