The Northwest Railway Museum

Programs: Interpretive railway - the northwest railway museum offers experiential "living history" programs where visitors travel between two western washington communities on a railway built in 1889. These programs interpret the role of railroads in the development and settlement of the northwest, and allow people to experience the excitement of a working railway in an era before interstate highways. In 2014, a steam locomotive was used for several special weekend operations to gauge public response to this enhancement. Those weekends attracted near-record attendance. Overall, interpretive railway programs reached a combined audience of 45,748 people and included school trains, regular trains on weekends, and themed events for young children.

collection care - the conservation and restoration center is a purpose-built facility incorporating 8,200 sq. Ft. It features two tracks and a diversity of specially-selected tools including planers, lathes, milling machines, saws, tenoners and more. The principle project in 2014 was rehabilitation of coach 218, a 1912-era wood coach that for 40 years operated between spokane and vancouver. Work was performed consistent with the secretary of the interior's standards for the treatment of historic properties. Work was completed in october when the coach entered service. Also in 2014, work began on the two year effort required to fully rehabilitate and restore for northern pacific steam locomotive 924, an 1899-built rogers locomotive that for more than 20 years worked in the puget sound region.

train shed exhibit building - completed in 2011, this semi-conditioned space provides long term stable collections storage, but also exhibition space for the most important and representative objects including passenger cars, freight cars, and locomotives. In 2014, volunteer docents provided guided tours for 329 people that were brought to the facility by train. An additional 155 people received tours after arriving by bus or car. Debuting in 2014 were the first of the "railroad changed everything" exhibit panels, which have been designed to establish context for the large objects on display in the building.

other programs include operation of the snoqualmie depot (listed on thenational register of historic places), interpretive web sites includingwww. Wellingtonremembered. Org and www. Messengerofpeace. Org, interpretivesignage along public trails in downtown snoqualmie, operation of aresearch library, and the running trades program that trains volunteersto be brakemen, conductors, firemen and engineers (historical positiontitles; all positions open to women and men).