Tacoma Narrows Bridge Funsite
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Funsite Tacoma Trains & Trolleys

Trains & Trolleys

These photos are private property, and may not be copied nor duplicated in any form or part without expressed written permission.


Shop for Trains & Collectibles Here !


Tacoma got a big place in history when the Northern Pacific Railroad chose this city as it's western terminus. Since that time the railroads, and public transportation in the form of trolleys, have remained in the hearts of the people here. The photos below show just a portion of this great industry.


A beautiful photo of Tacoma Eastern Railroad's engine #3. This 4-6-0 locomotive is pulling a mail car along with 2 passenger cars up a modest grade.

Another neat view, this one of Tacoma Eastern Railroad's engine #6. The 2-8-0 loco rolls thru a mill, with wood stacked up all around.

Some of the crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway pause to get their picture taken.

Seen above is an original photo of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company's shay No. 5.

This is St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber's shay No. 8.

Another of St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.'s shay, this one is No. 12.

The above 4-4-0 locomotive is the Columbia & Puget Sound Railway's engine No. 2, sitting on the turntable.

Here is an early look at a Tacoma Railway & Motor Company car, equipped to run on either cable or electric lines. The photo is courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society.

A look at a circa 1900 trolley going past St. Peter's Church in Old Town Tacoma.

Tacoma's Point Defiance Park has been a destination of visitors for over 100 years, and it started with cars like this wood-fueled streetcar.

This is one of the cars at the Station in Point Defiance.

This photo is of the Point Defiance line's car number 117. Cow-catcher guards on the front were an important part of Tacoma's trolleys; not only in a park that had roaming animals, but they also saved some inattentive people from getting run over.

People on this Columbia & Puget Sound train shown above have stopped to get their picture taken. When travelling on a trolley or train, it was proper etiquette to wear your Sunday best clothing.

The trolleys were very popular with tourists that came here to visit, with regular runs downtown and travelling to local view areas. You would go on a tour, and during it get your photo taken alongside the trolley. The photos were made into postcards that were sent to relatives & friends, this being one of those postcards.


The trolleys were marked on the roof edge as "Seeing Tacoma". With many of the same cards in my collection, but each showing different passengers, I have noticed that the same buildings are in the background; so the conductors seemed to have a particular spot they usually stopped at for these photos to be taken. Most likely this spot was right in front of the Pacific Avenue photographer's shop.

Seen above is a early 1900's postcard of South 11th Street, with a trolley going around the corner.

Here is a great look at an early 1900's scene of the corner of North First and Division streets, with a couple of trolleys on their daily runs. The building in the center of the photo was a pharmacy store owned by James Nelson Wells. This photo was provided by his granddaughter, Lani Peterson and her husband Jim Peterson.

This is a nice view of Tacoma Railway & Motor company's car #53, just coming out of the shop and looking spiffed up.

Here is Tacoma Railway & Power Company's car #61, also just coming out of the shop.

Equipped with a large cow scoop on the front, which actually saved a few people from getting injured or run over, this is Tacoma Municiple Belt Line's car #1.

Above is an original photo of Puget Sound Electric Railway's car No. 14, which is on a run to South Tacoma.

Tacoma Railway & Power's car No. 65 looks fantastic as it comes out of the shop for maintenance.

Here is Tacoma Railway & Power car No. 66 at a station awaiting passengers to load up.

Another of Tacoma R & P's cars- this being No. 67 with the conductors posing for the photographer.

Pacific Traction Company's car No. 108 is shown above. The company later became Puget Sound Electric Railway Company.

This is a postcard of a car in the Bellingham Electric Company's Harris Trolley line.

Another city is shown above, this being the Seattle Municiple Railway's car No. 809 on a run.

A look at Seattle Municiple Railway's car No. 824, shortly before the end of the trolley era.

The photo above is of a Climax geared loco; Hutchinson Lumber Co.'s No. 10, which is sitting in the yards of the Mt. Rainier Railroad by Morton. They have a collection of old-timers that are slowly being re-built.

