Five men stand in front of the Milwaukee Road's Engine #E-4, two with stop watches, on April 21, 1954. Also known as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, the Milwaukee was noted for its efficient, fast electric locomotives. During World War II, these electrics were due to be eliminated due to obsolescence, however the fact that they were so easily maintained and ran so effortlessly, delayed such action. Diesels finally overpowered the electrics; the last electric train ran in Washington State in November, 1972. The Milwaukee Road provided an economic boost to the Puget Sound area for decades; in 1954, their payroll was 4.5 million dollars and the railroad employed over 1000 people. (History of Pierce County, p. 22, TNT 4-24-54, p. 36))

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroads--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Two Chicago, Milwaukee Railroad employees demonstrate the smooth opening of the doors to a new Milwaukee Road boxcar on March 7, 1968. Photograph ordered by the Public Relations Department, Chicago, Milwaukee Railroad, Seattle.

Railroad freight cars; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Stock footage, 1964. City skyline in background, looking onto Tideflats area. Taken apparently on a dark, cloudy day in November, 1964, this is a small glimpse into Tacoma industry. Railroad tracks run parallel to this waterway. Steam from a plant rises to blend into the cloudy sky.

Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1960-1970; Waterways;

The Masonic Temple's Fellowship Hall was packed with employees of the Northern Pacific Railway, their wives, railway officials, representatives of city, chamber and the South Tacoma Business Club, and railway medical staff on April 25, 1962, as the company enjoyed the annual awards banquet. Approximately 900 people were in attendance. View of long rows of tables; dais in background where dignitaries were seated. The South Tacoma Shops had won for the fifth time the annual President's Safety Award. Photograph ordered by Northern Pacific Railway. (TNT 4-26-62, B-9)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Banquets--Tacoma--1960-1970; Masonic Temple (Tacoma);

Specially modified railroad car at Tacoma's Burlington Northern facility photographed in May of 1972. This unit is resting on railroad tracks. Photograph ordered by Burlington Northern Railroad.

Railroad cars--Tacoma;

ca. 1926. Northern Pacific Railway, No. 1. Railroad crossing with man by stop sign, "Stop RRX" painted on street, tall industrial stack belching smoke in background. (filed with Argentum)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad signals;

ca. 1926. The Northern Pacific Railway yard at "D" St., Tacoma, circa 1926. Two men were posed in front of the roundhouse office locker room, left. The two boxes with stacks on opposite sides of the tracks were "blow-down boxes." The Hostlers or the Engineers would pull the steam locomotives up to the boxes, lining up the blow down pipe at the bottom of the boiler and would release a strong jet of steam to clean out any debris in the boiler. The boxes served to protect anyone nearby, the steam being directed into the box and up the chimney to vent where it could not scald anyone. The coaling tower is in the background. Photograph is labelled "NO. 2." (WSHS) (identifying information supplied by a former railroad employee) image NO. 1 scanned as A1867 image 1

Railroad tracks; Railroads--1920-1930; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad locomotives;

ca. 1937. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific locomotive 10250, EP2 after accident, circa 1937. (filed with Argentum)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1927. Man walking along street at railroad crossing. Bridge in the background, Tacoma city skyline also. Storage tank at right. Photograph is labelled "NO. 2." (WSHS)

Railroad crossings--1920-1930;

ca. 1927. A view along railroad tracks. Logs loaded on a railroad car are seen on the left and an automobile traveling along a road that intersects with the railroad tracks is seen on the right. (WSHS)

Railroad tracks;

ca. 1920. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10252. Copy of Asahel Curtis print #51601 requested by the Washington State Historical Society on April 1, 1977. The electric powered train may have been departing/arriving at the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Tacoma location. The Washington State Historical Society has 60,000 Curtis images in its collection.

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

All Aboard, as 280 local Shriners prepare to board a sixteen car special train on June 4, 1938 enroute to the 1938 Imperial Council Session to be held June 6-9 in Los Angeles. Several Shriners stand on the observation platform of the train at Union Station. The sign on the railroad car reads: "Afifi Shrine, Golden Jubilee Special, 1888 - 1938, Tacoma, Wash." They will be joined by fraternal brothers from Southwest and Central Washington. (T. Times 6/3/1938, pg. 2)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma; Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad travel--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Northern Pacific Roundhouse employees standing on or beside train locomotive 2250 w/A.A. Huston, Roundhouse Foreman

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--People; Railroad locomotives;

A man in hard hat and checkered jacket is pictured gazing over the Milwaukee-Cowlitz Tree Farm on October 25, 1968. A large wooden sign states that the tree farm is "for the present" and "for the future." Old-growth stands and young trees fill the landscape. Photograph ordered by the Milwaukee Road for their annual report.

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Trees; Signs (Notices);

Members of the Tacoma Executives Association relax after enjoying a meal in the dining car at the Chicago, Milwaukee depot. The 52 men present were guests of the Milwaukee railroad and had their weekly luncheon on the Olympian Hiawatha prior to the train's departure for the East Coast. (TNT 11-13-52, A-10)

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad cars--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Executives Association (Tacoma);

Tracks are being laid at the site of the old Kent Airport in mid-July of 1969. They are being constructed next to what appears to be the old runway. Photograph ordered by the Milwaukee Road, Seattle.

