Scrapped train along a bog near Arlington

[+brodiebunch]

In todays Pacific NW Sunday section of the Seattle Times there is a picture of this train. Its in the article called "Sawdust Mountain" (Scenes from the end of a logging era)

 

Has local geocachers seen this train in person or know of its location?

 

If so, is there a cache nearby?

 

Any information would be great.

[+ZeroHecksGiven]

That entire collection is amazing and really makes me feel at home. I'm familiar with a TON of those places, though not familiar with the train shot. I have a friend who lives in arlington and he may be able to help.

[+Dgwphotos]

In todays Pacific NW Sunday section of the Seattle Times there is a picture of this train. Its in the article called "Sawdust Mountain" (Scenes from the end of a logging era)

 

Has local geocachers seen this train in person or know of its location?

 

If so, is there a cache nearby?

 

Any information would be great.

 

My dad has seen it, but he says that it's been removed.

[+Lizzy]

I'll have to look at the article now, but I do know of a couple of passenger rail cars that were at the Cicero Ponds (a bog just east of Arlington). If they are still there, you would definitely see them while on your way to GCV55P. Don't know if they're still there, but I'd bet they are. This isn't a "whole train" or even part of a logging train, but it's the only rail cars abandoned out near a bog that I know of.

[+brodiebunch]

I'll have to look at the article now, but I do know of a couple of passenger rail cars that were at the Cicero Ponds (a bog just east of Arlington). If they are still there, you would definitely see them while on your way to GCV55P. Don't know if they're still there, but I'd bet they are. This isn't a "whole train" or even part of a logging train, but it's the only rail cars abandoned out near a bog that I know of.

 

Lizzy, thats is the train picture in the Sunday magazine. One of the photos in GCV55P shows the same two cars of the train. The photo is dated April 2006.

 

DWoodford says they have been removed though.

 

I may need to take a trip there-when its not pouring rain.

[+Dgwphotos]

Judging by the photo, it looks like it was here:

 

 

(The cache is off to the right, inside the circle.)

[+Harriet the Spy]

Yup those are my trains at my geocaches less than a mile from my house as the crow flies. Those train cars are still there, as of yesterday. They would be really really difficult to remove as the the area is grown up around them and would take some logging as the tracks they were on is now the white horse trail, a spur of the centennial trail. They are still sitting on the old tracks, and for some reason were not removed. Looks like they were backed onto a spur track.. its all very odd. Lizzy dropped me off an excellent book about the Arlington to Darrington Branch and we are cooking up some stuff about the whitehorse trail and the rail cars.

[+Harriet the Spy]

I don't know how to do a google earth screen shot, but actually they are on the left of that picture, about N 48 16.162 W 122 0.186 Its my best guesstimate based on the abandoned house you can see on google earth. But if you park in the parking area and walk the trail there is no missing them. You can see them from the parking area as well, if you know where to look.

[+ZeroHecksGiven]

Awesome news! I may have to try and make it up there next week. Something I'd love to see before they figure out a way to spend tax dollars on the removal of something pointless...

[+Dgwphotos]

Yup those are my trains at my geocaches less than a mile from my house as the crow flies. Those train cars are still there, as of yesterday.

 

Huh, I wonder if my dad was thinking of something else, then.

[+Harriet the Spy]

so.... after a flurry of texts between my husband and i... I of course being the right one and him being wrong that they were recently taken out when they fixed up the trail I decided to go take a gander for myself only to discover that I am 100% completely in the wrong! I arrived to find a road and some clearly logged trees and the old shingle mill house was gone too! ::inserts foot in mouth::

[+Dgwphotos]

so.... after a flurry of texts between my husband and i... I of course being the right one and him being wrong that they were recently taken out when they fixed up the trail I decided to go take a gander for myself only to discover that I am 100% completely in the wrong! I arrived to find a road and some clearly logged trees and the old shingle mill house was gone too! ::inserts foot in mouth::

 

My dad was pretty certain that they were gone, as he's looked for them when he goes by that area while working, and he goes by pretty often.

[+Lizzy]

so.... after a flurry of texts between my husband and i... I of course being the right one and him being wrong that they were recently taken out when they fixed up the trail I decided to go take a gander for myself only to discover that I am 100% completely in the wrong! I arrived to find a road and some clearly logged trees and the old shingle mill house was gone too! ::inserts foot in mouth::

 

My dad was pretty certain that they were gone, as he's looked for them when he goes by that area while working, and he goes by pretty often.

