# Tacoma to Mt. Rainier line to be sold?



## CHamilton (Oct 23, 2012)

Train to the Mountain can finally rest in peace



> Tacoma is negotiating to sell some of the track it acquired two decades ago to create the excursion train. The proceeds will help pay off the debt incurred over the years.
> 
> ...In the early decades of the 20th century, the Tacoma Eastern Railroad (later purchased by the Milwaukee Road) ran excursion trains to its National Park Inn.
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> ...


I'm speechless. This is so wrong, in so many ways.


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## CHamilton (Oct 23, 2012)

Here's the original news article that the above commentary was apparently based on.

Tacoma Rail in talks to unload part of money-draining rail line



> Tacoma Rail is in talks with three prospective suitors to sell and lease parts of the Mountain Division – a 132-mile, city-owned railway once envisioned as a tourist boon that instead has become a drain on city coffers.
> 
> The biggest deal in the works involves selling a 1.3-mile stretch in the Dome District to Sound Transit, “at a price that could wipe out the Mountain Division’s debt,” Tacoma Rail Superintendent Dale King recently told the City Council.
> 
> ...


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## The Davy Crockett (Oct 23, 2012)

CHamilton said:


> Train to the Mountain can finally rest in peace
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In reading this, and other stories by the author, Peter Callaghan, he sure seems like a real hack. Thanks for the artcile, but thank you more for finding a different source Charlie! :lol:


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## Swadian Hardcore (Oct 23, 2012)

Oh, well. They weren't going to start it anyway. I remember hearing about this a long time ago and then forgot about it.


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## CHamilton (Nov 4, 2012)

Tacoma Rail rolls past hard times



> As the City of Tacoma grapples with its $63-million recession hangover with layoffs and cutbacks, one branch of city government, its municipal railroad, Tacoma Rail, may be putting hard times behind it.
> 
> Credit a combination of a rush of new business as well as timely deals to shed expenses for the turnaround.
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> ...


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## No.6 (Nov 10, 2012)

Incredible! The city of Tacoma yet again making a permanent decision to fix a temporary problem. If they don't want the potential value capture opportunities the line represents, I imagine private interests in the fashion of Iowa Pacific will happily relieve them of the burden.


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## Nathanael (Nov 17, 2012)

It's a decent idea to sell the 1.3 mile segment to Sound Transit, the government agency and passenger rail operator which will soon be the primary user.

As for the other bits... well, if I were running Tacoma I would certainly not sell them to privateers. The proposals, however, speak of *leasing* them, which wouldn't be that bad. The excursion train operator, a non-profit, would be a decent owner, but I doubt they can afford it.


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