Spokane Pullman and Southern Railway (SP&S)
The Spokane Pullman and Southern (SP&S) was chartered by Northern Pacific Railway (NP) to block the progress of the Coeur d' Alene and Southern Railroad from building south along the lake. Access to the timber, ore and farm products to the south of Spokane promised jobs and work for many people, which translated into money for the NP. This became important to the economy of the railroad. In 1905, law suits brought by the Federal Government and the Coeur d' Alene and Southern Railroad caused the Northern Pacific to sell off the controlling interest in the railway and form the Spokane Pullman and Southern Railway.
The original intent was to build only to Lewiston. However the rich agriculture and timber of southern Idaho needed a railroad and the decision was made to build to Boise. Lewiston became the starting point for the southern portion of the railroad to Boise. The first big challenge was White Bird Loop from the Camas Prairie down into the Salmon River Canyon, then up the river and south to New Meadows. In 1913 the SP&S purchased the Idaho Timber and Navigation Company that ran from New Meadows, ID down the Payette River to Payette, ID.
Trackage rights were then negotiated with the Caldwell and Eastern Idaho Railway, and the Idaho and Eastern Railway which later became part of the SP&S, to reach Boise and south eastern Idaho.
On the north end out of Spokane, the SP&S worked it's way north to the Canadian boarder. An agreement was made with the Canadian government and the Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway to share tracks from Spokane to Cranbrook, BC so that both railroads had access across the boarder.
In 1915, the line was built south from
Mt. Home, ID
to
Winnemucca, Nevada. At Winnemucca, the SP&S obtained track agreements between Southern Pacific and Western Pacific that allowed trains to run to Reno. Reno then became the southern terminal for the SP&S Railroad.
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Here are some of the photos for the SP&S Railroad.
(in order, as you travel around the layout)
Click Map to see Layout.
