I have just finished reading the WHITE CASCADE, the factual story of the worst train avalanche disaster in U.S. railroad history, which occured in 1910 in Wellington, Washington. You will not be able to put this book down.
And for modelers of the early 20th century on the GN RR, what this route had to deal with in the high Cascade Mountains is really remarkable, especially the rotaries in clearing emmense snow drifts.