Sumpter Valley Railroad
McEwen, Baker County, Oregon. Narrow-gauge, steam-powered railroad.
Details
- Where
- 12259 Huckleberry Loop Baker City, McEwen, OR 12259. Directions
- When
- Fall Foliage trains October 16, 17, 18 and Halloween Train October 31 from McEwen and Sumpter; Christmas Trains run into December.
- Season
- Opens May 23, Saturday (Memorial Day Weekend).
- Getting there
- The McEwen depot, yards, and Baker County Day Park are 23 miles southwest of Baker City, Oregon on Highway 7.
- Fees
- 10% discount for groups of 10 or more.
- Access
- We provide assistance during boarding as well as a lift for wheelchair access, ensuring a smooth and comfortable experience for all passengers.
- Walk-in or reserve
- Arrive 30 minutes before the train is scheduled to depart.
- Phone
- (541) 894-2268
- Website
- sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- Established
- 50th Anniversary Photo Charter, June 16-17.
Two excursions: a 12-mile, approximately 2.5-hour round trip from the McEwen Depot through the valley, and a 6-mile, approximately 45-minute round trip from the Sumpter Depot.
Notable Events
- 1890In July of 1890 the railroad was completed nearly as far as McEwen, the first terminus 25 miles up the Powder River, and the first car of logs reached Baker on 1 August 1890. npgallery.nps.gov
- 1895The extension line to Sumpter was not begun until 1895 because of the national depression. npgallery.nps.gov
- 1896On 31 October 1896, the Sumpter Valley Railroad connected the town of Sumpter with markets all over the country. npgallery.nps.gov
- 1947The original track was scrapped in 1947, and nearly all of the original road bed had eroded away. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1971The Union Pacific Railroad transported the 40 ton Heisler from Cascade to Baker Oregon, free of charge, the first of many UP favors. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1971The Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration was incorporated under the laws of Oregon as a non-profit operating tourist railroad, only 24 years after the original railway had stopped operations. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1975Volunteer bulldozing leveled two thousand feet of road bed, the Union Pacific Railroad donated 2000 feet of rail, ties, spikes, and plates, and the first track was laid at the depot. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1976After a six year struggle the Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration was in business, and the official ribbon cutting ceremony opening the railroad was July 4, 1976. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1977Locomotive numbers 19 and 20 had been purchased new in 1920 by the SVRy, sold to the White Pass and Yukon in 1940, and retired there in 1960 before coming home. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1977The SVRR was able to purchase the two locomotives for a dollar each, and the Union Pacific provided transportation from Seattle to Baker City. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1977The Union Pacific Railroad donated the track materials on a 20 mile branch line from Vale to Brogan, Oregon. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1985A Union Pacific branch line between Athena and Weston ceased operation, and the UPRR offered the rails if the organization would dismantle and transport two and one-half miles of 80 pound rails. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1988Emma Eccles Jones, daughter of railroad founder David Eccles, made a generous donation to fund expansion efforts, writing of taking a private train to the end of line with her mother to pick huckleberries. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1991After painstaking interior restoration work by SVRR member Eric Wunz the car was placed back into service, and Coach #20 was named Em Eccles Jones in her honor. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 1991In 1991, the railroad finally arrived in the town of Sumpter. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
- 2007In 2007 the railroad moved into its reproduction of the original station. sumptervalleyrailroad.org
People
- David Eccles, Founder who with other associates proposed building the Sumpter Valley Railroad in 1890.
- Emma Eccles Jones, Daughter of railroad founder David Eccles whose generous donation funded expansion efforts.
- Eric Wunz, SVRR member who did the painstaking interior restoration work on the SVRy wooden clerestory coach.