Nostalgia & History > Now and Then At Washtucna, Wash. On The SP&S

Here is a look at Washtucna, Wash. on the old SP&S about 30 miles from Ritzville. Pictures borrowed from L.R. Keith in Ritzville.

1. A then look from the 1960's at Washtucna station on the mainline of the SP&S.
2. A now look at same area sans station and SP&S mainline. Only a rusty yard track left with mainline as a water pipe.
3. Another comparison shotr of same.

Rather sad looking now.

Larry
Ritzville, WA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/20 16:36 by Ritzville.

---

---

---

The GN boxcar in the BSB paint would put the top image in 1967 or later.

yorknl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The GN boxcar in the BSB paint would put the top
> image in 1967 or later.

Thanks, wasn't sure about the date. Just going on the info from L.R.

Larry

Awesome collection of boxcars, as for the before and after, not so much.

Out 

In the original pic, what's the vintage of the black car..
Looks to be a couple of decades older?

W.

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the original pic, what's the vintage of the
> black car..
> Looks to be a couple of decades older?
>
> W.

Not sure, but looks like a 1940's car.

Larry

Ritzville Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yorknl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The GN boxcar in the BSB paint would put the
> top
> > image in 1967 or later.
>
> Thanks, wasn't sure about the date. Just going on
> the info from L.R.
>
> Larry

No problem.  But now that I look even closer, I wonder if this might be a post-merger image?   I base that entirely on the third car past the break at the road crossing, on the left-most track.  It looks green, and what's visible of the logo looks like it might be the BN wrenches.   I think the Burlington painted some boxcars in a green BN-like scheme before the merger and so I'm not sure if the car on the second track at far right proves anything.

That bit of minutiae aside, does anyone know why there was a yard operation in Washtucna to begin with?  It's barely a town today and probably wasn't substantially bigger 50 years ago.  Interchange with the UP somewhere in the vicinity?  Boxcar storage for grain loading in the area? 

Agree with the BN green with logo box car and a CB&Q burlington green box car. The styling of the pick up truck by the Depot doesn't match the auto, something is wrong there. Maybe the Photographer had something to do with the older Automobile being there.

Didn't know they had rail still there. The number of cars in the yard could be explained with storing the lighter box cars for the local grain business during the off season, it was pretty well known that at the time of the merger there were many miles of light rail in that area that would not support larger covered hoppers. The smaller 40ft box cars were being replaced in regular service by 50ft and larger cars.

Thanks everyone!

Larry

The car was a classic at the time. Note some boxcars do not or never had roofwalks.
What was the photographer standing on, up a utility pole?
Neat photo.
Go

Can anyone ID that auto?  Looks like it could be a Cord to me, if so, a rather rare find.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA