When I was eight years old, steam was finished on the NP. Still, I have a few memories of the engines, thanks to my father, F. B. Thompson, who took me to work with him many times, took hundreds of photos, and stopped to train watch on many Sunday drives. They weren't really Sunday drives, on the extra board, you went on drives when you could! Over the years, I rode with him as often as possible, and became a decent photographer myself, although most of my photos are in the NP to BN transition era.

Over the years, several other railroaders have left me their collections of negatives and prints, and so now I have a large collection I'd like to share, along with some memories.

Nearly all the thumbnails have links to larger photos, just click on the picture!

One of my early memories, it must have been in 1956, was seeing the Timken, NP class A-1, #2626 at the Tacoma Union Station. Dad usually had the rolleiflex with him, and after showing me the engine, got this shot. This is the mid day train from Portland to Seattle.

Another shot of the Timken, this time near St. Clair, WA. Taken about 1948, just after conversion to oil. All the smoke was not for dad and his photo this time, and the fireman was not happy. It took some time and experimenting before the drafting was right, until then, poor combustion and happy photographers!

The smoke is intentional here, thanks to a friend of Dad's firing! This is class A #2608 in the early 50's in Tacoma.

Here you can see the enormous firebox on NP A #2601. This shot was taken by T. C. Miller, an NP engineer, in the early 50's in Portland Oregon.

One of these trains is late, so the unusual meet of NP's train #408 to Portland and UP's train #457 to Seattle at the Tacoma Union Station.

Starting up the hill on the "Prairie Line", NP Q-4 #2187 crosses Pacific Avenue in Tacoma in the early 50's, bound for Hoquiam and Aberdeen Washington.

Photo by T. C. Miller, coming into the Aberdeen Washington yard in the late 40's. Taken with an Exakta.

North Coast Limited in the Western Cascades, 1967, AVI file 1.6 Meg. Shot by F. B. "Tommy" Thompson. This was taken shortly ofter I was lucky enough to ride, round trip, from Auburn to St. Paul!

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