Compiled by
Ernest
H. Robl
| Beacon Rock | |
| Location | North shore of Columbia River Gorge, 35 miles east of Vancouver, Wash. |
| Railroad(s) | Burlington Northern Santa Fe (ex-Burlington Northern, ex-Spokane, Portland, and Seattle) close; Union Pacific on far shore of Columbia River; Amtrak previously on both lines, now only on the BNSF (with discontinuance of the Pioneer). |
| Significance | Beacon Rock is an 848-foot high rock column with spectacular view in which BNSF trains appear Z-scale like in the scenery below. UP trains appear in the distance on the opposite shore of the Columbia River, some two to five miles away. |
| Site info | Beacon Rock is a state park just
off Washington highway 14, the highway that parallels the
BNSF route on the north shore of the Columbia River
Gorge. Driving east out of Vancouver, Wash., look for
parking areas on your right around highway milepost 35. Requires a 20-30 minute hike up a winding 4,500-foot trail cut into the side of the mountain during which you climb the equivalent of an 80-floor building. Beacon Rock was first named by the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805. Other sights from this volcanic rock column include barge traffic on the river, including tows making their way through locks at the Bonneville Dam, about four miles away. |
| References | Book with maps and black and white illustrations: Del Grosso, Robert, Burlington Northern Trackside Guide to the Columbia River Gorge.—Bonners Ferry, Idaho: Great Northern Pacific Publications, ©1990. (Out of print.) |
| Marias Pass | |
| Location | North-central Montana, adjoining Glacier National Park. |
| Railroad(s) | Burlington Northern Santa Fe (ex-Burlington Northern, ex-Northern Pacific); Amtrak. |
| Significance | Key obstacle on BNSF's northernmost transcontinental route, the so-called Hi Line. Grades and curvature have a major impact on train operations. Helpers based at Essex, Mont. (near the Izaak Walton Inn) are used on many heavy trains. |
| Site info | Much of the route parallels and is
accessible from U.S. highway 2. The parallel Flathead
River provides for many scenic locations. (See the
listing for Flathead Tunnel for information on the
major tunnel on this route.) A favorite railfan accommodation in the area is the Izaak Walton Inn in nearby Essex, Mont., right on the mainline tracks. A number of high steel trestles are also favorite photo locations. One of the most spectacular is the Two Medicine River Bridge. |
| References | Feature article with maps:
"Mountain Pass Marias," Railfan &
Railroad, December, 1988. Feature article with map: "BN's Majestic Marias Pass," Pacific RailNews, March, 1995. Feature article with map: "Marias Pass Revisited," Railfan & Railroad, March, 1997. Guidebook with b/w illustrations and maps: Del Grosso, Robert, Burlington Northern Trackside Guide: From Pasco to Marias Pass, Bonners Ferry, ID: Great Northern Pacific Publications, ©1991. (Out of print.) Guidebook with b/w illustrations and maps: Coy, John R. and Robert Del Grosso, Montana's Marias Pass: Early GN Mileposts and BNSF Guide, Great Northern Pacific Publications, 1996. Map: Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park, Evergreen, Colo.: Trails Illustrated, ©1991. (Map based on USGS sheets, shows contours, major part of Marias Pass route.) |
Review copies are available to reviewers for magazines and newspapers. Please request review copies on your publication's letterhead.
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