Steam & Excursion > 60 Years Apart - Same Shop -But Different Steam Lokies!

Here is a scene that fortunately for all of us has changed very little in the last 6 decades!

The location is Chelatchie, Washington. This was near the end of the Northern Pacific Yacolt Branch at Yacolt (5 miles away) built over 100 years ago. It was also the site of a huge sawmill and logging railroad operation last run by the Harbor Plywood Corporation.

The first view was taken by Harold F. Stewart in August 1955 at the engine shop at Chelatchie. The shop building was originally built to house 2-8-2T #804, a former Long-Bell Lumber ALCO. (You can see the back end of #804 to the left of the building in the background). The building was later lengthened on the far side to house the larger Baldwin 2-6-6-2T #12 that we see here.

The second view was taken by me only last week during my Fall Photo Charter week. Luke Johnson and his great crew at the Chelatchie Prairie RR had just completed a day and 1/2 of photo runs and night shots with our group. Luke is seen her backing ALCO #10 back into the same engine shed as seen in the earlier photo. We asked Luke to pose for the last photo next to the engine he and his crew do such a great job of caring for.

The #10 was built for the Crossett Western as their #10 in 1929. She is the very last engine built at ALCO's Brooks Locomotive Works. Next to her is former Long-Bell Lumber #803 waiting her turn to be restored to operation. She is a twin to the #804 that Harbor Plywood ran out of this same shop before the Baldwin Mallet arrived.

As you can see from this simple scene, the more things change, the more they stay the same!


Martin



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/14 08:31 by LoggerHogger.

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Martin,

You're second paragraph needs to be reworded to make it more "factual". As long as the NP operated the branch, the end always was at Yacolt. When Harbor Plywood came in and started logging the Chelatchie Prairie area in the early fifties, they extended the line from Yacolt to Chelatchie Prairie and operated it as a private line just to get their logs out. In fact, much of the area now occupied by mill buildings, featured a huge mill pond with an overhead crane to load the logs out. The concrete "pads" for the crane still exist and can be seen about 100 yards east of the engine house. When International Paper took over the operation later on (early 1960s?) they replaced the mill pond with a huge plywood mill and their LP&N Railway began shipping just finished products out to Vancouver. (Their acquisition included all the NP branch to Yacolt).

I know that all of this is a little confusing, but thought it should be clarified for any "history buffs" that might read this.

Pete

Hey Martin,

When was the last big steam-up for Harbor Plywood?

Steam was done on HP at Chelatchie in about 1957.

Martin

fehorse1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Martin,
>
> You're second paragraph needs to be reworded to
> make it more "factual". As long as the NP
> operated the branch, the end always was at Yacolt.
> When Harbor Plywood came in and started logging
> the Chelatchie Prairie area in the early fifties,
> they extended the line from Yacolt to Chelatchie
> Prairie and operated it as a private line just to
> get their logs out. In fact, much of the area now
> occupied by mill buildings, featured a huge mill
> pond with an overhead crane to load the logs out.
> The concrete "pads" for the crane still exist and
> can be seen about 100 yards east of the engine
> house. When International Paper took over the
> operation later on (early 1960s?) they replaced
> the mill pond with a huge plywood mill and their
> LP&N Railway began shipping just finished products
> out to Vancouver. (Their acquisition included all
> the NP branch to Yacolt).
>
> I know that all of this is a little confusing, but
> thought it should be clarified for any "history
> buffs" that might read this.
>
> Pete

Interesting. The early history of the line is as confusing as the latter history!

Martin
That was a great day.
Luke

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