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39-601: Stampede Pass (elevation 3,672 feet (1,119 m)) is a mountain pass in the northwest United States, through the Cascade Range in Washington . Southeast of Seattle and east of Tacoma , its importance to transportation lies almost entirely with railroading, as no paved roads cross it. It is approximately twelve miles (20 km) south-southeast of Snoqualmie Pass , the gap for Interstate 90 , and two miles (3 km) south of Keechelus Lake . The pass, and

78-714: A direct route from Yakima to the Puget Sound was considered violation of their charter. Faced with losing millions of acres in their land grant, they began earnestly exploring a route over the cascades. The first known discovery of the pass was made by Virgil Bogue , a civil engineer for the Northern Pacific. (Bogue went on to become chief engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad and later the Western Pacific Railroad .) Below

117-531: A nearby mountainside, as with the Eisenhower Tunnel bypassing Loveland Pass in the Rockies, to allow faster traffic flow throughout the year. The top of a pass is frequently the only flat ground in the area, and may be a high vantage point. In some cases this makes it a preferred site for buildings. If a national border follows the ridge of a mountain range, a pass over the mountains is typically on

156-786: A style of street racing which may take place on these roads. There are thousands of named passes around the world, some of which are well-known, such as the Khyber Pass close to the present-day Afghanistan-Pakistan border on the ancient Silk Road , the Great St. Bernard Pass at 2,473 metres (8,114 ft) in the Alps , the Chang La at 5,360 metres (17,590 ft), the Khardung La at 5,359 metres (17,582 ft) in Ladakh , India and

195-547: Is Bogue's report, written in January 1881, from the collection of Robert A. Robey, the Northern Pacific's roadmaster at Auburn, Washington , in charge of the line across Stampede Pass throughout the 1960s. Bogue wrote the Washington State Historical Society's William Pierce Bonney about the naming of the pass in 1916. Bonney, who worked for the Northern Pacific on Stampede Pass, added, "When

234-489: Is a part of the Green River watershed which is managed (and partly owned by) Tacoma Water to ensure the city's water supply is pure and fresh. Stampede Pass has a dry-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dsb ), bordering on a subarctic climate ( Köppen Dsc ) or subpolar oceanic climate ( Csc ). Mountain pass Mountain passes make use of a gap , saddle , col or notch . A topographic saddle

273-888: Is also used, particularly in Europe. In the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, passes are denoted by the suffix "La" in Tibetan, Ladhakhi, and several other regional languages. Examples are the Taglang La at 5,328 m (17,480 ft) on the Leh-Manali highway , and the Sia La at 5,589 m (18,337 ft) in the Eastern Karakoram range. Scotland has the Gaelic term bealach (anglicised "balloch"), while Wales has

312-413: Is analogous to the mathematical concept of a saddle surface , with a saddle point marking the minimum high point between two valleys and the lowest point along a ridge. On a topographic map , passes can be identified by contour lines with an hourglass shape, which indicates a low spot between two higher points. In the high mountains, a difference of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) between the summit and

351-502: Is arched in the center; that is, daylight is not detectable at either end of the tunnel when looking through to the other end; unlike both the first (2.6 mile, 1900) and second (7.8 mile, 1929) Cascade Tunnels of the Great Northern Railway at Stevens Pass , which were "boresighted" and ran in a straight line and at a constant downward angle from northeast to southwest. Steam engines ascending in either direction within

390-536: Is open to all during winter weekends from early January to early March. It hosts a PSIA certified winter sports school and is one of the oldest ski areas in the nation. The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail is about halfway between Stampede Pass and I-90. In 1939, the Northern Pacific opened a ski area on the eastern portal of the Stampede Tunnel called Martin Ski Dome . The resort was to compete with

429-771: Is the Brenner pass in the Alps . Some mountain passes above the tree line have problems with snow drift in the winter. This might be alleviated by building the road a few meters above the ground, which will make snow blow off the road. There are many words for pass in the English-speaking world. In the United States, pass is very common in the West , the word gap is common in the southern Appalachians , notch in parts of New England , and saddle in northern Idaho . The term col , derived from Old French,

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468-526: The Milwaukee Ski Bowl a few miles north at Hyak . The Martin Ski Dome closed in 1942 with the start of World War II and then was sold in 1946, after the end of the war, to the University of Washington students association. It re-opened as Husky Chalet and had two rope tows . The only public access to the pass is from the east; access from the west is not open to the public, since this

507-561: The Northern Pacific Railroad . He progressed from rodman to chainman, draftsman, leveler, transitman, assistant engineer, division engineer, principal assistant engineer, and from November 1, 1893, to January 1, 1896, he was the chief engineer . Starting on October 1, 1904, he was the first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway . He was also in charge of construction, operation and maintenance of

