Visit this major BNSF junction and division point, with trackage going in all four directions. In the days of the SP&S, this was their main yard. Vancouver station, built in the 1910s, is on the National Registry of Historic Places and still serves 12 Amtrak trains daily, including the N-S Starlight and the E-W Empire Builder. The Columbia River Bridge is one of the longest swing bridges in the US. The yard services the Port of Vancouver, and is a major hub for the Portland area.

Take a memorable ride through the scenic countryside of rural Clark County, Washington on the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad. See beautiful scenery behind a 1929 Alco 2-8-2T that started life as Crossett-Western Logging on the lower Columbia River in Oregon and later worked on the Hammond Lumber line near Eureka, CA. Highlights include a crossing of the East Fork of the Lewis River on a steel bridge/wood trestle crossing and a 330’ rock tunnel. A Photo Run By will be included.

See the UP on the South shore (Oregon side) and the BNSF on the North shore (Washington side) of the majestic Columbia River Gorge. Catch fast freight and passenger service moving both east and west. Especially picturesque are the natural basalt tunnels and steep terrain that typify the BNSF mainline. See remnants of the last operating lumber flume in North America, shut down in the 1980’s. See the transition from the lush green west Cascade foothills around Portland to the high desert of eastern Oregon and Washington. See Wishram, Washington - a classic railroad town built at the turn of the 20th century as a division point and north end of the Oregon Trunk.

On the Oregon Side, there are lacy waterfalls dropping from high basalt bluffs, the terminus of the Mt. Hood Railroad, and a wide variety of typical UP trains. (Box Lunch included)

See the UP on the South shore (Oregon side) and the BNSF on the North shore (Washington side) of the majestic Columbia River Gorge. Catch fast freight and passenger service moving both east and west. Especially picturesque are the natural basalt tunnels and steep terrain that typify the BNSF mainline. See remnants of the last operating lumber flume in North America, shut down in the 1980’s. See the transition from the lush green west Cascade foothills around Portland to the high desert of eastern Oregon and Washington. See Wishram, Washington - a classic railroad town built at the turn of the 20th century as a division point and north end of the Oregon Trunk.

On the Oregon Side, there are lacy waterfalls dropping from high basalt bluffs, the terminus of the Mt. Hood Railroad, and a wide variety of typical UP trains. (Box Lunch included)

This tour provides a rare look at one of America's premier rail car builders. Gunderson builds anything that railroads or leasing companies order, but they are most famous for their double-stack container cars, center-beam lumber flats, S-Pack low profile TOFC cars, as well as box cars. This is a walking tour through the heart of an industrial plant, so sturdy walking shoes, long pants, and the physical capability for a one-mile walk with stairways is a necessity.

This tour provides a rare look at one of America's premier rail car builders. Gunderson builds anything that railroads or leasing companies order, but they are most famous for their double-stack container cars, center-beam lumber flats, S-Pack low profile TOFC cars, as well as box cars. This is a walking tour through the heart of an industrial plant, so sturdy walking shoes, long pants, and the physical capability for a one-mile walk with stairways is a necessity.

This is a chance to see a lumber mill from the past. The mill, which was on tour at both 1987 Eugene and 1994 Portland Nationals, is over 50 years old and still retains a steam boiler and a steam engine that powered some of its saws until very recently. The mill specializes in cutting heavy structural timbers and still uses straddle trucks to transport lumber. Here's a chance to see a historic sawmill that continues to successfully compete in the 21st Century. This tour will involve narrow pathways, steep stairways and tight turns. It will also require walking up to 1/2 mile or so. Two hour drive each way. (Lunch included)

You'll depart bright and early via motor coach for a tour of the engine servicing facilities and dispatch center for the Tacoma Rail and get a chance to photograph some of their locomotives that are in the area for servicing.
Tacoma Rail has provided rail transportation as a public entity since 1914. With 14 locomotives, more than 100 employees and about 200 miles of track, Tacoma Rail provides key freight connections for customers in greater Tacoma and Olympia, Wash., handling in excess of 165,000 freight shipments per year.

