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.

Our next work party is Saturday, September 24. We plan to continue working to clean up and organize the substation, as well as trim back the vegetation in the rail yard. We also have a bit of touch up painting on the depot and caboose shack trim that needs to…

Summer 2016 Work Party

Our next work party is Saturday, July 30. We plan to focus on cleaning up the interior of the substation this time. It’s nice and cool in there! If you’d like to bring some tools and work on the vegetation in the rail yard, you can do that too. We have plenty…

John Wayne Pioneer Trail – Public Comment Opportunity

Washington State Parks is hosting the final series of public meetings to get feedback about the future of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail east of the Columbia River to the Idaho state line. The first meeting will be Tuesday, May 10th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Preston…

Spring 2016 Rail Yard Work Parties

We have scheduled two weekend work parties this spring to continue the work we started last year. Our plan is to work on maintaining the vegetation in the rail yard and continue preparing the substation for public tours. Please join us if you can. You don’t have to be there for the…

2016 March Milwaukee Meet, March 5, Burien, WA

The annual March Milwaukee Road Meet is a gathering for slides, movies and discussion and socializing. All are welcome! As in the past, this is a free event. Bring your photos, artifacts, models, memorabilia and other items for display. The event is sponsored by Cascade Rail Foundation and the…

2012 M.E.A.L Videos

Well, it has taken us awhile, but we have finally uploaded the videos from the interviews we did at the 2012 Milwaukee Employees Annual Luncheon.

Happy Holidays – Thank you for a great year!

Cascade Rail Foundation thanks you for your support this year. We hope you enjoy the holidays and have a great new year! Daniel Perkins photo taken at Cle Elum in January 1974.

Milwaukee Road Historical Association – Coast Division

Cascade Rail Foundation is pleased to partner with the Milwaukee Road Historical Association (MRHA) to sponsor the Coast Division of MRHA. The new division will allow MRHA to better serve its members and provide Cascade Rail Foundation the opportunity to expand its efforts to promote the history of the Milwaukee…

John Wayne Pioneer Trail – your voice is needed

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail has a broad constituency, including those who value it as a link to the past or as a vital link across Washington for bicycling, hiking, or horseback riding. Despite this support, a large portion of this important public asset was nearly transferred to adjacent private…

Milwaukee Employees Annual Luncheon – October 3, 2015

Our fifth annual Milwaukee Employees Annual Luncheon will be held at Smokey’s BBQ in the Cle Elum depot on Saturday, October 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The luncheon menu features barbeque chicken from Smokey’s BBQ. Our intent is to honor former employees of the railroad, recognizing their service…