The Original Elbe Depot was built by the Tacoma Eastern Railroad in 1905, a year after the arrival of the railroad to the town.The original building was demolished in the late 1960’s. The depot that is here today sits on the original footprint but has a different design, being only one story tall. The depot in nearby Morton is an identical twin of the original building at Elbe.
Alder Lake
As the train leaves Elbe, you will see Alder Lake. Originally the railroad ran through here, and connected the small town of Alder. Damming in 1946 created the lake you see today and the town was abandoned. During the winter when the lake is shallow and frozen, you can see old tracks, sidewalks, and other remnants of the town beneath the surface.
Nature - New Reliance Route
Our proximity to Mt. Rainier National Park means that you may see a lot of wildlife on your ride. Ranging from black bears and bobcats to elk and deer. As we pass through farmland you can see beef cattle. Along the line many of the Pacific’s Northwest most beautiful trees are present, from the silvery alder’s, majestic cottonwoods, the staple of the forestry douglas firs. The surrounding area has been logged several times, the oldest (and tallest) trees you see are second growth meaning they are about 120 years old. The rest of the forest is mostly made of third and fourth growth trees, ranging from 90 – 40 years old.
National Park Branch History
The track we are running on was originally built by the Tacoma Eastern Railroad at the start of the 1900’s however it was rerouted during the Second World War by the Milwaukee Road due to the construction of Alder dam. With the railroad’s arrival in Elbe in 1904, and in Ashford later that year, a direct link between Tacoma and the entrance to Mt. Rainier was established. What had been a three-day stagecoach journey was slashed to a journey of just three hours. This allowed for huge amounts of timber to be transported out, and for an influx of people including tourists to Mt. Rainier National Park. Tourism helped drive the development of lodges and hotels in the National Park with development extending to Elbe.
New Reliance S Curve Northbound
As the train heads through the Boettcher farm, look out the window to get a great view of the full train as it heads towards New Reliance.
Logging History - New Reliance
When the railroad was first built by the Tacoma Eastern, it passed through some of the richest timber on the West Coast, and the logging industry proved to be incredibly lucrative for the railroad. Washington State developed in parallel with the rise of the timber industry. The two are deeply connected: as logging expanded, towns grew, transportation networks formed, and the state’s economy took shape. By the early 20th century, Washington State was the largest wood-producing state in the nation, and the timber industry was its largest employer. Production peaked in the 1920s, with a staggering seven billion board feet of lumber produced annually between 1924 to 1929.
New Reliance Mountain view
On a clear day it is possible to see the mountain from here.
New Reliance Stop
Here our train comes to a halt and the engine runs around to take us back to Elbe. We are at New Reliance with the damming of Alder Lake and subsequent redirection of the railroad, it was decided to relocate the town of Reliance and new track was laid. However by the completion of work in 1948 the town of Reliance was already gone and New Reliance never grew.
New Reliance S-Curve Southbound
As the train returns to Elbe, look out the window to get a great view of the train and locomotive as it passes through this curve.
Mountain View Southbound
As the train slows across the Nisqually Bridge, look to your left up the Nisqually River and on a clear day you will be greeted with an awesome view of Mt. Rainier.
Mountain View Northbound
As the train slows across the Nisqually Bridge, look to your right up the Nisqually River and on a clear day you will be greeted with an awesome view of Mt. Rainier.
Nature - Mineral Route
Our proximity to Mt. Rainier National Park means that you may see a lot of wildlife on your ride. Ranging from black bears and bobcats to elk and deer. As we pass through farmland you can see beef cattle. Along the line many of the Pacific’s Northwest most beautiful trees are present, from the silvery alder’s, majestic cottonwoods, the staple of the forestry douglas firs. The surrounding area has been logged several times, the oldest (and tallest) trees you see are second growth meaning they are about 120 years old. The rest of the forest is mostly made of third and fourth growth trees, ranging from 90 – 40 years old.
Nisqually Bridge
Spring melts from Mt. Rainier led to many early attempts to bridge the Nisqually river washing out. Finally in 1905 the Tacoma Eastern built a covered bridge that was able to withstand flooding.In the 1960’s the Milwaukee Road removed the covered bridge built by the Tacoma Eastern and replaced it with a steel span. Heavy floods led to a new bridge being constructed in the 1980’s assisted by our logging locomotives. A video of which can be found online.
Park Junction
The train is now passing through Park Junction. Here the route used to continue on towards Ashford where travellers would continue on to Mt. Rainier National Park. When the Milwaukee Road absorbed the Tacoma Eastern in 1919 it ran the National Park Limited this service from Seattle connected to Tacoma and then ran on to Ashford. The National Park Limited carried hundreds of thousands of people annually to the gates of Mt. Rainier and continued until 1932, as the Great Depression continued and road travel eroded passenger numbers.
Tacoma Eastern History
The track we are running on was built by the Tacoma Eastern Railroad at the start of the 1900’s. With the railroad’s arrival in Elbe in 1904, and in Ashford later that year, a direct link between Tacoma and the entrance to Mt. Rainier was established. What had been a three-day stagecoach journey was slashed to a journey of just three hours. This allowed for huge amounts of timber to be transported out, and for an influx of people including tourists to Mt. Rainier National Park. Tourism helped drive the development of lodges and hotels in the National Park with development extending to Elbe.
Tacoma Eastern History Mineral
Named for the rich deposits in the hills around the lake, Mineral was important to the development of the Tacoma Eastern which used coal for locomotive fuel. Coal was favoured over wood because of fewer sparks, reducing wildfire risk in forested areas. The Northern Pacific Railroad had monopolised coal in Washington, and the Tacoma Eastern was eager to find an alternate source in the deposits around Mineral.
Mineral Creek
As our train runs alongside Mineral Creek you may notice Osprey flying overhead, or other wildlife enjoying this secluded spot.
Roundtop Junction
We are at roundtop junction. Here the train heads towards our Mineral site. Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad plans to expand service towards East Creek Junction.
Mineral shop
Welcome to Mineral. This is the location of our shop where repairs and restorations are undertaken. Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad's museum is also located here, it is currently being prepared to open. As the locomotive runs around to take us back to Elbe explore the collection of our equipment below.
Safety
As our train begins it's journey. Remember to keep your heads, arms, legs, children, inside the train at all times. There are branches along the track and anything you place out of the window is likely to be lost! When stepping between carriages please exercise caution as the connections move and toes may be caught. We encourage you to take photos, but please mantain a strong grip on your devices so that they are not lost. Addiontally listen to all staff instructions and enjoy your ride!
Safety
As our train begins it's journey. Remember to keep your heads, arms, legs, children, inside the train at all times. There are branches along the track and anything you place out of the window is likely to be lost! When stepping between carriages please exercise caution as the connections move and toes may be caught. We encourage you to take photos, but please mantain a strong grip on your devices so that they are not lost. Addiontally listen to all staff instructions and enjoy your ride!
Train Set (Alco S1)
WWII-veteran ALCO 7134 is stepping up as our steam locomotives are in the repair shop. This engine is one of the first mass-produced diesel locomotives and variations of this same engine design powered tanks and submarines during the war. The train consists of the open air car, concessions car and pair of 900 series coaches.
Train Set (Alco S1) (New Reliance)
WWII-veteran ALCO 7134 is stepping up as our steam locomotives are in the repair shop. This engine is one of the first mass-produced diesel locomotives and variations of this same engine design powered tanks and submarines during the war. The train consists of the open air car, concessions car and pair of 900 series coaches.
