This may have been posted before, but it appears the Mt. Hood RR and the two former LS&I 2-8-0s may be for sale, after only brief operation of No. 18.

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php ... #msg-96555

Just a clarification, you are correct they're both for sale, but they're independent of one another.

The steam locos are owned by Brian Fleming, and the railroad is owned by another party.

So you can buy the locos without buying the railroad or vice-versa, just in case any of you hit the Powerball Lottery any time soon.

What happened to all the freight business? They used to haul lots of fruit our of the valley, yes?

Fruit has not been a steady or substantial source of carloads for the Mt. Hood for many years now. They have survived almost exclusively on forest products. A fire wiped out their biggest shipper, and sawmill closures took out all the rest. For a while they had only propane and occassional fruit shipments, but one of the closed sawmills re-opened under new management a year or two ago. It is probably not enough to sustain operations by itself, however.

The sale of the railroad is being prompted by a major washout near the upper end of the line. This has forced the passenger trains to terminate well short of their usual turnaround at Parkdale. The railroad does not have the money to fix the washout, and efforts to get grants or other relief to help out have been unsuccessfull. The owners have said they have never made money on the line, and there are some rumors floating around that the company may end all passenger operations at the end of the year.

The sale of the steam locomotives is being prompted by the highly uncertain future of the railroad.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

There have been many discussions across many pages about the sale of the RR. First hand, here are a few truths about the sale. My staff and I have studied this issue in great depth.

The original share holders that purchased the line from the UP have come to points in their own lives that dealing with the RR is no longer a high life priority. This said the Board of Directors chose some time ago to part with the RR. It must however be said that they are very concerned about the future of the operation. So much so that they have already turned down one firm offer. Many companies and people have come to table with offers. The Board is doing an outstanding job in terms of reviewing each proposal. The share holders want to ensure that the RR lives on. The current Directors have built an outstanding product! The wash out at MP 15 is an issue, but it was not the driving force behind the sale of the property. Freight traffic on the line is alive and well with many opportunities for growth and expansion.

Too much discussion has been held thus far about the why’s and how’s of the relationship between Brian Flemming and the Mt. Hood RR. Suffice to say, the 18 is a very fine machine and very worthy of future operation. Our industry should dismiss any further discussions about the people and focus on the machines. The 18 may need a good home and if anybody wants a fine locomotive…..I would suggest having a discussion with Brian. I have spoken with him on many occasions and his passion for steam is a live and well.

Been there done that!

John E. Rimmasch
www.wasatch-rr-contractors.com