Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) is a registered non-profit organization
based in Portland
, Oregon
, United States
. Composed of several all-volunteer groups dedicated to maintaining vintage railroad
equipment, the ORHF is committed "to secure a permanent home for the City of Portland’s steam locomotives, preserve the Brooklyn Roundhouse, and establish a Rail and Industrial Heritage Museum.”
At present, the ORHF is constructing a new restoration shop for the city's steam locomotive
s, the first of a multi-phase project aimed at housing them permanently. When the new Oregon Enginehouse & Rail Heritage Center is completed, this will permit the ORHF to continue operating steam-powered excursions while openly displaying the locomotives to the public. Access to the locomotives is currently limited as the equipment is stored on the private property of the Union Pacific Railroad
, out of visitors' reach. The ORHF is tasked with completing the construction of the engine house and moving the locomotives before UP razes its current roundhouse
early in 2012.
(SP 4449), Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 (SP&S 700), and Oregon Railroad & Navigation 197 (OR&N 197
). All three engines were donated to the city in 1958 and displayed in Oaks Park
in Southeast Portland until restored to operation (the 197's restoration is a work in progress). Each engine has its own cadre of volunteers dedicated to its upkeep. They also give Portland the distinction of being the only city in the United States to own operating mainline steam locomotives.
In addition to these engines, several vintage passenger cars, formerly owned and operated by the Great Northern Railway and the Southern Pacific Railroad
, are owned and maintained by Northwest Rail Museum and the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
.
The steam locomotives are stored in the Brooklyn Roundhouse (located in the Brooklyn neighborhood
of Southeast Portland), in the middle of a former Southern Pacific yard now owned by Union Pacific. The roundhouse is in the midst of a needed expansion by UP on its intermodal facilities, necessitating the movement of the locomotives to a permanent location and the eventual demolition of the roundhouse. UP has stipulated that the roundhouse must be vacated by January 2012, underscoring the ORHF's determination to build a new facility.
or special appearance by one of the steam locomotives, usually originating in Portland and running distances of up to 2,000 or more miles over the course of several days, weeks, or even months. Excursions are often planned months or years in advance in accordance with the destination, and dependent upon the approval of the host railroad(s). An excursion may be as brief as never leaving the Portland city limits, or as long as the SP 4449's journey to Owosso, Michigan
for TrainFestival 2009, hosted by the Steam Railroading Institute
.
The SP 4449 has also frequently appeared at the classic automobile show "Cruisin' Sherwood" in Sherwood Old Town, Ore.
, while the SP&S 700 often participates in the annual Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) holiday celebration in Vancouver
, Washington. Both engines teamed up in July 2005 to doublehead the National Railway Historical Society "Western Star" from Portland to Wishram, Washington
. Each engine has also taken a turn on "Montana by Steam", a round trip between Portland and Billings, Montana
, during the past decade. The 700 pulled a number of short excursions on the Oregon Pacific Railroad (OPR) in 2006 and 2007, along with appearances at the Salem Safety Faire in Salem, Oregon
. In the summer of 2011, the SP 4449 hauled two excursions: one to Tacoma
and Stampede Pass
for the NRHS annual convention, and another up the Columbia River
Gorge to Wishram to celebrate its 70th anniversary and help to raise funds for an upcoming 15-year boiler certification.
, while children on board are greeted by Santa Claus and company.
Over its six years of operation, the Holiday Express has been instrumental in raising the needed capital for construction of the rail heritage museum. For 2011, the Holiday Express is scheduled for Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 9-11.
Retired SP/UP locomotive engineer
Doyle McCormack
serves as the ORHF's president; he has been the engineer and chief mechanical officer of the SP 4449 since its restoration in 1975. Former State of Oregon rail planner Ed Immel, who founded the Northwest Rail Museum in 1986, serves as vice-president. The volunteer members of the restoration groups spend several hundred hours each week doing mechanical or cosmetic work on the locomotives and rolling stock. The estimated value and quantity of volunteer labor comes to $2.5 million over 115,000 hours since 1975, and it has been often stated that every hour of operation is the result of 100 volunteer hours of work.
About 150 people volunteer for the ORHF itself every year, mainly with the Holiday Express, National Train Day
celebrations, and mainline excursion trains. While the ORHF on its own has no active part in equipment maintenance, it serves as a single point of contact with the City of Portland regarding the steam locomotives.
