1.07 Western Washington Short Line

Western Washington Short Line

In 1932 OPLC management realized that the logging line could no longer support the increase in non-logging traffic. The OPLC split the railroad operation in two – wood operations remained with the OPLC and a new railroad – the Western Washington Short Line - was established as a common carrier service over the line from Headquarters to Montesano.

In 1934 the coal resources was developed by the O. King Coal Company. The newly formed WWSL extended the former logging main line from Headquarters north to Coal Grove. The company also built and maintained a power plant at that location for the sale of electrical power to the coalmine, the sawmill at Headquarters and then to the Montesano community.

In 1935 the WWSL was in a quandary – revenue loads were steadily growing but motive power availability was becoming an issue of concern to management. Having attended Pacific Logging Conferences over the years, S.B. Clinard had remembered a series of papers suggesting the use of electricity in logging operations. He sought out the author of those papers -  Mr. R. E. Gray, the electrical engineer of the Snoqualmie Lumber Co. - and visited a number of small electric logging operations in the Willamette valley of Oregon culminating with a visit to the Red River Lumber Company at Westwood California who had electrified its 17 mile main line in 1926. An electrification study revealed that the availability of cheap power made electrification of the main line fiscally and operationally feasible. The electrification of the Western Washington Short Line was steamrolled thru the railroad's board of directors and the project begun. The hunt for electrical locomotives for the railroad was easy, in the midst of a depression locomotives were available and for sale at bargain rates. Lumbermen idled by the depression became the construction crews installing the poles and catenary system.

In early 1938, the OPLC leased new timberlands north of Headquarters and built a reload facility near Coal Grove and moved its Camp 1 operations there. The WWSL granted the OPLC trackage rights between Camp 1 and the sawmill at Headquarters.

In 1945 the American Mill Company decided to take advantage of second growth forests in the Wickwood area and build a pulp and paper mill. It planned on using the Saginaw Timber Company main line to interchange at Raymond with the Northern Pacific, however a disastrous fire destroyed three critical bridges on the line before construction of the pulp and paper mill was completed. The STC did not have the financial reserves to rebuild the connection so the American Mill Company went to the WWSL for support. The WWSL agreed to purchase the STC and rehabilitate the former main line between Wickwood to Melbourne, Washington that had been abandoned and The American Mill Company turned over their soon to be completed power plant on the North River to the WWSL as compensation.

The WWSL determined that electrifying the main line between Montesano and Wickwood was cost prohibitie, so they decided to use diesel-electric locomotives, with steam held in reserve. The line has  the lines only three active customers, the paper mill, a tie treatment plant and Cascade Pole Company.
World War II saw management’s forward thinking come to fruition. The traffic in coal, lumber and minerals grew beyond expectations. 

Additional locomotives and more modern rolling stock was obtained. New rail was installed to handle the increased traffic on the main line and a new yard at South Montesano was built. Post war demand for natural resources continued to support the WWSL financial sheet.