Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10210. The snub nosed flat end of the "Box Cab" electric locomotive was a distinctive feature of the EF1 models. The EF 1s were manufactured by American Locomotive Co. (ALCO) and General Electric Manufacturing Co. (GE). The engines operated on direct current. Photograph ordered by Mr. Abel. Boland B8568

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

On May 29, 1924, many interested Tacomans viewed the old wood burning locomotive #1, also known as "William Crookes," on display at Union Station. The train originally operated on the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad in 1862. As part of a joint display by the Great Northern Railroad and the Pullman Co., the locomotive pulled an old Pullman car, used by Abraham Lincoln and other Civil War luminaries. Also on display was Great Northern's newest and most powerful locomotive, Engine #2505. (TNT 5/29/1924, pg. 3) G44.1-129; TPL-674

Railroad locomotives; Union Station (Tacoma); Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

On May 29, 1924 engine # 2505 of the Great Northern Railroad pulled into Tacoma's Union Station. The powerful engine was used to pull the new, all steel Pullman cars of the Oriental Limited, one of the ten trains operated by Great Northern from Chicago to Tacoma. The train, accompanied by a select group of company officials, was on a special introductory cross-country tour. Its new Pullman cars were very luxurious with a full spacious dining room, baths for men and women, and sleepers with headboards, reading lights and individual ventilators. (TNT 5/29/1924, pg. 3) G44.1-131; TPL-673

Railroad locomotives; Union Station (Tacoma); Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Union Pacific engine #3222 as viewed on June 13, 1924. The powerful locomotive was on the tracks at the Union Depot. TPL-66; G45.1-004

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Side view of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. locomotive #9505 showing wheels. Photograph was taken on January 23, 1925. G44.1-043

Railroad locomotives; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co.;

Railroad tracks within St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. complex, part of series taken for court evidence on July 17, 1925. Assorted buildings in the distance; boards outdoors in the open. G36.1-161

Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

On July 17, 1925, a series of photographs were taken at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. complex for court evidence. Here three men stand on or near railroad tracks. Logs are stacked nearby. G36.1-162

Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Heisler locomotive on railroad tracks at Whitney Engineering Co. plant on October 10, 1925. Heisler was considered the fastest of the three most prevalent geared steam locomotives. It was manufactured until 1941. TPL-2126; G44.1-050 (www.gearsteamed.com/heisler/heisler.htm-article on locomotive)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Whitney Engineering Co. (Tacoma);

Just after 6 p.m. on November 17, 1925, Northern Pacific passenger train #424 derailed about 2 miles west of Olympia. The train, travelling about 30-50 mph, plowed into the bank on the side of the track, burying itself in the earth before it turned over on its side, crushing veteran engineer Edward M. Putnam. Subsequent train cars were knocked off their wheels. Twenty-five people were injured, several critically, with passenger Laura Hahn dying of her injuries on November 21st. Days after the wreck, the cause of the accident was still undetermined. The track appeared to be in good condition and the engine was too badly damaged for further assessment. (TNT 11/18/1925, pg. 1-article; TNT 11-23-25, p. 9-obituary of Mrs. Hahn; TNT 11-30-25, p. 20-article) G77.1-068

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad locomotives--1920-1930; Railroad accidents--Olympia--1920-1930;

Mayor Melvin G. Tennent and several Tacoma commissioners joined the hordes of Tacomans on February 2, 1927, in viewing the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007 on display at the Union depot. The latest and greatest "Iron Horse" had an overall length of 94'4" and a total weight of 715,000 pounds. It was built jointly by Baldwin Locomotive and Westinghouse Electric. A banner on the locomotive proclaimed it to be the "most powerful motor-generator electric locomotive ever built." It had traveled from East Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania to Skykomish, Washington, a distance of 2600 miles, hitched to the end of a through freight. After stops in Portland and Everett, it would be put into service. From L-R above are: Mayor Tennent (on steps), Commissioners Jesse Silver & Dyer Dyment, Commissioner Ira S. Davisson, and Llewellyn Evans, superintendent of City Light. The two men standing on the ground were not identified. (TDL 2-3-27, p. 12; TNT 2-3-27, p.14-article) G44.1-069; TPL-675; TPL-5813

