Abandoned Cascade Tunnel
This is a picture taken just inside the East Side entrance to the old abandoned Cascade Tunnel finished in 1900. Originally the 2.6 miles long tunnel was built to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on a track that had eight switchbacks. Nevertheless, the tunnel was still besieged by snow slides in the area. On March 1st, 1910, an avalanche at Wellington (the West Side entrance of the tunnel) killed 96 people, the deadliest avalanche disaster in American history. This disaster prompted the construction of a replacement tunnel. Interestingly, its replacement the new Cascade Tunnel completed in 1929 is the longest railroad tunnel in the United States at 7.8 miles.
Photographed with a handheld DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera set at ISO 400 using a wide-angle zoom lens (12 to 24). Entered into the “Catch-All” category.
GPS: Approximate location, latitude 47° 46' 19.87" N, longitude 121° 4' 44.49" W.
Keywords: Structures, and USA.
Uploaded on February 15, 2011