Other partners supportive of ORHF's mission are Union Pacific and its Foundation, the Oregon Pacific Railroad, the Portland & Western Railroad, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
, the Oregon Cultural Trust
, the City of Portland, TriMet
, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Collins Foundation, BNSF Foundation, Candelaria Fund, Fred Meyer Corporation, Swindells Charitable Trust, Lamb Baldwin Foundation, and individual donors who have contributed over $1.23 million to date.
2003 saw many meetings and dialogues with parties concerned, including Portland city planners, community leaders, UP, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
. Also in 2003, the ORHF partnered with Portland development firm Shiels-Obletz-Johnsen to examine the desired properties and develop a master plan for construction. The ORHF began work on its business plan, including an inventory of all equipment at the Brooklyn Roundhouse, in 2004. 2005 was the first year for the annual Holiday Express trains, operated over the OPR main line between Oaks Park and OMSI on December weekends; it was an immediate success with 5,200 passengers.
When the locomotives started moving to the Brooklyn Roundhouse for restoration in 1984, Southern Pacific Railroad owned the yard. SP made an agreement with the City of Portland to allow the locomotives to reside there in the vacant roundhouse. Stipulations included that the City of Portland would pay $1.00 per year for the lease, and the railroad could issue a 30-day notice to vacate the property. The agreement’s terms applied to the Union Pacific Railroad when it purchased the SP in 1996. However, the ongoing nationwide rise in intermodal transport
ation obliged UP to redevelop that area in more recent years. It became inevitable that the Brooklyn Roundhouse would have to be razed and the engines would lose their protective roof, thus the need for a newer, sturdier and more permanent structure to shelter them from the elements.
When a land prospect near Portland's Union Station fell through, the ORHF finally struck a deal for a piece of property adjacent to OMSI in 2009. The foundation then was approached by the Portland public-transit agency TriMet to trade this location (Site 1) for a second, larger site (Site 2) that they owned. Site 2 is bordered by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard viaduct, between the main lines of UP and OPR, and in the midst of a thriving Portland cultural district. When completed, the new Eastside Streetcar and Portland–Milwaukie
light rail
lines will flank its north and south borders. The established priority was to construct the new Enginehouse and relocate the locomotives in time to meet UP's deadline, then fill out the remainder of the site with a rail heritage interpretive center and museum.
At first it was hoped that the roundhouse could be dismantled and reassembled on the new site, but it has since been learned that a full preservation of the roundhouse will not be possible. However, the turntable – vital to the locomotives' operation – was slated to be moved to the new engine house. When the Portland City Council approved a loan of nearly $1 million for the purchase of the site on October 28, 2009, the ORHF hired the architectural services of Hennebery Eddy to design the new facilities. Portland Parks & Recreation
then joined hands with the ORHF, with Lorentz Bruun Construction being hired as the engine house contractor.
On October 22, 2010, ORHF President McCormack broke ground on Site 1 across the street from OMSI, for a new track to be laid for temporary storage of the Holiday Express train consist of vintage rail passenger cars. One year later, on October 21, 2011, Parks Commissioner Nick Fish, alongside McCormack and other Portland dignitaries, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Site 2 for the engine house itself with about 200 people in attendance.
The result of the campaign will be the Oregon Enginehouse & Rail Heritage Center, to be completed in three phases. The first and most critical phase will be the Enginehouse, to ensure that the locomotives are safely indoors before the Brooklyn Roundhouse is disposed of. The second phase will lay out an external area at the southeast end of the engine house for the turntable to be installed, plus tracks for other equipment to be stored and maintained; connections to the UP and OPR lines will be laid here as well. The third and final phase will be the build-out of an interpretive center in the Enginehouse where visitors can explore the engines' past lives, along with the history of rail transport
ation and its part in the development of Portland.
On July 27, 2011, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to extend the repayment of its loan through 2016 and approve new leases for property and parking. As of mid-October 2011, the ORHF is within $1 million of its goal for the first phase, and is making a big push for tax-deductible donations from the community, railroad foundations across the nation, and other individuals to close the gap. Donations are accepted through the ORHF website, www.ORHF.org.
