Nostalgia & History > Milwaukee Road Question

In the Sept 1967 issue of " Train's " magazine , was a photo , there is a Photo of a New Milwaukee Rd Branch that was being built to serve the Royal City of Wash.

Did this line ever become a good source of Traffic and Worthy of its 6.4 Million Cost and what became of it ?

TIA Tom

miralomarail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the Sept 1967 issue of " Train's " magazine ,
> was a photo , there is a Photo of a New Milwaukee
> Rd Branch that was being built to serve the Royal
> City of Wash.
>
> Did this line ever become a good source of Traffic
> and Worthy of its 6.4 Million Cost and what became
> of it ?

There was some traffic from the "Port of Royal City" but relatively disappointing. It must have been built assuming the traffic level would be higher than it actually turned out to be.

Incredibly, the track Othello - Royal City Jct. - Royal City still exists but is derelict and out of service. An MRS1 is trapped at Royal City. The Port of Othello (or some name like that) owns the track.

Best regards,

Rob L.

The line from Othello to Royal Slope/City is owned by the State of WA, managed by the DOT. Out of Service and expected to cost 1.75 mil to put it back in operation. No future service date given, as of 2011.
Roger Beckett



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/12 16:06 by up833.

If you look on the satellite view of google maps, there are a number of tank cars and chemical cars in Othello and Warden. I don't know how old the image data is, but Google does say it is 2012 (I doubt it).

Anyway, who switches that stuff up from Connel? Didn't that used to be one of Dennis Washington's little railroads back in the 1980s before BNSF took back Stampede?

Also, if you go up to Moses Lake in that satellite view, you will see what I think is the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. I know the F's are in Santa Cruz. Where is the passenger equipment?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/12 01:19 by poffcapt.

poffcapt Wrote:
>
> Anyway, who switches that stuff up from Connel?
> Didn't that used to be one of Dennis Washington's
> little railroads back in the 1980s before BNSF
> took back Stampede?
>
>

I believe that was part of Nick Temple's empire...

Yes, Temple. You are obviously right. I haven't been over there in years. Is anything left? What was the name of his railroad - Washington Central?

Thanks for the correction.

The Columbia Basin Railroad serves Othello, Warden and Moses lake from the BNSF connection at Connell, WA and is still owned by the Temples.

http://www.temple-industries.com/companies/columbia_basin_railroad.php