the great northern railway cascade...

This file is: PhotoTour_GNCascade.docx; last updated: January 1, 2015 1

Railfanning the Layouts of NCR Division 3

The Great Northern Railway

Cascade Division

The Cascade Division is an HO scale mainline layout located in a 34 x 52 foot basement room. The layout

is built around the walls and with freestanding peninsulas on 3 decks with walk-in access and some

raised flooring. The primarily single-track main line serves the Great Northern Railway and some

associated lines (CMStP&P, NP, and UP) in Washington State. It runs from Spokane on the East end to

Tacoma on the West end. The operation includes steam helper service upgrade from Gold Bar to

Skykomish and engine changes to and from electric motors for the Cascade tunnel run, at Skykomish

and at Wenatchee. Posted “daily” temperatures at major towns determine whether refrigerator cars

are iced, or heated, or neither, to keep all the produce and apple harvest safe and fresh. The operation

scheme is a loosely-followed Timetable and Train Order system with a dispatcher to expedite

movements. Telephones are used to communicate with the dispatcher.

Welcome to this photo tour of the Cascade Division. For further information, check out the layout

website http://div3.ncr-nmra.org/layouts/great-northern-cascade-division

Many journeys begin at the Seattle Interbay

roundhouse to get an engine.

The Arrival /Departure yard has a

lot of room to build trains

outbound in either direction.

There’s a separate Class Yard, and

Coach Yard, too.

http://div3.ncr-nmra.org/layouts/great-northern-cascade-division


Rolling through Everett, Washington, we pass by

the hotel and some businesses.

The local gas station looks busy this morning,

fueling up the bread delivery trucks.

Arriving at Snohomish, we find lots of work needing to be done. Oh, our weary crew!!! We’ll be ALL

DAY at this!!


The Monroe Transfer and Fuel

Company always has a boxcar or two

and some coal hoppers to switch

around. It’s only one of the several

industries there.

At Gold Bar, we find another yard,

and also the ‘sister company’ Gold

Bar Transfer and Fuel. More work!!!

The long grade up the Cascades also

starts in Gold Bar, so you’ll get a

steam helper pushing you up the

long 2% climb to Skykomish.

Of course, no railroad of the era was

complete without the hobo. The Great

Northern was a rare exception to the

usual vicious attitude of the railroad

towards them. James J. Hill was once

quoted as saying, about the hobo,

“Hell, bums BUILT this railroad, bums

can RIDE IT.” Here’s a camp outside

Gold Bar. Looks like the boys have

made good with the corn and sugar

‘accidentally’ dropped off the caboose

yesterday.


Spathic Brothers Quarry in Skykomish is one of the major industries there.

The engine house at Sky is a focal point for crews coming and going between steam or diesel and electric

power.

Let’s take a glimpse inside....


It sure looks like nobody’s home but

the dog....who smells SOMETHING in

the icebox...

Maybe it’s lunchtime!!

The Cascadian Cold Storage Company hosts many apple shippers, but the biggest by far is Cascadian

Fruit Shippers, in Wenatchee. Looks like it’s time to re-blacktop the team track area adjacent to it.


Another industry in Wenatchee is

Barnstead Lumber – also in the

Wenatchee Industrial Park.

Wenatchee is also the home of the

big GN electric motors

used through Cascade

Tunnel. No diesels

allowed....it’s 8 miles

long!! Cascade

enginemen had to qualify

on steam, electric, and

diesel – a rare set of

qualifications – and they

simply ran what power

they were given. One

crew stayed with the train

through the various

power changes.

We need a lot of power on

the GN because of grades and

weather. As this picture

shows.... SOMETIMES, it

snows!!

This signal maintainer at Sky

no longer needs to climb

much, but he’s still got his

work cut out for him!!

Ship and Travel on the

GREAT Northern Railway!!!

the great northern railway cascade...

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