2008 NPRHA Convention
Tacoma, Washington

Jim Fredrickson Country

July 15-19, 2008

Convention Hotel

Hotel Murano

(Formerly Sheraton Tacoma Hotel)

1320 Broadway Plaza

Tacoma, WA 98402

Phone 888-627-7044

Reserve rooms by June 1, 2008.

Convention Site

Tacoma Union Station served as the Northern Pacific's Tacoma Division headquarters when it opened in 1911. When the Seattle Division was absorbed in 1932, Tacoma became headquarters for all NP operations west of Yakima, Washington. This is Jim Fredrickson Country. Jim served as a highly esteemed, Tacoma Division dispatcher and captured NP and other area railroad operations with his unique photographic skills. His encyclopedic knowledge of the Tacoma Division is amplified by his amazing collection of railroad documents and artifacts. This convention will explore the area and the NP that Jim loves.

Designated as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific in 1873, Tacoma, Washington has been an important railroad center from the beginning of the NP. The city is located on beautiful Commencement Bay and blessed with a great deal of space for port facilities and industrial sites. The constant competition with Seattle caused Tacoma and the early NP Board members to employ everything they could to grow the "City of Destiny" into the leading port on Puget Sound, including withholding service to its larger neighbor until 1885. Alas, Seattle won that battle to become the commercial center, but Tacoma remained an important industrial center and a major shipping terminal on the NP.

In 21st Century, Tacoma remains a major rail center. The north-south mainline between Vancouver BC and Los Angles currently routes close to 50 trains per day through Tacoma. The NP locomotive terminal and turntable are still in use servicing power for north-south traffic, as-well-as for some of the Stampede Pass freight traffic. Switching duties from both the BNSF and UP are being taken over by Tacoma Rail, the city-owned utility, which also provides freight service on the NP's former Prairie, Olympia and American Lake lines and on the Tacoma Eastern lines of the Milwaukee.

The convention headquarters is in Tacoma's downtown museum district which includes the Washington State History Museum, Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass, along with the Tacoma Campus of the University of Washington, the Tacoma Dome arena and numerous restaurants and shopping locations. These are connected by the free Link Light Rail. This convention is shaping up to be one not to be missed!!

Convention Activities

Modeling Clinics; History Presentations; Museum Tours; a planned train ride; the Annual Banquet; Swap Meet; Slide Shows; The Famous NPRHA Raffle and Much More!