Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation

Composed of a partnership of several all-volunteer non-profit groups dedicated to maintaining regional vintage railroad equipment, the ORHF was initially formed "to secure a permanent home for the City of Portland's steam locomotives, preserve the Brooklyn Roundhouse, and establish a Rail and Industrial Heritage Museum.”[1] At present, the ORHF has constructed a new restoration shop for housing permanently the city's steam locomotives.

Now that the Oregon Rail Heritage Center is completed (phase 1), this will permit the ORHF to continue operating steam-powered excursions while openly displaying the locomotives to the public.

700, due to their size and weight, from running to Oaks Park along the Springwater Corridor, the ORHF compensated by applying to obtain ownership of Mount Emily Lumber Company Shay No.

[2] The partner groups of ORHF are constantly working to organize an excursion train or special appearance by one of the steam locomotives, usually originating in Portland and running distances of up to 2,000 or more miles over the course of several days, weeks, or even months.

[8] An excursion may be as brief as never leaving the Portland city limits, or as long as the SP 4449's journey to Owosso, Michigan for TrainFestival 2009, hosted by the Steam Railroading Institute.

In the summer of 2011, the SP 4449 hauled two excursions: one to Tacoma and Stampede Pass for the NRHS annual convention, and another up the Columbia River Gorge to Wishram to celebrate its 70th anniversary and help to raise funds for an upcoming 15-year boiler certification.

[9][10] One of ORHF's largest annual events, since 2005, is the operation of the Holiday Express excursion trains, previously pulled by locomotives 4449 and/or 700 on weekends in December between the Oregon Rail Heritage Center and Oaks Amusement Park along the Springwater Corridor.

Faced with the grim possibility of the locomotives being returned to non-operational outdoor display exposed to weather and vandalism, the foundation set about searching for a new piece of property upon which to construct a new engine house and visitors' center.

[19] 2003 saw many meetings and dialogues with parties concerned, including Portland city planners, community leaders, UP, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).

[21] 2005 was the first year for the annual Holiday Express trains, operated over the OPR main line between Oaks Park and OMSI on December weekends; it was an immediate success with 5,200 passengers.

[25] The established priority was to construct the new Enginehouse and relocate the locomotives in time to meet UP's deadline, then later fill out the remainder of the site with a rail heritage interpretive center and museum.

[27] When the Portland City Council approved a loan of nearly $1 million for the development of the site on October 28, 2009, the ORHF hired the architectural services of Hennebery Eddy to design the new facilities.

[29] On October 22, 2010, ORHF President McCormack broke ground on Site 1 across the street from OMSI, for a new track to be laid for temporary storage of the Holiday Express train consist of vintage rail passenger cars.

[30] One year later, on October 21, 2011, Parks Commissioner Nick Fish, alongside McCormack and other Portland dignitaries, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Site 2 for the engine house itself with about 200 people in attendance.

[32][33] Since UP's decree to vacate the roundhouse, the ORHF has been actively seeking the support of the City of Portland, the general population, and rail enthusiasts worldwide to raise over $5 million for the new heritage center.

The second phase was the lay out an external area at the southeast end of the engine house for the turntable to be installed, plus tracks for other equipment to be stored and maintained; connections to the UP and OPR lines was laid there as well.

The ongoing third and final phase was the build-out of an interpretive center in the Enginehouse where visitors can explore the engines' past lives, along with the history of rail transportation and its part in the development of Portland.