Cascade Rail Foundation

Before and After Renovation!

After many volunteer hours of renovation, the South Cle Elum Depot re-opened its doors in 2006.

Back in its heyday in the 1920s

The South Cle Elum Depot as seen from the south, with the substation and rail yard.

We are working to ensure the fascinating history of the Milwaukee Road in Washington is not forgotten

Contact Cascade Rail Foundation

You can visit our Archive web site to see Milwaukee Road-related documents and photos in our collections. To go to our site, click here or on the image below. UPDATE: Our Archive web site is back (with a new address) after being derailed by a software update gone wrong. It is still rough around the edges, but most of the documents are there. Contact us if you need a document from the site that is still missing.

Visit the depot this summer – 2018 hours

We will have the exhibit area of the depot open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month from May through October, plus some additional days.

You can come see us on:

Saturday, May 12
Saturday, May 19
Saturday, June 9
Saturday, June 16
Saturday, July 14
Saturday & Sunday July 21-22
Saturday, August 11
Saturday, August 18
Saturday, September 8
Saturday, October 13

Substation tours will be scheduled and listed here soon.

We’d like to be open more days this summer, but we need more volunteers. If you are interested in helping us open the depot for visitors, please contact us.

Smokey’s BBQ has the restaurant side of the depot open more often. You can find their hours here.

2018 MILWAUKEE EMPLOYEES ANNUAL LUNCHEON – OCTOBER 6

Our eighth annual Milwaukee Employees Annual Luncheon (M.E.A.L.) will be held at the Iron Horse B&B in South Cle Elum on Saturday, October 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The luncheon will be catered by the Iron Horse B&B. The intent of this event is to honor former employees of the railroad, recognizing…

Rosalia Railroad History Presentation and History Hike – October 6

Railroad History Presentation Join us for a railroad history presentation by Bruce Butler at the Rosalia Community Center (located at 106 W. 7th Street, just off Whitman next to the grocery) on Saturday, October 6 at 1 p.m. Mr. Butler grew up in Pullman and has witnessed and photographed trains in…

July 22 Bicycle Tour from Snoqualmie Tunnel to Cedar Falls

Sunday, July 22 is your chance to take a bicycle tour on the former Milwaukee Road through Snoqualmie Tunnel and downhill to Cedar Falls near North Bend with fellow Milwaukee Road fans and railroad history enthusiasts. Bicycles (and headlights!) will be provided as part of the tour. This tour is…

Milwaukee Road book author event

Dale Jones, author of the recently published book “The Milwaukee Connection Spokane to Butte”, will be at Page 2 Books in Burien, WA on Saturday, July 21 at 1:30 PM to talk to fellow rail enthusiasts and sign copies of his books.

2018 Substation Tours

The giant Milwaukee Road substation next to the South Cle Elum depot is usually closed to the public, but we’ll be giving guided tours again this summer. Tours will be available Saturday, June 16 and Saturday, July 14 between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. We also will open the substation for…

Gandy Dancing in the Rail Yard

We’re very pleased to share another video by Charlie Conway! Charlie is a Contributing Editor for Model Railroader Video Plus (MRVP), Kalmbach Publishing Company’s subscription video website. In this video, you get to see some of our fantastic volunteer gandy dancers building a track panel. Gandy dancer is a slang term…

May 19 Rail Yard Work Party!!!

We will be having a small work party in the rail yard on May 19, working on vegetation maintenance. If you can join the party on Saturday, please send us a message through the ‘contact’ page of our website. We are also having a work party on Saturday, May 26.…

May 2018 Rail Yard Work Party Information

We will be having a work party on Saturday, May 26 at the South Cle Elum Rail Yard, from 10 am to 3 pm. The main focus will be laying track, though we may continue our work to maintain the vegetation in the rail yard also. If you can join…

A new name for the trail? Give your feedback today!

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is considering a name change for the Iron Horse State Park Trail /John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Currently, Washington State Parks identifies the whole trail that encompasses the former Milwaukee Road mainline between Cedar Falls (near North Bend) and the Idaho border as the…

Before and After Renovation!

Back in its heyday in the 1920s

We are working to ensure the fascinating history of the Milwaukee Road in Washington is not forgotten

Contact Cascade Rail Foundation

VISIT OUR ARCHIVE WEB SITE!