(The following story by Calvin Hall appeared on The Gresham Outlook website on August 13.)
GRESHAM, Ore. — For modern travelers and tourists who enjoy a scenic train ride now and then, few can pass up checking out the century-old Mount Hood Railroad.
The railroad’s two trains set out from the station in downtown Hood River and rumble along the tracks southward through the Hood River Valley for 22 miles, passing scenic forests, rivers, mountains, orchards and small farming communities.
The antique train cars, from the engine, the dining cars, the Pullman coaches and little red cabooses – the oldest car dating to 1910 – shake and roll from side to side at a leisurely 14 to 18 mph.
Railroad General Manager Michelle Marquart said about 70,000 passengers sign on each year for the weekend dinner and brunch trains or for the themed excursions, such as the popular murder mystery or Wild West train robbery trips. But the main attraction, she said, is the valley’s countryside.
To enhance the journey, the railroad added a new dome car: a two-level, authentic 1950s luxury railcar that recalls the last heydays of passenger train travel. The dome car’s upper level offers 72 half-circular cushioned seats and a domed, panoramic window view of the valley.
“It’s a wonderful way to enjoy the company of family, friends and coworkers,” Marquart said. “It can be very relaxing for people to sit back and enjoy the countryside. And it’s a lot of fun.”
The dome car debuted to the general public on Saturday, Aug. 9, when it was added to the dinner train. It continues full-time for both the dinner and brunch trains on weekends and on excursion train trips during the week, Marquart said. It’s still possible to get tickets for one of the many train journeys before summer ends, she said, as the train trips usually sell out weeks, instead of months, in advance.
The dome car was added by Permian Basin Railways, a Chicago-based company that purchased the Mount Hood Railroad in April 2008.
On its maiden voyage Wednesday, Aug. 6, the dome car carried representatives of the logging, tourism, business and media industries through the valley into the small community of Odell on an invitation-only roundtrip.
Among the passengers was Mount Hood resident Jack Mills, one of the 25 investors who purchased the railroad in 1987 from Union Pacific for $650,000 and opened it to passenger travel. Owing to the debts and the expenses of maintaining the railroad and trains, he said they decided to sell.
“The people of the Hood River area liked it, so we thought, let’s see if we could get a new buyer who could keep it running,” he said.
Mills said he liked Permian Basin’s president and the company’s ideas for the railroad, including the addition of the dome car, which he enjoyed riding in for the first time.
Conductor Dan Devers, who has worked with the railroad since 1998, said the dome car is a beautiful addition to the railroad because “the views on the upper level open up a whole new world” of the Hood River Valley.
“You can see a lot more of the beauty coming through the valley,” Devers said, noting the snow-covered peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams in the distance.
The dome car arrives just a few weeks before the tentative mid-September reopening of the line to the town of Parkdale, which closed when flooding destroyed five miles of track in 2006.
Gorham Blaine, a farmer and the owner of McIsaac’s Store in Parkdale, rode the dome car Aug. 6 with his sons Reid, 5, and Evan, 7.
Blaine said the closure of the railroad had hurt business in Parkdale, which needed the extra tourism dollars and interest brought in by the weekly train visits. A few of the local restaurants and stores had closed shop as a result.
“The trains’ return will help a lot of the small businesses return,” Blaine said. “It will help put some pride back into the town and some tourist dollars back into the town. I think it will also bring greater appreciation by the tourists and help the agricultural base of the valley.”
As for the dome car, Blaine said he had a nice time and was pleased with the ride.
“It will be an easy recommendation. It definitely enhances the allure of the railroad.”
Railroad quick facts
What: Mount Hood Railroad’s new two-level luxury dome car was added on Saturday, Aug. 9, to both dinner and brunch trains and excursion trains.
Where: Departs Wednesdays through Sundays from the Mount Hood Railroad Station at First Street and Cascade Avenue, Hood River. The regular traveling season is between April and December, and the trains are available to rent for private parties throughout the year.
Cost: A seat in the dome train costs an additional $10 per person in addition to the regular passenger fares. Check the railroad’s Web site or call for pricing.