The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad leaves the station at Elbe, Washington; pulled by Hammond Lumber Co.'s #17 steam engine, an Alco 2-8-2. This is a great railroad company that keeps the spirit of train transportation alive with tours during the spring & summer months.

Here is a postcard that shows the Mt. Rainier train rounding a corner. The train is being pulled by West Fork Logging Co.'s #91; a Heisler geared loco that was renumbered in honor of another 3-truck Heisler.

Another neat postcard is shown above. It has a pair of Vista Dome Zephyr trains going between Chicago & St. Paul.

The above postcard shows a beautiful look at a diesel North Coast Limited on a Rocky Mountains run.

A similar diesel-electric is seen here, but this is Northern Pacific engine No. 7012A; an EMD F9 locomotive. It is on a siding at the Mt. Rainier Railroad yard by Morton, Washington.

When you think of people-moving, Amtrak naturally comes to mind. The above postcard is of their Coast Starlight train between Seattle and Los Angeles.

Amtrak continues to be the main people-mover. This photo shows the afternoon run travelling below the Tacoma Narrows bridges.

Photos sometimes don't give the viewer the idea of which direction of travel is shown. This is actually the end of the Amtrak, heading away from the camera.

A beautiful look at Union Pacific's engine No. 5209 in combo, on an afternoon freight run to Seattle.

Above is Burlington Northern/Santa Fe's engine No. 6890 pulling freight south towards Portland.

Again the view doesn't show the direction- this being the end back-up BNSF engine No. 7783 pushing a heavy load. Note the door open on the front of the cab. Did someone forget to close it?

A distant view of BNSF's engine No. 6890 heading towards the camera. The engineers are great people- always honking the horn at the photographer; saying "Hi". Oh, alright..... they are really making sure the photographer doesn't get run over & squashed. But it's nice to think they are saying "Hi".

