Cleared to move!

This week the Union Pacific inspected the 5057 and cleared it to be moved!  The 5057 will be returning to Washington for the first time in nearly 35 years.  It left Washington on one of the last Milwaukee Road trains out of the state in March 1980.

We do not know yet when it will move, but it could leave the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, CA as early as Monday, November 17.  The Union Pacific train that serves Portola typically operates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

After it leaves Portola, the Union Pacific will take the 5057 to its large Roseville Yard near Sacramento, CA.  From there it will go on a train to Stockton, CA and be interchanged to the BNSF.  BNSF will then haul it north via the Inside Gateway route through eastern Oregon, Pasco, WA and Spokane, WA, to be interchanged with the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad at Sandpoint, ID.  The destination for this trip is the POVA shop on 'home' rails in Usk, WA.  POVA operates the former Milwaukee Road branch to Metaline Falls, WA.

If you're able to see the 5057 traveling north, please take photos and send them to us if you can!  Contact us through the Cascade Rail Foundation web site if you have photos you'd like to send us and we'll get in touch with you by email.

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Your support is needed!
Once the 5057 arrives at the POVA shop in Usk, WA, the restoration phase of the 5057 begins.  A lot of work needs to be done before it gets a fresh coat of paint!  Parts borrowed to prepare it to move need to be returned and/or replaced.  Most significantly, extensive work needs to be done to the metal exterior of the locomotive.  Rusted out metal needs to be patched or replaced.  Many of the hood doors are warped and need to be straightened.  We also plan to replace the bad traction motor on the locomotive with one we purchased with the 5057.  Fundraising for this work is ongoing, so please donate if you can.

Adopt-a-Mile: We're more than half the way to Bieber from Keddie

We've raised a bit more than $275 (55 miles) since our last update, which puts us near Lodgepole, CA.  This is more than half of the $500 needed to get us 100 miles to Bieber, CA.  From there, our next goal will be Klamath Falls, OR.

Looking at the big picture, people have sponsored 105 miles of the 890 mile trip between Portola and the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad.

Please pitch in to keep us moving toward the interchange with the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad by making a contribution today!

Adopt-a-Mile: We're past Keddie, CA... now on to Bieber, CA!

Since we've started the Adopt-a-Mile campaign, we've raised a little more than $250.  This puts us about 10 miles past Keddie, CA, home of the famous Keddie Wye (seen below).

Photo by Adrian Studer, Wikimedia Commons

Our next intermediate goal is for people to adopt the remaining miles to Bieber, CA.  It's 150 miles from Portola, CA so we need to raise another $500 to get there.  Contribute today!

Adopt-a-Mile (or More)!

We are planning to move the 5057 from Portola, CA to the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad in Usk, WA later this year, where we will have the locomotive cosmetically restored in their shop.

We’ll be asking the UP and BNSF to donate all or part of the transportation costs ($8,000-$12,000, depending on where the railroads are willing to interchange the locomotive).   While we hope for the best from our requests to UP and BNSF, we want to ensure we can pay for the trip even if we need to pay the full amount.   Help us make sure we can cover the cost of moving the 5057 by sponsoring part of the trip at $5.00/mile.  

$5.00 =1 mile

Our goal is to have the 890 rail miles between Portola and POVA sponsored by July 1, 2014.  All donations made between February 1 and July 1 will be applied toward this goal.  Any funds not needed for the move will be applied to the restoration work.

Go to the project web site to make a donation today!