Ilwaco Railway & Navigation Co.: Some Research

I've been digging in and attempting to do some original research to learn more about the Ilwaco Railway & Navigation Co., my planned prototype for my home layout.  After studying many of the pictures in my latest book,  North Beach Peninsula's IR&N, there are just so many things I noticed in the pictures which give me the sense there is still a lot more to learn about this railroad.

For example, in one of the photos of the IR&N dock at Megler, WA, there can be seen in the corner of the picture two open-top hoppers with some type of coal loaded into them.  Behind those two cars is a 3rd car which I can't tell the type of, perhaps a pulpwood car or shop-built stock car.  The gauge looks the same as the gauge on the dock and I can't find any other record of there being another railroad at that time in Megler.  Why does this give me suspicion?  Because the equipment roster in the back of The Railroad that Ran by the Tide doesn't mention hoppers or coal.  What were those cars, where did they come from, and why were they there?

One resource I've turned to is Google Books.  Many books from the turn of last century are available online, in full, downloadable, for free.  The one I've been going through tonight is the Railroad Commission of Washington's First Annual Report (1907).

Here is a selection of facts I gleaned from this resource:

• In 1905 IR&N had 15.26 miles of track.  In 1906 that increased to 16.09.  0.83 miles were added to the mainline and 0.4 miles of yard or sidings were added.
• In the 1906 fiscal year, the IR&N earned $15,234.39 (56%) on passenger revenue, $755.02 (3%) on mail, and $11,227.45 (40%) on freight.
• Other bits of of interesting earnings:  $356.93 from Telegraph services, $242.00 from rent, and $92.44 from "Lunch Stands and Other Sources".
• In the same fiscal year $45.19 was spent on advertising.

I'm putting together some tables/graphs of the traffic that was on the railroad as well...