Mount Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum

rdf:langString Mount Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum

rdf:langString Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum

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rdf:langString A view of Mount Rainier from the railroad line

rdf:langString Lewis & Pierce counties, Washington, U.S.

rdf:langString The Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum or MRRR, formerly the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad (MRSR), is a steam-powered heritage railroad operating in the U.S. state of Washington between Elbe and Mineral. The railroad travels on trackage that passes through thick forest just south of Mount Rainier. The depot, gift shop and ticket office are located in Elbe. The train travels to the Logging Museum exhibits located in Mineral. The MRRR ran its collection of vintage rail equipment over seven miles of track, part of Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division. The railroad has three steam engines, as well as a diesel locomotive in regular service, along with several other locomotives of both types of engines. Most of the railroad's engines are geared steam engines. These specialized types of steam engines — Shay engines, Heisler engines, Climax engines and a Willamette engine were used in the early 20th century for logging. Compared to conventional steam locomotives, geared locomotives were better-suited for the steep grades, sharp curves and uneven profiles of hastily laid track typical of logging operations. Thus, the MRRR sought to preserve and operate historic geared locomotives and related logging technology in order to present visitors with a sense of a bygone logging era critical to the development of the Pacific Northwest. Prior to 2016, steam operations were run based on availability of volunteer operators, who comprised the great majority of railroad personnel. However after being purchased by American Heritage Railways in 2016, the railroad's operations were run by professional staff. The MRRR's regular schedule ran weekends from Memorial Day to late October, with special event Polar Express trains November through December. In May 2020, American Heritage Railways announced that the railroad would cease operations "for the foreseeable future" due to financial losses caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The last Polar Express train ran from November to December of 2019. On September 15, 2022, it was announced that the railroad would resume operations by 2025, including the restoration of track to Eatonville that will add 9 miles to the railroad.

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rdf:langString Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum