Are there any good (but safe) places in the Seattle/Tacoma area to where I can watch the trains go by? I’ve been a railroad fan since I was in the 5th grade and now that I’m in my mid 20’s I love those trains more than ever, it is a real treat for me being able to watch those long freight trains go by.
If you consider North Tacoma the Seattle area I can give you a spot I spent some hours at last year. [:o)][:p][:)]
I prefer to railfan between Olympia and Longview. That might be further than you want to got but there are many places where you can just get off of I-5 and park trackside. And some trains cruise along at a good clip. And there are lots of them.
One of the spots I like because of the hill is Napavine. It’s no major hill but it’s the toughest on that line. It’s probably the only place on that line where you can see trains grinding by in run 8.
Well I missed it last year what you posted. Gives me reason to go back now. [:o)][:D][:p]
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Originally posted by chad thomas
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Is Seattle’s Space Needle any good?
Yea, It’s one hell of a tripod.
chad thomas:
A tripod? Oh, yah. That’s a Nikon on top!
Wait till the flash goes off [:D]
There is a motel at pier 67 that if you get a city view room (which is cool cause they’re cheaper) gives you a great trainspotting location. Its not too many places that you get to see 2 sw1500s moving a string of double stacks and also see many trains with mixed BNSF/CN motive power. There was a least a train every hour.
Dave
Do you live here? Four places I like are:Heading North from Seattle. Ballard {Interbay Yard}. Golden Gardens Park ,Carkeek Park, Richmond Beach Park. Carkeek and Richmond Beach have walkways that take you across the tracks to the beach. This is Double Track main along Puget sound. avg. 15 trains a day. But stay off tracks to be SAFE!
Downtown Edmonds is a good place. There is an Amtrak station and a water front park that both provide good viewing locations by the tracks. Edmonds is also north of Seattle but it seems there are significantly more than 15 trains per day on this line as it feeds both Stevens Pass and the line to Vancouver. Amtrak alone operates six trains per day and on weekdays there is a commuter train that operates between Everett and Seattle.
Along the waterfront on Alaskan ave. you have BNSF funnung across the road from the water. Saw them while I was there in march still need to post pics for you all.