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oregonrailfan In reply to RattlerJones [2019-10-24 19:49:17 +0000 UTC]

The Skagit River Railway was originally organized by Seattle City Light to facilitate the movement of men and materials from the end of the Great Northern's line at Rockport, to hydro electric dam construction sites further east on the river. The railroad was not a common carrier but many loads of logs and lumber from local forests and mills were transported to the GN at Rockport. The railroad operated from 1919 to 1954.

After the railroad was abandoned, the railroad's only steam locomotive, Baldwin 2-6-2 #6 was placed on display in the Seattle City Light park at Newhalem.

In 1973 a local group raised funds and tried to operate a steam excursion train on Burlington Northern (formerly GN) tracks between the towns of Sedro-Wooley and Concrete in the Skagit River Valley. They obtained permission from Seattle City Light to use the name "Skagit River Railway".

From what I've been able to determine, the operation was never able to rise above it's financial problems and had to cease operations. #6 sat in the engine house that had been built for it's overhaul in Concrete for several years until Seattle City Light was able to have it moved back to Newhalem.

The second Skagit River Railway used former Milwaukee passenger cars, and 10 years ago there were 3 of them and a small Plymouth diesel switcher at Concrete. In the early 1990's BN abandoned the tracks east of Sedro-Wooley and the right of way has become a rail trail.

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