Submitted by Gary Ostlund

The single-track swing bridge was built by the Northern Pacific RR for entry into Aberdeen, Washington.  It has a rather strange footprint; in that it wraps itself around a warehouse building. The bridge is rather difficult to photograph, short of trespassing, or getting wet. I tried to copy the Google Street image from the highway bridge at the bottom of the pix, but no luck. The pic I got from the street at the right margin does not do justice to its design and placement.  Thus, the Google earth image.

Opened on October 21, 1898, the Wishkah River Bridge has been in daily use ever since, including a brisk business today hauling import autos to market.   The Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad, a short line currently services the Grays Harbor region, connecting with the BNSF.  That connection is in Centralia on the busy double-track mainline north to Tacoma and south toward Oregon and California.

The harbor was once served by the Milwaukee and Union Pacific entering the harbor from the south, crossing into Aberdeen on yet another swing bridge, now long gone. The NP was the major player though, with branches from Aberdeen and Hoquiam out to Moclips on the ocean, and to Markham on the south side of the harbor out near Westport, (think beaches, salmon fishing and cranberries).

     In the heyday of railroading on the harbor the rails served two pulp and paper mills, numerous large sawmills, a thriving shake and shingle industry and active seaport. In the mid-60s when we lived there, at about supper time all three railroads sent eastward an impressive array of freight.

Congratulations to the winners of our Chapter photo contest winner for March!

1st Place winner of the West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS March 2023 Photo Contest by Bill Grady – Norfolk Southern Intermodal #219 is coming through the cut at Depauw, Indiana on a nice, clear, spring morning as it heads to Louisville, KY with 4530 leading the way. – Photo by Bill Grady
2nd Place winner of the West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS March 2023 Photo Contest by Cooper Smith – PAL 3812 heads across the Tennessee River at Grand Rivers, Kentucky as it leads a coal train to West Paducah. – Photo by Cooper Smith
3rd Place winner of the West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS March 2023 Photo Contest by Bill Farrell – CSX locomotive 3377 on the lead of train I025 at the north end of Kelly, Kentucky. Photo by Bill Farrell.

Click Images above for larger view!