A 1920s Railroad Boom By Thornton Waite Photos Courtesy of Vee Davenport My interest in the history of Idaho’s railroads, which I’ve had ever since moving here in the mid-1970s, has led to encounters with a lot of
Two Girls on the Lam for a Day By Loris Addington We crouched in the brush beside the road near Council, uneasily looking at an empty freight train. At the arranged signal, we bolted, crossed the road, scrambled
And I Will Get That Ride By Alice Schenk On April 21, when the Living Legend came through Minidoka on its way to Boise, I stood by the tracks, soaking up the romance of decades past and holding
In the Railroad’s Heyday By Thornton Waite Whenever I drive the highways in Teton Valley, I look for reminders of the time the Union Pacific Railroad’s Teton Valley Branch ran from Ashton to Victor. The grain elevators, former
Party-Time on the Snow Train By Thornton Waite Photos courtesy of Holly Crawley Based on the images shown here, I’d say the Rotary Club members who went along for the famous Spring Campaign of the Union Pacific Railroad
How True is the Legend? By Thornton Waite Many of the legends and tales I’ve gathered over the years about the rich heritage of the railroad, many were told by workers, and some made their way into railroad
Rediscovering “Agricultural Improvement” Trains By Thornton Waite When I moved to southern Idaho in the mid-1970s, I continued a longtime interest in the history of railroads by researching the history and growth of the industry here. It soon
Since moving to the Magic Valley in 2008 from Seeley Lake, Montana, my time has been spent pursuing the interconnected hobbies of rail photography and railroad history, while admiring the area’s many scenic wonders. This pursuit of trains has taken me to many sleepy towns and pockets of natural beauty that are bypassed by the Interstates.
In many cases, these sights are either just out of view of the freeway or only a few miles’ drive away. Old towns now almost forgotten, such as Soda Springs, Lava Hot Springs, Minidoka, Shoshone, Gooding, Bliss, King Hill, Hammett, and Weiser, abound with natural charm. Each of these little burgs has a story to tell, history to be explored, and grace to be appreciated. Continue reading
