Washington State and UP will upgrade Stampede Pass

[Train Guy]

This information came to my knowledge through company sources a few days ago that (supposedly) UP has given BNSF several million dollars to BNSF to raise clearances on Stampede pass and stampede tunnel for double stack container service. Also my sources said that Christine Gregoire will also provide 25 million through Washington state to help with the project. No time line for the project but I know that guys on UP are working really hard to get this going as soon as possible. UP has an enormous amount of pressure from BNSF and the state to take trains off of the north-south Seattle to Vancouver line to allow for more BNSF freights and added Amtrak/Commuter capacity. Right now what we are hearing, through the deal UP has hashed out trackage rights starting in Wallula, WA on UP's Ayer sub clear across the BNSF to Auburn into Seattle to connecting rails. The rough deal also is said to give UP the rights to run every third (3rd) train across the pass.

I'm not familiar with the stampede sub, so is the line mostly signaled with any CTC? What exactly did BNSF do to the line when it was re-opened years ago? This is great news for all of us hear in the northwest! This opened the debate once again that maybe UP would open up clearances through Eastport, ID at the border with the CP and run canadian double stack trains one day? That is pure speculation at this point but I know that it is at least being talked about within the company.

[BNSFEng]

Originally Posted by Train Guy

I'm not familiar with the stampede sub, so is the line mostly signaled with any CTC? What exactly did BNSF do to the line when it was re-opened years ago?

There are nine CTC islands for controlled sidings which they created from Kanasket on the Stampede Sub to Kiona on the Yakima Valley Sub. They replaced all of the rail and ties with CWR and concrete from Lester to Easton over the 2.2% grade, except wood ties in the tunnels, on the Stampede Sub.
Lots of other work concerning bridges, culverts, fiber optics and drainage were also done. They had to rebuild snow sheds on both sides of the Stampede Tunnel after some suspected radical union personnel torched the wood ones to prevent the nonunion Washington Central Railway from running trains to Auburn. The arsonists were never identified. The new snow sheds are concrete.

They need to put in CWR for at least the first three miles from MP 102.9 to MP 99.9 or so to eliminate a 1A speed problem with harmonic rocking. This would speed trains, with loads, up to 20 MPH for entering or leaving to the Seattle Sub at Rainer. Otherwise they have to run at 13 MPH or below until they can get above 21 MPH.

It used to be double track on both sides of the pass and the subgrade is still there to be rebuilt. That could really improve capacity. Triple tracking from CP Tukwila to Rainer would be required since you would be adding UP trains to the section of the Seattle Sub that commuters run on. Otherwise, a connecting track with the UP Main north of Auburn would be needed.

Overall, both subs need to be completely CTC to minimize radio commuications. The need to constantly send, roll up and clear track warrants on the radio really slows down progress. There goes the neighborhood if UP jumps onto this section of track.

[Damon Hill]

Wow, that's going to really be something to see Uncle Pete working the Stampede subdivision!

Yes, the first several miles of track in East Auburn aren't the best. A bridge is planned at M Street to eliminate that crossing and the whole thing ought to be double-tracked from the wye out to the Green River to help with approaching trains, maybe a controlled passing siding at Covington, too, instead of the current storage track. It'll be neat to see triple track at last--that could end up being the busiest line in the state when you factor in Sounder, UP and all the double-stack traffic. It'll be the worst nightmares of the Auburn city traffic planners, too.

The Stampede Sub's never going to be the same again. Dare we dream of restoring the MILW from Ellensburg and eastward as well? (fevered MILW fan dreaming of glory days lost, but perhaps regained

[ES44AC]

You know, if the U.P. did dish out some buku bucks for the stampede tunnel, maybe they should dish out more for the Lind-Ellensburg segment connection just a wishful thinking

[Damon Hill]

Originally Posted by BNSFEng

It used to be double track on both sides of the pass and the subgrade is still there to be rebuilt. That could really improve capacity. Triple tracking from CP Tukwila to Rainer would be required since you would be adding UP trains to the section of the Seattle Sub that commuters run on. Otherwise, a connecting track with the UP Main north of Auburn would be needed.

There was at least one such connection years ago, long before I moved to Auburn; the last traces of it were removed only a few years ago when all the Sounder-related signaling and track upgrades were done in Auburn. I'd assumed the original purpose was a MILW interchange with the NP's Auburn Yard.

[ES44AC]

I thought it was a Milw/ NP interchange connection.

[Damon Hill]

Originally Posted by ES44AC

I thought it was a Milw/ NP interchange connection.

I'm sure it originally was; I just now edited my original message while you were reading it. Makes me wish for maps and photos of the Way Things Were in Auburn; I see overgrown sidings and empty ROW here and there, and it's mostly all gone now.

(Even the White River once flowed through downtown Auburn, and frequently flooded it. But no more.)

[ES44AC]

Speaking of double tracking, IIRC, there are a couple of bridges in or near Lester that once had double tracks.

[BNSFEng]

Combine the Kent Industrial Lead and the Glacier Park Siding which already have entry #24 switches at James St. and Glacier Park plus you install switch lock boxes on all the switches and a few new ties and some more ballast then you could go 50 MPH on that line for 4.5 miles. They are presently building an overpass at 228th St in Kent and that gives you about 8200 feet of room south of the 212th St crossing to meet trains on the mainline without stopping traffic. Currently the siding from Glacier Park to Orillia is 25 MPH and from Orillia to James St. is 10 MPH.

There are still plans to put in a Center Siding track from about MP 18.5 to MP 24.5. That's why all of the signal bridges were designed to be extra long from there to MP 23, on the West side, so another track could be installed. The west Auburn commuter platform has an asphalted section, which could be removed, where the new Main 1 would go. Presently, there is no funding for this improvement. This would allow staging trains for the Stampede Sub North of Auburn and still allow trains to flow by on Mains 1 & 2.

[BNSFEng]

Originally Posted by ES44AC

You know, if the U.P. did dish out some buku bucks for the stampede tunnel, maybe they should dish out more for the Lind-Ellensburg segment connection just a wishful thinking

That really wouldn't make much sense because UP would not want to back track toward Hinkle from Lind via Pasco. That wouldn't be a faster route even if it could be upgraded to 70 MPH for freight in places. Although, it would remove most of our trains from the Ellensburg to Pasco section and give them more of a free hand there. That might be an incentive to help pay for that.