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SPandS-fan, Here's the 64 million dollar question: What would it take today to ressurect the ex-Milwaukee line over Snoqualmie? The ex-MIlwaukee line is now a recreational trail, parts of some trestles were washed out a while back, and the city of Seattle watershed folks have restricted any access along the upper reaches of the Cedar River along the old right of way. That being said, with the State of Washington now actively engaged in supporting rail reinvestment, why not? Rebuild the Milwaukee line between Easton and Bagley Junction adding re-alignments where appropriate, build a new connecting line between Bagley Junction and Ravensdale on the BNSF line, abandon the Stampede Pass line (and in doing so transfer the recreational trail to that corridor). In fact, with a rebuild of the Milwaukee "short cut" accross the Saddle Mountains between Ellensburg and Lind WA (again with the appropriate re-alignments where necessary AKA the CWU campus), it might be possible for BNSF to either abandon or sell the ex-GN line between Spokane and Everett over Stevens Pass, and instead route all traffic over the newly rehabed MIlwaukee and the Columbia River Gorge routes. For the long term, this would allow BNSF to have access to the shortest routing between Spokane and Seattle with better grades, and take the operation and maintenance expenses lower with the explusion of the Stevens Pass route. I personally don't think there is a need for BNSF to have THREE lines between Spokane and Puget Sound. From what I've witnessed, they just don't have that much traffic through the Northern Tier states and probably won't since they route most of their stuff down to LA.
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