Cascade Tunnel Photos

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hankster211

hankster211

Train Attendant
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
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51
Location
Knoxville, TN
Drove from Leavenworth WA to Seattle today on US 2 and left the main road a few miles west of Stephen's Pass. I've been through the Cascade tunnel on the Empire Builder, but wanted to see if I could find one of the entrances for a photo opp. I was lucky as a BNSF freight came along while I was there.

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So are the 2 notches near the top of the arch, something that was done intentionally when taller freight and superliners began using the route, or just random chunks that fell out in the last 89 years? It looks rather short in the picture, how much clearance would a tunnel like this have? Just curious.
 
Maybe it's in fine shape but it looks decrepit from outside?

Somehow I expected it to look more majestic than tunnels into NYC! lol.

Are 100 car trains allowed?
 
Good Deal!

Now, if you would go get some pictures of the OLD Cascade Tunnel, that would be exceptional. TIA. ;)
 
Fred Wis. said:
So are the 2 notches near the top of the arch, something that was done intentionally when taller freight and superliners began using the route, or just random chunks that fell out in the last 89 years? It looks rather short in the picture, how much clearance would a tunnel like this have? Just curious.
Click to expand...
Yes the tunnel is notched to allow for double stack container trains to operate it. And to answer another question, 100+ car trains routinely use the tunnel. There is a blower on the railroad east end of the 7+ mile long tunnel to keep the locomotives from stalling and the engine crews from choking to death while in the tunnel. Not many people know that there is a similar tunnel in northern Montana, called flathead tunnel. It is also 7+ miles long, and it also has blowers and doors on one end of the tunnel.
 
Last time I rode the Builder the fans went out in the tunnel and we had to sit for 7 Hours on the western end waiting on an electrician to come from Seattle and fix it!

Got to see the Route to Glacier in Daylight, got extra meals and even made up enough time before Chicago to catch the CONO heading to NOL!!!
 
Bob Dylan said:
Last time I rode the Builder the fans went out in the tunnel and we had to sit for 7 Hours on the western end waiting on an electrician to come from Seattle and fix it!

Got to see the Route to Glacier in Daylight, got extra meals and even made up enough time before Chicago to catch the CONO heading to NOL!!!
Click to expand...
Were you sitting outside of the tunnel or just inside of it?

I can barely handle a few minutes in those tunnels. Seven hours would have me curled up in a ball while drinking a clonazepam smoothie.

(And no, I did not enjoy the Moffat Tunnel, thankyouverymuch.)
 
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We were stopped outside by the West entrance Sarah.

They even let us get off the train on the ballast for a "smoke bresk" and some climbed up to Highway 2 to use their Cell Phones since we had no service down by the tunnel!
 
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Oh, that would be kind of fun. I like reading in the woods. :)
 
CCC1007 said:
Fred Wis. said:
So are the 2 notches near the top of the arch, something that was done intentionally when taller freight and superliners began using the route, or just random chunks that fell out in the last 89 years? It looks rather short in the picture, how much clearance would a tunnel like this have? Just curious.
Click to expand...
Yes the tunnel is notched to allow for double stack container trains to operate it. And to answer another question, 100+ car trains routinely use the tunnel. There is a blower on the railroad east end of the 7+ mile long tunnel to keep the locomotives from stalling and the engine crews from choking to death while in the tunnel. Not many people know that there is a similar tunnel in northern Montana, called flathead tunnel. It is also 7+ miles long, and it also has blowers and doors on one end of the tunnel.
Click to expand...
Am I the only one to question the wisdom of milling down the concrete lining of a tunnel.

Or where mitigatory measures taken to strengthen the lining?
 
cirdan said:
CCC1007 said:
Fred Wis. said:
So are the 2 notches near the top of the arch, something that was done intentionally when taller freight and superliners began using the route, or just random chunks that fell out in the last 89 years? It looks rather short in the picture, how much clearance would a tunnel like this have? Just curious.
Click to expand...
Yes the tunnel is notched to allow for double stack container trains to operate it. And to answer another question, 100+ car trains routinely use the tunnel. There is a blower on the railroad east end of the 7+ mile long tunnel to keep the locomotives from stalling and the engine crews from choking to death while in the tunnel. Not many people know that there is a similar tunnel in northern Montana, called flathead tunnel. It is also 7+ miles long, and it also has blowers and doors on one end of the tunnel.
Click to expand...
Am I the only one to question the wisdom of milling down the concrete lining of a tunnel.

Or where mitigatory measures taken to strengthen the lining?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure, I don't even know when they did that, but it must have paid off, as they have done the same process in many other tunnels around the country.
 
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