Friday, May 8, 2009

Electric On The Skagit River Hydro Project

Nice archive shot from 1947 of what appears to be electric trolley being used on the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. The photo was posted by Seattle City Light on Flickr; one of the best parts of the Internet lately has been Creative Commons, which allows shots like this to be viewed by a new generation of rail fans. Some more experienced readers here may know where to find info about this car, but my search came up empty!

I love these old photos; black & white has so much emotion, oddly enough, even in the absence of color. For a current color picture of a more famous unit, check out "Old Number 6" in Newhalem:

http://www.railpixonline.com/SCL_6.htm

To find out more about the project visit here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Dam

Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives
Posted by Kurt Clark at 10:15 AM
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3 comments:

  1. Here be a model of the Wash Water Power Interurban Station in Cheney: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=e13e34434386783f70c46ff60869e0cb
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  2. Nehalem #89 ( http://home.att.net/~wrpn/number89.html ) was originally Washington Water Power #150, over in Spokane. Washington Water Power, in addition to supplying others with juice, got the railroad bug as well.

    In 1904, WWP purchased the right-of-way between Spokane and Medical Lake from the Northern Pacific Railway. A canternary system was installed over the approximately 17 miles. A branch was instituted in 1907 running between Cheney Junction and Cheney.

    Trains ran on two tracks, about 2 hours apart in the halcyon days of the service. WWP even sported open-ended observation cars.

    WWP became the first major passenger service abandonment in the Pacific Northewest, when they saw the handwriting on the wall - that the automobile was more than a novelty, and was here to stay. The system was pulled up in 1921-22.
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  3. To follow up on what O-E said, that NP right-of-way never carried an NP train, as they abandoned it right after they purchased the company that built it, the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern. This was part of the Eastern Division of that line. This section did get purchased by the WWP. There is a remaining substation visible on the line, at Jameson, with is very visible from I90 about 8 miles west of Spokane.
    WWP pulled the plug on the line in March of 1922, though it continued to operate an extensive streetcar line in Spokane proper.

    Dan
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