located. Ever since I was a young teen- ager I had admired steam-era pictures taken at the junction with the Johnson Road concrete overpass in the back- ground, and knew that was the shot to get. Standing alone with my trusty Canon A-1 at the ready, my imagination slowly began to drift off with the passing clouds. Maybe it was hunger or the 13 hours behind the wheel catching up to me, but I swore I could smell a whiff of coal smoke. During the steam era, Spalding was
an amazing place to catch the action. Doubled-headed Northern Pacific 2-8-2s handled the Spokane–Lewiston train known as the “Highball” up and down the 1st Subdivision as far as Arrow Junction (located three miles to the east). An NP 4-6-2 handled the short passenger train to Spokane, with motor cars running to
RIGHT: During the long days of June, plenty of sunlight was to be had at Lenore as the log train from Jaype passes by. Come harvest time in the fall, log trains will stop to handle grain loads from the elevator in 70-ton hoppers. BELOW: Rolling into Cottonwood over Front Street, the Grangeville Local is nearing the end of its run on June 7, 1996. Grangeville is a scant 15 miles away. OPPOSITE: On its knees, working up a brutal 3 percent grade, the Grangeville Local crosses U.S. Route 95 on June 7, 1996. Far above on the hillside behind the train, cuts and trestles mark the line’s reverse passage out of the canyon.
Stites at the end of the Kamiah Branch east of Orofino and to Grangeville. NP and UP helpers coupled together could be found on the wye waiting for opposing traffic to clear. After a long wait, UP 2378’s head-
light finally eased around the distant corner. I again glanced at my watch, which showed 7:10 p.m. The EMDs were pinch-hitting for 2-8-2s still vivid in my imagination, and as a railroad photogra- pher I was no Philip Hastings or Henry
Griffiths, but the place made me feel like it. From Spalding, U.S. Route 12 and the Camas Prairie continued to follow the Clearwater River but again on opposing sides with the railroad now on the south side. Instead of trying to take pictures from across the river, I paced the train into East Lewiston as best I could and simply enjoyed the moment. The sun set around 8:40 p.m. and I attempted several night pictures in the East Lewiston engine facility. I knew the
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