ex-BN Wrote:
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> Jim, I'd have to add a comment about the SP&S/GN
> verses the NP. The NP was built much earlier than
> the SP&S and was built by hand. (As you know.)
> The technology just 20+ years later allowed the
> SP&S (and the Milwaukee) to be built with much
> better grading. In Montana the NP compares poorly
> to the parallel Milwaukee between St. Regis and
> Missoula. But the NP was merely the Wallace
> branch upgraded to mainline after the cutoff was
> built between St. Regis and Paradise in 1908. The
> cutoff a superbly graded line, most of it 60mph.
> (Which I'm guessing you've tested on the 700.)
>
> Between Missoula and Garrison the NP was a winding
> line that followed the river on a low grade.
> After the floods of 1908 and concurrent with the
> grading of the new Milwaukee it became 70 miles of
> well graded double track. The BN had a 75 mph
> speed limit for passenger and today MRL allows
> freights 60 mph on most of it. The "slow" curves
> are mostly 55 or 50 mph with only one 45 limit for
> a mile in the middle (and a little 45 at
> Garrison). When the NP was built with picks and
> shovels and wheel barrows it was indeed a poorly
> graded line but any place they rebuilt in later
> years was top notch.
>
> The GN across northern MT is known for it's roller
> coaster profile and is a challenge to engineers.
> To smooth out the long rolling hills would have
> cost a fortune and trains that are powered up for
> Marias Pass have plenty of power to pull these
> hills so it's not an issue. Especially now that
> there are no cabooses.
>
> I don't know the politics involving the decisions
> to build the SP&S's amazing grade between Pasco
> and Spokane or which parent had sway over such
> decisions but the fact that the NP would pony up
> 50% of the cost of a direct competitor speaks
> volumes. Instead of insisting the GN build it's
> own line to Pasco (from Spokane) to connect with a
> joint NP/GN (SP&S) line to Portland the NP
> supported the eastern end of the SP&S. I can only
> surmise that this was NP's way of enjoying
> (through trackage rights) a line that was better
> graded and could provide a double mainline for NP.
> If you consider the double track and the two
> mainlines NP (along with SP&S) had two main tracks
> between the coast and Livingston with the
> exception of Spokane to Paradise and Bozeman
> Tunnel. Along with many other segments of true
> double track (Billings-Laurel, Seattle to
> Portland, Minnesota) it indicates a desire to
> upgrade the NP as much as possible. I'd say that
> the NP did it's best to overcome a railroad graded
> in the 1880's and worked hard to mitigate that
> over the years.
>
> When the BN was formed the NP was considered to be
> "over-engineered" and I see what they were saying.
> NP had poored a lot of money into track upgrades
> and in the end I don't think the traffic supported
> the infrastructure. Of course now they need it
> all and more but we're talking about NP and early
> BN.
>
> While I agree that the original NP was built on a
> rough grade I do think your comments needed more
> explanation.
>
> An interesting side note is that the Helena (MT)
> railroaders called the ex-GN line (Helena--Great
> Falls) the "turkey trail" and the ex-NP mainline
> though Helena was a well built and maintained
> track.
>
> By the way, I have long had a soft spot for the
> SP&S and have seen it from freights, passenger
> trains and my boots a number of times since
> shortly after the merger. I think the old 3rd sub
> should have been kept in service and either the
> "Panama track" revamped at Pasco or the proposed
> downriver SP&S bridge built to provide a better
> connection for through trains on the former SP&S.
> But they didn't ask me.

I had always thought the SP&S should have just "bought" the NP branch line from Kalotus to Connell, then ran over the NP from Connell to Pasco via "trackage rights". The line down @#$%& Canyon and along the Snake River is a fine grade but was rather expensive to build and maintain compared to the rest of the SP&S.