In July of 1873, the small waterfront community had been selected as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad (NPRR). Under a tight deadline to connect the railroad to saltwater, the railroad raced to connect Tacoma to existing rail lines along the Columbia River at Kalama, WA. Using a diverse group of laborers, including over 750 Chinese workers, the line was built between the fall and winter of 1873 and regular train service began in January of 1874. The final leg of this railroad ran from Tenino to Tacoma, passing through the “burnt prairie” near Olympia. Thus, it became known as the Prairie Line.
The Prairie Line Trail project converts one mile of the historic Prairie Line railroad corridor, through downtown Tacoma, into a signature public space integrating a multi-use trail, historic/cultural interpretation, public art, multimedia, and green features.
A railroad switch is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another, such as at a railway junction or where a spur or siding branches off. The switch consists of the pair of linked tapering rails, known as points (switch rails or point blades), lying between the diverging outer rails (the stock rails). These points can be moved laterally into one of two positions to direct a train coming from the point blades toward the straight path or the diverging path.