Hi,
Does anyone know how the Great Northern yard at Wenatchee would have
looked in the 1950’s. Plus, what industries would have been around the yard?
Chris
Chris,
Great Northern’s Appleyard in Wanatchee is on the south end of town, along the Columbia River. As you can guess, reefers of apples & fruit were shipped out of the yard. I would suggest that you join or contact the Great Northern Railway Historical Society: http://www.gnrhs.org/
They may have station maps of the yard, or even better an old article they have published on Appleyard. A Terraserver map(1975) is available on the web as well. I would suspect there were many local based out of Appleyard to service the packing houses.
Jim
Until 1957 GN changed from Diesel to electric locomotives at Wenatchee. The line from Wenatchee west to Skykomish was electrified until 1957 account of the Cascade Tunnel. The electrified line was about 75 miles between the two ends.
In 1957 the ventilating system for the Cascade Tunnel was installed and the electric operations ended. The engine house for the electric locomotives lasted until recently. Depending on your 1950’s time frame some W, Y, & Z Class electric locomotives might be needed.
Didn’t Classic Trains have a pic of Wenatchee Yard an issue or two back?? Or was that some other GN yard in the electrified area??[%-)]