 

Wow thats just sad. Hopefully they didn't do the dishonorable thing and scrap them. I wonder who would know what they did with them!!

[+Dgwphotos]

so.... after a flurry of texts between my husband and i... I of course being the right one and him being wrong that they were recently taken out when they fixed up the trail I decided to go take a gander for myself only to discover that I am 100% completely in the wrong! I arrived to find a road and some clearly logged trees and the old shingle mill house was gone too! ::inserts foot in mouth::

 

My dad was pretty certain that they were gone, as he's looked for them when he goes by that area while working, and he goes by pretty often.

 

Wow thats just sad. Hopefully they didn't do the dishonorable thing and scrap them. I wonder who would know what they did with them!!

 

Judging by the caption to the picture, I would say that they did....

[+TheBeanTeam]

That entire collection is amazing and really makes me feel at home.

 

The collection is online and includes the photo mentioned in the OP in the slide show.

[+ZeroHecksGiven]

That entire collection is amazing and really makes me feel at home.

 

The collection is online and includes the photo mentioned in the OP in the slide show.

 

yeah, that's where I was looking at them. I couldn't figure out how to look at each individually though, so had to sit through the whole thing, which is fine, lovely set of photos. Drove through aberdeen today and saw a couple of the spots he shot from, very cool!

[+Lizzy]

so.... after a flurry of texts between my husband and i... I of course being the right one and him being wrong that they were recently taken out when they fixed up the trail I decided to go take a gander for myself only to discover that I am 100% completely in the wrong! I arrived to find a road and some clearly logged trees and the old shingle mill house was gone too! ::inserts foot in mouth::

 

My dad was pretty certain that they were gone, as he's looked for them when he goes by that area while working, and he goes by pretty often.

 

Wow thats just sad. Hopefully they didn't do the dishonorable thing and scrap them. I wonder who would know what they did with them!!

 

Judging by the caption to the picture, I would say that they did....

 

Yep - that's what they did. Here's the response to my email:

"The Snoqualmie Railroad Museum showed an interested in the cars, but because of budget and lack of staff they decided they would be interested in only pieces/section of the railcars. When the museum did not follow through, we contracted with a firm that abated and removed the cars from the site. They had to take the cars out in sections and I believe they recycled the metal."

[+Dgwphotos]

Lizzy, thanks for the info on what happened.

 

We should keep this thread open for other interesting things found in the woods.

[+ironman114]

so.... after a flurry of texts between my husband and i... I of course being the right one and him being wrong that they were recently taken out when they fixed up the trail I decided to go take a gander for myself only to discover that I am 100% completely in the wrong! I arrived to find a road and some clearly logged trees and the old shingle mill house was gone too! ::inserts foot in mouth::

 

My dad was pretty certain that they were gone, as he's looked for them when he goes by that area while working, and he goes by pretty often.

 

Wow thats just sad. Hopefully they didn't do the dishonorable thing and scrap them. I wonder who would know what they did with them!!

 

Judging by the caption to the picture, I would say that they did....

 

Yep - that's what they did. Here's the response to my email:

"The Snoqualmie Railroad Museum showed an interested in the cars, but because of budget and lack of staff they decided they would be interested in only pieces/section of the railcars. When the museum did not follow through, we contracted with a firm that abated and removed the cars from the site. They had to take the cars out in sections and I believe they recycled the metal."

 

One man's trash is another man's treasure!

 

Looks like this was considered trash.

 

Down near Morton a whole town was moved when the Mossyrock dam was built and they flooded the valley. Parts of the old town foundations are above water level during low waters.

 

It is against the law to remove "artifacts" from there even though all that remains are concrete rubble, broken glass and rusty metal bits.

 

But whole train parts older than that town are scrapped!

 

Fortunately for me I have a cache where it is too expensive and too hard an engineering feat to remove the wrecked 60 ton steam engine and the two passenger cars from the river canyon. It your's and my treasure!

Edited October 29, 2009 by ironman114

[+coreynjoey]

Fortunately for me I have a cache where it is too expensive and too hard an engineering feat to remove the wrecked 60 ton steam engine and the two passenger cars from the river canyon. It your's and my treasure!

On of our favs...and in a beautiful location too!

[+Lizzy]

Fortunately for me I have a cache where it is too expensive and too hard an engineering feat to remove the wrecked 60 ton steam engine and the two passenger cars from the river canyon. It your's and my treasure!

On of our favs...and in a beautiful location too!

That one's been on my "must do" list for a long time. Someday I'll get out there!