In addition to fiber optic & copper phone lines, the former Milwaukee Road Snoqualmie Pass line has Puget Sound Energy power poles ON the Right of Way, especially in the area West of Garcia.
Also to be considered is the washout of a large lattice - work bridge tower and 2 spans of steel girders at Hull Creek, one of five large steel viaducts on the West side, all located on curves and under - maintained for the last 20 years of Lines West. The RR bridge over the NP at Lake Easton is also gone; both have been replaced by smaller trail - only spans. The line has been severed in Ellensburg, WA., by an expansion of Central Washington University, and the Right of Way over the Saddle Mountains from the Columbia River to Boylston is now " administered " by the U.S. Army as part of the Yakima Firing Range. BTW, Westbounds climbing out of The Columbia River would face many miles of 2.2% grade and 10 degree curves. Not much different than Stampede Pass really, except the East side of Stampede is more accessable, and has room to RE - LAY the NP double - track, as does the West side from Tunnel 4 down to Lester. Oh yea -- Stampede Pass is currently in operation and owned by BNSF.
For those that just can't let go of that bone, consider the Milwaukee Road right of way also traverses the City of Seattle watershed, West of Rattlesnake Lake State Park, and the City is VERY PROTECTIVE of this land. Suburban sprawl has come to East King County in the last 15 years or so; a new housing development of 400+ units in Black Diamond is currently being litigated. In fact, the former siding of Covington is now the City of Covington, and has become quite the suburb, with houses up against the ex - NP tracks. Recall also that City of Auburn had i$$ues ( i.e. - a lawsuit that the Feds threw out ) with the re - opening of Stampede Pass some 20 years ago.
The Milwaukee Road Lines West is gone, and it ain't coming back...