With our purchase of the 5057 completed earlier this year, our next step is to move it back to Washington and get to work on the cosmetic restoration of the locomotive.
 Volunteers Bill Sery, Wayne Monger, and Fred High pose in front of the 5057 at Portola, CA |
 The 5057 has POVA reporting marks for the trip north. |
 5057 - owned by Cascade Rail Foundation! |
We plan to send the 5057 to the locomotive shop of the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (POVA) in Usk, WA (north of Spokane) for the restoration work. We are very pleased to be working with the people at POVA. POVA is a publicly-owned railroad that operates part of the former Milwaukee Road branch to Metaline Falls, WA.
Before the 5057 can move anywhere though, we need to make sure it will safely and smoothly travel on its own wheels. We worked with the Feather River Rail Society to organize a work party in Portola, CA in October to prepare the 5057 for its trip to Washington. You can read about it on the 5057 Project web site. The work party was very productive, but another few days of work are still needed. We are planning to work on the 5057 in Portola again in the spring. Feather River Rail Society has been very helpful and cooperative, and we thank them for their assistance.
In the meantime, fundraising continues. Our current focus is to ensure we can pay for the move to POVA and be able to start the first part of the restoration work. We have most of the funds for the move, but we’re not quite there yet. During this next round of fundraising we have a new incentive for people interested in making a challenge donation. As long as supplies last, anyone who makes a challenge donation of at least $500 will receive a reproduction 5057 numberboard (patterned off of one of the originals). Please contact us if you’d like to initiate a challenge donation.
With the support of people like you, we will have the 5057 back in Washington next year and one step closer to South Cle Elum.
