ELBE, Wash. — A major wooden trestle on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has been destroyed in a potential arson fire, a major blow that has the operation asking for financial support.
The heritage railway, in a Facebook post, says a fire at a 28-span bridge between Mineral and Morton, Wash., was reported about 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. It took fire crews more than an hour to reach the scene, and by then, the railroad says, “the damage was done.”
The bridge had been rebuilt 20 years ago and was still structurally sound, the railroad says. It burned just after the sale of the railroad had been finalized.
“That span carried more than trains,” the railroad said on Facebook. “It carried the weight of our financial stability, our plans for local industry, and the future of the communities we serve. … we don’t know what the path forward looks like yet, but we do know we need help.”
The railroad says it will post updates and photos later today, but for now has launched a GoFundMe page to help reopen the railroad. “Donations will go toward whatever that now requires — including insurance deductibles, legal costs, and eventually, bridge replacement and recovery planning,”” according to that page.
As of 9:30 a.m. CT, the page had received $4,290 toward its initial goal of $20,000.
The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad was shut down by owner American Heritage Railways in 2020, with the company — owner of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, among other properties — citing the cost of rehabilitating the operation, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic [see “American Heritage says it will work …,” Trains News Wire, May 20, 2020]. The Western Forest Industries Museum subsequently acquired the railroad and began limited excursions in fall 2023, while working toward a full resumption of service [see “Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad returns to operation,” News Wire, Sept. 7, 2023].
— This is a developing story. Follow Trains News Wire for more information as it becomes available.
These wooden bridge fires are a national problem. The problem is not easily solved as the replacement costs for some bridges are very steep.
Very sad news. I visited the Mt. Rainier Scenic RR years ago and really enjoyed the train ride and tour of the shops. I hope they are able to secure the funding to replace the bridge and resume operations. Definitely worthy of a donation in my opinion.