Trains Magazine Map of the Month errors & Question...
Author: George Andrews
Date: 06-09-2011 - 15:30
For those who may be referencing the Trains Magazine Map of the Month when visiting Tacoma for the NRHS convention, know that several errors are in the map. In the Seattle - Tacoma corridor, the Union Pacific used trackage rights on Milwaukee Road from Fife, ( just East of Tacoma ) through Sumner & Auburn to Black River. From Black River North to Seattle U.P. & MILW had their own lines, neither of which are shown on the map. Also, the map indicates a separate Great Northern line from Sumner, through Tacoma, Lakeview & Roy to Tenino, when in fact GN only used trackage rights on the Northern Pacific line between the points listed. As I recall, these GN trackage rights over the NP Prairie Line had ended by the 1950 date of the map, in favor of rights over the NP Point Defiance / Tacoma Narrows line.
In Eastern Washington, the map indicates that Camas Prairie owned the line from Marengo to Spokane, as well as the line from Dishman to Manito. These lines were owned by Union Pacific with Milwaukee Road trackage rights. I believe the graphic illustrator used the wrong colors,( red & yellow as opposed to orange & yellow ) on these line segments.
Now a question for Bruce Kelly or Roger Hepkema : The map shows numerous U.S. Government ( USG ) lines, one of which ran from Athol, ID., East to the South end of Lake Pend Oreille. My DeLorme atlas shows a dashed line between these points as well. What was this line ???