Any idea's as to why UP was running on BNSF between Seattle and Tacoma last night around midnight. I saw a headlight approaching NB at my favorite crossing so waited and it was UP containers! Nothing was wrong with their tracks at all.
I didn't know UP had tracks in Seatac. They have tackage rights on the Portland to Seattle main. That reminds me, a couple months ago, I was at Cajon and had walked out on the tracks up around sullivan's curve some way. I see a BNSF train comming up (eastbound) so I get set up when low and behold, It's on UP's Palmdale cutoff. Now realistically, this makes sense, because it's a much shorter distance to Mojave via the cutoff then via Cajon and Barstow, but What was more wierd was that all the UP trains I had seen that day had been on Cajon. And to top it all off, right after that train, I saw a UP MOW crew parked on the cutoff.
Yes. UP has their own tracks in the Puget Sound area. Heading north, at Tacoma they used to cut off at UP Junction. Which was just south of Union Station. And into their own yard. Which was to the west of BN Tacoma. They'd get onto the Milwaukee Road at Tacoma Junction, and on north that way. Via Milw was called the "Joint Line, as in 1909, they bought half ownership in it from the Milw. (UP was the last major RR to make it into Seattle.) The tower at Black River was owned by UP. Black River to Argo Tower in Seattle was UP. Their own yard in Seattle, Union Station, etc., etc. Plus branch lines in western Washington. Things have changed in the last 20 or so years. And I no longer live there. So can't tell you how it all goes today. Boxcab E50
