Northwest Railway Museum

The Northwest Railway Museum (NRM) is a railroad museum in Snoqualmie, King County, Washington. It consists of a heritage railway, historic depot, exhibit hall, archive center and a two track shop dedicated to restoring railroad equipment. The museum serves more than 130,000 visitors per year. The heritage railway incorporates 5.5 miles of the line built in 1889 by the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway (SLS&E). The SLS&E was part of Seattle's response to the Northern Pacific selecting Tacoma as their western terminus. The construction of this line was an attempt to build over Snoqualmie Pass, on to Walla Walla. The SLS&E was later purchased by the Northern Pacific in 1901. Snoqualmie Depot Built in 1890 by the Seattle, Lake Shore, & Eastern, this uniquely designed depot was built to serve several different purposes. The station chiefly served as the gateway to this early recreation area, but also served as an outlet for local products to the markets of Seattle. An atypical design was the result of this need for a rural combined freight-passenger depot, however, one with lavish decorations to reflect the holiday spirit of vacationers from Seattle. Visitors came to enjoy Snoqualmie Falls along with other outdoor recreation the area could provide. The station is a large frame building about 125 by 50 feet (38 by 15 m) with a generous 9 feet (2.7 m) eaves. A bay window features the telegrapher's office. The semicircular north end stands out in this design. The eaves are supported by wooden pillars and diagonal braces and scroll work decorates the intersection of the braces with the eaves and the pillars. The current structure was modified from the original, in which the bay window continued up through the roof and formed an octagonal tower a full story in height. A two sash window with a semicircular upper sash appeared on each face of the tower and a prominent cornice separated the tower body from the steeply pitched roof. The roof was decorated with fancy butt shingles and capped with a finial. A large swept dormer was placed in the southern part of the main structure above the freight section, Cast iron cresting and fancy butt shingles decorated the roof of both the main body and the transverse dormer. The freight dock, was wider originally and ran the length of the entire rear third of the station, is now a small porch in front of a single sliding freight door. The Snoqualmie depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, ID #74001963. Museum The Northwest Railway Museum was founded in 1957 as the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association. As part of a general reorganization, the museum took its current name in September 1999. The mission of the organization is to develop and operate a nationally significant railway museum where the public can learn the role railroads in the development of the Pacific Northwest, and experience a railroad operating with historic practices and equipment. The museum's collection includes a variety of railway cars and locomotives that showcase the growth of railroads in the Pacific Northwest from the 1870s to the present. The museum also includes a significant 3,000-volume library and research archive that focuses on the history of railroads in the Northwest and on technical and other engineering aspects of railroading. On the heritage railroad, volunteers and staff members are trained in the use of historic operating practices, showcasing how railroads operated prior to the invention of technologies like two-way radios. Railway History Campus The Railway History Campus serves as the core of the museum, hosting several different buildings providing for the preservation of history. In 2006, the Museum dedicated the new Conservation and Restoration Workshop (CRW), phase one of the Railway History Campus. The CRW hosts repairs and restoration work on the museum's equipment, including locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars. It features 8,200 square feet (760 m2) of floor space, two tracks with full-length inspection pits, and a foundation specially designed for heavy machining equipment. The building is used to perform functions once conducted in railroad backshops. A full assortment of carpentry and machining equipment allows the museum to produce parts that have been out of production since the 1960s. The Train Shed Exhibit Hall provides 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) and four tracks of climate controlled, indoor storage. Approximately one third of the museum's historic equipment can be stored in the building. The building allows for the display of exhibits and artifacts dedicated to historic Northwest railroading, such as the Wellington Avalanche. The Railway Education Center hosts the museum's specially constructed archival vault and research library, a classroom, and administrative offices. Collection Steam locomotives Diesel-Electric locomotives Gasoline-Mechanical locomotives Passenger cars The Northwest Railway Museum maintains 18 passenger cars of various time periods, manufactured between 1881 and 1998. Most of these cars were built by either Barney and Smith, the St. Louis Car Company, or Pullman. SP&S passenger cars 213, 218, 272, and 276 normally operate with one of the museum's diesel locomotives and/or Northern Pacific 924 for excursion service on the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. Freight, industrial, and maintenance of way equipment The museum owns a total of 39 other railway equipment artifacts in various forms, previously operating for a wide variety of Northwest railroads. While not included as historic equipment, there are also various pieces of equipment used to maintain the railway, some of which dates as far back as the 1950s. Heritage railroad The Northwest Railway Museum operates a heritage railroad called the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. This 11-mile (18 km) round trip route allows museum visitors to experience a train excursion aboard antique railroad coaches dating to 1915 and earlier. Trains are scheduled either Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday depending on the time of year, with chartered or special trains on various days. The railroad typically carries over 60,000 passengers per year. The railroad hosts several special events, such as the Day Out with Thomas event every July. Other events include Christmas & Halloween trains, wine tasting specials, and chartered excursions such as educational trains and corporate events. See also List of heritage railroads in the United States References Alexander, Edwin P. Down at the Depot. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. ,1970. Droege, John A. Passenger Terminals and Trains . New York: McGraw Hill, 1916 External links Northwest Railway Museum website Northwest Railway Museum blog KCTV Spot [1] HeritageRail Alliance profile