Steam & Excursion > What The Same Scene Looks Like Today Just Missing The Steam!

There is more than one way to record the passage of time in the realm of steam railroading.  One of my favorites is to return to the scene where steam once ruled and see what it looks like today.  Thanks to my friend Bret Bane of our Sumpter Valley RR Restoration group we have just such a comparison some 80-years apart.

The top photo from my collection shows Nibley-Mimnaugh 2-truck Heisler #104 coming out of a cut and onto a short trestle on the North Fork of Whiskey Creek which is Northeast of Wallowa, Oregon.  #104 was built standard gauge in 1910 and worked for several operators before coming to Mibley-Mimnaugh.  She later would be sold to Oregon Lumber Co and converted to narrow gauge.

Recently Bret was able to take my old photo and trace down the exact same spot on the line to see how the scene looks today.  As we see, the passage of nearly 80 years has really not altered the scene in this remote location in northeastern Oregon much except for the growth of the trees and the removal of the railroad track.

I added the last photo to show another way that one can trace the passage of time with certain steam locomotives.  The boiler for #104 survives today in the Sumpter, Oregon area.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/16 03:55 by LoggerHogger.

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Interesting photos.  The curved retaining wall, apparently constructed of logs, looks unique to me, but perhaps it was a common method for these small logging lines?  From the modern photo, that wall was removed as well as the bridge.

What is the mechanism on the front of the engine with the pulley?

It looks more like made almost entirely out of logs as the butts of others can be seen stacked under it. They did that in other photos posted on here as it was easier and quicker than blasting and moving rock. I think on photo even had a switch on logs posted some time back.
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> Interesting photos.  The curved retaining wall,
> apparently constructed of logs, looks unique to
> me, but perhaps it was a common method for these
> small logging lines?  From the modern photo, that
> wall was removed as well as the bridge.

train671 Wrote:
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> What is the mechanism on the front of the engine
> with the pulley?

The winch on the pilot of the Heisler was used to yard and load logs at the landing area.  The locomotive engineer would operate this from the pilot when the engine was stopped at the landing.

Martin

Never seen a heisler with a gypsy on it. Cool.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Harlock Wrote:
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> Never seen a heisler with a gypsy on it. Cool.

Mike,

If you have never seen a Heisler with a gypsy mounted on it I bet you have really never seen a 4-4-0 with a gypsy on her.  Here you go.  Oregon Lumber Co. #103.

Martin

 

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What's a gypsy?  Is it that yarder winch?

Thanks...

-Tom

Hi Tom,  yes the gypsy winch was used to self load log trains.  Often there was an A frame located track side that was used for loading with the cable from the gypsy winch ran through various blocks to operate the hoist line.  Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration's WH Eccles #3 Heisler once also sported one of these winches.  Actually I think most if not all of Oregon Lumber Companies NG logging engines both Shays and Heislers had these, with perhaps the exception of OLC #7.
One of the interesting features of the Nibley Mimnaugh trestle shown in Martin's photo is that it leads out of the mouth of the side canyon in the wrong direction to take the train to the mill in Wallowa. This unknown fact made search for the location very difficult requring a couple years of poking around, untill I received a suggestion from a friend who noted that a long out of print map called the side canyon shown "Rail Canyon".   Modern maps do not give the side canyon a name.   The topography, namely a narrow area in the main canyon they are dropping into prevented building the trestle to the photographers left/west/down canyon.  Likely the train had to proceed up the main canyon (N. Fork of Whiskey Crk.) to some wider point where there was a siding  and the engine ran around the train for the 6-7 mile trip down to the mill in Wallowa. An improved gravel road along with 80 or  more years of  creek channel shifting has removed many traces of where the line ran and where they might have placed a siding.   

Thanks jbbane; I appreciate the great descriptions you provided.  I learn something new everyday here

Great photo, Martin!

I admire you sleuths who are able to track down these kinds of locations and such...truly the "funnest' kind of history!

-Tom