Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway freight trains remembered

4-6-6-4 No. 910 beats uphill at Marshall, Wash., near Spokane with about 90 cars. UP and NP tracks are down the hill. Phil Hastings photo

The first of six RS1s of subsidiary Oregon Electric, the system’s initial road units, brings logs to the Lebanon, Ore., plywood mill in 1963. Ron Sloan photo

At Scribner, an eastbound SP&S freight, behind C425 323 and C424 306, heads for Hillyard after setting out its Northern Pacific interchange on a siding. June 1968. J. David Ingles photo, Brian M. Schmidt collection

A transfer run from Spokane operating behind FAs 863 and 858 passes Scribner, Wash., near Spokane in June 1968. J. David Ingles photo, Brian M. Schmidt collection

Alco C424 No. 314 brings a freight along the Columbia River west of Wishram, Wash. This train is toting 84 loads and 27 empties on May 20, 1970. Tom Brown photo

Four units roll an eastbound Spokane, Portland and Seattle freight train through the Columbia River Gorge east of Stevenson, Wash. The train has 85 cars and is making 40 mph on this March 15, 1964. Henry R. Griffiths Jr. photo

A Spokane, Portland and Seattle freight train hustles through the Columbia River Gorge westbound for Vancouver, Wash. Lead unit is a C636. Alco photo

Spokane, Portland and Seattle-painted FA1 and RS2 on Eighth Street in Ranier, Ore., on May 12, 1972, almost two years after the creation of Burlington Northern. Mike Schafer photo

Spokane, Portland and Seattle freight train comes through the Great Northern station area on Havermale Island, en route westward from GN’s Hillyard to SP&S trackage for Wishram and Vancouver, Wash. SP&S was mostly an Alco-powered railroad, but two of its six GP9s, 151 and 150 (among four built with steam generators), are tucked in behind C425 314 and C424 303 in June 1968. J. David Ingles photo, Brian M. Schmidt collection