# Progress in Seattle



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

If you've read some of my posts you may know that my N-scale layout is loosely based on some of the Milwaukee Road's operations in the Seattle area. You have probably seen photos of my model of Seattle Union Station too. Well, until recently, "downtown Seattle" has consisted of visible trackage for the station, a concealed staging yard, and a partially concealed return loop. There were other structures in boxes, but none on the streets, in fact, no streets either! 😄 
Well, that's starting to change. I have built some streets, and installed some sidewalks and trolley track, on lightweight, removeable, "urban scenery" sections. I have also finished a scratchbuilt structure flat based on photos of a Sears Roebuck mail order office/distribution center building that once stood in Seattle. The "New Richmond Hotel, which was/is directly across Jackson St. from union Station has been largely completed, but not mounted yet. All the trackwork is functional, and like it's prototype equivalent, is below street level. Some of real downtown Seattle was more or less built over the top of the four major railroads that served it. There are many bridges, short tunnels, and very long retaining walls, around & over the various tracks. It's a very "modelgenic" city. Here's a few photos of progress to date.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## shacomm (Apr 14, 2021)

Looks great! Time to model a scale Space Needle? oh maybe too modern... How about a water tower hot tub like petticoat junction? oh maybe too vintage... I know how about a Polar Club? There are definitely some train guys that stayed there back in the day.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I’m interested to know why you would post this great info in the New Member Introduction section…..?

The N scale section seems more appropriate…just sayin’…..

Edit: Wow, that was fast….moved just after I asked the question…. 😁


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

shacomm said:


> Looks great! Time to model a scale Space Needle? oh maybe too modern... How about a water tower hot tub like petticoat junction? oh maybe too vintage... I know how about a Polar Club? There are definitely some train guys that stayed there back in the day.


shacomm;

Thank you.
There has been a little more progress since these photos were taken. I'm now working on a low-relief model of King St. Station. My modeling eras are the 1920s and 1950s, so you're right, the space needle would not have been built yet.
That water tower/swimming pool was located in Petticoat Junction, nowhere near Seattle. However, I do have a scratchbuilt, N-scale, water tower, complete with water, but alas no bating beauties.  (see photos)
It will go into Cedar Falls, Wash. on the second level of my layout.
I have heard of "Polar bear clubs" made up of crazies who jump into freezing water but not a Polar Club where people could stay. What's the story on that?

Traction Fan 🙂


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Old_Hobo said:


> I’m interested to know why you would post this great info in the New Member Introduction section…..?
> 
> The N scale section seems more appropriate…just sayin’…..
> 
> Edit: Wow, that was fast….moved just after I asked the question…. 😁


Old Hobo;

I thought I was posting it in the "General Model Train Discussion" section. I figured more people would see it there. If it ended up in the "New Member Introduction" section, that was by mistake.

Traction Fan


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## shacomm (Apr 14, 2021)

Ooof... my memory is really getting bad. I need to fact check myself more... so after Googling:

The "Artic Club" is a very cool old building in Seattle with lots of history. (The "Polar Bar" is in the lobby... likely where I spent most of my time.) 
 In my mind "Here come the Brides" became "Petticoat Junction". So no water tower in Seattle, but Cedar Falls water tower looks great! 
It's been a very long time ago but I grew up in Goldbar, WA and spent my childhood watching the trains run past my Dad's gas station on Highway 2.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

shacomm said:


> Ooof... my memory is really getting bad. I need to fact check myself more... so after Googling:
> 
> The "Artic Club" is a very cool old building in Seattle with lots of history. (The "Polar Bar" is in the lobby... likely where I spent most of my time.)
> In my mind "Here come the Brides" became "Petticoat Junction". So no water tower in Seattle, but Cedar Falls water tower looks great!
> It's been a very long time ago but I grew up in Goldbar, WA and spent my childhood watching the trains run past my Dad's gas station on Highway 2.


shacomm;

I don't have a Petticoat Junction, but I do have a "Black River Junction", very loosely based on a real place south of Seattle. Here is another scratchbuild, the Black River Jct. train order station. Based pretty closely on photos of the real structure. At the other end of the station size equation is Seattle Union Station, another largely scratch built affair. The model of Black River station is about the size of a box of kitchen matches, and the Seattle Union Station model is about the size of a bread box.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## shacomm (Apr 14, 2021)

Very nice! And the inside of Union Station is amazing too.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

In my childhood (1960's), what was then the "Sears Roebuck mail order office/distribution center building" is today Starbucks World Headquarters. I read somewhere that the U.P. built it to convince Sears to come to Seattle (rather than Tacoma or Portland). I have fond childhood memories of the toy dept there.


