Passenger Trains > Amtrak and Link light rail Tacoma area

I had a great sunny day in the Tacoma area Saturday. I got a few Amtrak and some Sound Transit link light rail. 

1: South bound #11 the Coast Starlight going up the gulch in Tacoma. Amtrak 10 and 349 leading the train

2: Sound Transit Link light rail trolley #2002 at the Old City Hall stop at the McMenamins Elks Temple hotel and restaurant. Whatever they were cooking inside smelled really good where I was at.

3: Amtrak north bound #504 the Cascades service from Eugene to Seattle lead by WDTX 1406 with AMTK 90299 with 3 Amfleet replacement cars. The train just crossed over I-5 at Nisqually.

Scott O'Dell



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/25 11:27 by seod.

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Looks like a beautiful day in the PNW. Thanks for the current look at the TAC area!

That  Elks  Temple   a  good  save. And  restaurant.
 Streetcar  goes  to  Amtrak/ Sounder station. Covenient.

Does the Starlight go up the ex-Milwaukee "Tacoma Hill" grade?  Is that what is shown in the 1st photo?  If so, thart must be quite a sound hearing those engines work up that steep grade.

coach Wrote:
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> Does the Starlight go up the ex-Milwaukee "Tacoma
> Hill" grade?  Is that what is shown in the 1st
> photo?  If so, thart must be quite a sound
> hearing those engines work up that steep grade.

2.85 percent but for only about 3000 feet.

TAW

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does the Starlight go up the ex-Milwaukee "Tacoma
> Hill" grade?  Is that what is shown in the 1st
> photo?  If so, thart must be quite a sound
> hearing those engines work up that steep grade.

No.  Tacoma hill is on the old Milwaukee Road line.  The current Amtrak route for follows the old Nirthern Acfic line up a not-so-steep grade that leads to the Prairie line, now the bypass.  The old Northern Pacific shops were near the top of the grade and was a huge operation back in the day.  It's all gone now.  The airport where I learned to fly adjoined the shops.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does the Starlight go up the ex-Milwaukee "Tacoma
> Hill" grade?  Is that what is shown in the 1st
> photo?  If so, thart must be quite a sound
> hearing those engines work up that steep grade.

Actually they were pretty quite going up this grade the road traffic drowned out most of their sound. I was hoping for a little exhaust bark and a little exhaust bark is all I got just a little

Scott O'Dell