Copyright 2010, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Funsite

Product & Site Search
ITEM 133: A genuine SMALL
Tacoma Narrows bridge rivet.
   (Note- the item you will           
 receive will be Similar to this
Example photo). Comes with  
  a COA.      Price: $14.95  each
ITEM 182: "I Cut The Ribbon"  
 strip. These were offered on  
    Opening Day of the New
Tacoma Narrows bridge, July
 15, 2007.               Price: $4.95
ITEM 216:  A genuine LARGE
Tacoma Narrows bridge rivet.
(Note the item you will receive
will be Similar to this Example
photo). Comes with a COA.
                  Price: $18.95  each
ITEM 269: "Building Bridges"   
 large size Poster. Features     
     all 3 Tacoma Narrows         
  bridges. A commemorative    
   item.                  Price: $29.95
           Buy Collectibles                 * Click on the item to see the details *
                       Tacoma Narrows Bridge Funsite
ITEM 308: "I Walked The           
Bridge" T-shirt. These were     
offered on Opening Day, July   
15, 2007 for the new Tacoma  
Narrows bridge.
                              Price: $9.95
ITEM 373: A genuine bolt used to build the bridge. This bolt was used during construction of the Narrows bridge. Comes with a COA.
                                  Price: $6.95
ITEM 429: A genuine 1950 Opening day souvenir Program. This is a rare item,and only one copy is currently available. Click on the photo to see the condition.           Price: $124.95
ITEM 460: A Tacoma History Museum Lobby Card for the 2007 exhibit of the Narrows bridges. This was a very popular exhibition, these cards are hard to find.
                                 Price: $14.95
ITEM 632: Galloping Gertie Blueprints on computer DVD. Your choice of 3 different DVD's of the best plans for the 1940 Narrrows bridge. One of our Best Selling items!
      Price: See Item Description
ITEM 674: Antique Tacoma Company stock certificate. Dated 1906, with a mining scene. Issued but never cancelled.
                                 Price: $175
ITEM 516: A Tacoma Road Use Enforcement patch. This features both the 1950 & the 2007 Narrows bridges. Only one available.      Price: $14.95
ITEM 571: An original 1940 Gertie bridge blueprint, from Clark Eldridge. showing the Toll Plaza and entrance streets on the Tacoma side. A very Rare offering.
                          Price: $499.95
ITEM 903: Set of Arizona Diamondbacks 1998 Inaugural season Baseballs. Mint in packages, 3 balls from their first games as a team.
                            Price: $39.95
ITEM 952: Hull pottery cornucopia vase, circa 1950's. Mint condition, and a beautiful item.
                             Price: $89.95
ITEM 840: A genuine Autographed book by the President's wife; First Lady Laura Bush, and his daughter, Jenna Bush. Includes a photo of signing event. Titled "Read All About It" is in excellent condition.               Price: $99.95
ITEM 728: A genuine Autograph of President Abraham Lincoln's 1st son; Robert T. Lincoln on his person check. Dated 1919, and very Rare. Includes a copy of the Abe Lincoln picture.
                              Price: $299.95
ITEM 873: Port of Tacoma 50 Years of Progress glass tray. Celebrating from 1918 to 1968, shows the Port.
                                 Price: $9.95
ITEM 781: A White House issued photo, "signed" by President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy. Includes original White House mailer, dated in 1963.
                             Price: $89.95
         To Make A Purchase :             
  (1)  Shop from the List of Collectibles below
    (2)  Make note of the Item Numbers you want
    (3)  Then Email Us with Your Selections
+ When we Receive your Order Request Email
        you will get an Item Availability & Invoice Email
+ Please Mail your payment (Money Order or                 
         Personal Check Only at this time) to Our Office
+ Orders are usually Shipped within 2 weeks of              
          Receipt.
ITEM 926: Antique Weller pottery pillow vase, Forest pattern. Very rare and highly sought after.
                             Price: $249.99
ITEM 866: An original Japanese Sumi-e by Fumiko Kimura. Titled "Waterfall", 13" by 19", frame size is18" by 25". Very Rare & beautiful.
                                 Price: $1,200
ITEM 241: Oversize Souvenir     
  Postcard with Opening Day     
   inkstamp, Shows the New      
   Tacoma Narrows bridge.
                              Price: $34.95
ITEM 650: Vaseline glass compote w/lid. Excellent condition. Four-part mold, beautiful item!
                             Price: $129.95
ITEM 451: A genuine 1940 Opening day souvenir Program. This is a rare item,and only one copy is currently available. Click on the photo to see the condition.            Price: $199.95
ITEM 534: A genuine piece of the 1950 Narrows bridge, with original Narrows green paint. (Note- the item you will receive will be Similar to this Example photo). Comes with a COA.                         Price: $9.95
ITEM 335: A genuine tool used to build the bridge. This is a barrel pin for aligning bridge sections. Comes with a COA.
                                Price: $9.95
ITEM 765: A genuine Autograph of President Ulysses S. Grant's 1st son; Frederick D, Grant. Signed in ink on card stock, circa the early 1900's. Includes a copy of the U.S. Grant picture.
                                  Price: $99.95
ITEM 158: A genuine autograph & photo of Elvis Presley's famous wife, Priscilla Presley. Matted photo of her in a bikini, with a signed card. Includes a COA.
                           Price: $99.95
Click on Each Photo to see
     a Larger Image & Info
Go To Page: [1]   [2]  [3]  [4]  [5] 
Click on Each Photo to see
   a Larger Image & Info
Go To Page: [1]   [2]  [3]  [4]  [5] 
+ When we Receive your Order Request Email    
   you will get an Item Availability & Invoice Email

+ Please Mail your payment (Money Order or
 Personal Check Only at this time) to Our Office

+ Orders are usually Shipped within 2 weeks of    
    Receipt
 Shipping Cost (Includes Insurance)

           Item(s) Total        Shipping
          $1 - $49.99            $8.95

        $50 and Over         FREE