For The Olympian
The Spirit of Washington dinner train travels from Renton to Woodinville. The ride includes a breathtaking crossing over Bellevue's historic wooden Wilburton trestle, 102 feet high over the freeway. Built in 1891, it is 975 feet long.

For The Olympian
A steam locomotive pulls the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad excursion train through the Chehalis River Valley to Milburn and Ruth.

Local excursions available for South Sound rail fans

ALEC CLAYTON, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

To put it mildly, Donovan Gray loves trains. Ask him about the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad or the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train, and he gushes like a bride talking about the love of her life. No wonder, he courted his wife on the Spirit of Washington.

"Riding the Spirit of Washington is a pleasure purely sublime," Gray said.

"I rode this track in the 1950s when my father ran rail excursions out of Seattle behind steam locomotives," so it was particularly nostalgic to revisit this same route that runs from downtown Renton along Lake Washington, past Kennydale Park, all the way to Woodinville, where the train then reverses and meanders down the remnants of the Issaquah branch line to the Ste. Michelle Winery.

"I was courting my wife at the time, and I'm sure taking her aboard the Spirit of Washington helped convince her I had at least a little sense of style, as well as reverence for our region's history."

Gray has also ridden the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad many times. When the line runs its annual triple header of steam logging locomotives, it is a "thrill beyond belief," he said.

Multisensory experience

"As the train snakes its way up from Elbe, either to Mineral, to the south, or Eatonville, to the north, the three locomotives make mincemeat of the trees hanging over the track, as the exhaust blasts skyward. Riding the open excursion car right behind the locomotives is icing on the cake, being able to smell the steam exhaust and feel the condensation of steam dropping back from the locomotives. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend. It sends chills down one's spine. Where else in the western United States can you find such relics actually operating, let alone together?"

Equally enthusiastic, but from a different perspective, was Bob Harbison, a conductor on the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad for 20 years, starting in the first season of 1981.

"There are lots of things I enjoy about the railroad," Harbison said. "I guess the best part of the job is introducing railroading and steam locomotives to a new generation. Many of today's children -- or adults, for that matter -- have never ridden on a train. Watching a young child's eyes light up when he hears the whistle blow really makes your day. It's also fun to watch the older folks relive a bit of yesteryear.

Harbison said the views of Mount Rainier are spectacular, and there is the bonus of getting to see a lot of wildlife.

"We see deer, elk, small animals and birds; it's common to see a herd of elk by the tracks," he said.

Harbison said the thing most people enjoy is the view of a working steam engine seen from the open car.

"We have some steep grades and sharp curves, so you get a good chance to see the engine working hard," he said.

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad features one of the rarest collections of early 1900s steam locomotives in the country. With refurbished open and closed coaches, the railroad features a steam-powered excursion that travels 14 miles through tall timber and over high bridges. The trip takes an hour and a half, with a 15-minute stop at Mineral Lake. It runs seasonally, May 26 to the end of September, with special holiday excursions in the off-season.

The Spirit of Washington Dinner Train features fine dining on a rail excursion from Renton to Woodinville, with a 45-minute stopover for wine tasting and a tour of the Columbia vineyards.

Other area rail excursions that offer romance and nostalgia are the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and the Lake Whatcom Railway.

The Chehalis-Centralia offers steam train excursions through the Chehalis River Valley to Milburn and Ruth. The 12-mile round trip runs daily at 1 and 3 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a slightly longer dinner train at 5 p.m.

The Lake Whatcom Railway runs scenic hour-and-a-half excursions from Wickersham to Sedro-Woolley, with views of Mirror Lake and the Twin Sisters Mountains. The steam-powered train departs on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and runs only in July and August and for special events.

Alec Clayton is a free-lance writer, artist and published novelist who lives in Olympia.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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