Following the visit to Tacoma Rail you will reboard the coach for a ride through forested river valleys to the little town of Elbe, Washington. There you’ll board the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad for a 2-1/2 hour ride behind steam into the woods. Upon reaching the Mineral, Washington engine terminal you'll have time for an examination of their locomotive collection, which includes the only operating geared Willamette locomotive in existence, as well as a 2-4-4-2, 3-truck Shay, 3-truck Climax, 3-truck Heisler, former Hammond Lumber 2-8-2T, NP EMD F9 #7012A, 2 Alco S1's (one repainted to its original NP Terminal RR #30), RSD1 (built for the Rock Island, but used by the US Army), Vulcan diesel, GE 44 tonner.

Then you'll re-board your coach for the return trip to Portland. (Box lunch and dinner included)

Here’s chance to take a look at three of Oregon’s railroad treasures. The City of Portland owns three historic and world famous locomotives. Southern Pacific 4449 was built by Lima in 1941 and is probably the most famous steam locomotive in the world, having pulled the Freedom Train during the 1976 Bicentennial following its career pulling SP Daylight passenger trains. Its stable mate Spokane Portland & Seattle 700, built by Baldwin in 1938, is also a 4-8-4. It used to pull SP&S passenger trains between Portland and Spokane, Washington that were connections to the GN Empire Builder and the NP North Coast Limited transcon trains. Both of these engines have been restored to operation. The 4449 will have just finished its 15 year FRA mandated boiler overhaul and the 700 will be undergoing its 15 year inspection during our visit. The final locomotive in the collection is the oldest of the three, the Oregon Railroad & Navigation (UP) 4-6-2 built in 1905 by Baldwin to serve the Lewis & Clark Exposition in Portland. All three locomotives will be on display in their new engine house, ready for you to examine, touch and photograph. You might even get a chance to chat with famous SP4449 restorer and engineer Doyle McCormack.

Here’s chance to take a look at three of Oregon’s railroad treasures. The City of Portland owns three historic and world famous locomotives. Southern Pacific 4449 was built by Lima in 1941 and is probably the most famous steam locomotive in the world, having pulled the Freedom Train during the 1976 Bicentennial following its career pulling SP Daylight passenger trains. Its stable mate Spokane Portland & Seattle 700, built by Baldwin in 1938, is also a 4-8-4. It used to pull SP&S passenger trains between Portland and Spokane, Washington that were connections to the GN Empire Builder and the NP North Coast Limited transcon trains. Both of these engines have been restored to operation. The 4449 will have just finished its 15 year FRA mandated boiler overhaul and the 700 will be undergoing its 15 year inspection during our visit. The final locomotive in the collection is the oldest of the three, the Oregon Railroad & Navigation (UP) 4-6-2 built in 1905 by Baldwin to serve the Lewis & Clark Exposition in Portland. All three locomotives will be on display in their new engine house, ready for you to examine, touch and photograph. You might even get a chance to chat with famous SP4449 restorer and engineer Doyle McCormack.

The Port of Vancouver is a major shipper of western wheat to Asia, receiver of wind turbines and Pacific port of entry for Subaru. They are working on becoming a oil terminal. The port is capable of receiving and unloading unit grain trains, and returning them to the BNSF or UP, without ever uncoupling them. Their most recent improvement is the development of the “Trench” which will allow trains to enter and depart without crossing and blocking the double-track mainline, thus increasing the Vancouver Yard capacity by as much as 40%. This bypass will be newly commissioned and in service by the time of our tour.

Visit the TriMet agency’s original maintenance shops where their light vehicles are serviced and repaired. Every fleet needs a home port, and for TriMet's light-rail trains, the Ruby Junction Maintenance Facility in Gresham is the main place to tie up for a little R&R.

The 17-acre campus of buildings, and a rail yard off of East Burnside, is the regional transit agency's oldest and largest maintenance yard, operating since the mid-1980s. But as the rail system continues to grow, so does Ruby. Attendance is very limited for this tour.