Puget Sound Electric Railway
Puget Sound Electric Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Locale | Seattle–Tacoma, Washington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stations | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Interurban | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1902 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed | 1928 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 38 mi (61 km)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Puget Sound Electric Railway was an interurban railway that ran for 38 miles[1] between Tacoma and Seattle, Washington in the first quarter of the 20th century. The railway's reporting mark was "PSE".
Portions of the right-of-way still exist as multi-use trail through Milton, Washington, as well as from Pacific to Tukwila, Washington.
History
The PSE began operations on September 25, 1902
Power was supplied via overhead wire in urban areas, and third rail in rural areas. The third rail was the cause of several accidents throughout the PSE's operations which involved livestock or people being electrocuted, and in some cases dead cows caused accidents involving the trolleys themselves.
The railroad ran for 26 years, until competition from trucks, buses, and automobiles on an ever-expanding road network, as well as the
The financial and competitive challenges that ultimately led the railroad to cease operation came from a variety of factors: not only the increasing availability of cars, but also the existence of ferry services, bus services, and streetcar services along its route.[7] Its fares were also constrained by the regulations of the Railroad Commission of Washington, which explicitly sought to limit its profits.[8]
It was headquartered in Kent, Washington.[9]
Stations
As of 1910.[10]
- Seattle (Yesler Way and Occidental Avenue)[11]
- Georgetown
- Duwamish
- Riverton
- Foster
- Tukwila
- Renton Junction
- Renton
- Orillia
- O'Brien
- Kent
- Thomas
- Cristopher
- Auburn
- Algona
- Pacific City
- Edgewood
- Milton
- Tacoma (North Eighth Street & A Street)[11]
Second life
Portions of the PSE exist today as multi-use trails in Milton and linking Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Algona, and Pacific in King County.[12] The City of Edgewood's portion is currently in planning stages, with construction slated to begin in the Summer of 2011 and it is currently being/almost built as of 2021 10 years later. [13][14]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Perpetual Motion Pictures. The Seattle-Tacoma Railway: A Journey into the Past. Seattle, WA. 1996.
- ^ Middleton, William D. (1961). The Interurban Era. Kalmbach. p. 275.
- ^ Crowley, Walt (September 19, 2000). "Interurban Rail Transit in King County and the Puget Sound Region". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
- ^ "Puget Sound Electric Railway - Third Rail System [Advertisement]". The Seattle Star. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. 5 Nov 1902. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ "Interurban Tariff Slate is Canceled". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. December 3, 1928. p. 16.
- ^ Whitely, Peyton (August 17, 2002). "Been there, done that—railway question not new to region". The Seattle Times. p. B1.
- ^ Swint, Tom (29 May 1977). "The Interurban Idea Pops Up Again". Seattle Daily Times. p. 153.
- ^ Railroad Commission of Washington (1910). The Railroad Commission of Washington, ex rel. W.H. Paulhamus, vs. the Puget Sound Electric Railway. Opinion, order and findings of fact. February 26, 1910. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Olympia, Wash. : E.L. Boardman, public printer.
- ^ Wilma, David (March 2, 2003). "Interurban rail service between Seattle and Tacoma begins on September 25, 1902". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
- ^ Fifth Annual Report of the Railroad Commission of Washington. Olympia, Washington: E. L. Boardman. December 1910. p. 23. Retrieved February 24, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Seattle-Tacoma Interurban Will Cease Service Tonight". The Seattle Times. December 30, 1928. p. 16.
- ^ "Interurban Trail (South)". King County Parks.
- ^ "The Interurban Trail[permanent dead link]" (PDF). City of Edgewood.
- ^ "Work starts this summer on long-awaited Edgewood trail"[permanent dead link]
- McGraw Publishing Company (1914). McGraw electric railway manual : the red book of American street railway investment. p. 322. OCLC 5352121.