Sunny Sunday at the Roundhouse

Bright sunlight and warm temperatures greeted my last visit to one of my favorite places to visit. A warm Sunday afternoon brings lots of volunteers to the roundhouse in the Portland, Oregon area. Yesterday was a hopping day, but I did get to speak with Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation’s (ORHF’s) Vice-President, Robert Slover. Mr. Slover is a quiet man, but this barely hides his passion for trains. I understand that passion.

I asked Mr. Slover if any excursions are scheduled for any of ORHF. “Not right now,” he replied. He encouraged me to stay tuned, as that could quickly change. Among the issues that limit ORHF excursions are track availability, locomotive availability, and insurance for excursions. There has been an increase in cargo trains on area tracks, making excursions harder to schedule. “Insurance is not cheap,” he adds. His description of the trip planning process made it clear it takes quite some time and lots of patience to put them together.

In the meantime, he invites those interested in discovering more about ORHF’s trains and roundhouse to visit the www.orhf.org website to see their important work in progress.