Uploaded May 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In 1970 the Great Northern Railway merged with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway to become the Burlington Northern Railroad. In the Seattle, Washington, area that meant that the railroad now had two routes over the Cascades. Steven's Pass became the road of choice while Stampede Pass was relegated to secondary service. In 1984 the BN mothballed Stampede Pass as redundant but in 1996 the now BNSF Railway reopened it due to increasing traffic.
On my many business trips to the Seattle area between 1995 and 2000, I made several attempts to catch a train on Stampede Pass. Since access to the pass itself is limited, I had to get my shots at one end or the other. My patience finally paid off in September, 1999, when I got this brief video of an eastbound manifest at Palmer Junction east of Kent, Washington.
In 1970 the Great Northern Railway merged with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway to become the Burlington Northern Railroad. In the Seattle, Washington, area that meant that the railroad now had two routes over the Cascades. Steven's Pass became the road of choice while Stampede Pass was relegated to secondary service. In 1984 the BN mothballed Stampede Pass as redundant but in 1996 the now BNSF Railway reopened it due to increasing traffic.
On my many business trips to the Seattle area between 1995 and 2000, I made several attempts to catch a train on Stampede Pass. Since access to the pass itself is limited, I had to get my shots at one end or the other. My patience finally paid off in September, 1999, when I got this brief video of an eastbound manifest at Palmer Junction east of Kent, Washington.
