USBR construction RR was key to building dam

The first train to Grand Coulee was a momentous occasion, as it marked the beginning of serious construction on the dam. The 30 mile line was to be built by the mighty Northern Pacific Railway, which had a branch that ended in Coulee City. They wanted exclusive rights to haul all construction supplies to the dam by rail, at which the U.S. government balked. A private contractor built the line inst...