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tennent, Melvin Green; Silver, Jesse; Dyment, Dyer; Davisson, Ira; Evans, Llewellyn; Municipal officials--Tacoma--1920-1930; Banners--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

On display at the Union depot, 1717 Pacific Avenue, in early February of 1927 was the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007. It had made its way from East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Washington State, a distance of 2600 miles. This unidentified group of men, some of the hundreds in attendance, took the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the latest "Iron Horse" before it left town. #5007 weighed in at 715,000 pounds and had an overall length of 94'4". G44.1-097; G44.1-069 (TNT 2-3-27, p. 14-article)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Station (Tacoma);

In August of 1927, this photograph was taken for a brochure advertising the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad locomotive class EP3, the largest and most powerful electric powered locomotive. The women leaning out of the windows wearing corsages were beauties from the Broadway Theater Review on loan to the railroad for the photograph. The automobile was a new Chrysler Imperial 80 sedan loaned by the American Automobile Association to transport the girls. The new Olympian was the most modern and luxurious transcontinental transportation around. It ran on roller bearings, eliminating lurching jerks on stopping and starting. The Milwaukee Road electrified transcontinental railroad ran from Tacoma & Seattle to Chicago, over 660 miles and across four mountain ranges. TPL-1359; G44.1-092 (TDL 8/7/1927, pg. G-5 alternate picture) (photocopy made for American Automobile on 10-8-27)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Chrysler automobile; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10250. The electric bipolar Class EP2 locomotives, manufactured by Alco-GE, were put in service from Othello to Tacoma in 1920. They performed beyond all expectations, with great economy and low maintenance, surviving until they were scrapped in the 1960s. TPL-2377; G44.1-087

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Interior of a Northern Pacific Railway Co. car as viewed on December 5, 1929. The doors are partially open. The railroad car had at least two windows. G44.1-112

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad cars--1920-1930;

Members of the Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Association are aboard a small Great Northern locomotive which is pulling three boxcars presumably packed with eggs for the 1930 Western Washington Fair. G74.1-034

Railroad locomotives; Railroad freight cars; Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Association (Tacoma);

View across railroad tracks of the Northern Pacific Railway locomotive #4007 as seen on January 4, 1932. #4007 is pulling a long line of cars. Four unidentified men, including the driver, are present. TPL-2383; G44.1-104

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

On March 5, 1920, cameras rolled as the electric powered "Olympian" pulled out from Tacoma and made history. This marked the formal opening of the Cascade division for electrically operated trains driven by 3000-volt current supplied by the glacier streams of the Cascades. Over 100 guests from Tacoma and Seattle (railroad officials, newsmen and politicos) were aboard a special pilot train that preceded the Olympian. The Olympian made its maiden electric powered ascent through the passages of the snow draped Cascades to its summit where the special train was sidetracked so the Olympian could continue on to Chicago. The special train would travel to Cle Elum and back to Tacoma. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul train reached speeds up to 60 mph with barely any effort and without puffs of black smoke. It descended as smoothly as it ascended, proving that cross country electrical trains were viable. G44.1-080 (TDL 3/6/1920, pg. 3; TNT 3-6-20, p. 1) TPL-2376

Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroads--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10254. On an official test trip in March of 1920, a brand new Bi-polar engine pauses for some publicity shots. The class EP2 engine was manufactured by Alco-GE. The bi-polars were unique in design because the bi-polar fields for each motor were carried on the truck frame. The huge 265 ton, 3,240 hp bi-polars were designed specifically for passenger service in the Cascades and were an immediate success when put into service in 1920. Their top speed was rated at 70 mph and they could pull 1, 120 tons (14 cars) up a 2% grade at 25 mph. The electric locomotives were also unique in appearance, riding low on 44" drivers, and in sound, their trademark a distinctive high pitched shrill from their air whistles. (Charles and Dorothy Wood "Milwaukee Road West") G44.1-079, TPL-2379

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Boxcars at West Fork Logging Co. site. These boxcars, some with wooden steps, may have been used as offices or living quarters by West Fork Logging Co. personnel in March of 1924. G75.1-083

Railroad freight cars; West Fork Logging Co.;