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                                                         GN issued pocket calendars each year.  This is the 1951 calendar

 

         Seattle & South End        Skagit Valley & Vicinity        The border     Vancouver & North End     

The Line in 1949

This time is an extract of the 1949 employee timetable reprinted by the GNRHS in 1982

 

 

 

 

By 1950, two sets of streamlined equipment had been delivered to protect the three round trips of the International daily except Sunday. The departure times were basically the same at each terminal, one morning, afternoon and evening, but on a faster schedule.  Each set operated one and a half round trips a day.

                       Internationals

                  

                      

The equipment: RPO/baggage (not shown) two coaches, cafe-coach and a parlor-lounge (observation)

 

 

Freight Traffic

 

 

 

 

 

Scheduled freights were a thing of the past and all freights were operated as extras even though they ran at approximately the same time each day.

 

 

 

Seattle & South End      

 

 

 

 

 

 

A northbound freight crosses Spokane Street near the Seattle waterfront on its way to Interbay.

GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

Seattle in the fifties.

A caboose hop rolls along the Seattle waterfront

.

mail is being unloaded from the just arrived the Empire Builder as the International is about to depart

 

Left, The Seattle Waterfront and skyline looked a lot different in 1950

The International departing from King Street Station.

 

At the other end of the train, The Port of  Vancouver is about to enter the tunnel under Seattle

The afternoon International has just exited the tunnel and is passing pier 66

 

Several views of Interbay engine terminal

 

 

 

Two Rotarys are spotted near the Interbay roundhouse and are ready for the coming winter in the Cascades.

GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

Great Northern also painted its Freight cars in the streamliner colors

Edmonds, on the Sound, sported an newer depot in the 50's

GN Archives/George Werema date unknown

 

A geep handles a northbound drag Along the shores of Puget Sound between Ballard and Everett.

Photographer, date and location unknown

The northbound International arriving at Everett

GN Archives/George Werema date unknown

366-A leads the International at Delta Jct, Everett, Wa

 

Skagit Valley  & Vicinty

 

 

 

 

 

Near Silvana between everett and Mt. Vernon

The Skagit valley is famous for its tulips

View from the car window south of Mt. Vernon, with the tulips in bloom

Northbound entering Mt Vernon

Photographer and date unknown

 

 

 

In way freight service near Burlington.

Photographer and date unknown

First view of Mt. Baker, also from the tulip fields near Mt. Vernon

 

The observation Port Of Vancouver is seen again at Bow on its run between Seattle and its name sake city.

E-7 510 leads The International at Larabee Park August 1960

The International arrives at Bellingham in the 60's. GN stations still were adorned with flowers.

 

just south of Bellingham, the line crosses Chuckanut bay. Today expensive homes overlook the line and water.

 

 

 

 

The Border

 

 

                                                            All traffic stops at the border

 

A southbound freight awaits Customs as the afternoon International departs with a Mountain series observation on the end.

GN Archives/George Werema date unknown

On the American side

A long special Northbound movement is about to cross the border into Canada, at Blaine in 1969

 

The fireman of the Southbound International awaits the hi ball at Blaine on a foggy day in 1969. Note the Immigration inspector with his official bag heading for his car. Further back Chuck, the GN station agent, in the light shirt, and a Customs Inspector head for the office in the station.

South bound freight undergoing Customs Inspection at Blaine in 1969. The top of the Peace Arch is just visible above the box cars

GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

Two unit South bound freight awaits Customs clearance before crossing the border at White Rock B.c. Note how much sharper these unit look than those left  c. .1958.

 

 

On the Canadian side

Ten years later in 1968, the units are dirtier and it is an A-B combination instead of the A-A pair seen in 1958. But the trains still stop for Customs before departing Canada.

The International at White Rock July 1959. the White Rock depot is barely visible to the left of the train.

A North bound freight passes the beach at White Rock, B.C..

Note the fireman leering at the bikini clad bathers just out of view to the right!

 

 

 

 

 

Vancouver & North End   

 

 

 

FA 277A paired with an F-7 is starting its journey south from vancouver.

Photographer and date location unknown

 

March 1968

Mud bay, B.c. Between White Rock and New Westminister.  Note the dome coach and Mountain series Observation both were formally assigned to the Builder

Rick Horne Photo

Above, The southbound International passes CN Junction.  The Canadian National, and its predecessor, the Canadain Northern, had trackage rights over the GN from New Westminister to Vancouver.  In latter years the GN also used the CNR terminal in Vancouver.

GN carried passengers destined for vacations in the Canadian Rockies via the CNR

 

.GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

Four units lead by an E unitare on the point of Special about to depart Vancouver, September 1969

The same Special is departing vancouver. The Lions peaks are barely visible through the haze and smoke.

A pair of Alco FA units idle at Vancouver. Note the green and black CNR passenger cars in the background. the CNR station was next door to the GN station in Vancouver

GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

 

RS-2 number 201 is switching at the Vancouver passenger station on a cold snowy day.

GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

 

The southbound Morning International ready to depart Vancouver

A business car is attached to the International behind the observation at GN station, Vancouver

 

 

 

both port series observations in the weeds

The sad end of an era!

GN Archives/Cordell Newby picture date unknown

   

 

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