Southbound Milwaukee Road freight train climbing the steep grade out of Tacoma, Washington, on August 7, 1978. The train is passing under Interstate Five, whose entrance and exit ramps flank both sides of the track. Known as "Tacoma Hill" or "The Gulch," the grade was a famous train-watching location throughout the Milwaukee Road's history in the area. Big drags like this one ceased to operate after the Milwaukee Road's 1980 abandonment of its Pacific Extension, but these tracks remain and today host Tacoma Rail freight trains and occasional Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad Excursions. Photograph by John F. Bjorklund and courtesy of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art.
Documenting the comparative traffic of the Burlington Northern, the Milwaukee Road, and the Union Pacific between Puget Sound and the Midwest, mainly focusing on the 1970s but including other time periods as well. Also featuring Milwaukee Road freights on
