The Great Northern's Electrified Tunnel
A bold infrastructure project in the Cascade mountains promises to banish smoke and gas from rail travel.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The completion of four big electric locomotives for the Great Northern Railway marks a new event in the history of electric traction in America. The Cascade Tunnel in the heart of the Cascade mountains, Washington, is 2.63 miles in length, and the intention is to operate all passenger and freight trains through this tunnel using electric power. The plan consists of the development of a water power of 7,500 horsepower in Tumwater Canyon. The power plant is located on the Wenatchee River. It will be the first attempt in the country to handle freight on heavy grades with anything but steam locomotives. It will be a big improvement over the present method, as passengers will not be annoyed by smoke or gas.
“It will be a big improvement over the present method of handling passenger trains, as passengers will not be annoyed by smoke or gas.”
This project was a pioneering moment for rail electrification in the U.S., using Washington's abundant hydropower to solve the industrial problem of smoke inhalation in tunnels. The transition from steam to electric power remains a foundational story for regional infrastructure.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.