TACOMA, Wash. – The owners of the Camp 6 Logging Museum in Tacoma have sold the trains, logging equipment, and other pieces of equipment to collector Chris Baldo, a founder of Roots of Motive Power Inc., a logging history museum located in Willits, Calif.

The Camp 6 Logging Museum opened in 1964 as a living, hands-on demonstration of logging and railroad history from the 1880s through the 1940s. With revenue dwindling, it closed last winter. The Western Forest Industries Museum, which owns Camp 6, had searched for a person or organization to restore and maintain the exhibit in Tacoma. When that effort failed, the museum searched for an organization or individual that could move and preserve the Camp 6 equipment in another location.

Baldo said that many pieces of equipment would go to the Roots of Motive Power Museum. The Western Forest Industries Museum will retain some artifacts, while others will go into Baldo’s personal collection. Some pieces will be made available to other logging and railroad history museums in the Pacific Northwest, or to others interested in the history of the timber industry.

Camp 6 Logging Equipment Sold to Collector
The owners of the Camp 6 Logging Museum in Tacoma, Washington have sold the trains, logging equipment, and other pieces of equipment to a collector who is a founder of the Roots of Motive Power Inc., a logging history museum located in Willits, California.
The Western Forest Industries Museum (WFIM), which owns Camp 6, had searched for a person or organization to restore and maintain Camp 6 within Point Defiance Park. When no such entity was found, WFIM began a search for entities that could undertake the task of moving and preserving the historic logging artifacts of Camp 6. The WFIM board feels fortunate to have found a purchaser that can take responsibility for ensuring the artifacts are well cared for.
The board was pleased to find Chris Baldo because he values railroad memorabilia and is genuinely interested in preserving the equipment to the extent possible, said WFIM spokesman Alan Macpherson.
Baldo said that much of the Camp 6 historic logging equipment will go to the Roots of Motive Power Museum collection in Willits. A few pieces will be retained by the Western Forest Industries Museum, which owned the Camp 6 equipment and also owns the Mount Rainier Scenic Railway. Some artifacts will remain in Mr. Baldo’s personal collection, and some pieces will be made available to other logging and railroad history museums in the Pacific Northwest and to other individuals and companies interested in the long-term preservation of the history of the timber industry.
Chris Baldo has been involved in the lumber business since 1973, starting his career with a short stint with the Weyerhaeuser Company in Raymond, Washington. Mr. Baldo currently is a co-owner of Willits Redwood Company, a redwood sawmill. Mr. Baldo is an avid collector and operator of steam railroad and logging equipment.
The Western Forest Industries Museum (WFIM) closed the historic logging museum in Point Defiance Park, Tacoma last winter after dwindling revenues led to insufficient funds to operate the museum and maintain the equipment.
WFIM leases property in Point Defiance Park from Metro Parks for a nominal amount. That lease is set to expire in late 2012 when the collection has been relocated.
WFIM established the Camp 6 Logging Museum in 1964 as a living, hands-on demonstration of logging and railroad history from the 1880s through the 1940s.

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