Sufficient capital has been raised for construction to begin. Now that construction of the engine house is underway, the grand opening of the Enginehouse & Rail Heritage Center is anticipated for the summer of 2012.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Composed of several all-volunteer groups dedicated to maintaining vintage railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
equipment, the ORHF is committed "to secure a permanent home for the City of Portland’s steam locomotives, preserve the Brooklyn Roundhouse, and establish a Rail and Industrial Heritage Museum.”
At present, the ORHF is constructing a new restoration shop for the city's steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, the first of a multi-phase project aimed at housing them permanently. When the new Oregon Enginehouse & Rail Heritage Center is completed, this will permit the ORHF to continue operating steam-powered excursions while openly displaying the locomotives to the public. Access to the locomotives is currently limited as the equipment is stored on the private property of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, out of visitors' reach. The ORHF is tasked with completing the construction of the engine house and moving the locomotives before UP razes its current roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
early in 2012.
Equipment
The ORHF oversees the preservation of three city-owned steam locomotives: Southern Pacific 4449Southern Pacific 4449
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 type steam locomotive...
(SP 4449), Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 (SP&S 700), and Oregon Railroad & Navigation 197 (OR&N 197
OR&N 197
Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. 197 is a 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1905.-History:OR&N 197 was built in 1905 for pulling passenger trains on E.H. Harriman's Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, a subsidiary to the Union Pacific Railroad in Oregon...
). All three engines were donated to the city in 1958 and displayed in Oaks Park
Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon USA, near the Sellwood Bridge. The park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a skating rink that is open all-year, and picnic grounds.- Rides :...
in Southeast Portland until restored to operation (the 197's restoration is a work in progress). Each engine has its own cadre of volunteers dedicated to its upkeep. They also give Portland the distinction of being the only city in the United States to own operating mainline steam locomotives.
In addition to these engines, several vintage passenger cars, formerly owned and operated by the Great Northern Railway and the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
, are owned and maintained by Northwest Rail Museum and the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
National Railway Historical Society
The National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and...
.
The steam locomotives are stored in the Brooklyn Roundhouse (located in the Brooklyn neighborhood
Brooklyn, Portland, Oregon
Brooklyn is a mostly residential neighborhood in southeast Portland, Oregon. It sits along the east side of the Willamette River in the vicinity of Reed College...
of Southeast Portland), in the middle of a former Southern Pacific yard now owned by Union Pacific. The roundhouse is in the midst of a needed expansion by UP on its intermodal facilities, necessitating the movement of the locomotives to a permanent location and the eventual demolition of the roundhouse. UP has stipulated that the roundhouse must be vacated by January 2012, underscoring the ORHF's determination to build a new facility.
Special excursions
The ORHF and its member groups are constantly working to organize an excursion trainExcursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...
or special appearance by one of the steam locomotives, usually originating in Portland and running distances of up to 2,000 or more miles over the course of several days, weeks, or even months. Excursions are often planned months or years in advance in accordance with the destination, and dependent upon the approval of the host railroad(s). An excursion may be as brief as never leaving the Portland city limits, or as long as the SP 4449's journey to Owosso, Michigan
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
for TrainFestival 2009, hosted by the Steam Railroading Institute
Steam Railroading Institute
The Steam Railroading Institute is located at 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, Michigan.The Steam Railroading Institute is an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historical railroad equipment and items. It operates a heritage railroad which offers...
.
The SP 4449 has also frequently appeared at the classic automobile show "Cruisin' Sherwood" in Sherwood Old Town, Ore.
Sherwood, Oregon
Sherwood is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it is a residential community in the Tualatin Valley southwest of Portland. The population was 11,791 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 16,115 residents...
, while the SP&S 700 often participates in the annual Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) holiday celebration in Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, Washington. Both engines teamed up in July 2005 to doublehead the National Railway Historical Society "Western Star" from Portland to Wishram, Washington
Wishram, Washington
Wishram is a census-designated place in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. The population was 213 at the 2000 census. The site of the historic Celilo Falls is nearby....
. Each engine has also taken a turn on "Montana by Steam", a round trip between Portland and Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, during the past decade. The 700 pulled a number of short excursions on the Oregon Pacific Railroad (OPR) in 2006 and 2007, along with appearances at the Salem Safety Faire in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. In the summer of 2011, the SP 4449 hauled two excursions: one to Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
for the NRHS annual convention, and another up the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
Gorge to Wishram to celebrate its 70th anniversary and help to raise funds for an upcoming 15-year boiler certification.
