“The Miserable Mile” on the Simpson Railroad, so named by the crews from enduring this last stretch of the trip; a slow, bouncy, flat mile of rail before reaching Mill 5. Photo by Joel Hawthorn.

Did you know about the Simpson Railroad?  This logging railroad in the wilderness of Washington state is the last in the United States.  Now, the Simpson Railroad faces an uncertain future due to the company which owns it shutting down its mill operations in June of 2015.  We talk with local historians and residents to answer the question:  What has made the Simpson Railroad so unique?

A roundhouse scene: The Simpson lokies don’t get out much these days except for a bit of switching in the mornings. The 900 is in the near stall, then the 1200 and 1201 while the 1202 reposes in a stall on the west side of the building. Photo by Joel Hawthorn.

News

Fire Up 611 reached a new milestone this past week.  Norfolk & Western #611 operated under its own power of the Norfolk Southern mainline between Spencer and Greensboro for testing.  The locomotive will be starting its excursion season very soon!

Armstrong turntable Simpson Railroad, Shelton WA. Photo by Joel Hawthorn.

Simpson Railroad Engineer & Historian – Pete Replinger (2:15)

Pete began his career with the Simpson Railroad as a brakeman and worked as an engineer from 1967 to 2000.  Since retirement, he has also conducted research on the railroad’s past.  He shares his wealth of knowledge and experience about how their operations have changed over the years.

12.23.2011 A mini tug pushes a load of waterwood into position for the claw to retrieve and place into a bunker car. There will be no further work done for the year – next week is vacation – and the crew was loading logs to “cover the dock”. Next week King tides are coming and with the high water, if the dock is not weighted down the ties would lift the rails! Photo by Joel Hawthorn.

Photojournalist – Joel Hawthorn (14:23)

Having lived in the logging town of Shelton WA for over 25 years, Joel has also seen the railroad through a number of years.  He has dedicated a substantial amount of time to documenting the Simpson Railroad and its employees, even having published a book which you can preview about the railroad.  He talks with us about why it has been so important for him to capture the spirit of the railroad throughout the years.

At Knights, Shelton,WA. Photo by Joel Hawthorn.

Question of the Day (42:48)

What shortline railroad operations interest you the most?  Let me know and I will respond to your comments in our next episode.

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