‘Steam Engine Stories’ with Jack Christensen coming to Issaquah History Museum

Published 12:40 pm Monday, July 7, 2014

The Issaquah Depot Museum’s summer history program, “Steam Engine Stories” with Jack Christensen, will be presented from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the Issaquah Depot Museum.

Christensen, a former steam and diesel train engineer, will share tales of working the rail line through Issaquah to Snoqualmie.

Now a railroad artist and watercolorist, Christensen started his railroad career in 1942 at age 16 as an engine wiper for the North Pacific Railway. He worked as a supply boy, crew caller, hostler helper, fire cleaner and occasionally a fireman on switch engines during his high school years.

After the war, Christensen attended Washington State university, transferring to the University of Washington, during the day, while returning to engine service at night, again for the North Pacific.

When he graduated he took a nine-month leave of absence from the railway to work for the United States Geological Survey in Washington D.C., before returning to the North Pacific as an engineer in 1955.

In 1965, he began serving as a road foreman of engines in Duluth and Northtown, Minn., and Livingston, Mont. During this time, he began painting illustrations for railroad stories written by North Pacific engineer Max King for the Tacoma News-Tribune.

In 1972 Christensen returned to engine service in the Pacific Division of the Burlington Norther. He finished his railway career on July 7, 1999.

The program is free and sponsored by 4Culture and the city of Issaquah sustaining funds.

More information is available at the Issaquah History Museums office, 425-392-3500 or info@issaquahhistory.org.