150th Blue Mountain Locomotive Celebration
Ron Krause and Dwight Steffanson replace a missing wheel of the Blue Mountain Locomotive. Ron previously worked on the locomotive, and Dwight is currently working on the construction of a tender to accompany the locomotive.
Our friends at Columbia Rail installed a new section of track for the Blue Mountain, securing it to the old rails and adding more railroad ties to support the additional weight it’s soon to hold.
As October chugs down the line toward us, plans for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Walla Walla and Columbia River Railroad also follow. We have already seen progress at the Museum, including laying more gravel and lengthening the railroad track.
At the end of May, we moved the Blue Mountain down that extended track to make room for the period-accurate tender wagon currently being created from additional pieces of the original Blue Mountain. As of May 29th, the #4 WW&CR locomotive rolled down a piece of track for the first time in 115 years, a major step forward in completing the project.
The extension of the locomotive exhibit is just the first stage of construction. Our next plans include adding a protective cover and installing a tender, a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive that contains its fuel and water, behind the Blue Mountain. In the meantime, it sits surrounded by plywood panels which protect it from vandalism and construction work.
We are so appreciative of all the ways our community has supported this project beyond the overwhelming in-kind support given by our friends at ACUFAB, Columbia Rail, Town & Country Tree Service, and elsewhere. Additional thanks are due to Representative Skyler Rude, with support from Representatives Klicker and Dozier, for sponsoring our successful $100,000 project application to the state.
There are other ways for our community to get involved in the 150th anniversary of this great economic achievement for Walla Walla. Join us on October 25th for our day-long celebration of the completion of the Walla Walla and Columbia River Railroad, the first point-to-point railroad in Washington state. Baker Boyer Bank will sponsor this event, where families can enjoy free food provided by local food trucks, tour the new locomotive exhibit space, and participate in train-related giveaways.
In cooperation with Baker Boyer Bank, we’ve created a couple of contests and activities for students to engage with this notable story from history. Children from elementary school to high school can find art and writing activities varying from coloring pages and art prompts to short stories and essay competitions.
You can find more details about all we have planned for October by checking our website for updates or by following us on social media. If you would like to support our efforts to safeguard this piece of history, consider donating to our project using the button below.