Oregon Rail Heritage Center

Oregon Rail Heritage Center 2250 SE Water St, Portland, OR 97214 The SP 4449 pulled our nation's Bicentennial Train and may well be the most photographed locomotive in the world.
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We are proud that Portland is unique as America's only city that owns two operating steam locomotives - the Southern Pacific 4449 and the Spokane Portland Seattle 700; along with a third - Oregon Railway & Navigation 197 - currently under restoration. Now these engines need your help! After their donation to the city in 1958, these three steam engines sat in the weather at Oaks Amusement Park for

decades. Starting in 1980 each moved for restoration to the Brooklyn Roundhouse in southeast Portland. It took three decades and thousands of volunteer hours to get restore two of them into operating condition. Now we face a crisis! The deadline is near to secure a permanent home for Portland's heritage steam engines. In less than a year these iron links to the past will be forced out of the Brooklyn Roundhouse in Southeast Portland. Thankfully many people - like you - have stepped forward to support our All Aboard capital campaign to move and save these community treasures. One year ago we set out to raise $4.7 million - today we are within $500,000 of having the funds needed to start construction. This is where you come in. Please join in support of the All Aboard campaign to save the engines in a new home near OMSI. Our new Rail Heritage Center will provide space for locomotive maintenance and restoration, and direct public access. When fully built, the Center will be a living workroom to celebrate the history of rail and be a focal point for the new rail-industry hub surrounding OMSI. The new Willamette Bridge will deliver streetcars, light rail, cyclists and pedestrians right to the Center's front door. We must save the past for future generations. Steam drove the 19th and 20th centuries, its momentum still has a lot to teach us in the 21st century. Our children and grandchildren can learn this story and nothing brings this to life like steam locomotives

We have a giving level that is just right for you. They range from $44.49 to $700, and your contribution comes with a premium gift. All Aboard Portland's heritage steam engines - save the past for future generations. Can we count on your support today?

Weekend train rides keep rolling! Every Saturday & Sunday through mid-October, hop aboard for a scenic ride through the ...
09/03/2026

Weekend train rides keep rolling! Every Saturday & Sunday through mid-October, hop aboard for a scenic ride through the heart of Portland.

Open-air car or vintage air-conditioned coach, your choice. Either way, you'll take in the city skyline, the riverfront, local wildlife, and the charm of Oaks Park.

🚂 Our summer partnership with OMSI Summer Camp finished last week. During the summer campers spent five days with us, wi...
08/31/2026

🚂 Our summer partnership with OMSI Summer Camp finished last week. During the summer campers spent five days with us, with a rail ride every Wednesday as the highlight.

For a lot of these kids, it was their very first train ride.

Thank you to the volunteers who make every Wednesday run smoothly!

08/29/2026

All aboard! 🚂💨 The steam is rolling, the whistle is blowing, and we’re fired up for train rides at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center this weekend!
Step back in time for a scenic excursion along the Willamette River.
🎟️ Grab yours now at the link in our bio before they’re gone, or drop by the ticket desk before departure time!
📍 Oregon Rail Heritage Center | 2250 SE Water Ave, Portland
⏰ Pro Tip: Plan to arrive 20–30 minutes early to check in and explore the center!
See you on the rails! 🙌

ExplorePortland PortlandRailroad AllAboard PNWLife PortlandExcursions

Happy 103rd birthday to the Mount Emily Shay! Built in 1923 for hauling logs down steep mountain track, this Shay locomo...
08/28/2026

Happy 103rd birthday to the Mount Emily Shay! Built in 1923 for hauling logs down steep mountain track, this Shay locomotive uses a completely different design, geared drivetrains instead of rods.

She traveled from Washington logging country to Oregon, spent decades on loan in West Virginia, and finally came home to Portland in 2024.

Today she awaits inspection and overhaul before she can run again.

In Memory of Dolly PartonToday, we're remembering Dolly Parton — not only for the extraordinary music she gave the world...
08/27/2026

In Memory of Dolly Parton

Today, we're remembering Dolly Parton — not only for the extraordinary music she gave the world, but for the kindness, generosity, humor, and genuine care for others that defined so much of her life.

Dolly also shares a special connection with a piece of history that is very close to us here at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

In the 1970s, Dolly and Porter Wagoner recorded "Here Comes the Freedom Train" to help promote the American Freedom Train, which traveled across the country as part of the nation's Bicentennial celebration.

And the locomotive that pulled much of that train was Southern Pacific 4449.

Today, ORHF is proud to be a steward of SP 4449 and to help preserve the locomotive that carried the American Freedom Train, and a little piece of Dolly Parton's story, across the country.

It's a wonderful reminder of the way music, railroad history, and our shared history can intersect in unexpected ways.

Dolly's voice was unmistakable. Her heart may have been even bigger.

Thank you, Dolly, for the music, the laughter, the generosity, and the example you set for all of us. 🎶🚂

Take a listen to Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner singing "Here Comes the Freedom Train":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrcu7EFE-Sg&utm_source=chatgpt.com

Provided to YouTube by RCA/LegacyHere Comes the Freedom Train · P...

A quick look at what's been in the mix of routine for maintenance. No two days in the Machine Shop look quite the same. ...
08/27/2026

A quick look at what's been in the mix of routine for maintenance. No two days in the Machine Shop look quite the same.

Open Thursday through Sunday, 1 to 5pm.

Back to school doesn't mean the trains stop running. Weekend Train Rides continue every Saturday and Sunday through Octo...
08/25/2026

Back to school doesn't mean the trains stop running.

Weekend Train Rides continue every Saturday and Sunday through October 11, so there's still plenty of season left. Bring the family before the weather turns.

Tickets - https://orhf.org/weekend-train-rides/

Did you know our machine shop crew is can fabricate replacement fittings by hand, slow going, but it's how a locomotive ...
08/23/2026

Did you know our machine shop crew is can fabricate replacement fittings by hand, slow going, but it's how a locomotive built decades ago gets put back together today.

Open-air car or vintage coach? Both are on offer for our Weekend Train Rides this month. The open-air car gets you the b...
08/20/2026

Open-air car or vintage coach? Both are on offer for our Weekend Train Rides this month. The open-air car gets you the breeze and the full sound of the rails; the coach keeps things a little more comfortable.

Either way, you're riding along the Willamette every Saturday and Sunday through October 11.

08/18/2026

Watching our turntable rotate a locomotive never gets old. It's a functioning piece of engineering doing exactly what it was built to do, right in our outdoor plaza. Open Thursday through Sunday if you want to catch it in motion.

Address

2250 SE Water Street
Portland, OR
97242

Opening Hours

Thursday 1pm - 5pm
Friday 1pm - 5pm
Saturday 1pm - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

(503) 233-1156

Website

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