No. Not visible from I-90, although the next bridge west of there can be seen. If you don't have time for side trips, unless there's a BNSF train on the Stampede Pass line at the roughly time you come through, then stay on I-90. The BNSF tracks pass right under EE-384B. How far west did you explore, on your previous trip? What is your proposed routing to Tacoma? I-90, then cut off via Highway 18 to I-5? Boxcab E50
Well unless the rail traffic substantially increases this year, I doubt they will use Stampede as it has been mothballed again since November.
Wht have they mothballed the Stampede Route again? Last time I was in the USA I read a newspaper article about the ongoing re-opening works on the Stampede Route!
I heard it was lack of rail traffic. The last train over the pass was in November. At least this time when they mothballed it they still have the switch heaters on. So I doubt the RR sees this as a long term thing.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Stampede had seen some traffic, at least in January. Boxcab E50
I-90, 18, and I-5, yes. The last westbound trip in Jul 09 was GTF-Shelby-Whitefish-Missoula-Alberton-Butte and back. The 2008 trip in may was the one I chased all the way to ID/MT border. We didn't visit anything west of there, MILW-wise. I would love to see East Portal, Dominion Creek Trestle and Tunnel 19, but I don't think it's in the cards this time.
Well, you could make a fast zip off 18 down into Kent. See the depot. Otherwise, you miss Renton by a fair amount. Probably not this time of year... Let's see... Did you catch the Milw depot at Superior? The oil tower base is probably still at Haugan. Be sure to blast off the freeway at Wallace- To see the famous (relocated) NP depot. I believe the UP depot and freight house in Kellogg are gone. And that does it until Cd'A. Boxcab E50
I have seen all there's to view at haugan. Superior might be a worthy stop. Does the McCarter book give accurate direction to get to it?
Superior is not listed in the McCarter book. In fact, almost nobody even seems to know it's still alive... Even the RRSHS group didn't know about it, until last Fall when I asked why it was not listed. They were sure it had been demolished decades earlier, until I convinced them otherwise! Westbound I-90, exit turning right/north on River Street, cross the River to the stop sign. This was once the intersection with what was old US Highway 10, now it's Mullan Road. Turn left west. Go roughly 8/10ths of mile, (sorry. I have never paid attention to actual distance, I just drive to the site), on Mullan Road West. It's about fifty feet off the road on your right. (There's nothing on the left side, except the River.) When we checked it again last summer, there was a light colored metal roof, which contrasted against dark wood siding (peeled paint), and with vehicles parked around it, made photos a bit difficult. You can grab pictures and be back on the freeway in less than ten minutes. Boxcab E50
When I was living in Vancouver, Canada, at the end of 2007 I heard that BNSF was re-opening the Stampede Route because the Scenic Tunnel Route was almost at capacity... And now they're mothballing the Stampede Route again... Is it because of the global downturn?!
Yes. Economic slowdown. However, it's not mothballed, out of servce, or otherwise. They were simply not routing any traffic over it. It has seen some trains in the past few months. Stampede has limited use ability due to tunnel size. When the economy is good, Stevens Pass is usually close to, if not at capacity due to air clearance times required between trains. Thus traffic levels build up in The Gorge. Boxcab E50
Just received some info from a fellow TrainBoarder. It shows the BNSF is running one train each direction, almost daily, across Stampede so far this month. Thus any continued rumors of so-called "mothballing" are false. Boxcab E50
So far the list is: Superior Beverly Renslow Kittitas Ellensburg S Cle Elum Hyak (if possible) I suppose that will do it. I will need to make tracks, and keep moving, so stops will be quick.
Hyak is very possible. It's right next to I-90. An easy exit. Only caveat, as I had noted previously, is snow. Which at present sounds as though will be no trouble. Also, before you get to Hyak, look south across Lake Keechelus. You can see the rock face where their old snowsheds were at MP2112. Boxcab E50
Is Lake Keechelus a play on words, like Montana's Lake Koocanusa? For those not in the know, Koocanusa is a combination of the Kootenai river, Canada and USA. Kinda catchy. Are there any books that have good coverage of the remote portions of Snoqualmie Pass? Any of the coast div? There seems to be a lot of inaccessible territory there.
Are you going to Beverly for a photo session? If yes, would it be possible for you to take some pics of the old branch to Hanford site?
I was only planning a quick stop to photograph the Beverly Bridge. Unless more awaits in Beverly proper. I can take a pic of the branch as it leaves the mainline.
Best photos of the bridge are from the east bank. Photos of the branch junction are west bank. And today it is pretty well eradicated. Someone has planted a large grove of cottonwood trees. Boxcab E50
No. It's a native name. Mangled in many ways, by outsiders. Pronounced by locals ketch-EH-luss. It has a near twin, across I-90 a few short miles away, named Lake Kachess- kuh-CHEES. Also mangled quite often by non-residents. I lived about a half hour drive west of those lakes, much of my life. Actually there is not a lot which is truly remote about the Pass. Much has been accessible throughout my life. Either logging roads, or State Forest access roads. Much is just minutes off I-90 these days. I do not know of a railroad specific book about the Pass. Although one might be great! (Greg Lussier, are you reading?) There is a softcover book, right now I cannot think of name or author, which covers pioneering times and history. Written by a lady, I believe from Kittitas County(?) And published by? (CWU?) Allen Miller, help? There are other mentions, if you dig deep in the University of Washington libraries, Seattle Public Library, King County libraries etc, of the pioneering names associated from the Puget Sound area- Burke, Denny, and more. Boxcab E50
