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Wood & Iverson Log Train Wreck

Written by Anton Faulk
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By George Chambers

Now with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land back open after being closed for Covid-19, I got in a hike to the February 23, 1925 log train wreck site on Tiger Mountain near Issaquah. When the over loaded train ran out of air for its brakes and jumped the tracks near Holder Creek, the 3-truck Climax locomotive, flat cars carrying rail, a passenger car and the Clyde track laying machine went off the rails. Some car parts, wheels and the Clyde track laying machine are still there after 95 years.
I began my hike to the wreck site from the DNR Tiger Summit Trailhead parking lot off Highway 18. The first part of the hike is on the Iverson Railroad Trail which goes 1.5 miles to meet the DNR West Side Road. About half of this trail is on an old logging railroad grade. Any bridges at creek crossings are long gone. I then hiked west on the DNR West Side Road for 0.3 miles to the junction with the Tiger Mountain Trail. I turned right and headed north on the TMT to Zeig’s Zag. This is at a switchback on the old W&I logging railroad grade. I continued north a short distance on the Artifacts Trail to the train wreck site. You can see some wheels, car parts and the remains of the Clyde track laying machine. It is a six mile round trip hike to the wreck site to see the artifacts.

  • Wheels at the log train wreck site
  • Wheels and car parts
  • Remains of the Clyde track laying machine
  • Another view of the Clyde track laying machine

I have been to the site several times. There are many other old logging railroad grades to hike on in the Tiger Mountain State Forest. DNR uses some of them for trails. I have hiked them all. Note: you need a Discover Pass for your car to park at the trailhead.
A good book to read and has photos of the log train wreck is, “Wood & Iverson: Loggers of Tiger Mountain”, by the late Ken Schmelzer.

George

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Seattle North End NMRA clinic this Thursday! ONLINE!

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Lisa Murray

Hello everyone!
While it technically has only been 62 days since our last in-person clinic, it has seemed more like 62 years. And don’t get me going about how long 2020 has seemed so far this year.

I am pleased to announce that we will have a clinic this Thursday night!! 

Burr Stewart will present on How to Set Up Locomotive Braking using DCC on engines with different types of decoders. Click here for a copy of the handout Burr will be using during his presentation. Due to the stay-at-home orders being extended through the end of May, we will be conducting our meeting via Zoom. 

The meeting will start at 7:30pm on Thursday, May 7. Check your Grab Iron email for the Zoom link! You can also email me for the information.

In addition to the presentation we will take time to catch up with everyone and see what you have been doing with all of your spare time. Bring things for show and tell! 

I hope that as many of you can attend as possible. This will be posted in the Grab Iron as well.

See you on the big screen on Thursday night!

Lisa

Seattle-North Clinic

Reminder – NMRA Clinic Special Interest Discussion Group

Written by Anton Faulk
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Don’t forget that Jim Betz created a Special Interest Discussion Group last month called PNWRRModelers. It can be found at:

https://groups.io/g/PNWRRModelers/

PNW Railroad Modelers is a discussion group for model railroaders in the Pacific Northwest

To gain access you will need to click the “Join The Group” button and then make a post to it to introduce yourself to the other members. The first post will go to Jim and he will approve it (this discourages scoundrels) and you will be live from then on.

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Tacoma Clinic Helping the Community

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Kevin Klettke

The 4th Division of the Pacific Northwest Region’s Tacoma Clinic is proud to support the local community with our yearly contribution to the Emergency Food Network. For the ninth consecutive year, at our November 2019 clinic, the members presented a check to Michelle Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of EFN for $1,300.  This brings our nine-year total to $12,360. 

Our efforts are spear headed by member Leo Scafturon, who came up with the idea to give back to our community during the 2010 floods that brought so much local damage and hardship to so many, particularly in the Chehalis and Centralia areas. After presenting the idea to the members, and then leader Gene Swanson, the motion was passed. Every month since, the can has been passed around at each clinic to collect donations from our generous membership.

Food insecurity impacts people of all backgrounds, including the working poor, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness. Now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the food bank network which EFN supports is even more important.

In a letter to the Tacoma Clinic membership, Director Douglas wrote, “On behalf of those who need it most, we thank you for helping us distribute more than one million pounds of food each month. We cannot do this alone; your generosity is greatly appreciated.”

Kevin
Tacoma Clinic Host

Tacoma Clinic