Wishram, WA: BNSF/Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railyard, Water Tower and Depot

(Satellite, it looks like most of the tracks are still present.)

Timothy D. Sievern posted
Burlington Northern Railroad freight yard in Wishram, Washington, on July 18, 1974. Photograph by John F. Bjorklund, © 2015, Center for Railroad Photography and Art. Bjorklund-08-12-05
Richard Olson: Noting the [Oregon Trunk] bridge is down too.
Donald E. Thomas: Richard Olson, according to Wikipedia, the vertical-lift span is usually in the raised position. Perhaps a train was expected when this pic was taken.

Viral Media posted

Wishram Yard

A 2017 view of of BNSF Wishram Yard in the Columbia River Gorge. Note the BNSF fire fighting train that is always stationed at the west end of the yard. Across the Columbia River a Union Pacific train can be seen on the UP Portland Sub.

In the late 1960s Wishram was a crew change where the Oregon trunk secondary crossed the Columbia River south into Oregon. The SP&S Wishram yard that blocked trains heading westward for Portland.  To the east were connections with Great Northern and Northern Pacific in Spokane. Wishram served as a division point with engine house for repairs and service, and a car shop. Whishram is about 106 miles east of Portland and 114 miles west of Pasco.

The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was built as a direct link into Portland, Oregon for the Northern Pacific and Great Northern. The SP&S survived as a bridge road for over 60 years until on March 2, 1970 it merged into the Burlington Northern system.

Today the former SP&S is the BNSF Fallbridge Subdivision, which runs on the north bank of the Columbia River. This is a  230 mile long route starting at Pasco to Vancouver, then south to Portland, and is considered part of the BNSF Northern Transcon to Chicago. By the 1980s, the repair shop and engine house were demolished as today Wishram is a minor yard.

In many images, just the white boxes are parked here. This 2019 image has a longer fire train.

Google Earth, Jun 2019

Viral Media posted four photos with the comment:

Wishram (Historic Fallbridge)

The town of Fallbridge was established in 1914 to support the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway. The name was changed to Wishram in 1926 to honor the Wishram tribe of Native Americans.

The Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway began developing the site by constructing an engine house, turntable, and several smaller outbuildings. The site activities included engine and railcar repairs, fueling and watering locomotives, and railcar switching. By the 1980s, the repair shop and Engine House were removed as they were no longer needed. In 1970, a merger between several railroads, including the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway created the Burlington Northern Railroad, which became BNSF, which currently owns the site.

Passenger train on tracks of switching yard at Wishram station with passengers on platform.  Water tower is shown on right, depot on left of photo (circa  1940). 

Bird's-eye view of Wishram rail switching yard and railroad bridge, Columbia River, Washington, circa 1930

Rail Bridge across the Columbia River at Celilo Falls

"No. 94 Railway Bridge Across The Columbia River at Celilo Falls.  B. C. Markham, The Dalles, OR" 

View from Oregon side, hills above Celilo Village depicting railroad bridge, the lower end of Celilo Canal, and old Hwy 30.

Birdseye view of Fallbridge (Wishram, WA) town site with tracks, Columbia River, buildings and trees from west cliffs circa 1920.

Photo - Washington Rural Heritage - Klickitat County Heritage

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[A nice view of the bridge before the Dalles Dam was built.]