Slight error on your first photo caption. You stated that “Sound Transit is rebuilding the old Great Northern Railroad tracks..” This line is actually ex-Northern Pacific Prairie Line; the original main line into Tacoma circa 1873. Although the Great Northern uses this route as its mainline connection to Vancouver/Portland (circa 1910-1943), it was never their line.
Too bad that Amtrak will forfeit beautiful views from the Foss, through Ruston waterfront and down the Narrows. A stop in Lakewood, that’s progress! Didn’t anyone think of rerouting the freight trains that course through the north slope neighborhood at all hours of the day!
Unfortunately, the hills on the route through south Tacoma are too steep for freight trains to climb without adding additional locomotives, which costs the freight railroad money that they would not be willing to spend. Upgrading the water-level route for more and faster trains on its own has several major issues, the worst of which is the 1-track tunnel under point defiance itself, which is a choke point on the entire line. The speed gain isn’t the primary gain of the bypass, its the increased frequency of train-service on the route. It also has the benefit of bypassing a route that’s shut down essentially every year due to mudslides. I will certainly personally miss the ride along the water route though
Nick Kaminski
Slight error on your first photo caption. You stated that “Sound Transit is rebuilding the old Great Northern Railroad tracks..” This line is actually ex-Northern Pacific Prairie Line; the original main line into Tacoma circa 1873. Although the Great Northern uses this route as its mainline connection to Vancouver/Portland (circa 1910-1943), it was never their line.
Oct 30, 2009 @ 4:33 am
tacomadad
Too bad that Amtrak will forfeit beautiful views from the Foss, through Ruston waterfront and down the Narrows. A stop in Lakewood, that’s progress! Didn’t anyone think of rerouting the freight trains that course through the north slope neighborhood at all hours of the day!
Oct 30, 2009 @ 7:12 am
aj
Unfortunately, the hills on the route through south Tacoma are too steep for freight trains to climb without adding additional locomotives, which costs the freight railroad money that they would not be willing to spend. Upgrading the water-level route for more and faster trains on its own has several major issues, the worst of which is the 1-track tunnel under point defiance itself, which is a choke point on the entire line. The speed gain isn’t the primary gain of the bypass, its the increased frequency of train-service on the route. It also has the benefit of bypassing a route that’s shut down essentially every year due to mudslides. I will certainly personally miss the ride along the water route though
Oct 31, 2009 @ 3:32 pm