Last updated 01/01/2000
Located in the Blue Mountains of north eastern Oregon, The Sumpter Valley Railway is another success story of preservation. The narrow gauge (3ft) line was originally founded in 1890 to haul logs to a lumber mill in Baker City. Loads of lumber were soon joined by loads of mining equipment and passengers to the various towns along the way. The railroad continued to grow and track mileage increased, reaching it's peak about 1910. The passenger and freight business began to decline in the 1920's as more of the business shifted to cars and trucks. By 1947 the entire operation had ceased. Much equipment had sold off to other lumber operations and railroads.
In 1970 a group of Baker County residents got together and formed a preservation society to acquire as much of the remaining equipment of the original Sumpter Valley Railway right of way as possible. They hoped to one day restore a portion of the original line to operation. In 1971 the group was able to purchase 2-truck, wood burning Heisler No. 3 from Boise Cascade. The locomotive had survived all these years in a shed in Cascade ID serving as a backup boiler to a lumber mill until 1969. Rails and ties were donated by the Union Pacific, a couple of flat cars were obtained from the D&RGW.
In 1977, two SVRR Baldwin 2-8-2's no.s 19 and 20 were obtained from the White Pass and Yukon. The locomotives were stored in Skagway and operated on WP&Y after their career on the SVRwy ended. In 1992 the 19 was trucked to Portland OR where Doyle McCormack's steam crew spent 4 years restoring the mike to operating condition.
The history of the SVRR is much more interesting and detailed, and you can learn more by visiting the Sumpter Valley Railway home page.
The railway operates from Memorial Day through the last weekend in September.
SVRR, Inc.
P.O. Box 389
Baker City, OR 97814
541-894-2268
Crew members prepare Baldwin 2-8-2 #19 for the days operation. Note that
the locomotive has an inside frame, like a standard gauge rod locomotive.
The locomotives at the Cumbres and Toltec and Durango and Silverton are
outside frame. #19 and #20 were both built new for the SVRR in 1920. They
were sold to the WP&Y in 1941. (56K 672x416 jpg)
Preparing to couple to the train and spot it at McEwen Station.
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Baldwin 2-8-2 #20 is currently in storage at McEwen Station.
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#19 is passing one of the many sloughs along the line that are the result
of gold dredging operations in the valley. (68K 720x480 jpg)
New Photos, January 2000Out of service for several seasons, overhaul of the #3 was completed in the late summer and early fall of 1999. These pictures were taken on the final operating day of the 1999 season.
Wood burning, 2-truck Heisler #3 was built in 1915 for W.H. Eccles Lumber
Company and sold to the Hallock & Howard Lumber Co. at Cascade ID in 1927.
It was transfered to Boise Cascade in 1960 in a corporate takeover.
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This photo gives you just a hint of how beautiful the location of the Sumpter
Valley RR is.(76K 768x384 jpg)
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