"Palouse" is French for "Lawn"

Northern Pacific Railway 315, Pullman, Washington, December 9, 1961. It is one cold damn day in the Palouse Country. Found this Geep doing the “local” routine, shuffling cars around on her way Moscow, Idaho.

I was four months into my freshman year at Washington State University. With my life’s changing priorities, I only on occasion grabbed my camera to cover the local NP Traffic, one or two freights, and even an RDC Budd car stopping off at the Pullman Station, (several photos on left hand menue) a beautiful building befitting a College Town.

Looking at a railway map of Washington State, this area in the midst of grain, peas and lentil country, is riddled with branch lines owned by not only the NP, but also the Union Pacific, which also ran through Pullman. The railroads basically “connecting the red dots” – the “red dot’s being grain elevators!

Found an interesting web site wherein a couple of rail fans went about tracking down remnants of this once vibrant rail era.

Indeed, the college town of Pullman is named for George Pullman of the Pullman Car Company who, in 1881, gave $50 toward the first local celebration of July 4th.

Northern Pacific purchased 176 of these GP-9’s between 1954 and 1958, numbered 200 through 375.

Railroad Stuff: Northern Pacific Railway 315, GMD GP-9, 1,750 hp. Built 2/57, sn: 22718. Renumbered Burlington Northern 1753, 3.70. Retired 1985, Coast Engine & Equipment.