Starting out on the right track.
Our phased approach to reopening and expanding railroad operations.
Phase I: RailCycle Mt. Rainier and feasibility studies
In the Spring of 2023, WFIM will launch RailCycle Mt. Rainier, which will offer family-friendly pedal-powered rail bike excursions over the spectacular terrain found in the foothills of the Mt. Rainier National Park. RailCycles are easy to pedal and ideal for families of all ages and many abilities. The RailCycle trip departs from Park Junction (east of Elbe) and travels to our railroad and logging museum in Mineral, WA, just miles from the entrance to the National Park. The family-friendly excursions will constitute a 6-mile pedal-cart ride with a brief layover on the museum grounds to enjoy the historical exhibits, stretch your legs, snap photos of the rolling countryside, and enjoy a quick refreshment while guides turn bikes around for the return trip.
Concurrently, WFIM will conduct feasibility studies to examine the best path forward in moving the center of railroad operations to Eatonville, including the construction of a new depot and repair facilities.
Pictured Left: Mt. Rainier taken from the Nisqually River, along the RailCycle route.
Phases II & III: Begin construction in Eatonville, resume railroad operations
In Phases II and III of WFIM’s relaunch of Mt. Rainier Railroad, an additional RailCycle location will open in Eatonville, and construction of the new depot site identified in Phase I’s feasibility study will begin. Significant funding and planning are needed to rehabilitate the tracks and bridges between Elbe and Eatonville; WFIM is actively seeking federal and state grant assistance in performing the necessary infrastructure upgrades. RailCycle operating revenue, grant funding, and donations will help restore WFIM’s fleet of steam locomotives to operable condition, including the 1,472-day inspections and repairs mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The most exciting aspects of Phase II and III implementation will be the return of railroad operations and events. WFIM conservatively anticipates 125,000 annual visitors between RailCycle and railroad operations, including events such as The Polar Express Train Ride.
Pictured Right: WFIM’s Hammond Lumber Co’s engine #17 running in 2019 for an excursion of The Polar Express Train Ride.
Phase IV: Museum Construction
WFIM intends to construct a new museum to feature the organization’s vast collection of steam locomotives and logging equipment while incorporating local Nisqually Heritage and stories of the logging camps told through the lens of the human experience.
While Western Forest Industries Museum has historically focused on the logging equipment, the feats of engineering, and the ingenuity that helped navigate the challenging terrain of rural west coast forests, we are committed to telling the story in a wider and more inclusive context.
Pictured Left: A logging crew poses with their Washington Iron Works donkey rigged up for the ground lead in the Mineral area. Noteworthy is the Japanese American logger who may be the fireman based on the way he is dressed. Rails to Paradise, Russell H. Holter & Jesse Clark McAbee
“A concerted effort to preserve our heritage is a vital link to our cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational and economic legacies - all of the things that quite literally make us who we are.”
— Steve Berry