| The U.S. railroads have been loosing ground | | | | eventual included the Santa Fe to become the |
| since World War II. Some changes were needed | | | | Burlington Northern Santa Fe plus the demise |
| where others were not.I love trains as a | | | | of the Milwaukee Road left us with only two |
| hobby and the real railroad. Even as | | | | rail passes across the Cascade Mountain |
| hobbyist we care about the heart of our | | | | Range. The Union Pacific route is south to |
| transportation system - the U. S. | | | | Portland and east through the Columbia River |
| railroads.In this particular discussion, I | | | | Gorge.Two get the double stacks through the |
| would like to provide you with a condition | | | | mountains you have to have tunnels that can |
| that affects the economic stability of the | | | | stand the height of the double stack freight |
| Pacific Northwest and perhaps the | | | | cars. At present, only one tunnel can do |
| Nation.Railroads have been a significant part | | | | that. That is through the North Cascade |
| of the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan region for | | | | Tunnel of the BNSF through Stevens Pass. |
| over a century. So has the ability of the | | | | Problem, the tunnel is about 7.8 miles long. |
| ships of the sea bringing us goods to be | | | | It originally had electrified engines to pull |
| shipped by the railroads across our vast | | | | the freight and passenger trains though the |
| land. However, a man made disaster has begun | | | | tunnel. Now they use diesel engines which |
| because of bad management and the lack of | | | | generate poisonous and toxic gases in the |
| foresight.The Seattle/Tacoma combined ports | | | | tunnel. Because of this, the railroad was |
| are designated as the ninth largest in the | | | | required to build huge fans to suck the |
| World and the third largest in the United | | | | gasses out before another train could enter |
| States. This is a feather in the cap of | | | | the tunnel. This creates a delay of 20 to 30 |
| those who have helped build such an industry. | | | | minutes to accomplish. Basically you loose a |
| There is a catch to this progress. The | | | | half a day of traveling time.Second the |
| railroads can't get the goods out of Seattle | | | | Northern Pacific route through the Cascades |
| Tacoma. It is going to get worse because the | | | | was shut down for economic reasons. More |
| Seattle Port Authority has bought three super | | | | recently the line has been reopened because |
| cranes that have the capability to reach out | | | | of traffic problems but it has a problem. |
| over a ship that is 100 meters wide. These | | | | The Stamped Pass tunnel is to low to handle |
| ships are in design in Korea. They can hold | | | | double stacks. The railroad is thinking |
| an immense load of containers that range in | | | | about either re-drilling the tunnel or |
| the thousands.To give you an idea of how fast | | | | building a new tunnel adjacent to the old one |
| a container can be loaded onto the ship and | | | | because of other problems with the present |
| the same time off the ship is about a minute | | | | tunnel.Third and worst problem for the |
| and a half each direction. Very skilled Long | | | | railroad situation was allowing the Milwaukee |
| Shore men do this 24/7. The cost of a ship | | | | Road to fall into bankruptcy by both bad |
| in port can range from $1,500.00 and up per | | | | management and a bunch of arrogant railroads. |
| hour. So the loading and unloading has to be | | | | This railroad is vital to help get the |
| fast but so does the ability of the railroads | | | | products in and out of the two port areas. |
| to handle these containers. In our present | | | | It has the lowest ruling grade of the other |
| day situation, railroads management cannot | | | | two tracks of 1%. The other two railroad |
| mange the requirement to meet the shipping | | | | tracks have a ruling grade in excess of 2%. |
| goals. This is without the super ships.To | | | | The Milwaukee Cascade tunnel was designed for |
| give an example of how bad the situation is | | | | electrification and had to have extra |
| was the loss of the Nissan contract to this | | | | clearance in the tunnel to allow for the |
| West Coast port for all of their cars and | | | | workman to maintain the system. This would |
| trucks. They moved to Long Beach, | | | | allow for double stacks with plenty of |
| California. This was costly for Seattle and | | | | clearance.The Union Pacific halls double |
| for Nissan. The city lost major revenue and | | | | stacks all the time but with one draw back. |
| Nissan lost a day at sea travel. It is | | | | The track goes some 180 miles to the south |
| closer to Seattle from Asia by one day than | | | | before heading east.This total inadequacy has |
| to the ports to the South. It cost | | | | become a head ache that may shut down a great |
| approximately $43,000 a day at sea.With this | | | | deal of our commerce and unfortunately no |
| in mind, we shall look at the four railroads | | | | body is doing anything about. They just talk |
| that once existed in this region. Prior to | | | | about it. The cost to re-track the Milwaukee |
| some of the major mergers in the railroad | | | | Road to Spokane, Washington will be peanuts |
| industry the railroads in this area consisted | | | | compared to the cost of getting a poorly |
| of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, | | | | managed port(s) and railroad right always |
| Union Pacific and the Milwaukee Road.With the | | | | fixed when the super cargo ships arrive on |
| advent of specialized flat cars, railroads | | | | the seen.Joy Ball has been involved in the |
| could now carry two containers one on top of | | | | restoration and maintenance of a variety of |
| the other with a maximum of four containers | | | | Brass Model Locomotives. Through her years of |
| per car. Unfortunately only two of these | | | | expertise, Mrs. Ball has perfected the art of |
| railroads could carry the double stacks as | | | | train restoration often spending countless |
| they are called. With the merger of the | | | | hours preserving vintage Brass Locomotives to |
| Great Northern/Northern Pacific and CB&Q into | | | | running condition of even the newest Brass |
| the Burlington Northern Railroad which | | | | Model Replicas. |