Welcome to Whatcom County
Situated in the far northwest corner of Washington state lies Whatcom County. Initially a part of Island County, Whatcom was established by the Washington territorial government on March 9, 1854. Whatcom County borders Canada to the north, the coastline to the west, and the North Cascades mountain range to the east and south. Whatcom counties diverse and dramatic landscapes includes farmlands, views of the majestic and still active volcano, Mount Baker, and breathtaking coastal views of the San Juan Islands and Canada.
History
Isolated by water and mountain ranges, the growth and expansion of the area was only made possible by rail service. Prior to this time, steamboats were the only means of getting goods and people in and out of this region. From the rise of the first railroad in 1888, the Fairhaven and Southern Railway, to the interurban electric railway known as, “The trolley that went to sea,” the railway history of Whatcom County reveals the many economic and building challenges faced by early railroads in Washington state.
1909 Physical Map of Whatcom County – Image from: http://wagenweb.org/whatcom/maps.htm
Geography
Whatcom County has seven incorporated cities and towns, all with access to rail service: Blaine, Ferndale, Bellingham, Sumas, Lynden, Everson, and Nooksack, plus several unincorporated communities (some with rail service). The largest city in Whatcom County is the city of Bellingham. The mainline which runs north-south along the coast from Everett to the Canadian border is owned and operated by BNSF Railway Company and is known as the Bellingham subdivision. A second subdivision, also owned and operated by BNSF, runs a little further inland just west of Mount Baker from Sumas at the border to the Burlington yard where it meets the Bellingham subdivision. There are three types of trains that run along the Bellingham subdivision that one can see most days: oil, coal, and local and long-distance manifest trains. The mainline is also used by Amtrak for their Amtrak Cascades passenger service to Vancouver, B.C., although it has been suspended since the border closing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Photographing Whatcom
Whatcom County is one of my favorite places to photograph trains. Long stretches of isolated road next to the rail line offer many photographic opportunities. In downtown Bellingham, the rail line runs past several historic buildings that offer an impressive backdrop to any shot. If you’re up for a hike, you can get some stunning coastal shots and a tunnel or two along Chuckanut Mountain. There are a number of track structures including two original depots (Blaine and Bellingham) and several bridges, most notably the Dakota Creek bridge in Custer and the Nooksack River bridge in Ferndale. Wherever you photograph in Whatcom County you can count on getting some spectacular shots of this beautiful place.
Next.....
I will explore the history of some of the locations and structures along the railway, many still visible today, and the history and development of railways in this once geographically isolated region of the Pacific Northwest.
