# Snoqualmie Pass - Winter 1964/1965 and 1965/1966!



## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

Hello, name is Nikolaus Bautista, and I'm a long-time member of Model Train Forum, and a Milwaukee Road fan. My Grandfather even worked for them, for a time (more later on that). Right now though, there's something else I'm interested in.

A friend of mine, is investigating incidents involving the Snoqualmie Pass line, in the Winter of 1965. Specifically, some sort of collapse, and explosion in snowsheds/tunnels/3000vDC electrical system, near the pass, on either the rail line, or the roadway. I'm helping him out, and if anybody can shed some light on this, better yet, have any pictures from what I'm asking about, I'd be most grateful for the help. Thank you.


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

I'm sure you know this but it may interest others. It appears the Milwaukee road built the 2.3 mile long tunnel which was turned into a bike path.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoqualmie_Pass


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

How about this one?

http://www.historylink.org/File/5127


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

Bwells, wrong incident, wrong pass, and even wrong railroad (a true tragedy it was, on Stevens Pass, Great Northern Railway).


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

UPDATE: Winter of 1964-1965, should be the correct time-frame.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

Snoqualmie Pass has always been a problem, even in modern times. I work in operations for a trucking company and we have trucks going into Seattle all of the time. Yes, this was about railroads, but the general traveling public also has problems with this area. A few years back I-90 over Snoqualmie pass ws open for roughly 7 hours during a 7 day period. 

The heavy snow that the pass gets causes quite an avalanche problem. The interstate can be closed for hours while avalanche control work is being done. I'm sure that the railroads face the same problem as the heavy snows effect everything in that area during the winter.

By the way, I am also a big Milwaukee Road fan. When I was growing up, I had relatives who worked for both the Milwaukee Road and the Northern Pacific in southwestern Montana. When I was a kid I was lucky enough to have had the chance to fide in the cabs of steam, diesel and electric locomotives. Stilll have relatives living in Harlowtown and Deer Lodge which were locations for major division points for the Rocky Mountain Division of the Milwaukee Road.


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

The Snoqualmie pass is located in Kittitas county and is close to I-90 and at a 3000 elevation but the Stevens pass is in Chelan county and is close to US2 at a 4000 elevation. They appear to be different passes however the Stevens pass tunnel was electrified so I assume that is the one you are interested in. Where does the Snoqualmie pass come into play here?


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## trainguru (Jun 28, 2011)

Bwells said:


> The Snoqualmie pass is located in Kittitas county and is close to I-90 and at a 3000 elevation but the Stevens pass is in Chelan county and is close to US2 at a 4000 elevation. They appear to be different passes however the Stevens pass tunnel was electrified so I assume that is the one you are interested in. Where does the Snoqualmie pass come into play here?


Snoqualmie Pass was how the Milwaukee Road got over to Seattle. They were still electrified in 1964 (remained so until 1972 or 1977). Stevens was de-electrified in the mid-1950's, and was the GN's route over.


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