A trip to the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley wouldn’t be complete
without a visit to the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad and Northwest Railway
Museum.
Located in downtown Snoqualmie, the railroad offers a
scenic seven-mile adventure from the Snoqualmie Depot to North
Bend’s train station. The 234-seat vintage train offers views of Rattlesnake
Ridge, Mount Si and the Cascades along with a wide array of wildlife.
Each round trip takes one hour and leaves Snoqualmie on the hour
and the station at North Bend at the bottom of the hour. The train maintains
its schedule, so timeliness is necessary.
The train and the station are a wonderful experience for visitors
both young and old. James Sackey, a member of the railway’s visitor
services team, said, “An excursion into
history on the Northwest Snoqualmie Valley railroad will be both educational
and informative.”
Sackey takes pride in reciting facts about the railroad. He fondly
recalls the smallest details of the construction of the Depot, including
its initial cost of $4,300. He loves telling old tales about its rich history and
the colorful people who both created and rode the railroad.
The Snoqualmie Depot is the oldest operating station in
Washington, according to Sackey. The railway was part of the Seattle, Lake Shore
& Eastern Railway and was built between 1888 and 1892. The
Queen Anne-style Victorian depot was built in 90 days during the summer of
1890 and the first tracks in front of the depot were laid in 1891.
The Snoqualmie Railroad can be reached from Interstate 90. From
Seattle, take Exit 27 to Snoqualmie or Exit 31 for North Bend.
Westbound motorists should use Exit 31 and follow State Route 202 to either town.
From Memorial Day through the end of September, the train makes
six round trips every Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
After September, the train runs Sundays only through the end of
October. Round-trip fare is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors over 62, $5 for
children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 3.
The Northwest Railway Museum offers several membership
programs to help preserve the railroad’s history. A newsletter is included in the
membership fee.
The Depot Bookstore is open Thursday through Monday, from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information, call (425) 888-9311 or visit their Web site
at www.trainmuseum.org.