37 HOURS ON IDAHO’S SCENIC WONDER


RYAN REED/PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR B


Y THE MID-1990S, almost every railfan I knew had visited the Camas Prairie — not once but


many times over. Rightly so. Located in the highly scenic Idaho panhandle, it was one of the most fascinating railroads in North America and practically in our own backyard. As residents of eastern Washington, we could be chasing a train up Lapwai (LOP-way) Canyon in just a few hours of driving time. As a result, our roundtable slide shows always seemed to feature pictures taken at places like Spalding, Nucrag, and Orofino. With a joint operation agreement between the Northern Pacific (later Burlington Northern) and Union Pacific, mixed locomotive consists added to the character of the railroad. I came to know


42 APRIL 2017 • RAILFAN.COM


the Camas Prairie well, but surprising- ly only through the camera lenses of my friends. In February 1996, a catastroph-


ic flood washed away tracks through- out the region, including parts of my beloved Washington, Idaho & Montana line meandering 49 miles from Palouse, Wash., to Bovill, Idaho. In fact, the WI&M was the reason why I never visited the Camas Prairie. When I headed for Idaho, I was always going to Potlatch (headquarters for the Burl- ington Northern-owned WI&M). The railroad lacked in big trestles, tunnels, and great scenery, but made up for it in charm with some of the friendliest rail- roaders I had ever known. The flood ruined that forever.


The flood also destroyed my delusion


that the Camas Prairie would always be in operation as it had been. It seemed as though time was running out and I had better make my way to Lewiston before it was too late. I knew I would need one day to chase the train from Orofino to Lewiston, and a second for the spectac- ular run up Lapwai Canyon to Gran- geville. My first trip planned for the end of


May 1996 was scrubbed since I was so excited I wasn’t able to sleep a wink the night before! Since trains operated weekly (east of Orofino to Lewiston on Thursdays and Lewiston to Grangeville on Fridays), I would have to wait until the following Thursday morning before I could try again.


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