Dinner Train Ends Tacoma Service

Sad news in the Seattle P-I today that the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train ended service on its new route from Tacoma to Lake Kapowsin, three months after it started.

At this point the equipment - several historic passenger cars and two FP7 locomotives - will be moved to storage outside of Vancouver WA.

I am thankful to have experienced the Dinner Train with my wife several times over the last ten years, however I'm saddened that my sons might not have the opportunity. We're hopeful that a North End Dinner Train will start up between Snohomish and Woodinville, and plans for that are past the talking stage.

Bottom line, we would love to see the big red F Bodies back on the line in some form!

Train Wallpaper

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers has a nice little extra on their site - Locomotive Wallpaper for your PC's Desktop. Check it out!

One Sentence Per Subject

Most of the time I keep my opinions private. The goals of Washington Railblog don't include political activism, but sometimes I just have to say a few words about something for which I feel strongly. Scant few words. Essentially, one sentence per subject. This does two things; first, it forces me to keep my comment simple, and second it keeps you - dear readers - from getting too wrapped up in how I feel about something. Enough said; here goes!

• Sound Transit Light Rail Project - A necessity that is not seen well by critics for its long-term goals.
• Rail in East King County - It would be smarter to use the line instead of pulling tracks out of the county's most populous area.
• BNSF Crossing at Safeco Field - Stop, look and listen people and stay off the friggin' tracks when a train is coming!
• Central Oregon & Pacific closing its Line - State of Oregon is getting the shaft at the whim of a railroad who is hiding lack of profitability behind "safety issues."

There...that was painless! KDC

Amtrak Cascades Talgo Cars Back in Service

Sooner than expected, the Talgo cars that went out of service in August have been approved and sent back to run the rails once again. Service north of Seattle, however, will continue using the "Superliner" cars, much to the dismay of anyone hauling a bicycle on their trip since there are no racks on board!

White Pass & Yukon #114 - Then and Now

Today's Then and Now segment is a bit different from previous ones, focusing this time on a locomotive project that some shops wouldn't even attempt...

The White Pass & Yukon 114 was involved in a 2006 derailment that injured three crew members and tragically killed one. When photos of the poor mangled engine were first posted on the Internet, people were shocked. "Hard to believe that there's much left worth saving..." is what one person wrote in Railroad Forums about this special engine. The entire body was crushed end to end. The cab had been pushed over to one side so badly that a huge chunk of it had to be cut off in order to transport it over the road from the Seattle docks to the Tacoma repair shop. Most large railroads would have scrapped something that had incurred this much damage, electing to pull the motor and generators in favor of a nicer replacement. But thankfully White Pass is not a large railroad. Either out of necessity or tradition, they chose to rebuild.

So what makes the 114 special? Well for starters the WP&Y runs on an unusual 3-foot Narrow Gauge track (Standard Gauge railroads place their tracks 4-feet 8 1/2 inches apart). Given that the majority of North American railroad equipment is built for Standard Gauge you can imagine that Narrow Gauge equipment is pretty hard to find, especially when you consider that much of the Narrow Gauge stuff in the world is vintage steam rather than modern diesel. Add to mix the rarity of this particular engine. The DL 535 shown here was built by Bombardier in Canada, being one of maybe four or five in the world. White Pass is a traditional railroad and probably found more benefit in having it repaired instead of searching out new equipment. Insurance paid for the repairs and the work was done here in Washington, at Coast Engine and Equipment in Tacoma.

The forum post about this engine provides back story, making the whole experience into something more than a mere rebuild. Allegations of ineffective low-priced labor, reuse of scrap-worthy metal, corner cutting in the project, and wiring issues keep the story juicy if somewhat off-base. Are the allegations true? It's not my place to surmise their validity, since I'm neither a mechanic or a railroader. Considering what CEECO had to work with coming in the door, I'd say they had their job cut out for them. Did the WP&Y get a good locomotive back? Well see for yourself....

CEECO accomplished something amazing here. We can marvel at the sharp metal work and paint that took this machine from a mangled pulp to a shining example of Narrow Gauge Goodness. Nice work CEECO! The shops in Skagway AK will apply the White Pass lettering and numbers. While some wince at the green and yellow paint scheme, I'm a huge fan of it. Finding a way to incorporate the WP&Y Thunderbird on the front would be a nice addition.

Thanks to Steve Carter for these great Before and After shots!