Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation: Challenging Times yet Times for Celebration

Rail preservation often comes with challenges, and the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) is no exception. Yet despite challenging times, the organization continues to find times for celebration — especially with the continued success of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland and the iconic locomotives it protects.

The foundation’s story began in the 1990s with a looming challenge to three city-owned steam locomotives housed at Portland’s Brooklyn Yard: Southern Pacific 4-8-4 “Daylight” No. 4449, Spokane, Portland & Seattle 4-8-4 No. 700, and Oregon Railway & Navigation 4-6-2 No. 197. The former SP, 1912-built roundhouse that sheltered the locomotives was slated for demolition following Union Pacific’s 1996 merger with the aforementioned railroad. 

Realizing the urgency, the volunteer groups responsible for each locomotive — Friends of SP 4449, Pacific Railroad Preservation Association, and Friends of OR&N 197 — joined forces. As FO4449 President Pat Tracy recalls, the collaboration began with a coffee shop meeting in the late 1990s, when the group began discussions on a new permanent home with one shared goal: keep the locomotives and their caretakers together. The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Northwest Rail Museum and the City of Portland joined in as well, and in 2002 the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation was officially formed, with Doyle McCormack serving as the first president.

Preservation with challenges

Over the next decade, the collaborated effort led a campaign to secure land and funding for the new home. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Laurel Lyon, a visionary project lead according to Tracy, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center opened in 2012. “She was really the impetus on developing the center that was a concept. By 2012, it went from concept to being built.”

The $5 million museum and restoration complex stands tall along the Oregon Pacific Railroad’s (OPR) interchange with the UP, east of the nearby Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. The center’s crown jewels are Nos. 4449 and 700 with their careers as mainline excursion stars. But it’s no secret that both stars have seen limited operation in recent years.

No. 700 was last under steam in 2017, prior to its 1,472-day boiler inspection, which is now wrapping up. No. 4449’s flue time is still good for 5 years, though it hasn’t been fired up since 2023. What are the reasons behind the locomotives being all dressed up, but presumably no place to go? Will all that change in the future? These are common questions the foundation receives regularly through social media, emails, phone calls, and from visitors at the center.

Mainline running on Class I railroads now depend on a more challenging mix of operating logistics and costs than in years past. To best summarize: it’s fitting into the busier freight and passenger schedules; staggering liability insurance premiums, which were rectified by operating under Amtrak’s coverage until 2018 when the carrier altered its charter policy; and the high cost of installing a positive train control system.

While shortline and regional railroads usually don’t have these conundrums, the nearest pickings don’t have the infrastructure or desire to accommodate these large, heavy locomotives. Even the OPR, once a reliable operating alternative for years, eventually couldn’t keep up with the wear and tear.

A celebrated future

Both FO4449 and PRPA continue to explore options and monitor the further development of PTC and Amtrak’s charter policy. Track upgrades to the Oregon Pacific are also long-term goals. While there are no guarantees, Tracy assures that maintenance to Nos. 4449 and 700 will continue. If a time comes for extensive operations again, the machines and the people will be ready.

In the meantime, the foundation hopes to have both locomotives fired up as part of National Train Day on May 10. Even when not under steam, they’re still safe in a climate-controlled building that is easily accessible to the public, a stark contrast to the active Brooklyn Yard.

Meanwhile, acquiring the property the center sits on gives ORHF the advantage of having the OPR next door. The 5.5-mile, industrial shortline branch heads south along the Springwater Corridor and Willamette River to the Milwaukie District, with Oaks Park situated along the way. The park itself is where Nos. 4449, 700, and 197 were once displayed after their initial retirements.

The line was purchased in 1991 by the late Dick Samuel and is now operated by his sons, Tim Brian and Craig. The family and ORHF have a strong bond, and the Oregon Pacific has played a pivotal role in a partnership of hosting steam and diesel excursions like the foundation’s annual Holiday Express. Following Dick’s passing in 2021, ORHF took over all operations of the excursions.

Now, the Samuel family has offered the organization the opportunity to purchase the railroad and its assets. A capital campaign is currently under way to raise $3 million by October 2026. “That will give us the opportunity and the roadway to go clear into the future because we’ll own a railroad that we can regularly operate on,” said ORHF President Rick Franklin.

Owner of the Albany & Eastern Railroad and Rick Franklin Corp., Franklin’s involvement with the foundation began in 2012 when his company was contracted to relocate the 100-foot turntable from Brooklyn Roundhouse. When called on again in 2021 to help restore and install the structure at the center’s front plaza, an opportunity arose to join the board of directors and move the needle. As president, Franklin sees the Oregon Pacific as a building block to sustainability and more.

The driving factor

With the inevitable ownership of the OPR, the foundation envisions expanded excursion offerings, new programs, and space to house and restore more historic rail equipment. The latter is important as the center’s locomotive roster continues to grow.

Notable additions include the former Polson Logging Co. 2-8-2 No. 2, temporarily on loan before it resides at its permanent home on the Albany & Eastern; and Mount Emily Lumber No. 1, a three-truck Shay the foundation acquired in 2022 that’s currently undergoing a 1,472-day inspection. Meanwhile, No. 197 is deep into its restoration decades in the making. Both the Shay and Pacific will then be the primary motive power for excursions on the Oregon Pacific. With up to five steam locomotives now active or under restoration, along with a growing fleet of vintage diesels and passenger cars, ORHF is also seeking nearby real estate for additional storage and restoration facilities to ease the strain on the center and its maxed-out capacity. 

When asked what’s been the key takeaways in the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation’s accomplishments, Executive Director Renee Devereux is quick to answer. “The dedication of the volunteers and their passion to make sure that these locomotives are around for generations to come.”

“The demand here is quite high,” Franklin adds. “We’re in a volume of a three million-area population. Portland is a pretty cool place, and this railroad event that we have going on here needs to be preserved and taken on into the future after you and I are gone.

“That’s the driving factor.”