Railway Historical Society celebrates 40th year
Nostalgia comes with the sound of a lonesome train whistle floating through the morning air.
Once, Spokane echoed with the wail of train whistles, the chugging of mighty soot-covered steam locomotives and the sharp clang of steel upon steel.
A dense spider web of rail lines, switchyards and depots stretched for miles along the Spokane River as Spokane became the junction point for six major railroads and the largest rail center west of the Mississippi River.
Thousands of area residents toiled in an industry that tied the country together, carrying goods and passengers throughout the region.
But after World War II, the Interstate highway system and increasing air travel forever changed the role of railroads as a passenger conveyance. Evidence of the railroads’ key part in the region’s history began to disappear rapidly.
In 1967, a few concerned railroad enthusiasts formed the Inland Empire Railway Historical Society to preserve what they could.
The group’s first project was to begin restoration of Union Pacific’s steam locomotive 3206, donated to Spokane in 1955. The engine was moved to the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds in 1978, where work on it continues.
Over time, the railway society’s collection has grown steadily to include vintage sleeping and dining cars, boxcars, a caboose, crane and electric locomotives. The society also has collected photos, equipment, dining car china and other artifacts, creating a museum in the cars.
As caretakers of the past, the railroad enthusiasts have shared their passion over the decades.
Now, society members have scraped, scrubbed and tinkered, preparing the trains, exhibits and museum for their 40th-anniversary open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.
Visitors can see steam engine 3206 up close, tour the museum cars filled with relics, see the restored sleeping compartments and dining areas, buy souvenirs and enjoy free rides on a 2-foot gauge train. Photo opportunities, food and fun will abound.
Because this is a fundraiser, the society requests a $5 donation per family.
The 125 volunteer railway society members hope to entertain and educate as well as inspire others, especially young people, to join their preservation efforts.
“We want this to be a festivity for families as we celebrate our dads and grandfathers,” said railway society member Donna McMackin. “A time to learn how people traveled before and about part of the history of Spokane.
“There’s nothing more exciting than a train ride. And who knows? If we don’t keep doing this, we may not get to ride any trains,” she said.
Some young people are helping out. For several years, the Reardan (Wash.) High School football team has helped drive spikes at the railway society’s Reardan site.
People once had more interaction with trains, but the railroads’ significance has waned. However, children still are enthralled with trains.
“There’s a new surge of interest thanks to Thomas the Tank (Engine),” said former railway society president Mike McMackin, 70, a jovial storyteller. “Every kid loves that. And the Polar Express.”
Also, as fuel costs go up, trains have become the most economical method of shipping freight. “The railroads are really growing now,” said Lee Tillotson, a railway society member and current national director.
Tillotson, 70, is a soft-spoken fount of knowledge with a personal library of around 2,000 books about railroading. He spends at least 20 hours a week on society efforts.
“I’ve always been interested in railroads,” he said.
Donna McMackin, one of three women preparing for the open house, says she would like to see more women involved, believing they have special skills to offer.
In addition to donations, the railway society raises money by selling cars, parts and equipment. It holds fundraising events during the Spokane Interstate Fair and at the Spokane Railroad Show in October at Spokane Community College.
The future of the railway society is tied to the future of the railroads.
A serious issue is the Bridging the Valley project (www.bridgingthevalley.org), involving multiple public and private organizations. Under this project, vehicle and train traffic would be separated between Spokane and Athol, Idaho, by eliminating 72 rail crossings, thus improving traffic flow and safety and reducing pollution from idling cars at railroad crossings.
But the plans would make it more difficult and costly for the society to add to or move its collection.
Also, in June 2002, the Spokane County Fair Board asked the group to leave the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center – the board thinks the land rented by the society could generate more revenue.
“We’ve been in limbo, but the board appears to be more amiable now,” said Mike McMackin. “We would like to keep a presence on the fairgrounds for the immediate future.”
The railway society, which has been operating on a year-by-year basis, has bought 30 acres near the junction of state Highway 231 and U.S. Highway 2 in Reardan. Several boxcars are on site, and a switch should be installed soon. The society hopes to one day run a tourist train from the site.
In the meantime, the society faithfully is preserving one of the major historical influences on this region.
Says Mike McMackin: “What would Spokane be like today if the railroads hadn’t come?”