Spokane International Railroad
Washington, Idaho, British Columbia | |
Dates of operation | 1887–1958 |
---|---|
Successor | Union Pacific Railroad |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Length | 190 miles (310 km) |
The Spokane International Railroad (
The line, originally named the Spokane International Railway, was built by local businessman and railroader Daniel Chase Corbin following an agreement between him and the CP, with CP agreeing to fund much of the line's construction and to secure the loan by holding the new line's bonds.
Especially significant was that the CP controlled the
Two
The SI was reorganized October 1, 1941, following financial difficulties and receivership during the Great Depression. The line was renamed the Spokane International Railroad as part of the restructuring agreement until the 1950s.
On October 6, 1958, the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) took control of Spokane International Railroad.[2] In 1962 UP leased SI's 11 ALCO RS-1 locomotives for operation. The locomotives were later repainted to UP's yellow and gray paint scheme, but retained their SI lettering. Also in 1962, UP sold four of its older steel cabooses to SI. These were also painted in UP's yellow scheme, but received SI lettering and numbers. After UP's 1958 control of SI, Union Pacific continued to lease SI for operation. On December 31, 1987, Union Pacific formally merged SI into its corporate structure.
At the end of 1960 SI operated 150 miles (240 km) of road on 190 miles (310 km) of track; that year it reported 141 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and zero passengers.
The line remains in operation as the Union Pacific's Spokane Subdivision, an important connection between southern British Columbia and the northwest United States.[3][4]
See also
References
- ^ "Logging Railroads of the Pacific Northwest". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- ^ Lennon, J. Establishing Trails on Rights-of-Way. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior. p. 48.
- ^ "Statewide Rail Capacity and System Needs Study" (PDF). Cambridge Systematics, Inc., HDR, Inc. Washington State Transportation Commission. May 2006. p. 21. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Bruce E. (19 March 2021). "Will CP Enter the U.S. Northwest?". Railway Age. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
This hypothetical transaction would involve UP's 138-mile Spokane Subdivision from the U.S./Canada border station of Eastport, Idaho, to a connection with BNSF Railway just south of UP's SI Yard in Spokane, Wash....
- Jones, Dale W. (2019). Spokane International Railway. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1467102995.
External links
- Brief history of the SI
- Roster of SI diesel locomotives
- Roster listing of SI wooden and steel cabooses
Further reading
- Carter, Clive (2012). The Spokane International Railway: Idaho's main line to Canada. Coeur d'Alene, ID: Museum of North Idaho. OCLC 819640852.