Late Fall of 2020, KLIX GP9 #657 sits in snow and ice
at Evergreen, Montana. Soon to be displayed in Kalispell.
She is ex-Great Northern Railway #657, but in her real life
never actually wore the "Big Sky Blue" paint scheme:
NW3 #181 on display by the depot at Whitefish, Montana.
I took this not long after restoration, back in the late 1990's.
Note: For some odd reason, at this angle both "1"s are barely visible:
From their Somers, Montana tie plant, fireless teakettle #S-1
She survives as a display at the "Miracle of America Museum,
which is located in Polson, Montana:
From their Somers, Montana tie plant, fireless teakettle #S-2
These days she is displayed on the former property of old tie plant:
Wearing faded and well used "Big Sky Blue", is Great Northern Railway
wood chip hopper #174283. Monroe, Washington, long, long ago:
Another in faded and well used "Big Sky Blue", is Great Northern Railway
box car #319499. (Now scrapped.) Sandpoint, Idaho, in 2013:
Sand Car X-2964 sitting in Hoyt Street Yard, Portland, Oregon (1980):
Tool Car X-6001 is in Cle Elum, Washington (1980):
Water Tank Car X-6500 in the rain at Bellingham, Washington (1980):
Summer of 2008, Great Northern Railway Ballast Regulator #24534.
The Northwest Railway Museum, Snoqualmie, Washington:
The now being forgotten "Bruck". Back when she was first restored and mounted
by the depot in Whitefish, Montana. She was originally used by the Great Northern
Railway to shuttle train passengers between Kalispell and Whitefish. These days
she has an ugly iron fence blocking the view, and is slowly deteriorating as
those who lovingly brought her back, are now passed on. Nobody cares any more:
This is a former camp car. Located at Marion, Montana.
It was last used when the stock yards there were still
operating, which was now over seventy years ago.
Note- There are three more located at Somers, Montana:
Former bunk car which was once used at the Somers, Montana yard:
More former bunk cars on a farm at Somers, Montana:
Pend Oreille River bridge at Albeni Falls (Oldtown), Idaho:
Turntable in the yard at Bellingham, Washington (1980):
The Izaak Walton Hotel at Essex, Montana (2011):
The former railroad water tower at Essex, Montana:
Glacier Park Lodge (East Glacier), Montana:
Glacier Park shuttle buses. Glacier Park (East Glacier), Montana:
The collapsed east portal of Haskell Pass Tunnel, Montana. You can
easily see one reason why they abandoned this route. From this point, on
eastward to the former station of Lucerne, tracks ran down a gully which was
essentially in the middle of a creek. That stream would freeze solid in winter,
or drift full of snow. Then it would flood every Fall or Spring! The face of
this hill would slide frequently. The line was out of service for weeks & months:
I have seen several such applications of former switch stands, around
northwestern Montana. Only grabbed this one view near Smith Valley, Montana:
Lake McDonald Lodge, Montana:
Pump house for the former water tower at Marion, Montana.
Still in local use seventy years the railroad left town:
Bridge 4 in Ballard (Seattle), Washington. Built by the Great Northern Railway,
now BNSF Railway. Located at the west end of the Lake Washington Ship Canal,
between Shilshole Bay & the Hiram Chittenden Locks. I can recall when the
counterweight, north end, once sported a beautifully painted GN "Rocky" logo.
Summer of 2008. Those black specks are circling sea gulls:
Their former electrification substation at Skykomish, Washington:
The pump house for the tie plant at Somers, Montana (1986):
Statue of John F. Stevens, located at Summit (Marias Pass), Montana.
Noted GN civil engineer, namesake of Stevens Pass, Washington.
Humor? The statue plaque states the elevation at Summit as 5216 feet.
Just across the highway, behind the statue, BNSF's sign shows 5125 feet!
This one fools many people, including locals and newcomers. It is
currently serving as a museum at Troy, Montana. It was NEVER the depot.
This was the crew office/locker room from Troy. Similar in appearance
to the old depot's exterior design, it was adjacent, but separate:
The former "Car Knockers Shack" at Whitefish, Montana:
Rocky Statue by the depot at Whitefish, Montana (2006):
No claim is made as to those historic documents or any other items displayed here which are not originally my own.
Such other items are public domain, or used with permission.