CHEHALIS, Wash. — A plan announced in April that would have seen the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad operate steam excursions on the tracks of the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum “is not going to be executed this year,” the Chehalis-Centralia Chronicle reports.
Instead, the Mt. Rainier Scenic now says it will offer limited steam excursions on its own route beginning Sept. 1.
The newspaper quotes minutes of a July meeting of the Chehalis-Central board, which said the idea was being put on hold. Board president Mary Kay Nelson said in a statement to the newspaper that her organization “has not given up hope and continues to explore other options,” and that work continues on deferred maintenance on track and bridges.
The two organizations offered contrasting views on what happened to the Chehalis plans. The Chehalis-Centralia meeting minutes indicate Mt. Rainier Executive Director Bethan Miller said Miller’s organization was concentrating its resources on a RailCycle project at Mt. Rainier’s location in Elbe, Wash. A Mt. Rainier representative said in a written statement to the newspaper that “the CCRM board voted to put the partnership on hold as they work through their own challenges and funding concerns.”
That same statement says a “generous donation” will allow Mt. Rainier to perform track and bridge repairs and begin a limited steam excursion schedule. Tickets for steam trips Sept. 1-Oct. 29 are now on sale on the Mt. Rainier website.
Mt. Rainer Scenic said in April it was finalizing negotiations to bring its steam engine, 1922 Baldwin 2-8-2 Polson No. 70, and several passenger cars to Chehalis for the excursions [see “Mt. Rainier Scenic plans excursions in Chehalis, Wash. …,” Trains News Wire, April 27, 2023].
Mt. Rainier Scenic, which has been shut down since 2020, is restoring its own tracks to operating condition and originally expected to resume operation no sooner than 2024 [see “Mt. Rainier Scenic to return in 2024 or 2025,” News Wire, Sept. 19, 2022], while the Chehalis-Central operation has been sidelined because of an inability to obtain operating liability insurance [see “Accident losses led to end of insurance …,” News Wire, March 10, 2023]. It has regained some insurance, allowing stationary events and work on the property.
Share this article
