Boy have you hit a nerve. Working on this trai was a big part of my life for 10 years. I worked on weekends and did some 8+ years on a vacation work week. There were people from all over the country working on this trail and was done under several groups, the Mountaineers, Volunteers for Outdoor Washington, American Hiking Assoc. and several others. I have discovered although I have a photo disc I only have a couple of pictures on the computer. Time to get to work. One picture is of the old ski lodge that some 35 + people worked from (1 shower for each gender) and dormitory style rooms. The other is from our Friday celebration at the lodge in the local town of Skykomish (I and my late partner are turned to look at the photographer. PBS did a documentary of this moderated by Rick Steves. The caboose mentioned is at a trailhead with a large poster of one year's work party and we are on it. I helped to make this trail and it formed a big part of my life. Thank you for bringing it up. BTW, there was a scale model of the railroad path through Stevens pass in the Wenatchee museum.
[irongoattrail.org] A bit of trivia: on this site is a picture of 2 guys.The one standing is Dennis Evan, the lead engineer. He met his wife on the trail and they got married on it in the morning and worked the rest of the day. In the evening there was a reception at the Skykomish lodge and she said "and the bride wore dirt". Although Sandy lives in Marysville she is the lead for our monthly Patos Lighthouse work parties. She is still acrive with trail work.

Interesting. I have read about this. And a band I play in wrote and recorded a song about the Great Northern train disaster. It is the greatest number of deaths caused by a natural disaster in Washington. I would like to hike into that area.

I love hiking railroad lines. Preferably not in use RR lines.