Scenic Subdivision

BNSF Railway Scenic Subdivision[1]

Legend to Columbia River Subdivision 1650.2 Wenatchee (Columbia Station)Amtrak Empire Builder 1652.9 Olds Jctto Cascade and Columbia River Railroad Monitor (spur) 1661.2 Cashmere Wenatchee River x2 Dryden (spur) Wenatchee River Peshastin 1672.2 Leavenworth (Icicle Station)Amtrak Empire Builder Chumstick Tunnel Wenatchee River Swede Tunnel Winton Tunnel 1686.9 Winton 1692.4 Merritt Gaynor Tunnel 1698.5 Berne(from here to Merritt is downgrade @ 2.2%)[2] Grade within tunnel: Eastward, uphill 1.70%[3] Cascade Tunnel -length: 7.8 miles (12.6 km)-[4] Grade within tunnel: Westward, downhill 1.66%[5] 1709.5 Scenic(from here to Skykomish is downgrade @ 2.2%)[6] 1720.5 ^^^Same location as Scenic[7] Foss River 1732.3 Skykomish Miller River South Fork Skykomish River Grotto 1739.5 Baring South Fork Skykomish River x2 Index -Note: Short Mile: Between Gold Bar and Baring, MP 1748 does not exist. Distance between MP 1747 and MP 1749 is 4397 feet.-[8] Skykomish River x2 1755.7 Gold Bar(small yard) Startup Sultan (spur) 1768.6 Monroe Snohomish River 1775.2 Snohomish Jct. Eastto Eastside Rail Freight 1776.2 Snohomish Jct. Westto Eastside Rail Freight 1781.2 Lowell 1782.7 PA Jct.to Bellingham Sub through Delta Yard and Delta Jct. 1782.9 Broadway 1783.9 Everett (Everett Station) Amtrak Empire Builder/Cascades, Sound Transit Sounder 1784.7 Everett Jct.to Bellingham Sub through Bayside Yard and Delta Jct. 32.1 ^^^Same location as Everett Jct[9] 31.4 Howarth Park 28.3 Mukilteo Sound Transit Sounder 27.8 MP 28 27.1 MP 27 17.8 MP 18 17.6 Edmonds Amtrak Empire Builder/Cascades, Sound Transit Sounder 15.9 MP 16 7.7 MP 8 7.4 MP 7 6.4 Ballard 6.2 Bridge 6.3crossing Lake Washington Ship Canal 4.9 Interbay (Balmer Yard) 3.3 Galer Street 1.4 North Portal Great Northern Tunnel 0.1 South Portal 0.0 Seattle (King St Station) Amtrak Empire Builder/Coast Starlight/Cascades, Sound Transit Sounder to Seattle Subdivision

The Scenic Subdivision or Scenic Sub is a railway line running about 155 miles (249 km) from Seattle, Washington to Wenatchee, Washington. It is operated by BNSF Railway as part of their Northern Transcon and contains the Cascade Tunnel as well as the final spike completion site, in 1893, at Scenic Hot Springs, for the whole Great Northern Railway transcontinental railway line built by James J. Hill.

Current operations are limited to 30 trains per day^[10] due to ventilation issues with the Cascade Tunnel.

Description

Traveling east from the King Street Station in Seattle, the main line of the BNSF heads north through the Great Northern Tunnel under downtown Seattle. After exiting the tunnel the main line continues north through the Interbay neighborhood and the Balmer classification yard (which also has regional locomotive maintenance facilities). The line then crosses the Lake Washington Ship Canal on the Salmon Bay Bridge and passes through the Ballard neighborhood. A notable fact is the lines passes right through the Golden Gardens Park in Ballard, which has been the site of many fatalities connected to pedestrians crossing the tracks^[11] and other numerous non-fatal incidents.

The main line then continues north along the shore of Puget Sound through the cities of Edmonds and Mukilteo, past Rucker Hill, near downtown Everett, to the old Everett Station, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1900. This section of the main line from Seattle to Everett is mostly double track with BNSF planning to double track the remaining single track, in conjunction with changes planned by Sound Transit.^[12] From the old Everett Station the main line becomes single track making a nearly 180 degree turn through a partially covered cut through downtown Everett to the new Everett Station.

From the new station, the main line heads southeast along the Snohomish River through the cities of Snohomish and Monroe. From Monroe the main line follows the Skykomish River through the towns of Index and Skykomish to the western portal of the newest Cascade Tunnel. East of Everett the route is single track except for passing sidings. To the east of Gold Bar, the route is mainly located on narrow ledges as it crosses back and forth across the Skykomish, South Fork of the Skykomish, and the Foss Rivers. A steep ascent/descent (2.2%) starts in the vicinity of eastern Skykomish and continues through the tunnel to Merritt. At Skykomish are facilities for turning equipment, mainly for snow fighting. Skykomish was also the end of electrification when the line was electrified from Wentachee to Skykomish in 1928-1929. A new electrical power plant was sited (also in 1928) there as well but is now demolished.

After summiting the Cascade Range near Berne the line starts a steep (2.2%) descent to Merritt. The Gaynor Tunnel is located between Berne and Merritt. Merritt is the site of a maintenance base with a turning facility for snow fighting equipment. To the east of Winton was the junction with the original right of way, and a line relocation project (circa 1928) which added three tunnels (Winton, Swede and Chumstick Tunnels), called the Chumstick Cutoff. U.S. Route 2 is now located, on the original right of way, between this point and Leavenworth. Currently the railroad, now utilizing the Chumstick Cutoff, goes down the Chumstick Valley, after going through the Winton and Swede Tunnels, crossing the Wentachee River and then passing through the Chumstick Tunnel.

Up until the building of the Chumstick Cutoff (and the newest Cascade Tunnel) and the electrification of a majority of the subdivision in 1927–1929, Leavenworth was the division point. This was moved to the current Wentachee in 1928–1929.

Starting in the vicinity of Leavenworth, the current line follows the Wenatchee River valley all the way to the city of Wenatchee and the Columbia River. This area has a historic past, and is known for fruit production, particularly apples, pears and cherries. The railroad follows the river and goes through countless fruit groves as it passes the communities of Peshastin, Dryden, Cashmere, and Monitor in quick succession, before arriving in the Wenatchee area. At Wenatchee, there is a small industrial base, served by the railroad, as well as a yard (Appleyard), used, mainly, during the fruit harvest season.

Gallery

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  King Street Station, Seattle

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  Salmon Bay Bridge, Seattle

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  Main line heading north out of Seattle along the shore of Puget Sound

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  Amtrak Cascades leaving Edmonds Station

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  Everett Station (old)

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  Covered cut under downtown Everett (eastern portal)

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  Everett Station (new)

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  The flatlands east of Everett

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  The city of Skykomish

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  The west portal of the Cascade Tunnel

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  The east portal of the Cascade Tunnel

References

External links

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