Nussel Snouts Wrote:
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> Thank you for adding a bit of information to the
> story. Spring of 1969 was my first visit to
> Riparia WA just a few months after the Union
> Pacific bridge across the Snake River was removed.
> I remember standing on the new Camas Prairie line
> built from Riparia to Central Ferry to gain
> elevation over Little Goose dam located just east
> of Riparia. There was a new little depot and a few
> additional structures built at the west end of the
> bridge on this new section at Riparia, which also
> are now long gone except for the concrete slabs.
> Looking down on the old town site of Riparia from
> the new line I have no image in my mind of what
> was left in 1969, most likely nothing. The old UP
> main track to Hay and on to La Crosse was still
> active up to 1980 I believe. What I would like to
> know is did the section from Riparia to Hay remain
> in service longer than the section from Hay north
> to la Crosse. My memory says that was the case.
> What I remember is seeing a tank car at Hay
> sometime in the early 1980's but no track north of
> Hay at that time.

I can check my references to see when lines were abandoned. Although I first traveled in this area (MILW, BN mains) in 1974, I didn't really explore the spider web of lines in Eastern Washington until about 2005 when I made it a point to visit every junction or crossing that I could locate whether abandoned or not. I had ridden the former SP&S main when still active but although saddened by it's abandonment thought it would make a fantastic bike trail. I believe it's the eventual goal of the state but I doubt it will happen in my lifetime (or bike riding lifetime).