Steam on Sumas Branch=
TT00048
=
12/=
30/2002
6:26 PM =
; Al
Currier =
<=
/span>Can anyone supply the date when steam was repla=
ced
with diesel on the Sumas line out of Auburn?
I'm especially interested in the Bellingham
branch off the Sumas line. There is a photo of a steam engine at the Bellingham engin=
e house
with several men (a couple in suits) posing around it, in 1953.
No caption. Perhaps this might have been taken to mark the end of =
steam
service?
A second question. Did the steam engines on the Auburn
to Sumas train run into Belli=
ngham
as well? Or were cars taken out of Bellingham
to the mainline by the engine kept in Bellingham.
=
12/=
31/2002
12:19 AM &nbs=
p; Jim Fredrickson Bellin=
gham had its own train, 931 and 932. There were a n=
umber
of variations over the years:
Bellingham to Wickersham and =
return
Bellingham to Sedro Woolley
and return with a side trip to Lawrence.
Everett to B=
ellingham
and Bellingham to E=
verett
Auburn to Bellingha=
m
and Bellingham to <=
st1:place
w:st=3D"on">Auburn.
Buried somewhere in my stuff is the assignment file for this run a=
nd
will let you know when and if it comes to the surface.
Hard to say just when the last steam engine was used on these
trains--sometime in the early 50's I would guess.
The North End was my first regular job as a dispatcher and one pai=
n in
the neck was when an L-9 switch engine would be run light from Bellingham to <=
st1:place
w:st=3D"on">Auburn for boiler wash or whatever. Th=
ey were
limited to 15 MPH and really cluttered up the railroad.<=
/p>
12/31/2002 1:49 PM =
Rick
W. Leach =
I don't have an exact date for the Sumas line
dieselization, because it happened train by train, 675 was the first by the
early 50's with 4 unit FT's. What we do know is, the Bellingham branc=
h had
diesels by 3-29-56. Also, the GP-9 power that replaced steam on the Tacoma
Division was delivered between 6-55 and 2-56. The 1953 photo mentioned is =
a bit
early, because at the time, only three GP-7's were on the division and the=
rest
of the diesels were either switchers or road power FT's and F-7's, not ope=
rated
on the branches. At that time, most all the branch line power was steam.
Dave Sprau and I discussed the Bellingham servi=
ce quite
a bit while reviewing captions for the NP book. [Numbers] 931 and 932 seem=
ed to
change as much as any train on the north end. The Sumas train did not oper=
ate
into Bellingham,
since it had heavier W-3 steam power and was a time
freight. For instance, in Nov. 1956, the 931 operated to Sedro Woolley (and Wickersham)=
for
connections. Later it operated into Everett and
in the 60's, it ran all the way, Auburn t=
o Bellingham, performing switching at Woodinville, Arlington, Sedro=
Woolley and intermediate points. (Provided by John
Phillips)
=
Thread complied by G Tarbox