Steam & Excursion > Mountain Railroading In Winter Is Where Steam Was Spectacular!

The cold temperatures and steep grades found at high elevation during winter during the age of steam is where steam motive power put on it's greatest show.  Here we see just such an example.

Al Farrow was a Northern Pacific locomotive engineer by day, living in Auburn, Washington during the heyday of steam railroading in the Pacific Northwest.  On his days off he could often be found trackside with his camera recording some of the best images of steam motive power at work on the NP and other railroads of the region.

One cold January 24, 1943 proved to be just one of those special days that Al decided to take his camera along high up on Stampede Pass in Washington State to capture the spectacular sights of steam at work on the NP in winter.  He was between Easton and Martin when he heard a long NP freight approaching with a pair (at least) of big mallets for power.  As he began to set up his camera in the cold he could see the huge plumes of steam approaching his location from down the track.

The image that Al saved for us on that cold winter day is steam at it's finest.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/18 04:28 by LoggerHogger.

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Classic!  Thanks Martin, and thanks for your daily dose of nostalgia — please keep ‘em coming for 2019.  Happy New Year (almost).

Gordon

More than amazing is the fact, deep snow, bad at the best roads back then and cars with tires that didnt work too well in snow.  It took a brave person to try taking pictures back then in this weather. But it resulted in another one of a kind picture.

Thank you again for our daily dose of steam. Being a 1947 model I can still remember these wonderful machines.

Wayne Crabb
San Gabriel, CA

Great picture.

Thank you Martin for the post!

What a unique image ... and the effort involved ...
yet the scene was captured in all of its glory ...
just amazing

Odyssey
Evergreen, CO

Anything distinctive about this rsilroad’s coal sources, for this region?

Good fuel could make a whallop of a difference in this kind of mountain fighting.

Just wondering 

​W.

The Martin area became popular as a ski resort, thanks to the Northern Pacific:

"Skiing at Martin, the Northern Pacific Stop at Stampede Pass"

http://www.historylink.org/File/10615

and

http://www.willhiteweb.com/hiking/cle_elum/martin_lookout/stampede_pass_193.htm
 

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/18 09:42 by E25.

wcamp1472 Wrote:
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> Anything distinctive about this rsilroad’s coal
> sources, for this region?
>
> Good fuel could make a whallop of a difference in
> this kind of mountain fighting.
>
> Just wondering 
>
> ​W.

Wes, the NP mines had THE WORST grade of coal in the country.  Barely over 9,000 btu per pound.

-John