Holiday Express
The holiday season is perhaps the most popular time for both viewing and riding, as the ORHF operates "Holiday Express" excursion trains pulled by the 4449 and/or 700 on weekends in December. The Holiday Express has enjoyed enormous success to date with as many as 10,000 passengers each year; it has, in fact, recently become something of a tradition for many Portland-area families. Holiday Express trains run along the Oregon Pacific main line near the bank of the Willamette RiverWillamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
, while children on board are greeted by Santa Claus and company.
Over its six years of operation, the Holiday Express has been instrumental in raising the needed capital for construction of the rail heritage museum. For 2011, the Holiday Express is scheduled for Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 9-11.
Members
The ORHF consists of the following groups:-
- Friends of SP 4449 Inc.
- Friends of OR&N 197
- Pacific Railroad Preservation Association (dedicated to SP&S 700)
- Northwest Rail Museum
- Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
- City of Portland Parks & Recreation
- Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development (HAND)
Retired SP/UP locomotive engineer
Locomotive engineer
A locomotive engineer may refer to:*Railroad engineer, a person who operates a locomotive, usually called an engine or train driver outside North America*Locomotive builder, a person who designs and builds locomotives...
Doyle McCormack
Doyle McCormack
Doyle L. McCormack is a railroad preservationist, and is well-known among the railfan community.McCormack is a retired Union Pacific locomotive engineer who is now the president of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, an organization working to build a permanent home for the steam locomotives...
serves as the ORHF's president; he has been the engineer and chief mechanical officer of the SP 4449 since its restoration in 1975. Former State of Oregon rail planner Ed Immel, who founded the Northwest Rail Museum in 1986, serves as vice-president. The volunteer members of the restoration groups spend several hundred hours each week doing mechanical or cosmetic work on the locomotives and rolling stock. The estimated value and quantity of volunteer labor comes to $2.5 million over 115,000 hours since 1975, and it has been often stated that every hour of operation is the result of 100 volunteer hours of work.
About 150 people volunteer for the ORHF itself every year, mainly with the Holiday Express, National Train Day
National Train Day
National Train Day is a holiday started by Amtrak in 2008 as a method to spread information to the general public about the advantages of rail travel and the history of trains in the United States...
celebrations, and mainline excursion trains. While the ORHF on its own has no active part in equipment maintenance, it serves as a single point of contact with the City of Portland regarding the steam locomotives.
Other partners supportive of ORHF's mission are Union Pacific and its Foundation, the Oregon Pacific Railroad, the Portland & Western Railroad, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a museum located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains two auditoriums, including an IMAX Dome theatre, and a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology...
, the Oregon Cultural Trust
Oregon Cultural Trust
Oregon Cultural Trust is a cultural promotion and preservation organization in the U.S. state of Oregon. It provides grants and funding to arts, humanities, and heritage organizations to stabilize and expand....
, the City of Portland, TriMet
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Collins Foundation, BNSF Foundation, Candelaria Fund, Fred Meyer Corporation, Swindells Charitable Trust, Lamb Baldwin Foundation, and individual donors who have contributed over $1.23 million to date.
History
The ORHF was formed in 1998 as the "Roundhouse Task Force" following UP's desire to expand its recently acquired Portland intermodal facilities, putting the future of the Brooklyn Roundhouse and its tenants at stake. Faced with the grim possibility of the locomotives being returned to non-operational outdoor display exposed to weather and vandalism, the foundation set about searching for a new piece of property upon which to construct a new engine house and visitors' center. The ORHF was granted 501(c)3 status in 2002 and began actively raising awareness of its mission at various public events, in addition to operating a number of excursions with the SP 4449 and SP&S 700.2003 saw many meetings and dialogues with parties concerned, including Portland city planners, community leaders, UP, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a museum located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains two auditoriums, including an IMAX Dome theatre, and a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology...
. Also in 2003, the ORHF partnered with Portland development firm Shiels-Obletz-Johnsen to examine the desired properties and develop a master plan for construction. The ORHF began work on its business plan, including an inventory of all equipment at the Brooklyn Roundhouse, in 2004. 2005 was the first year for the annual Holiday Express trains, operated over the OPR main line between Oaks Park and OMSI on December weekends; it was an immediate success with 5,200 passengers.
