Milwaukee Road 625, Stacy Street Yard, Seattle December 13, 1959. There is a lot going on in this photo in addition to the MILW 625, chugging northbound along Alaska Way.
On the right, a Milwaukee Road rib-side boxcar. I believe just over 3,000 of this unique design were manufactured in 1939 to 1940. Most of them carried the inscription “Route of the Hiawatha’s” Another batch of the rib-sides carried the inscription “Route of the Electrified Olympian.”
Next, looking north, the 625. She is shoving several cuts of boxcars together, following unloading of the Port Townsend barge at Pier 27.
And then in the near background, the famous wooden board walk connecting the waterfront (Alaska Way) with Lander Street, crossing the entire width of Stacy Street Yard, ascending just south of the massive Sears Roebuck store.
Railroad Stuff: Milwaukee Road 625, nee 2020. Built by Electro Motive Division as an SW1200, 1,000 horsepower, in November 1954, serial number 20055. Renumbered 625 in 1959. When the “Road” began disintegrating, sold in 1981 to the Davenport, Rock Island and Northwestern, a switching terminal operation jointly owned by the Milwaukee Road.
Finally, sold to Canton Railroad Company, first as 1201; renumbered 1203. I was able to verify by phone today, that this unit is still in operation 55 years later, a testament to EMD’s legendary engineering!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Old Yard Goats Never Die!
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55 years and still shoving cars around. Quite a fine design! Thanks for the photos - Leland
I had almost forgotten an incident that took place whilst walking across the Lander Street footbridge. My buddy Lindel and I were leaning over the railing, watching an NP switcher move back and forth below us. Our discussion turned to who could be the most accurate at dropping a pebble down the stack of the locomotive. For a few moments, the forces of Good and Evil waged a furious battle. In the end, Good won out, and we continued our hike across the footbridge!
I read somewhere that the whole area in the photo was once part of the bay and was filled in years ago.
Dan
The entire area south of King Street is fill. Construction photos of Sears show water just south of the construction site. I remember riding a bus with my Mom and sister in the late afternoon. We stopped to pick up passengers at Sears when an earthquake hit. The quake caused soil liquification and water sprayed up in geysers from cracks in the Sears parking lot. Quite a sight for us. 1952 or 53, if I remember correctly.
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