Anyone know how the group in Astoria, Oregon, is doing on their Santa Maria Valley Mike? Their website has lots of restoration photos (with good explanations) but has not been updated for over a year. I know they wanted to be ready for the Lewis and Clark celebrations this fall. I sure hope the project is still ongoing.

Anyone know more?

Astoria Railroad Preservation Association

> Anyone know how the group in Astoria,
> Oregon, is doing on their Santa Maria Valley
> Mike? Their website has lots of restoration
> photos (with good explanations) but has not
> been updated for over a year. I know they
> wanted to be ready for the Lewis and Clark
> celebrations this fall. I sure hope the
> project is still ongoing.

> Anyone know more?

I can fill you in a little.

We've been hard at work at several projects.

First, work on the new firebox is almost complete. I think we have to drill the final dozen holes for staybolts, and we'll be getting ready to put it in the locomotive.

Second, we stepped into the breach and helped save passenger service to Astoria. The Portland and Western operated the Lewis and Clark Explorer train to Astoria last summer (and will operate again this year.) Having a paid crew operate the three draw bridges cost nearly $1000 a day. After a couple of weeks it was obvious that the Explorer service would stop because of the huge losses accumulating.

The ARPA was asked if we would like to help out by turning two bridges close to Astoria. We provided 8 volunteers a day, 4 days a week through the summer to turn the two bridges built in the early 1900's. It looks like we will be turning the bridges again this year.

Third, we've spent much of the winter working on the trolley tracks through Astoria. We've moved and installed over 1200 feet of track to move Astoria's popular riverfront trolley line right next to the paved Riverwalk. We are also putting in a switch to access part of the line that was not moved--with luck we will use it for our locomotive. The track work will be completed in the next couple of weeks. We hope to net over $30,000 that will go toward the locomotive.

Fourth, we recieved a grant from the John and Jane Youell Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation to restore our tender. We were given a year to raise the matching portion of the grant. We raised the match in about 2 months. Work on the tender will start about the first of May.

Finally, we have a couple of other grant applications ready to mail. If we are awarded the grants, we should have enough money to finish work on the locomotive.

Our plans are still to have the locomotive operating next year. It will be a lot of work, but with the infusion of money from the track work and tender grant we are a lot closer to our goal.

I'll try to get some pictures posted of the work on the firebox, bridge turning and tender project.

Jeff Newenhof
Board Member
Astoria Railroad Preservation Association

Astoria Railroad Preservation Association
jnewenhf@pacifier.com

Thanks, Jeff, for the great news on your operation. Keep up the good work!

I live fairly close (Olympia, WA) and hope to get down there soon.

Scott