Southern Pacific 4449 delivered us to Easton and we would now be off the train for at least two hours. The plan was to wye the motive power then once the train was put back together, a photo runby would be performed. We detrained and I saw some railroad history.
The former Milwaukee Road grade. We then joined a photo line so when the motive power cut away from the train, we would be in a position to photograph it.
Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 at rest at Easton.
Southern Pacific 4449 on the way to the Easton wye.
Southern Pacific 4449 engineer Doyle McCormack. From here we relocated to catch the engine coming around the train and for the photo runby.
Southern Pacific 4449 went around the train and down to the switch.
Reversing onto the train.
Reversing out of the house track and into the siding to perform the photo runby.
Some local railfans did not have a clue about proper photo line etiquette.
Southern Pacific 4449 performing the photo runby.
Southern Pacific 4449 and its train reversed back by us and went east past the house track switch before starting back towards us.
The train returned up the house track for boarding.
Southern Pacific 4449 was ready for boarding for the trip back to Tacoma. I showed Doyle my NS the Menace shirt and he had a good laugh about it. After the crew serviced the steam engine, we departed Easton at 3:18 PM bound for Tacoma as I relaxed, visited with friends and rode in the open door baggage car before showing Bob Riskie my "40 years of Amtrak" program then talked with Bart and Sarah Jennings about next year's convention. All too soon we joined the Seattle-Tacoma mainline just as the southbound Amtrak Cascades flew by. I said my goodbyes to Bart and Sarah as we neared Tacoma and quickly returned to my seat then Elizabeth and I were second in line to detrain. It had been a fantastic National Railway Historical Society convention steam trip over Stampede Pass.
Back to LynnwoodWe walked back to the Freighthouse Square parking structure, retrieved the car and Elizabeth drove over to Fife and found the way to Dacca Park where one of my favorite locomotives was on display.
Chehalis Western C415 684, ex. Curtis, Milburne and Eastern 684, built by American Locomotive Company in 1968. The lines ran log trains from Western Junction in the Tenino area to the Port of Tacoma. These trains made a reverse move when they entered the Union Pacific switch yard in Fife on their way to the Tacoma Rails main yard in the Port. Here the trains were delivered to a trans-loader for overseas shipment. This operation ran from 1980 to 1992.
It was moved here in June 2010 after being stored in Tacoma for years.
The end view of Chehalis Western C415 684.
One more view of the locomotive, which we would later learn that our friend, and former City of Fife Parks Department employee David Cantlin, was heavily involved in its acquisition and relocation. We then drove back to Lynnwood for the night.
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