USA Freight - photos & discussion

[CN2972South]

Union Pacific on the Canadian Pacific at Cranbrook, BC.

[CN2972South]

Just got back from a weekend in New York state.

CP/D&H train crossing the Mohawk River.


CSX Beltpack Hump yard power at Selkirk, NY.
i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/enr3870/DSCN0122.jpg

Maine Central 508, an ex-CN GP40-2L at Rotterdam, NY on the ex-Boston and Maine.


This old building in Schenectady, NY is part of the old American Locomotive Co. factory. ALCO closed its doors in the 60's but the buildings remain.


I go all the way to New York to get some pictures of some American trains, and look what shows up.
i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/enr3870/DSCN0115.jpg

[WettCoast]

Sept 18, 2009 10:22:22 GMT -8 FNS said:

This parallels the Stevens Pass Highway, US2. The track runs under the Stevens Pass ski area in a 7.79 mile long tunnel, the second Cascade Tunnel. East of the Tunnel, the line runs east of the highway along the Chumstick line before rejoining the close proximity of the highway by Leavenworth.

Prior to this new daily service, Alki Tours has been running a "Snow Train" using Amtrak's single level equipment (Horizon and Amfleet) usually with a former GN Great Dome (the full length one that was open only to sleeping car passengers in the 1950s consist). This leaves Seattle in the morning on December weekends with a stop at Edmonds and Everett. After spending part of the afternoon in Wenatchee, this train returns to Leavenworth to pick up happy folks for the trip back. Prior to the construction of Icicle Station, this was a flat area where school buses would meet the Snow Train to take the people to the city.

FNS (or anyone else who is in the know on the south side of the 49th):

This route via Stevens Pass is JJ Hills' Great Northern route, correct?

It is my understanding that the Seattle - Tacoma area was once served by 3 east-west trans-continental rail lines. This Stevens Pass route and two further south in or close to the route used today by Interstate Hwy 90.

One route was (is) the former Northern Pacific (which became part of Burlington Northern after the 1970 merger) which went under the summit via the Stampede Tunnel. This route still exists I gather, but sees little if any use, and no passenger trains. I read somewhere that BNSF needed to enlarge this tunnel to allow double stacked container trains through it. I have been unable to find out if this has been done. Do you have some current information on this?

The third line was known as the Milwaukee Road, which I gather went bankrupt around about 1980. Their tracks went under Snoqualmie Pass. I gather the tracks have gone and the right-of-way is now a park known as the Iron Horse Trail. Again, can you confirm this, or correct my information?

Thanks.

[FNS]

Sept 23, 2009 20:06:30 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

Sept 18, 2009 10:22:22 GMT -8 FNS said:

This parallels the Stevens Pass Highway, US2. The track runs under the Stevens Pass ski area in a 7.79 mile long tunnel, the second Cascade Tunnel. East of the Tunnel, the line runs east of the highway along the Chumstick line before rejoining the close proximity of the highway by Leavenworth.

Prior to this new daily service, Alki Tours has been running a "Snow Train" using Amtrak's single level equipment (Horizon and Amfleet) usually with a former GN Great Dome (the full length one that was open only to sleeping car passengers in the 1950s consist). This leaves Seattle in the morning on December weekends with a stop at Edmonds and Everett. After spending part of the afternoon in Wenatchee, this train returns to Leavenworth to pick up happy folks for the trip back. Prior to the construction of Icicle Station, this was a flat area where school buses would meet the Snow Train to take the people to the city.

FNS (or anyone else who is in the know on the south side of the 49th):

This route via Stevens Pass is JJ Hills' Great Northern route, correct?

It is my understanding that the Seattle - Tacoma area was once served by 3 east-west trans-continental rail lines. This Stevens Pass route and two further south in or close to the route used today by Interstate Hwy 90.

One route was (is) the former Northern Pacific (which became part of Burlington Northern after the 1970 merger) which went under the summit via the Stampede Tunnel. This route still exists I gather, but sees little if any use, and no passenger trains. I read somewhere that BNSF needed to enlarge this tunnel to allow double stacked container trains through it. I have been unable to find out if this has been done. Do you have some current information on this?

