The Northern Pacific's Yakima, Washington turntable and roundhouse were very quiet this June afternoon. Burlington Northern's reluctance to route freights over the former NP's Stampede Pass line probably had a lot to do with it. Ultimately BN sold the Pasco to Ellensburg stretch to a group operating under the name Washington Central Railroad in 1986 and abandoned the remainder of the line over Stampede Pass. Not surprisingly, traffic over the former Great Northern, including through Cascade Tunnel, eventually grew so heavy that the now Burlington Northern Santa Fe had to buy the line back from its owners and relay track over Stampede Pass at great expense. So, once again, through freights pass through Yakima on the former Northern Pacific.
