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5 unusual facts about Stampede Pass


Edwin Harrison McHenry

In the 1880s McHenry was the principal assistant engineer on Stampede Pass during the construction of Stampede Tunnel, linking western Washington and especially the Puget Sound ports of Seattle and Tacoma to the East by rail.

In the 1880s on the Northern Pacific, McHenry was the principal assistant engineer on Stampede Pass during the construction of Stampede Tunnel, linking western Washington and especially the Puget Sound ports of Seattle and Tacoma to the East by rail.

Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation

In the summer of 2011, the SP 4449 hauled two excursions: one to Tacoma and Stampede Pass for the NRHS annual convention, and another up the Columbia River Gorge to Wishram to celebrate its 70th anniversary and help to raise funds for an upcoming 15-year boiler certification.

Stampede Pass

After a period of dormancy in the late 20th century, the Stampede Pass Line and Tunnel were revived in 1997 by BNSF Railway, which utilizes the route as one of two direct Northern Transcon main lines through the Cascades between Spokane and Seattle.

As of 2007, BNSF and government agencies in Washington state are committed to enlarging Stampede Tunnel to accommodate larger intermodal freight cars.


Northern Pacific Railway locomotives

As a rule they did not work west of Easton, Washington, due to the confines of Stampede Tunnel under the summit of Stampede Pass.


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