One of the worst railroad wrecks in the past 50 years took place on the Oregon Trunk Railroad a few miles north of the tunnel on the lower Deschutes River as shown in this Sept. 22, 1949, aerial photo with Larry Moore as the pilot.
This was the first train into Wasco in Sherman County. Hauled by a 4-4-0 type steam engine, it arrived on Oct. 4, 1897, according to Giles L. French, longtime publisher of weekly newspapers serving the county, and the author of several books including one entitled ""Rails to the Mid-Columbia Wheatlands"". This picture was provided by Gordon Hilderbrand of Wasco. Built in part by ranchers, line was taken over by UP.
Box Car Rapids area of the Deschutes River just south of Maupin is shown in this view recorded Feb. 1, 1954. Several days after the southbound train piled up, wrecking crews were still looking for the lead unit of the Diesel Locomotive out of sight in the river.