Lester & Stampede Pass
Mike worked for the Telephone Company out of Auburn, WA. from 1968 until 1999. Our Auburn Cable Maintenance Crew maintained the telephone service to the Lester area & Weather Station at Stampede Pass. We also served the Mountaineers Meany Ski Hut, near the east end of the Stampede Pass Tunnel. This whole area was served with telephone service out of our Black Diamond central office. (about 41 miles of cable) We used a CM8 analog carrier system in those days. 19 AWG cable all the way. This explains the interest in this area and why I started this page.
The Telephone cable route basically followed the railroad line to Stampede Pass
For a detailed map showing the RR & Tel cable routes "3.63 meg"... Click Here
Picture Albums (mostly of crews working)
Our Picture album from the Lester / Stampede area page 1
Our Picture album from the Lester / Stampede area page 2
Our Picture album from the Lester / Stampede area page 3
More pictures to come as I get them scanned.
Stampede Pass Tunnel Information
The Stampede Pass Tunnel under the Cascade Mountains just south of Snoqualmie Pass on BNSF Railway (former Northern Pacific Railway)
History
Tunnel opened in May of 1888, forced-air ventilation added later
Design
The Stampede Pass railroad tunnel is arched in the center; You cannot see daylight at either end of the tunnel when
looking through to the other end; unlike both the first (2 mile) and second (8 mile) Stevens Pass tunnels,
which were "boresighted" and ran in a straight line and at a constant downward angle from east to west.
Steam engines going uphill in either direction within 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.
Dimensions
Total length: 9,844 ft.
Deck width: 16 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 22 ft.
Stampede Pass Fire Lookout
Off site Links of interest
American Rails Stampede Pass Tunnel
Northern Pacific & Stampede Pass
Good Information about the Hot Springs near Lester
For more Lester info go to White River Valley Museum & click on Journal Archives
