Everything about The Cascade Tunnel totally explained
The
Cascade Tunnel was a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) long single track
railroad tunnel at
Stevens Pass through the
Cascade Mountains approximately to the east of
Everett, Washington. It was built by the
Great Northern Railway in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on the original line that had eight
Zig Zags (
switchbacks).
History
The first tunnel (which was started on
August 20,
1897, and was completed on
December 20,
1900) had a problem with the smoke from the locomotives because it was built with a 1.7%
grade eastbound (1 in 58.8) and too close to the
ruling grade. The tunnel was
electrified, with the project completed on
July 10,
1909; this eliminated the fume problem.
Current Status
During the winter of 2007-08, a section of the original Cascade Tunnel roof caved in and created a debris dam inside the tunnel, which is now unpassable to pedestrians due to standing water and ceiling debris. A warning was issued to stay clear of the western side of the tunnel for a distance of one-half mile for the indeterminate future.
Engineer
John Frank Stevens was the principal engineer on the switchback route and the first Cascade Tunnel.
Stevens Pass, the location of the first Cascade Tunnel, was named after him.
Accidents
On
March 1,
1910, an
avalanche at Wellington (renamed 'Tye' after the disaster), the West portal of the original long Cascade Tunnel, killed 101 people, the deadliest avalanche disaster in U.S. history.
New Cascade Tunnel
The
New Cascade Tunnel is a 7.8-mile (12.5 km) long single-track
railroad tunnel at
Stevens Pass through the
Cascade Mountains approximately to the east of
Everett, Washington.
It is the longest railroad tunnel in the
United States and was constructed by the
Great Northern Railway, being put in service on
January 12,
1929. The new tunnel reduced the summit by (to an altitude of ) from the original tunnel, which had suffered problems with fumes, and was itself built to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on the original line that had eight Zig Zags.
It is currently part of the
BNSF Railway system on their mainline between
Seattle and
Spokane.
Amtrak's
Empire Builder runs through it. Speed through the tunnel is .
History
The New Cascade Tunnel was constructed between 1925 and 1929 to replace the shorter, higher-elevation tunnel which was still plagued by snowslides in the area. The new alignment is a straight-line tunnel running between
Berne and
Scenic. The gradient in this tunnel is 1.565% (1 in 64) with the rise from west to east. The grade is 2.2% on the west side from the town of Skykomish. The railroad line was electrified between
Skykomish and
Wenatchee. New electric locomotives were used in this portion which were again powered by overhead
catenary.
In 1956 the electrification was removed. However the great length of the tunnel plus its steep gradient meant that the fume problem resurfaced. So a ventilation system was provided. As a train enters the east portal of the tunnel, doors close behind it and huge fans blow in cool air through a second portal to help the diesel engines. As long as the train is within the tunnel, the fans work with reduced power to avoid pressure problems. After the train has left the tunnel they operate for 20-30 minutes with maximum power to clear the tunnel of exhaust before the next train passes through. In the opposite direction the door opens when the train is about away from it. Present-day train crews carry portable respirators for use in the event of a fan failure or a train stalling inside the tunnel. In addition there are emergency/safety stations spaced every 1500 and 2500 feet (460 and 760 m) apart, depending on the location within the tunnel, that provide additional air tanks and equipment to be used in the event of a ventilation/other failure.
Accidents
On
April 4,
1996, an eastbound freight train broke through the doors at the east portal after they didn't open properly. There were no injuries but the broken doors slowed operations for a couple days while replacement doors were brought up from the Seattle area.
In Fall 2001, a single car derailed in the tunnel and was dragged the rest of the way out. It ripped out wiring that was attached to the sides of the tunnel.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cascade Tunnel'.
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