Steam trains, while a staple of childhood stories, are unusual in the twenty-first century. Though many survived being scrapped, and several are still operating, opportunities to ride them are few and far between, in the Portland area at least. To ride behind one, one needs to know the perfect place and time. Long trips out of Portland on a high speed steam train are rare and cost a few hundred dollars, but there is another, far cheaper steam train you can ride on during the holidays. And it runs several times every year for less than $50.
The Holiday Express is one of our holiday traditions. The trips occur over four weekends in December, by the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation. Before the first trip, the train set is moved from its base near OMSI to Oak's Park to begin the season. It’s hard not to notice a three-story steam plume where once there was one, and it’s fairly well advertised. Still, it seems to be little known among my friends and coworkers. This is a bit of a shame. Living with a volunteer at the organization, I have ridden it many times, but this is a piece of holiday magic that deserves a bit more attention than it gets.
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| #4449 rests between trips in 2015. The cab window is open allowing a glimpse at some of the locomotive's controls. -M. Kramer, photo. |
For train fanatics, this train stands out as a rarity. The locomotive, Southern Pacific #4449 is a rare GS-4 type. While it was once a popular model, all but this one were scrapped and today it is one of a kind, a fact well known among train fans. The coaches it pulls date back to the 50s, and all are steam heated. Many of these, including the round-ended rear car are also rarities. It’s clear that some people are there for the locomotive. Train fans are sometimes referred to as foamer due to their almost rabid obsession with railroading. These are fairly easy to spot. But one doesn’t need to be an expert in railroad history to appreciate the Holiday Express.
Despite the short run time and low speed, the trips are no less magical. Tickets are affordable, and trains generally leave every hour, allowing for a layover between forty-five minute trips. From the covered tent in the Oak's park parking lot, all of the passengers walk up to the train in the brisk, but relatively mild northwest winters, with a cool wind blowing on the face. As with classical trains, wisps of steam stream up from the tracks, producing white misty clouds. The steam carries with it a mineral-like scent which is pleasant and nostalgic and lingers in the entire trains set, bringing with it mental images of the classical age of passenger trains. An age that I, alas, never knew, but that’s one of the points of keeping these machines active. It’s all that is left of a bygone era of train travel.
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| A video of the Holiday Express during the day as seen from the window at the end of one of the cars. -Staff Photographer |
Outside, when the train begins to move, the locomotive shoots out a blinding cloud of steam covering the bike path. This is enough to clue many observers in. Some step out of the way entirely, while others step back yet close enough to get a face full of steam. Overly-enthusiastic ones are told to keep clear in order to not get burned. Like I said, train nuts are called foamers for a reason.
Inside, the train’s motion is harder to register at first. Due to its slow speed and peculiar route, it only goes about half a mile before stopping, then the locomotive pushes the train a mile back to the other end of the railroad, then back to Oak's Park for the next run. Once it gets moving however, the coaches rock pleasantly to the rhythm of the ancient rails. The ride is largely a social activity. Families will come, parents, children both grown and young, extended family, and friends. The passengers group together and talk amongst themselves. In addition to the joy of the ride, Children tend to squeal with delight when they discover that Santa is on board as well. This is great for kids, but is a lesson in patience for others to walk the train.
Day time trips are pleasant and worth a ride. To fully understand the experience though, you need to take the train at night. Why? The train is literally lit up like a Christmas tree with LEDs draping both the locomotive, and cars. Inside, the lights are dimmed once travel begins and the LEDs draped along the sides of the interior and exterior and across the ceiling of the cars create a dim, colorful atmosphere complimented by the lights of the South Waterfront out the window. It’s nearly impossible to appreciate these lights to the same degree by day, and the sun sets so early that these night time trips can be made relatively early in the evening, and get the little ones home in time for bed. Or stay up, that works too. The trains only run on weekends. After all, it’s not every day you get to ride a steam train in Portland. -KP
(For more details, the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation has a website of their own, as well as one for the Holiday Express)
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