GN Great Northern tunnel portal photos?

Chaya Jul 19, 2010

  1. Chaya

    Chaya TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'm having trouble finding anything that isn't either Flathead, Old Cascade, New Cascade, or the one under Seattle. I know the GN went through many very old tunnels--I just can't find photos of their portals. Once I walked along the Cascade route just west of Leavenworth and found a beautiful tunnel portal, but for the life of me I can't remember what it looked like--and I live too far away now to drive there. ;)

    I'm just looking for plain, vanilla tunnels--not fancy ones.

    I've searched Google till my eyes are googling. Can anyone help with photos?
     
  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Their old Haskell Pass Tunnel is in my region. Unfortunately the east opening was deliberately collapsed long ago for safety reasons. And the west end has suffered several rock falls so that the portal itself is gone. It was merely a rock faced opening, with timber lining. Much of that timber lining is still intact.

    You might try looking in albums uploaded to RailImages by HemiAdda2d. I know he's shot some showsheds and tunnels across Marias Pass.

    Boxcab E50
     
  3. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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  4. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Alot of Warren Wing's books have pic's in Western Washington with tunnels, snowsheds, and such. Most of GN's portals when the Stevens Pass line was redone in 1929 were almost identical, except for the side abutments, or "wings", depending on the hill.
     
  5. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    ... and here I was about to post "Oh HEMI!!!!!!!"

    I knew our Tunnel Junkie would come through!!!!!!!

    :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:​
     
  6. Chaya

    Chaya TrainBoard Supporter

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    Perfect, Kurt, thanks. That makes it so much easier. I was befuddled: the line from the Cascade Tunnel to Leavenworth has 2 or 3 tunnels (4-6 portals!) and no one had apparently troubled to take a look at them.
     
  7. Chaya

    Chaya TrainBoard Supporter

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    Oh, by all means, toot away!! Great photos.

    That was just what I needed. But now I'm a little confused. Both Wayne tunnel and Tunnel No. 5 have abutments that seem to angle inward at the bottom toward the tunnel entrance. In other words, they are tilted outward? Can this possibly be? Or do I need new glasses?
    :tb-confused:
     
  8. SDP45

    SDP45 TrainBoard Member

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    There are a few pictures of tunnel portals in Washington State in this thread over at Railroadforums.

    Hot - Rail 2009 - RailroadForums.Com

    My mug shows up in one of the photos at the loop at Trinidad!
     
  9. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Related but not exactly GN are the tunnels along the Columbia River. I know it was technically an SP&S line but they may have been working out of the same playbook since they were all Hill lines.

    Good luck!
     
  10. Chaya

    Chaya TrainBoard Supporter

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    Those are a great help, Dan. There's a lot of information in those photos!
     
  11. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wayne tunnel's wings are nearly parallel to each other, but not toed-in.
    I don't recall tunnel portal wings ever pointed in like that.:mwacko:
     
  12. Chaya

    Chaya TrainBoard Supporter

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    Maybe the earth behind the wings is pushing them out of alignment over time.
     
  13. Geared Steam

    Geared Steam Permanently dispatched

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    Haskell Pass Tunnel

    http://www.goatlick.com/chasing/haskell/may02.htm

    http://www.goatlick.com/chasing/haskell/oct02.htm

    http://www.steamphotos.com/Railroad...05984_hFJN7/1/593171949_6jeY2#593171949_6jeY2
     
  14. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Note to anyone modeling the west portal of Haskell Pass in warmer weather scenes- Be certain to include swarms of mosquitoes in your detailing!

    I always enjoy seeing the view coming west off that Pass. The view of Dahl Lake is really nice. Also, the road once you hit valley bottom runs mostly atop what had once been the GN right of way.

    Boxcab E50
     

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