When the Eatonville Lumber Company was in business, locam0tives were a common site.
Pat Van Eaton says the Eatonville Lumber Company used Climax and Shay locomotives. In fact, the lumber company had three geared locomitives, all standard gage, and 20 miles of track east of Eatonville. “They ceased rail logging in 1940 and their last locomotive — a 90-ton Shay — was cut up for scrap in 1945.”
Until 1941 the lumber company did its own logging from its own timber and did not, as a rule, buy logs. The company maintianed railroad tracks, owned locomotives and cars, and operated a logging camp. (History of Tacoma Eastern Area.)
Photos courtesy of Rich Williams.
Click on images to enlarge.
It is kind of sad to see a booming industry gone, only traces of it’s existance are in a few photos. Thank you Pat for saving and sharing these pieces of Eatonville’s logging “Glory Days”
thanks to Diane for this site to show the world some things about Eatonville that most people didn’t know.
Pingback: Eatonville to Rainier » 1932 – Eatonville Lumber Mill Burns, but the Town Doesn’t Give up
Pingback: Eatonville to Rainier » Eatonville Evacuation: The Removal of the Japanese.