Railroad tracks--Kent;

Harry Clark, 65, who lived at 3823 E. J St. is shown sitting at the throttle of a Northern Pacific locomotive in this photograph from December 1938. Mr. Clark had just retired after working for over 48 years as a railroad engineer and "truckman." A truckman repaired broken parts on locomotives. His many years as an engineer made him an excellent engine repairman. (T. Times, 12/28/38, p.5)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--People; Railroad locomotives; Railroad employees; Clark, Harry;

ca. 1927. A man stands beside railroad tracks. (WSHS)

Railroad tracks--1920-1930;

ca. 1927. Man walking beside railroad tracks. A car on the tracks is transporting logs. The skyline of Tacoma can be seen on the hillside behind. (WSHS)

Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1937. Interior of railroad boxcar filled with boxes of Staley's Breakfast Syrup and Cream Corn Starch. For Pacific Fruit and Produce Company, circa 1937. Man at rear of boxcar was not identified.

Railroad freight cars; Shipping--1930-1940;

ca. 1926. Northern Pacific Railway Yard at "D" St., Tacoma, circa 1926. Photograph is labelled "NO. 3." A bridge and a factory can be seen in the distance. The roundhouse office locker room can be partially seen on the left. The boxes with stacks next to the tracks left are "blow-down boxes." The engineer would pull the locomotive up next to the boxes, so that the blow down pipe of the steam engine lined up with the box and release a strong jet of steam to clean out any debris in the boiler. The steam would be directed into the box and out the chimney, preventing anyone being scalded. (WSHS) (information provided by a former Northern Pacific employee) Image #1 scanned as A1867 image 1)

Railroad tracks; Railroads--1920-1930; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad locomotives;

In the beginning, everything was business as usual on Tuesday morning, July 1, 1941. The flat cars on the Belt Line were dumping a load of logs at the Cascade Log Co. pond on E. 11th Street. The logs usually roll into the water as the cars travel on the tilted track. On this day, however, one of the cars came loose from the wheel base and attempted to follow the logs into the water. A crew soon arrived to right and repair the car. (T.Times 7/1/1941 p.1)

Railroad accidents--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cascade Log Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

ca. 1939. Copy negative for Cheney Lumber Company of train cars loaded with lumber.

Railroad cars; Lumber

Group picture at the Northern Pacific Railroad roundhouse. Roundhouse employees standing on or in front of train engine w/A.A. Huston, Roundhouse Foreman

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--People; Railroad locomotives;

30,000 pounds of butter arrived in a Santa Fe refrigerated car for Franklin Food Stores in July 1946. This photograph was featured in an advertisement for Franklin Food Stores. With every fifty cent or more purchase of groceries or meats, you could buy one pound of "Fresh and Sweet, High 92 Score" butter for sixty nine cents (T. Times, 07/17/1946, p. 2).

Railroad cars--Tacoma; Advertisements--Tacoma; Advertising--Tacoma; Publicity; Butter; Franklin Food Stores (Tacoma);

Northern Pacific Railroad officials from Seattle and St. Paul, Minnesota came to Tacoma in May of 1946 to present the company's "president's safety plaque" to the workers at the Northern Pacific shops in South Tacoma, 5200 South Proctor St. The Tacoma shops had had an almost spotless safety record for over three years. In 1945 they recorded only one on-the-job injury; during the first four month of 1946 there were no injuries recorded. This safety record included all the departments at the Tacoma facility from locomotive and car repair, to the rolling mill and the wheel shop. The NP shops in Tacoma closed in July of 1974. (T. Times, 5/9/46, p. 5).

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Railroad shops & yards--Tacoma; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Northern Pacific Railway was awarded the President's Safety Plaque for 1945 for practicing the virtues of safety. View of ceremony with Northern Pacific shop employees gathered to celebrate the honors given to them for their outstanding record. Machine Shop No. 1 and Office buildings in background (T. Times, 5/9/46, p. 5). TPL-8021

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Railroad shops & yards--Tacoma; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma);

A 40 car Milwaukee main line freight train plowed into a yard engine near East 11th St. and Milwaukee Way, killing one man. The accident occurred while a yard crew was making up a main line eastbound track changes. Trainmen believe the switch engine moved into the wrong track, and the freight train engineer did not stop for a long enough period. View of steaming wreckage, crushed cab is marked No. 126 (T. Times, 10/16/47, p. 1).

Railroads--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Railroad accidents--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Disasters--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Kindergarteners and first graders from Fern Hill School visited the Union Pacific Depot and the Northern Pacific roundhouse in early November of 1947. The children were able to take a railroad trip and inspect the rail equipment at the railroad grounds. This field trip was one of the activities planned by Tacoma schools, which is being used to promote the reading readiness program. Children shared their train experiences on the return trip to Union Depot. View of Fern Hill's school children, teachers, volunteers and train staff (T.Times, 11/14/47, p. 1, 17). TPL-9089

Railroads--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; School excursions--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Fern Hill School (Tacoma);

Chamber of Commerce delegation of about ten men going to Montana, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, Mr. Burns. Tacoma business men are standing by the engine of the Olympia Hiawatha ready for a tour to Montana the week of February 15, 1948. A well-diversified cross section of business and industrial interests were represented. They were to visit Butte, Helena, Great Falls, Billings and Missoula. Montanans were looking west for more of their needs and this trade promotion tour was designed to strengthen business ties between the two areas. L-R, Cecil Walrath, N.O. Galteland, Leo Gallagher, John Hamilton (on cab ladder), Fred H. Marvin, A.W. Hardy, Samuel Lister and Fred Sandstrom. The engineer, Sam Winn, is shown looking out from the engineer's cab. (T.Times, 2/9/1948, p.17; 2/16/1948, p.16) TPL-1711

Railroads--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;