Puget Sound Electric Railway

Infobox rail
railroad_name = Puget Sound Electric Railway
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marks = PSE


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locale = Seattle–Tacoma, Washington
start_year = 1902
end_year = 1928
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length = convert|199.4|mi|km|abbr=on
hq_city = Tacoma, Washington
website =The Puget Sound Electric Railway was an interurban railway that ran between Tacoma and Seattle, Washington in the first quarter of the 20th century. 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 [" [http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=2667 Interurban Rail Transit in King County and the Puget Sound Region] ". HistoryLink.org.] with a line that started in downtown Tacoma, ran along Pacific and Puyallup Avenues, followed the course of present day Pacific highway through Fife, and continued up through Milton, Jovita, Pacific, Algona, Auburn, Kent, Orillia, Renton, and into Seattle on its own dedicated right-of-way, then running on surface streets to the area near Pioneer Square, where it interchanged with other interurbans in the area.

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 getting electrocuted, and in some cases dead cows caused accidents involving the trolleys themselves.

The railroad enjoyed a few short years of success, until competition from trucks and an ever-expanding road network, as well as the steam railroads put it out of business in 1928.

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. [" [http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/trails/interurban.html Interurban Trail (South)] ". King County Parks.] The City of Edgewood's portion is currently in planning stages, with construction slated to begin in 2009. [" [http://www.cityofedgewood.org/Bonnie/The%20Interurban%20Trail%20(Read-Only).pdf The Interurban Trail] " (PDF). City of Edgewood.]

References

*cite book |author=McGraw Publishing Company |title=McGraw electric railway manual : the red book of American street railway investment |year=1914 |oclc=5352121 |pages=p. 322 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=BnwpAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA322&dq=%22Puget+Sound+Electric%22#PRA1-PA322,M1