King Street coach yard bypass report
Author: Dick Seelye
Date: 07-07-2007 - 13:20
The parking garage for the exhibition hall and the athletic fields offers usable views, better in the afternoons. Open to pedestrians from Royal Brougham Way. Suggest parking South of Royal Brougham, just East of the new bypass - not on event days.
Construction of the north connection proceeds. May also be seen from the Fourth Avenue South ramp, towards downtown.
Movements of the Empire Builders, Coast Starlights, and ST commuters in and out of the yard may be viewed. (During my recent visit, the PV Montana and a Cascades unit graced the Southbound Coast Starlight consist) The switchman's shanty just South of RBW is a must-see, must-photograph before some vice-president finds out about it. From the beginning of time until the invention of radios and CTC, the Northern Pacific had a very proper switchman's shanty with telephone at the crossover still just to the North.
When the bypass starts service, look for quadruple pedestrian gates. Anything less will keep the local press busy.
I didn't visit the South end of the bypass.