Stampede Pass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stampede Pass |
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 Stampede Pass
Location in the United States
Stampede Pass
Location in Washington (state)
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| Elevation | 3,672 ft (1,119 m) |
| Traversed by | Forest Service Road 54, BNSF Railway |
| Location | King / Kittitas counties, Washington, U.S. |
| Range | Cascade Range |
| Coordinates | 47°17′00″N 121°21′04″W / 47.2834°N 121.3512°W |
Stampede Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in Washington state, U.S. It sits about 3,672 feet (1,119 m) high. This pass is southeast of Seattle and east of Tacoma. It's super important for trains, but no paved roads cross it.
The pass is about twelve miles (20 km) south of Snoqualmie Pass. That's where Interstate 90 goes through. The 1.86-mile (3.0 km) Stampede Tunnel is just below the pass. It opened in May 1888. This tunnel was a big deal for the Northern Pacific Railway. Today, BNSF Railway uses it.
After being closed for over ten years, the Stampede Pass line and tunnel reopened in 1997. BNSF Railway uses this route. It's one of two main train lines through the Cascades. It connects Spokane with the Seattle metropolitan area.
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Finding Stampede Pass
The Northern Pacific Railroad needed a direct route. The government said they might lose land if they didn't connect Yakima to the Puget Sound. So, they started looking for a path over the mountains.
Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer for the Northern Pacific, first found the pass. He later became a chief engineer for other big railroads.
In January 1881, Bogue was told to explore the area. He needed to find a pass that would connect the Green River area. His team set up camps and cut trails through the tough wilderness.
They faced deep snow and heavy rains. Sometimes, they had to use sleds instead of pack trains. On March 2, 1881, Bogue decided to go ahead with a small group. He hoped to find a cabin built by another team.
After much searching, they found signs of other white men. They followed a trail and reached Tacoma Pass on March 9. They continued exploring the area.
On March 19, 1881, Bogue and his team found the pass. It was a clear, sunny day. One of his men, Andy Drury, said it was the "prettiest pass in the mountains." They measured its height at 3,495 feet (1,065 m).
Bogue's team kept exploring north. They found three more passes. But Stampede Pass was chosen as the best one. It was the most useful for building a railroad.
How Stampede Pass Got Its Name
Virgil Bogue explained how the pass got its name in 1916. He wrote to the Washington State Historical Society.
He had a team cutting a trail near Stampede Lake. Bogue thought their foreman wasn't getting much work done. So, he sent a new foreman to take charge.
When the new foreman arrived, many of the workers "stampeded," meaning they left quickly. There was a large fir tree at their camp. The remaining men carved a big mark on it. They used charcoal to write "Stampede Camp" on the tree.
William Pierce Bonney, who worked on Stampede Pass, added to the story. He said the real "stampede" happened at supper time. The new foreman told the cook that the food was for workers. Since many men had quit, they weren't allowed to eat. That's when more workers left!
The pass was first called Garfield Pass. This was to honor President Garfield, who had just started his term. But the name Stampede Pass stuck because of the workers' "stampede."
The Summit Switchback
The Northern Pacific Railway started building the Stampede Tunnel in 1886. But they didn't want to wait for it to be finished. So, they built a temporary switchback railway over the pass.
This switchback had very steep grades, up to 5.6 percent. It included three switchbacks on each side of the mountains. There was also a big double horseshoe curve at the top. Building it was hard because of heavy snowfall. At the summit, they had to cut through snow 40 feet (12 m) deep.
The switchback had a mile of log cribbing and many snowsheds. It also had 31 trestles (bridges). When the ground thawed in spring, the tracks shifted. This meant more work was needed.
To run trains on this steep line, the Northern Pacific ordered the two largest steam locomotives in the world. Even with these huge engines, trains needed one locomotive at each end. They pulled only five cars. It took an hour and fifteen minutes to travel the 8 miles (13 km) switchback. Brakemen had to ride on the rooftops of the cars to help control the train.
The first test train ran on June 6, 1887. The first passenger train crossed the switchback on July 3, 1887. Even after the tunnel opened, the switchback was sometimes used for short periods in the 1890s. This happened when the tunnel needed repairs.
Stampede Tunnel
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| Western entrance in 1890 by Frank Jay Haynes |
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| Overview | |
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| Line | BNSF, (originally Northern Pacific) |
| Location | Stampede Pass, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°16′44″N 121°19′23″W / 47.279°N 121.323°W |
| Status | Active |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1886 |
| Traffic | Railroad |
| Character | Freight |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.8644 miles (3.00 km) |
| No. of tracks | Single |
| Gauge | Standard |
| Highest elevation | 2,827 feet (860 m) |
| Tunnel clearance | 22 feet (6.7 m) |
| Width | 16 feet (4.9 m) |
The Stampede Tunnel was a huge project. Work on the tunnel began on January 21, 1886. Nelson Bennett was the contractor.
Workers started digging from both the east and west ends. They used hand drills at first. Later, they used air drills, which made progress faster. The two sides of the tunnel met on May 3, 1888. The tunnel officially opened for trains on May 27, 1888.
Building the tunnel was dangerous. Many workers were injured or died. This was due to falling rocks, accidents with trains, and other hazards.
The Stampede Tunnel is not straight. It curves in the middle, so you can't see daylight from one end to the other. This was different from other tunnels like the Cascade Tunnel. Steam trains going through the tunnel caused a lot of smoke. This made it hard for train crews and passengers to breathe. Later, a special fan system was added to blow fresh air into the tunnel.
The tunnel has a steep slope on both sides. It's 2.2 percent from Easton on the east side. It's also 2.2 percent from Lester on the west side.
Andrew Gibson was an important engineer who worked on the tunnel. He started as a clerk and worked his way up. He helped survey the land and oversaw the tunnel's construction. His detailed notes helped us learn a lot about the project.
Double Tracking the Line
Between 1912 and 1915, the train line near Stampede Tunnel was greatly improved. They added a new roundhouse at Lester. They also added a second track from Lester to a smaller tunnel nearby. The old loop through Weston was replaced with a large steel bridge. The route from Martin to Easton was also double-tracked.
In 1984, the Burlington Northern closed the line. They thought they didn't need it anymore. But between 1995 and 1996, the railroad (now BNSF Railway) reopened it. They needed it because more trains were running in the Pacific Northwest.
Today, BNSF and Washington state want to make the tunnel bigger. It's currently 22 feet (6.7 m) high. This isn't tall enough for modern intermodal freight cars that carry two containers stacked on top of each other.
Fun Things to Do at the Pass
The Mountaineers have a ski area near the east side of the tunnel. It's called Meany Lodge and was built in 1928. It has three rope tows and is open in winter. It's one of the oldest ski areas in the country.
The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail is also nearby. It's a great place for hiking and biking.
In 1939, the Northern Pacific opened another ski area. It was called Martin Ski Dome. It closed during World War II and later became Husky Chalet. It also had rope tows for skiers.
You can only get to Stampede Pass from the east side. The west side is closed to the public. This area is part of the Green River watershed. Tacoma Water manages it to keep the city's drinking water clean.
