electrification when the line was electrified from Wenatchee to Skykomish in 1928-1929. In 1928, a new electrical power plant was sited there as well but is now demolished. After summiting the Cascade Range near Berne, the line starts a steep (2.2%) descent at a 2.2% grade, passing through the Gaynor Tunnel, and on to Merritt. Merritt is the site of a maintenance base with a turning facility for snow fighting equipment. To the east of Winton was the junction with the original right of way, and a 1928 line relocation project called the Chumstick Cutoff. This project included the construction of the Winton, Swede and Chumstick Tunnels. U.S. Route 2 is now located on the original right of way between this point and Leavenworth. Utilizing the Chumstick Cutoff, the line now goes down the Chumstick Valley, after going through the Winton and Swede Tunnels, crossing the Wenatchee River and then passing through the Chumstick Tunnel. Up until the building of the Chumstick Cutoff and the current Cascade Tunnel, and the electrification of a majority of the subdivision in 1927–1929, Leavenworth was the division point. This was moved to its current location in Wenatchee in 1928–1929. Starting near Leavenworth, the current line follows the Wenatchee River valley to the city of Wenatchee and the Columbia River. This area has a historic past, and is known for fruit production, particularly apples, pears and cherries. The railroad follows the river through countless fruit groves and passes the communities of Peshastin, Dryden, Cashmere, and Monitor, before arriving in the Wenatchee area. At Wenatchee, there is a small industrial base served by the railroad as well as a yard (Appleyard) used mainly during the fruit harvest season. History The section between Seattle and Everett was the site of several fatal collisions with pedestrians in the 1970s due to its location along the shore. The King and Snohomish county governments constructed several pedestrian overpasses to provide access to public beaches and shorelands over the tracks. The section has also been the site of landslides that caused prolonged closures for passenger and freight service. The Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, and BNSF funded $16.1 million in improvements, including retaining walls, slope stabilization, and landslide detection, beginning in 2014. Gallery References External links BNSF Subdivisions BNSF Railway lines Rail infrastructure in Washington (state)