The third line was known as the Milwaukee Road, which I gather went bankrupt around about 1980. Their tracks went under Snoqualmie Pass. I gather the tracks have gone and the right-of-way is now a park known as the Iron Horse Trail. Again, can you confirm this, or correct my information?

Thanks.

The line over Stevens Pass is, yes, indeed, Mr. Hill's line. There were several variations before the 1929 Second Cascade Tunnel was built. The First Cascade Tunnel was shorter than the current 7.79 mile one. But, that line was declared inefficient with some problems. Parts of the old line across Stevens is now the Iron Goat Trail. The current line is more straighter and more efficient than all the previous lines across Stevens.

www.irongoat.org/

Prior to the mid 1950s, the line between Skykomish and Wenatchee was electric as piston fumes through the big tunnel would be suffocating. Pistons would uncouple at each end and the electrics would pull the trains across Stevens. Pistons would occasionally cross, but with their engines shut down and the drives set at neutral. Alas, a big blower was installed at the east end would assist in ventilating the tunnel so that pistons would pull trains across Stevens directly. After an eastbound train clears the tunnel, there would be an air flush cycle of some 25 minutes before another train would enter. There is a big door at the east end that closes when the cycle is going.

Meanwhile, I'm reserved aboard the Amtrak Empire Builder for the east and west inaugural trips having stops at Leavenworth. There is entertainment planned at King Street Station this Friday before the first official trip having a stop at Leavenworth. I won't be staying at Leavenworth, though, as I will be continuing on to Spokane where I'll be getting aboard the westbound train after about an hour or two there.

It'll be a long Friday night for me this weekend. I've done this before and it's fun to take a train ride across our state. This'll be my fifteenth and sixteenth times through the Cascade Tunnel.

I'll give you my observation after the trip.

[Freeland]

I just got back from trip to Billings Montana, and then south to Grand Tetons.
While in Deer Lodge Montana I decided to take in the Car Museum and the tour of the State Pen. The Tour guide a lady once work their at prison and had some interesting stories to tell.

In the Parking lot there was a GE Electric Locomotive that were built after WWII. GE built
18 of them for the Soviet Union. When the Cold War started GE was stuck with 18 of these
engines. Milwaukee Road bought them up for a bargin price. The only trouble were the wheels were built for Soviet Union Gauge that was 5 feet wide. GE had to change out the wheels before Milwaukee recieved them. Here is web page that has the pictures. The engines were called Little Joe after Joe Stalin.....Emory in Freeland.
www.powellcountymontana.com/little_joe.html

[Mill Bay]

Sept 30, 2009 14:18:10 GMT -8 Freeland said:

I just got back from trip to Billings Montana, and then south to Grand Tetons.
While in Deer Lodge Montana I decided to take in the Car Museum and the tour of the State Pen. The Tour guide a lady once work their at prison and had some interesting stories to tell.

In the Parking lot there was a GE Electric Locomotive that were built after WWII. GE built
18 of them for the Soviet Union. When the Cold War started GE was stuck with 18 of these
engines. Milwaukee Road bought them up for a bargin price. The only trouble were the wheels were built for Soviet Union Gauge that was 5 feet wide. GE had to change out the wheels before Milwaukee recieved them. Here is web page that has the pictures. The engines were called Little Joe after Joe Stalin.....Emory in Freeland.
www.powellcountymontana.com/little_joe.html

OF course, the famous GE Electrics! That was one of the things that drew hoards of railfans to the old Milwaukee road, was it's long distance mainline electrification and the rare and distinctive locomotives that ran under the wires.

Some of you might be interested to know that if history had turned out differently, the Milwaukee road would be a major real estate owner on the south shore of False Creek. The Milwaukee wanted to build an extension up from Bellingham, sharing the GN-now-BNSF trackage that goes through the Grandview cut and built a massive freight yard and roundhouse roughly in the area of what is now Vanier and Kits beach. Financial troubles prevented this plan from ever unfolding however.

But, on the suject of roundhouses I just found something interesting today: An old aerial photo of the CPR roundhouse on False Creek in 1982, with a new BC Place under construction behind it. Twenty-some years later, you would hardly recognize the same location.

www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/Vancouver/Downtown/1982/009/2
www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/Vancouver/Downtown/1982/010/2

[Low Light Mike]

A new thread for freight trains in the USA