Longview Camp Locations
Sorry for the delay Jeremy, had trouble getting on HEF again tonight. Here is a rundown on the Camps, as they were after 1960 anyway, from south to north:
Camp Kalama: Up Kalama River Road and off the end of the blacktop. You'll know when you get there, the asphalt pad (sort yard) is huge on your right hand side. I just looked on Google Earth and it is clearly visible. Kalama was a truck camp, while Weyco owned right-of-way for a railroad in there, it was never built. Off-road trucks hauled from around 12 yarder sides to the sort yard, then wood was sorted and went on to Longview on highway trucks.
Headquarters Camp: At the top of Headquarters Road, just 5 or so miles east of I-5. This was the Railroad Headquarters for many years (since 1928 actually) and all of the locomotive shops were here until the late 70's when things moved in to Longview. Wood was re-loaded here from off-road trucks to the rail cars. Also lots of offices, equipment shops, and other buildings.
12 Mile, or Road 12: Named for its location- 12 miles east of I-5. Right out South Toutle Road, rather than go left under the trestle, go right on the 4100 rd. This was a big camp, large sort yard, ran 40+ trucks from 15 or 16 yarder sides. Still very visible easily on Google Earth also, at the 4100/4200 junction there. Railroad ran right into the yard. Big shops, office buildings, etc.
19 Mile Camp: Just north of Kid Valley, 19 miles east of I-5 at the confluence of the Green River and North Fork Toutle. Big camp, sort yard, full shop facilities, etc. Railroad ran right through yard, camp (headed toward Baker). Logs came off the Green River/Winston drainages by truck into the yard, then to town on the rail.
Camp Baker. Grand-daddy of all the Longview camps. I was told at one point there were 20 company yarder/tower sides working out of the Baker operation- and I believe it. A huge fleet of Weyco off-road trucks. The railroad ended at Baker, and the sort yard area there was just plain huge. I'll post pics later. Camp/yard was built in the 50's but exploded in the 60's in sized. All the big name contractors had trucks/equipment and offices there -Roy Filla, Ben Thomas, Jensen&Grove, Gould's, etc. You get the idea. In 1980 it was outside the blast zone, but was completely wiped out by the flooding. From the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center parking lot you are looking down in the valley right into it. The dam above Kid Valley is flooding that whole plain and Baker will be under water completely soon- alot of it is now.
Hope that helps. It's getting late, I'll post a few more pics and hit the rack!