Nostalgia & History > Bremerton on the US Government Railroad

Bremerton on the US Government Railroad had a yard and engine facilities outside the Naval Shipyard. Close by was the Milwaukee car float ramps. Crew usually tied down there after a run to Shelton, up to Bangor, and back to Bremerton.
1. I was offered a cab ride to Shelton that day but had to suffice with a picture from the cab. I was scared of skipping school and what my parents would think! The crew was very friendly as I walked by every morning on the way to school. Gave me copies of employee timetables.
2. This days train, still operatred by the Northern Pacific and the caboose and the freight depot in the background had not become green.
3. NP wooden caboose 1611 "Main Street of the Northwest".



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/17 00:30 by Railpax71.

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Very interesting coverage. What year would this of been?

Regards, Jim

So the yard was approximately where the big parking lot outside the gate was?.. It was about where the U.S.S. Missouri was moored during the 80's?..

Yes, the road to the USS Missouri moorage crossed the middle of the yard. Next post I have some pictures which show the relationship of everything.I can date the pictures by the orientation of the 120 film on hand-me-down cameras. Folding Zeiss Ikonta in landscape for #2 and #3 1965-1968. Rolleicord in portrait orientation for #1 1968-. Yes, the pictures are square but this is the way the film was fed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/17 13:47 by Railpax71.

That's a very rare photo of the old depot. At some point the trains stopped the layover in Bremerton and sometime after that the depot was removed. I am pretty sure that was pre-BNSF but I don't have a year. I really didn't pay much attention to the railroad there until one time a couple of Frisco GPs showed up. BN also used F units and my son and I had a cab ride on an F at the Bangor yard while they switched. That's how you become a railfan!
Roger Beckett

I did some research on this today. The map (1966)shows the original layout of the yard in Bremerton and specifically to the posted photos. The turntable can be spotted easy. The freight house is to the West and the MILW transfer bridge is to the South. The yard had 6 tracks. The depot and sandhouse was marked for demo on 1984 maps so probably was gone in 84-85. Prior to Puget Sound and Pacific assuming operations BN relayed welded rail, removed the Silverdale siding, added ballast, ditched, improved road crossings and reduced the Bremerton yard to three tracks. The three close to the highway were removed.
From construction the Navy has loco and car facilities at both Bremerton and Bangor.
Roger B

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What beautiful little caboose!