Notes
The electrical station at Taunton (9 miles west of Othello) and was completed in 1919. This large brick structure contained transformers and generators to convert 115,000-volt AC power from Puget Power and Washington Water Power to 3,000 volt DC to power the trains (the connection of Puget Power and WWP at Taunton was the Northwest’s first cross Cascades electrical connection). As an empty shell, today the Taunton powerhouse is the last railroad building in the area. The Taunton siding, which held the eastbound trains giving passage to all uphill movement, is the last remaining original 1908 mainline rail. (from http://www.othello-wa.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&Itemid=126)
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad completed their mainline from Chicago to Seattle during 1909. From Harlowton, MT, to the west coast, the line was electrified, powered by 28 substations (although only 22 were built). Substation 21 was located in Taunton. The electric operations in Washington State ended during 1972, and the CMSP&P ended all operations in Washington during March 1980. This is one of 7 substations still standing. The other 6 are in Loweth, Gold Creek, Ravenna and Primrose (Montana), Cle Elum and Renton (Washington). (from http://wikimapia.org/3633739/CMSP-P-Taunton-Substation-21)
Links
Parcel information http://adamswa.taxsifter.com/taxsifter/t-assessor.asp?pid=2528080320698
http://www.othello-wa.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&Itemid=126
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/29552725
http://wikimapia.org/3633739/CMSP-P-Taunton-Substation-21
list of stations http://asciibaron.dyndns.org/MILW/?page_id=5
Adams county map search http://adamswa.mapsifter.com/default.aspx
Pictures
2004 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=23677
2009 http://www.flickr.com/photos/afiler/sets/72157616031636302/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56549799@N00/5305197041/in/photostream
1999 http://www.trainweb.org/milwaukee/structures.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32641269@N07/with/5958745145/#photo_5958745145
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nordique72/with/7458953870/#photo_7458953870