546-594: The Palakkad Gap at 140 metres (460 ft) in Palakkad , Kerala , India . The roads at Mana Pass at 5,610 metres (18,410 ft) and Marsimik La at 5,582 metres (18,314 ft), on and near the China–India border respectively, appear to be world's two highest motorable passes. Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan and China at 4,693 metres (15,397 ft) is also a high-altitude motorable mountain pass. One of

585-709: The Palouse , the giant west end tie plant at Paradise, Montana , finally becoming the Chief Engineer in charge of maintenance of way in Saint Paul . He started out very modestly, clearing brush from what would become the Main Street of the Northwest. A major revision of the line between Lester and Stampede Tunnel was undertaken between 1912 and 1915. This included a new roundhouse at Lester, double tracking

624-534: The trolley lines owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad . He was the fourth vice-president , New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , in charge of the electrical department. While working for the Northern Pacific, McHenry performed two notable engineering feats, and made one memorable marketing suggestion: McHenry died on August 21, 1931, in Ardmore, Pennsylvania . McHenry, North Dakota ,

663-684: The NP on main line construction in Oregon , about eight miles (13 km) west of Portland , as a clerk for Mr. O. Phil, Assistant Engineer, about July 1, 1883, and continued in the same position until the party was disbanded, about the end of October. Was leveler for Colin Mcintosh, assistant engineer on Kalama Inclines during January 1884. Went to work as a "bush hook dude " with William H. Kennedy on Cascade Division Surveys on April 27, 1884, starting at South Prairie and working east. Promoted to rodman about

702-580: The NP's successor, BNSF Railway . After over a decade of dormancy in the late 20th century, the Stampede Pass Line and Tunnel were reopened in 1997 by BNSF, which uses the route as one of two direct Northern Transcon main lines through the Cascades, between Spokane and the Seattle metropolitan area . Northern Pacific Railroad had been notified by the federal government that their lack of

741-814: The New Haven, McHenry had been chief engineer and a receiver of the Northern Pacific Railway and later the chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway . He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio , on January 25, 1859. He attended the Pennsylvania Military College at Chester, Pennsylvania . He first started working on the railroad in 1883 as a rodman doing surveying on the Black Hills branch of

780-657: The Washington State Transportation Commission determined that the capacity of the Stampede Subdivision was sufficient or "reliable". In 2008, BNSF again stated there were no immediate plans. In 2022, a study was launched to investigate the costs of such an enlargement. The Mountaineers have a ski area just southeast of the eastern portal of the Stampede Pass tunnel. Built in 1928, Meany Lodge with 3 rope tows,

819-409: The beginning of June and to leveler about the middle of August, when the location of the 25 miles (40 km) from South Prairie to Eagle Gorge was completed. Gibson went on to work for engineers William T. Chalk, John Quincy Barlow, J.Q. Jamieson, and Herbert S. Huson, literally all over the Stampede Pass line. Gibson ran the level and took topography for the switch back, worked on the final location of

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858-458: The border, and there may be a border control or customs station, and possibly a military post. For instance, Argentina and Chile share the world's third-longest international border , 5,300 kilometres (3,300 mi) long, which runs north–south along the Andes mountains and includes 42 mountain passes. On a road over a pass, it is customary to have a small roadside sign giving the name of

897-515: The confines of the Stampede Tunnel was the cause of many train crews and passengers being nearly choked to death by the buildup of exhaust gasses within the tunnel; this led to a forced-air ventilation equipment being added at the west end of the tunnel at a later date. The grade is 2.2 percent on the east side from the town of Easton and 2.2 percent on the west side from the town of Lester. Andrew Gibson, born and educated in Scotland , began work for

936-595: The famous but non-motorable mountain passes is Thorong La at 5,416 metres (17,769 ft) in Annapurna Conservation Area , Nepal. Edwin Harrison McHenry Edwin Harrison McHenry (January 25, 1859 – August 21, 1931) was the fourth vice-president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway of Hartford, Connecticut . Prior to joining

975-607: The line as a response to increasing traffic pressures in the Pacific Northwest. BNSF and government agencies in Washington state are committed to enlarging Stampede Tunnel to accommodate larger intermodal freight cars; the current height of 22 feet (6.7 m) is insufficient for double-stacked intermodal cars. That said, BNSF stated in 2001 such a project would only be undertaken once the two alternate routes were at capacity. A 2006 study by Cambridge Systematics for

1014-520: The line from Lester to the west portal of Tunnel 4, a small tunnel just a mile west of Stampede Tunnel, and replacing the former loop through Weston with a large steel viaduct. At the same time, the route from Martin , at the east portal of Stampede Tunnel, was double-tracked down to Easton . In August 1984, the Burlington Northern mothballed the line as redundant. Between 1995 and 1996, BN and its successor BNSF Railway , rehabilitated

