George Andrews Wrote:
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> 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 Easton is also gone; both have been replaced by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...


I have often heard the lines west is what killed the Milwaukee, the beginning of the end.

Not to sound ignorant but what makes thst route so special.