Tying up
The conductor does some last minute paperwork and the engineer shuts down the power as Watco’s Palouse River & Coulee City freight ties up at Mockonema, Washington, on Septem... (more)

Watco’s Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad’s EMD GP50 No. 5012 still looks its heritage (almost) of Chicago & North Western at this angle of the standard Watco paint scheme. No. 5012 was the... (more)

Watco power for the Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad awaits a call to duty in Winona, Washington.

A Palouse River & Coulee City train works south through the elevators and silos of Spangle, Wash.

The spout hanging down from above rarely, if ever, loads rail cars anymore, but the elevator at Winona, Washington, on the west edge of the Palouse region is still a hub of activity for local farm... (more)

Little nuggets of gold waving in the breeze: This is the bread that feeds the railroads of the Palouse.

After setting out two cars in St. John, Palouse River & Coulee City's empty grain train completes its horseshoe-shaped journey through Pleasant Valley, approaching the summit of the northerly ridg... (more)

Most of the branch lines in the Palouse were built with a "path of least resistance" philosophy: If an obstacle was encountered, find a way go around it or over it. This becomes abundantly clear ... (more)

Off to the races! A trio of horses gallop alongside a loaded grain train near Sunset, Washington, in the heart of the Palouse region. A late harvest brought on by unusually wet spring wea... (more)

"Back ten to a hook." Joe, outfitted with the essential railroader accessories of steel-toe boots, switch keys, radio and lit cigarette, informs the engineer that it's safe to shove toward ... (more)

PCC GP35 2387 and WAMX GP38 3807 spend the weekend in the small yard at the end of Mission Mountain Railroad’s former BNSF/BN/GN branchline from Stryker to Eureka.

A giant structure
Now forsaken by rail
Yet proudly stands tall

A loco is turned on the wye at Colfax in the narrow Palouse River valley before heading south with a train to Moscow Id. This was the original UP(OWRN) line to Spokane before the Avery cutoff over... (more)

Engineer Larry leans close to the 3004's mirror to look back over his train as it trundles through the rolling Palouse region of eastern Washington.

Up, up and away! Spooked by the approaching grain shuttle, a heron takes flight away from its hunting grounds along the Palouse River.