1053-471: The meantime, however, the NP decided not to wait for completion, and built a switchback across the summit of the pass. According to A Brief History of the Northern Railway , a switchback with 5.6 percent grade was studied by Chief Engineer Anderson as early as 1884. The line was surveyed in spring of 1886. There were three switchbacks on each side of the Cascades, and a great double horseshoe at

1092-412: The men quit work about the middle of the afternoon, the day of the stampede, they repaired to camp where they were busy waiting for supper; when the foreman came and announced to the cook that the food in his charge belonged to the railroad company was furnished to feed men that were working for the company, that these men had severed their connection with the company, hence were not entitled to be fed; then

1131-434: The mountain is defined as a mountain pass. Passes are often found just above the source of a river , constituting a drainage divide . A pass may be very short, consisting of steep slopes to the top of the pass, or a valley many kilometers long, whose highest point might only be identifiable by surveying . Roads and railways have long been built through passes. Some high and rugged passes may have tunnels bored underneath

1170-479: The pass and its elevation above mean sea level . Apart from offering relatively easy travel between valleys, passes also provide a route between two mountain tops with a minimum of descent. As a result, it is common for tracks to meet at a pass; this often makes them convenient routes even when travelling between a summit and the valley floor. Passes traditionally were places for trade routes, communications, cultural exchange, military expeditions etc. A typical example

1209-572: The same initial point at the west end: John A. Hulburt, John Quincy Barlow, and F.C. Tucker. Final location made by William H. Kennedy. J.Q. Jamieson was Assistant Engineer in charge from the commencement of work until October 23, 1887, when he was succeeded by Edwin Harrison McHenry (later chief engineer of the Northern Pacific), who continued in charge until the completion of the tunnel, snowsheds and sidetracks at both ends of

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1248-696: The similar bwlch (both being insular Celtic languages). In the Lake District of north-west England, the term hause is often used, although the term pass is also common—one distinction is that a pass can refer to a route, as well as the highest part thereof, while a hause is simply that highest part, often flattened somewhat into a high-level plateau. In Japan they are known as tōge , which means "pass" in Japanese. The word can also refer to narrow, winding roads that can be found in and around mountains and geographically similar areas, or specifically to

1287-481: The summit. Construction of the switchback was plagued by snowfall, and a cut through snow 40 feet (12 m) deep was required at the summit. The switchback included a mile of solid log cribbing, 3 ⁄ 4  mi (1.2 km) of snowsheds, and 31 trestles. When the ground thawed in the spring of 1887, it shifted and settled the newly laid track, requiring more work. The Northern Pacific spent $ 15,000 (equivalent to $ 508,667 in 2023) on laborers' protection during

1326-506: The switchback was on June 6, 1887. The first scheduled passenger train over the switchback arrived in Tacoma at 7:15 pm on July 3, 1887. Even after the completion of the tunnel, the switchback was reopened for brief periods in the 1890s as maintenance was carried out below. First tunnel location made by James T. Kingsbury, Assistant Engineer, August 1882. Other tunnel lines were run by the following named engineers, but all had practically

1365-432: The switchback's construction. To operate the line the Northern Pacific ordered the two largest steam locomotives in the world (at that time). Despite their size, the steep grades meant one locomotive was stationed at each end of their five-car trains. Trains took an hour and fifteen minutes to traverse the eight-mile-long (13 km) switchback, a brakeman riding the rooftops every two cars. The first experimental train over

1404-529: The tunnel line, crossings of the Yakima River in the Yakima Canyon. Finally, he was made an assistant engineer himself, overseeing the lining of the tunnel as well as filling the numerous temporary trestles built in the haste to finish the line on time. It is primarily through his diligent work that detailed first hand accounts of the work are available. Gibson went on to oversee the NP's building on

1443-546: The tunnel to the south which takes advantage of it, the 1.86-mile (3.0 km) Stampede Tunnel ( 47°16′44″N 121°19′23″W  /  47.279°N 121.323°W  / 47.279; -121.323 ), just below 2,850 feet (870 m), played a significant role in the history of the Northern Pacific Railway . The tunnel opened for service in May 1888, and is currently operated as the Stampede Subdivision by

1482-508: The tunnel. F.M. Haines was transitman on the west end and Andrew Gibson on the east end during the entire time the tunnel was under construction. N.B. Tunder was the contractor's Superintendent on the west end and Captain Sidney J. Bennet, a brother of the contractor, was superintendent on the east end. The Contract for driving the tunnel was awarded to Nelson Bennett January 21, 1886. Costs Fatalities The Stampede Pass railroad tunnel

1521-457: Was when the real stampede began." (W.P. Bonney, Secretary, Washington State Historical Society, to 29th Annual Farmers Picnic, Enumclaw, 8-6-21. Bonney worked on Stampede 1881-2.) When discovered some weeks earlier, it had been named Garfield Pass, in honor of recently inaugurated President Garfield, but Stampede Pass became the name generally used. The Northern Pacific completed Stampede Tunnel under Stampede Pass in 1888 (see section below). In

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