Great Northern Railroad caboose in freight yard number X621. Other railroad cars are in the background.

Railroad cabooses--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Televed, Inc., Railway Exchange Building, Chicago, Illinois, for Mr. D.A. Highet. Three men with a gasoline-powered generator, on a movable housing made for riding on railroad tracks, which also has wheels with tires on one end to be pulled by trailer.

Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Railroad construction & maintenance--Tacoma; Electric generators--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Televed, Inc., Railway Exchange Building, Chicago, Illinois, for Mr. D.A. Highet. An unidentified worker operates an electric tool, grinding or cutting a rail, powered by a gasoline-powered generator. Photograph was taken on September 5, 1945.

Railroad tracks; Railroads; Electric generators;

Dressed as a train engineer, wearing hat, jacket and gloves, Leon Titus, the president of Titus Motor Co. fulfilled a longtime dream on May 7, 1948. Mr. Titus was given special permission to ride in the cab of Union Pacific locomotive # 3981. The huge 122-foot long engine was the largest in the pacific northwest, and was used on the Seattle-Tacoma-Portland run. He was allowed to ride to Seattle and back in the cab. (T.N.T., 5/9/48, p. A-13). TPL-9867

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Businessmen--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Titus, Leon E.;

One hundred fifty members of the Tacoma Eagles Aerie No. 3 will be visiting the Spokane Chapter. They will board a special train at the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific passenger depot and head towards Spokane. This will be the largest visit in the Tacoma Eagles history. View of Eagles making arrangements prior to their departure, names appear in newspaper (T. Times, 2/14/47, p. 4).

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma; Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie No. 3 (Tacoma); Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

A copy of an earlier photograph of steam engine no. 7 coming along the track. Clouds of smoke and steam pour from number 7 and the other locomotive behind her as they come through a scrubby landscape. TPL-8761

Railroad locomotives;

A nearly demolished locomotive is seen at the Northern Pacific Railway yard.

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad shops & yards--Tacoma; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Logs are being transformed into railroad ties for exporting in November, 1951. Men shown are feeding logs into a circular saw at a timbered site. The finished product, railroad ties, are shown stacked nearby. Photograph ordered by Export Pacific, Tacoma.

Railroad ties--Tacoma; Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Saws; Export Pacific Co. (Tacoma);

Window Display at Union Pacific Railroad Office. Promotion for Streamliner Passenger Rail Service from Tacoma to Portland in center, small World War II poster at left and timetable at right for service from Tacoma to Chicago and return. The office was housed in the Drury building. The main address for the office was 112-18 So. 9th St. Known as Transportation Row, it housed the offices of the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Union Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroads from 1926-1975. The office had been remodeled in May of 1942.

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Window display at the Union Pacific Railroad Office. The office was located in the Drury Building, designed by Heath, Gove and Bell, Architects. The window display was urging Americans to keep fit by hunting in Sun Valley, Idaho. Known as Transportation Row, offices at 112-18 So. 9th St. housed the ticket offices of the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Union Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroads from 1926-1975. The offices were remodeled in May of 1942.

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ticket offices; Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Window display at the Union Pacific Railroad Office promoting skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho. The office was located in the Drury Building, designed by Heath, Gove and Bell, Architects. Known as Transportation Row, offices at 112-18 So. 9th St. housed the offices of the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Union Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroads from 1926-1975. The offices were remodeled in May of 1942.

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ticket offices; Window displays;

Truck loaded with fuel wood overturned by Municipal Belt Line train engine number 1627 on 11th Street on January 6, 1943. Small crowd of men gathered around accident site near Tacoma Lumber Co. and Birchfield Boiler. The collision between the train and the small Lotan Fuel Co. truck did not result in any injuries. Estimated damages were not listed at the time of the Tacoma Times brief article dated January 7, 1943. (T.Times, 1-7-43, p. 6)

Railroad accidents--Tacoma; Municipal Belt Line (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lotan Fuel Co. (Tacoma);

Workers at Northern Pacific Railroad's South Tacoma shops during Wendell Willkie's visit. Mr. Willkie was the Republican candidate for President in 1940. (T. Times)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Railroad employees; Political campaigns; Presidential elections;

Exterior view of the Great Northern Railroad Ticket Office. Remodeled storefront with neon signage and a display for the Great Northern's "Empire Builder" in the window. The office was located in the Drury building. It was part of Transportation Row, 112-18 So. 9th St., which housed the ticket offices of the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Union Pacific, and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroads.

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ticket offices; Window displays; Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Engine round house at Northern Pacific Railway, Elwin Barker. A side view of locomotive number 1783. In Washington state, the mainline crossed the Cascade Mountains at Stampede Pass, through Stampede Tunnel, 9,834 feet long built at an altitude of 2,852 feet. A switchback was originally used to cross the Pass until a tunnel was completed in May 1888. (Pacific Northwest Railroads of McGee and Nixon, Richard Green)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad roundhouses--Tacoma;

Great Northern Railway Company operated passenger trains and freight car shipping services from Tacoma. The company had freight yards, railroad repair stations and passenger ticket terminals. The train car repairs and shipping were handled at the yards located at 2021-23 East D Street, with a freight office at 401 East 21st Street; the passenger station was located at 116 South 9th Street. View of Great Northern railroad freight car number 43959 at the Great Northern freight house. TPL-10458

Railroads--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

New engine on "83", Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway. The Milwaukee electrics were a legend, a very unique experience, and in the opinion of many people, the best locomotives the Milwaukee Road ever owned. The longest electrification district was 440 miles from Harlowton, Montana, to Avery, Idaho. The shorter section was 207 miles in Washington State across the Saddle and Cascade Mountains from Othello to Tacoma. The electric locomotives replaced steam in the 1920's and then were replaced by diesel powered engines in the 1940's and 1950's. (Pacific Northwest Railroads of McGee and Nixon, Richard Green) TPL-3730

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Signe Sutherland, Helen D. (Mrs. Larry) Harris and Elizabeth Robb (L-R) have their bags packed and are leaving Union Station for the 10th biennial convention of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's clubs in San Francisco. They are reviewing the schedule while waiting for the next step of their journey. Ordered by the Tribune, Barbara Dana.

Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1950-1960; Luggage; Railroad stations--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma); Tacoma Business & Professional Women's Club (Tacoma); Sutherland, Signe; Robb, Elizabeth; Harris, Helen D.;

View of DeSoto automobile, white washed tires, DeSoto wheels, and Washington State license plates; railroad freight train in background. Photo ordered by Phillip Horther, President-Treasurer of West Coast Fruit and Produce Company, the company was located at 1191 Dock Street; photographer information indicated photo was ordered after an automobile and bicycle accident.

Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma--1940-1950; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1940-1950; DeSoto automobile; West Coast Fruit & Produce Co. (Tacoma);

Approximately 1000 Northern Pacific Railroad Veterans were treated to a scrumptious banquet at the Masonic Temple on June 29, 1957, during the group's 33rd annual convention. There is a large banner welcoming the 1957 Veterans posted on pillars. Special Pullmans and coaches left St. Paul on June 25th to bring members from Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington to the two-day convention. There are approximately 3500 members of the Veterans group, consisting of employees and former employees with a minimum of 30 years of service. Dean Eastman of Seattle, Northern Pacific vice-president, was scheduled to speak at the banquet. Photograph ordered by Northern Pacific Railway. (TNT 6-19-57, C-9)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Banquets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Northern Pacific Railway travel tour of 40 individuals posed in front of the Olympus Hotel on June 21, 1957. They may have been part of a Methodist congregation. Photograph ordered by Northern Pacific Railway.

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Tourists--Tacoma; Olympus Hotel (Tacoma);

The "DUPONT" is docked awaiting delivery of cargo from the adjacent boxcars in a September 19, 1957, photograph. Railroad tracks run right up to the cargo ship which would make delivery easier and more efficient. This was one of the shipping methods used by the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. to transport their explosives and other products. TPL-9247

Railroad tracks; Railroad locomotives; Railroad freight cars; Cargo ships; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (Dupont);

The South Tacoma Shops of the Northern Pacific Railroad received an impressive plaque from the company in honor of their achieving the best safety record for 1953. It was apparently the fourth time the South Tacoma Shops had won this award; previous years noted on the plaque included 1943, 1944, and 1945. Northern Pacific employees and guests enjoyed a special banquet in the Fellowship Hall at the Masonic Temple on May 27, 1954, where awards were presented. Seated in the photograph are: R.H. Spellmeyer and H.J. McLain. Standing left to right are: J.J. Schmidt, A.J. Cecchi, F.L. Steinbright, F.G. Moody, G.L. Ernstrom, and C.T.DeWitt. (TNT 5-27-54, A-10, TNT 5-28-54, p.14)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--People; Awards;

Employees of the Northern Pacific Railroad enjoy a safety awards banquet on May 27, 1954, in the Fellowship Hall at the Masonic Temple. Those seated at the head tables on the stage are presumably dignitaries. A five piece orchestra and singers provided music while 900 employees and guests dined on turkey dinners. The banquet was to honor the South Tacoma Shops for their near perfect accident record in the Northern Pacific Railroad's national safety competition. There was only one reportable accident among 800 employees in over a year's time. George L. Ernstrom, general mechanical superintendent of Northern Pacific, was chosen to give the award to R.H. Spellmeyer, shop superintendent at the South Tacoma Shops. (TNT 5-27-54, A-10, TNT 5-28-54, p. 14)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--People; Banquets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Guitars; Saxophones;

The Cub Scouts' theme for January of 1955 was "Railroading." The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad provided one of their passenger trains for 1,500 Scouts and their leaders to tour at the Milwaukee passenger depot at 1102 Milwaukee Way. One of the highlights of the scout field trip was the opportunity to inspect a modern seven car passenger train and to sit in a railroad observation dome car. Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from various Mt. Rainier Council packs, including Tacoma's pack 13, took part in the excursion. Besides Tacoma, boys came from Cub packs at Ft. Lewis, Tillicum, Steilacoom, Puyallup, Sumner, Enumclaw, Rosedale, Dash Point, Parkland, Fife, Fircrest, Federal Way, Midland, Buckley, and Eatonville. (TNT 1/23/1955, Pg. A-2-article)

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cub Scouts (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Boy Scouts (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Railroad passenger cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

On January 22, 1955, Cub Scouts from the Mt. Rainier Council boarded a railroad car from the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad line. In keeping with the January Scout theme of "Railroading," the company provided a seven car train at their passenger depot for the scouts to tour throughout the day. More than 1,500 area Cub Scouts and their leaders took this opportunity to become better acquainted with trains. (TNT 1/23/1955, pg. A-2)

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cub Scouts (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Boy Scouts (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Railroad passenger cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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);

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);

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);