The History of Train Travel through Stevens Pass

The History of Train Travel through Stevens Pass

On September 18, 1889, the name of the old Minneapolis & St. Cloud Railroad Company was changed to the Great Northern Railway Company. 

The mission of connecting Minneapolis/St. Paul with Seattle via the Rocky Mountains and Stevens Pass became a reality - in the summer of 1893. 

The steep route through the Stevens Pass area included lots of switchbacks.  The switchbacks required trains to travel 13 miles of track - just to move 3 miles.

Engineers came up with a solution for a more efficient route:

'In 1897 construction of the Cascade Tunnel began. Its goal was to eliminate the complicated and time-consuming switchback system. The original tunnel was 2.6 miles long, and entirely lined with concrete. There were also seventeen “snow sheds” constructed over the rail line as it climbed toward the tunnel. The snow sheds were designed to deflect avalanches over the rails. You can still see remnants of many of these sheds when you drive over Stevens Pass in the summer. You can also hike the Iron Goat Trail and traverse part of the old railbed, including switchbacks.' -Cascadeloop.com

From 1900 to 1909, steam engine trains billowed thick smoke in the tunnel.

The eastbound trains had a steeper grade to climb and poured out more toxic smoke - that caused passengers and crew to fall ill. This problem was remedied in 1909 by the addition of an electric locomotive, that pulled the train cars through the Cascade Tunnel.

Tragedy struck the old Cascade Tunnel route in late February 1910.

Two Great Northern trains bound for Seattle made it through the old Cascade Tunnel but a severe winter storm forced the trains to stop near Wellington (renamed Tye, Washington.)

'After days of waiting, with supplies running low and telegraph lines having failed, some passengers chose to hike out and reached safety. On March 1 those who stayed in the trains were hit by a massive avalanche triggered by a thunderstorm, which pushed the trains off the tracks and into the river gorge below. Rescuers were able to immediately dig 23 survivors out of the snow and rubble, but 96 passengers and crew members died in the disaster. It was hoped that a longer tunnel at a lower elevation would reduce the dangers of winter travel.' -Encyclopædia Britannica

 

Construction on the new tunnel began in 1925.

Four years later, in 1929 - the new 7.8-mile Cascade Tunnel went into service and has allowed both freight and passenger railcars to travel underneath Stevens Pass for nearly 100 years running.

INFO: CascadeLoop.com, Encyclopædia Britannica