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## NorthwestPennsyGuy (12 mo ago)

ah union station i have seen it many times whenever we take amtrak down to portland





CRUD I REPLED TO AN OLD POST AGAIN!


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

NorthwestPennsyGuy said:


> ah union station i have seen it many times whenever we take amtrak down to portland
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh well. The way the forum has been lately, if it weren't for old posts, there wouldn't be any posts! 😄

Amtrak uses King St. Station in Seattle, not Union Station (which had all its track removed to make way for a modern office building.)
However, both stations still exist, and are across the street from each other, so you may well have seen them both. Today Union Station serves as a public hall & office building. It has also been rented out for meetings, weddings, etc. Both stations have been beautifully restored, and are on the national register of historic places, so they should stay with us for a long time. The photos show the interior of the contemporary Seattle Union Station.

Traction Fan


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## pmcgurin (Sep 7, 2010)

traction fan said:


> Oh well. The way the forum has been lately, if it weren't for old posts, there wouldn't be any posts! 😄
> 
> Amtrak uses King St. Station in Seattle, not Union Station (which had all its track removed to make way for a modern office building.)
> However, both stations still exist, and are across the street from each other, so you may well have seen them both. Today Union Station serves as a public hall & office building. It has also been rented out for meetings, weddings, etc. Both stations have been beautifully restored, and are on the national register of historic places, so they should stay with us for a long time. The photos show the interior of the contemporary Seattle Union Station.
> ...


Great information and pictures. If it doesn't seem as if there's a lot of activity here, maybe it's because you and the other experts here have already conveyed so much valuable information and insights that many are putting it to use. I know I have learned a lot here, and there are yet miles to go. Thanks.


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## NorthwestPennsyGuy (12 mo ago)

traction fan said:


> Oh well. The way the forum has been lately, if it weren't for old posts, there wouldn't be any posts! 😄
> 
> Amtrak uses King St. Station in Seattle, not Union Station (which had all its track removed to make way for a modern office building.)
> However, both stations still exist, and are across the street from each other, so you may well have seen them both. Today Union Station serves as a public hall & office building. It has also been rented out for meetings, weddings, etc. Both stations have been beautifully restored, and are on the national register of historic places, so they should stay with us for a long time. The photos show the interior of the contemporary Seattle Union Station.
> ...


I know I see union station from King Street also the Sounder used King Street station as well


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

pmcgurin said:


> Great information and pictures. If it doesn't seem as if there's a lot of activity here, maybe it's because you and the other experts here have already conveyed so much valuable information and insights that many are putting it to use. I know I have learned a lot here, and there are yet miles to go. Thanks.


pmcgurin;

You're welcome. The forum goes up and down like most activities. Sumer's here and many are doing outdoor stuff. It will probably pick up eventually. In the mean time, if you have a question, just ask. We'll be glad to help.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

Born in 1947 and raised in the Renton area. Saw a lot of the Milwaukee electrics passing through downtown Renton. Right down the center of the street for about a mile before turning off to Maple Valley along the Cedar River. Renton had a Milwaukee passenger station, I believe it was the Hiawatha that stopped there every afternoon to pick up passengers heading East to Chicago.

Bill


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

seayakbill said:


> Born in 1947 and raised in the Renton area. Saw a lot of the Milwaukee electrics passing through downtown Renton. Right down the center of the street for about a mile before turning off to Maple Valley along the Cedar River. Renton had a Milwaukee passenger station, I believe it was the Hiawatha that stopped there every afternoon to pick up passengers heading East to Chicago.
> 
> Bill


seayakbill;

There were several Milwaukee crack passenger express trains called "Hiawathas."
The original, and most famous, Hiawatha ran (often at 100 MPH+) from Milwaukee, Wis. to Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN. It was pulled by the iconic streamline shrouded Atlantic type steam locomotives followed by custom-built, lightweight, streamlined, coaches.

Introduced the year you were born, the "Olympian Hiawatha" connected Seattle, to Chicago, during the late 1940s & on through the 1950s. It makes sense that it would have made a station stop at Renton. If you saw a Hiawatha in Renton, WA. that would have been the one.
Other possibilities for Renton stops are the earlier Olympian, or the Columbian. Both the latter trains were electric, or steam, power pulling classic heavyweight passenger cars. The Olympian Hiawatha was powered by "Erie Built" Diesels, and/or electrics, pulling streamlined coaches.

Traction Fan 🙂 Born 1948


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