Sumpter Valley Railway
Encyclopedia
The Sumpter Valley Railway is a heritage railroad
located in Baker County
, in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. Built on a right-of-way used by the original railway of the same name, it carries excursion trains on a roughly 5 miles (8 km) route between McEwen
and Sumpter
. The railroad has two steam locomotive
s and several other pieces of rolling stock. Passenger excursion trains operate on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through the end of September.
, and the railway was financed by Mormons
in Utah
.
By 1891, the line had reached McEwen, 22 miles (35.4 km) west of Baker City, and the railroad began offering passenger and freight service. To reach uncut forests further west, the company extended the line in stages. It reached Sumpter in 1896 and continued southwestward to Whitney
, Tipton, Austin
and Bates
. By 1910, it arrived in Prairie City, a ranching and mining community along the John Day River
in Grant County
.
Ten years later, the railway began losing business to automobiles and trucks, and in 1933 the 20 miles (32.2 km) of track between Prairie City and Bates were abandoned. Scheduled passenger service on the remaining line ended in 1937. In 1947, the railroad ceased all operations except for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of track in the Oregon Lumber Company yard in South Baker City. This last section was abandoned and removed in 1961.
steam locomotive
, was restored to operation in 1976, and the new railway opened for business on July 4, 1976, over a track of less than 1 miles (1.6 km). The Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration Inc. was created and 6 miles of track were reinstalled by hand over the next 15 years, to connect the McEwen, Oregon station with Sumpter, Oregon. SVR No. 19, a type 2-8-2
steam locomotive built in 1920, was restored to operating condition in 1996.
In 2007, the railway opened its reproduction of the original Sumpter Depot, within sight of the Sumpter Valley Dredge
State Heritage Area operated by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
. The railway operates a number of historic Sumpter Valley Railroad and adjoining narrow gauge logging railroad steam locomotives and equipment on the line every summer.
In Prairie City at the western end of the original line, the Sumpter Valley Depot Restoration Committee renovated the Sumpter Valley Railway Passenger Station
in the 1970s. The City of Prairie City has used it to house the DeWitt Museum since 1984. Its collections include lanterns, lights, and other railway artifacts, and photographs of train wrecks and of life along the rail line.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
located in Baker County
Baker County, Oregon
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. Built on a right-of-way used by the original railway of the same name, it carries excursion trains on a roughly 5 miles (8 km) route between McEwen
McEwen, Oregon
McEwen is an unincorporated community in Baker County, Oregon, United States. McEwen lies on Oregon Route 7 east of its interchange with Oregon Route 220. McEwen is southeast of Sumpter and west of Auburn....
and Sumpter
Sumpter, Oregon
Sumpter is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census. Sumpter is named after Fort Sumter by its founders.- History :...
. The railroad has two 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 and several other pieces of rolling stock. Passenger excursion trains operate on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through the end of September.
History
Incorporated in 1890, the narrow gauge railway's initial purpose was to haul logs to a sawmill in South Baker City. The builders of the railway owned the Grande Ronde Lumber Company in Perry, OregonPerry, Oregon
Perry is an unincorporated community in Union County, Oregon, United States. It is located five miles west of La Grande on the Grande Ronde River and Interstate 84...
, and the railway was financed by Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
By 1891, the line had reached McEwen, 22 miles (35.4 km) west of Baker City, and the railroad began offering passenger and freight service. To reach uncut forests further west, the company extended the line in stages. It reached Sumpter in 1896 and continued southwestward to Whitney
Whitney, Oregon
Whitney is an unincorporated community, also considered a ghost town, located in Baker County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 7 southwest of Sumpter. It is on the North Fork Burnt River, near the Blue Mountains and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest....
, Tipton, Austin
Austin, Oregon
Austin is an unincorporated community, considered a ghost town, in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It is located north of Oregon Route 7, near the Middle Fork John Day River in the Malheur National Forest.-History:...
and Bates
Bates, Oregon
Bates is an unincorporated community in Grant County, Oregon, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office with a ZIP code of 97817.Bates was a lumber mill town until 1975 with a population of up to 400. Bates State Park opened in 2011....
. By 1910, it arrived in Prairie City, a ranching and mining community along the John Day River
John Day River
The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the third longest free-flowing river in the conterminous United States. There is extensive use of its waters for irrigation. Its...
in Grant County
Grant County, Oregon
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an army officer in the Oregon Territory, and at the time of the county's creation...
.
Ten years later, the railway began losing business to automobiles and trucks, and in 1933 the 20 miles (32.2 km) of track between Prairie City and Bates were abandoned. Scheduled passenger service on the remaining line ended in 1937. In 1947, the railroad ceased all operations except for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of track in the Oregon Lumber Company yard in South Baker City. This last section was abandoned and removed in 1961.
Heritage operation
In 1971, a group of volunteers set out to rebuild the Sumpter Valley Railway. Locomotive No. 3, a 1915 Heisler-typeHeisler locomotive
The Heisler locomotive was the last variant of the three major types of geared steam locomotive, Charles L. Heisler receiving a patent for the design in 1892 following the construction of a prototype in 1891. Somewhat similar to a Climax locomotive, Heisler's design featured two cylinders canted...
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...
, was restored to operation in 1976, and the new railway opened for business on July 4, 1976, over a track of less than 1 miles (1.6 km). The Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration Inc. was created and 6 miles of track were reinstalled by hand over the next 15 years, to connect the McEwen, Oregon station with Sumpter, Oregon. SVR No. 19, a type 2-8-2
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
steam locomotive built in 1920, was restored to operating condition in 1996.
In 2007, the railway opened its reproduction of the original Sumpter Depot, within sight of the Sumpter Valley Dredge
Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge
The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge is a historic gold dredge located in Sumpter, Oregon, United States. The dredge was built during the gold rush that consumed most of the western states throughout the mid-19th century. Gold was discovered in Sumpter in 1862, but the advent of using a large machine to...
State Heritage Area operated by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department , officially known as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks...
. The railway operates a number of historic Sumpter Valley Railroad and adjoining narrow gauge logging railroad steam locomotives and equipment on the line every summer.
In Prairie City at the western end of the original line, the Sumpter Valley Depot Restoration Committee renovated the Sumpter Valley Railway Passenger Station
Sumpter Valley Railway Passenger Station
Sumpter Valley Railway Passenger Station was the westernmost station on the Sumpter Valley Railway, which ran from Baker City to Prairie City in the U.S. state of Oregon. The line reached Prairie City in 1910 but was abandoned in 1933, and the station became a private dwelling...
in the 1970s. The City of Prairie City has used it to house the DeWitt Museum since 1984. Its collections include lanterns, lights, and other railway artifacts, and photographs of train wrecks and of life along the rail line.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of defunct Oregon railroads