Electrified trains in Cascade Tunnel 1929-1956 with Truhers nearby.
• Electrified trains in Cascade Tunnel 1929-1956 with Truhers nearby.
This page is taken from Jack's email sent on 2007m1031.
Jim and Jack know of history at Scenic and Berne, Washington State. I ran across some web resources on the Cascade Tunnel between two small towns, Scenic on the West, and Berne on the East. There our Dad was a highway superintendent and paymaster for a small construction company at intervals in years 1938-1942. The indented text segments are extracted quotes:
History
The first tunnel had a fume problem because it was built too steep and too close to the ruling grade. The tunnel was electrified by 1909, which eliminated the fume problem.
The second 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.
• Perhaps dad was doing some maintenance on the tunnel itself? I don't think so. I recall a story by mom about dad blowing tree stumps across the highway with dynamite. I learn here that there were two tunnels, one built in 1909 and a shorter one in 1929. The pictures attached are of the 1929 work.
529.jpg is a picture typical of the work crews of the 1929 construction era. This was the world that dad was part of, though not exactly this tunnel construction year.
trainElectric-WestBound.jpg is a picture of the electrified train. I don't recall any talk about electrified trains, but this one appears to be at the Scenic portal entrance where Jim and I were very young for a couple summers. Mother was eager to get back toward Seattle, pregnant with me, when the snow was due.
Just outside the western portal of the Cascade Tunnel the Z-1 Electric crosses the steel bridge over Surprize Creek. It has 3 powerful units pulling freight West bound on this wintry day. Built by Baldwin/ Westinghouse early in 1928, it ran until it’s retirement in 1956. The Cascade Tunnel is one of America greatest early engineering feats being almost 8 miles long and absolutely straight end to end with less than 2% grade descending East to West. The tunnel relieved the Great Northern from its history of snow hazards in that area, decreased the distance traveled and transformed the route to a uniform, efficient and pleasant trip. Jordan Art Works 2238 Mountain Brook Lane Ooltewah, TN 37363 Artist, Jim Jordan Website: http://www.jordanart.com Email: jim@jordanart.com
from those resources, there's a fine slideshow that includes this Great Northern route through the Cascades, some electrified. If you interrupt that slide show, you get text for the trainElectric that reads:
West Bound Electrics Just outside the western portal of the Cascade Tunnel the Z-1 Electric crosses the steel bridge over Surprize Creek.
It has 3 powerful units pulling freight West bound on this wintry day. Built by Baldwin/Westinghouse early in 1928, it ran until it's retirement in 1956.
The Cascade Tunnel is one of America's greatest early engineering feats being almost 8 miles long and absolutely straight end to end with less than 2% (percent) grade descending East to West. The tunnel relieved the Great Northern from its history of snow hazards in that area, decreased the distance traveled and transformed the route to a uniform, efficient and pleasant trip.
So indeed our Cascade Tunnel ran electrified in the period when we boys were there.