When the locomotives started moving to the Brooklyn Roundhouse for restoration in 1984, Southern Pacific Railroad owned the yard. SP made an agreement with the City of Portland to allow the locomotives to reside there in the vacant roundhouse. Stipulations included that the City of Portland would pay $1.00 per year for the lease, and the railroad could issue a 30-day notice to vacate the property. The agreement’s terms applied to the Union Pacific Railroad when it purchased the SP in 1996. However, the ongoing nationwide rise in intermodal transport
Intermodal transport
Intermodal transport involves the use of more than one mode of transport for a journey. See:*Intermodal passenger transport*Intermodal freight transport...
ation obliged UP to redevelop that area in more recent years. It became inevitable that the Brooklyn Roundhouse would have to be razed and the engines would lose their protective roof, thus the need for a newer, sturdier and more permanent structure to shelter them from the elements.
When a land prospect near Portland's Union Station fell through, the ORHF finally struck a deal for a piece of property adjacent to OMSI in 2009. The foundation then was approached by the Portland public-transit agency TriMet to trade this location (Site 1) for a second, larger site (Site 2) that they owned. Site 2 is bordered by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard viaduct, between the main lines of UP and OPR, and in the midst of a thriving Portland cultural district. When completed, the new Eastside Streetcar and Portland–Milwaukie
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
light rail
MAX Orange Line
The MAX Orange Line is a planned light rail line for the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon, USA. It is currently under construction. The line is the second part of a two-phase transportation plan known as the South Corridor Project, bringing light rail service to...
lines will flank its north and south borders. The established priority was to construct the new Enginehouse and relocate the locomotives in time to meet UP's deadline, then fill out the remainder of the site with a rail heritage interpretive center and museum.
At first it was hoped that the roundhouse could be dismantled and reassembled on the new site, but it has since been learned that a full preservation of the roundhouse will not be possible. However, the turntable – vital to the locomotives' operation – was slated to be moved to the new engine house. When the Portland City Council approved a loan of nearly $1 million for the purchase of the site on October 28, 2009, the ORHF hired the architectural services of Hennebery Eddy to design the new facilities. Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation is the bureau of the City of Portland which protects the parks, natural areas, recreational facilities, gardens, and trails of the city of Portland, Oregon....
then joined hands with the ORHF, with Lorentz Bruun Construction being hired as the engine house contractor.
On October 22, 2010, ORHF President McCormack broke ground on Site 1 across the street from OMSI, for a new track to be laid for temporary storage of the Holiday Express train consist of vintage rail passenger cars. One year later, on October 21, 2011, Parks Commissioner Nick Fish, alongside McCormack and other Portland dignitaries, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Site 2 for the engine house itself with about 200 people in attendance.
Capital campaign
Since UP's decree to vacate the roundhouse, the ORHF has been actively seeking the support of the City of Portland, the general population, and rail enthusiasts worldwide to raise over $5 million for the new heritage center. A donation of the land from UP could not be agreed upon, prompting the ORHF to commence its "All Aboard" fundraising campaign in June 2009. Response has been greatly positive thus far, with the City of Portland providing a substantial loan and an anonymous donor giving $1 million to the campaign. Other foundations, grants, corporations and individuals have contributed thousands more.The result of the campaign will be the Oregon Enginehouse & Rail Heritage Center, to be completed in three phases. The first and most critical phase will be the Enginehouse, to ensure that the locomotives are safely indoors before the Brooklyn Roundhouse is disposed of. The second phase will lay out an external area at the southeast end of the engine house for the turntable to be installed, plus tracks for other equipment to be stored and maintained; connections to the UP and OPR lines will be laid here as well. The third and final phase will be the build-out of an interpretive center in the Enginehouse where visitors can explore the engines' past lives, along with the history of rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
ation and its part in the development of Portland.
On July 27, 2011, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to extend the repayment of its loan through 2016 and approve new leases for property and parking. As of mid-October 2011, the ORHF is within $1 million of its goal for the first phase, and is making a big push for tax-deductible donations from the community, railroad foundations across the nation, and other individuals to close the gap. Donations are accepted through the ORHF website, www.ORHF.org.
Sufficient capital has been raised for construction to begin. Now that construction of the engine house is underway, the grand opening of the Enginehouse & Rail Heritage Center is anticipated for the summer of 2012.