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.

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…

Fall 2015 Work Parties in South Cle Elum

We have scheduled two weekend work parties in September to continue the work we started in the spring. Our plan is to work on cleaning up the substation and maintaining the vegetation in the rail yard. The first work party is scheduled for Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13.…

Milwaukee Road Historical Association Convention in Yakima

The Milwaukee Road Historical Association annual convention was held in Yakima, WA last weekend. Cascade Rail Foundation was pleased to help host it by arranging the tours and most of the presentations. On Friday, convention attendees visited the east portal of Snoqualmie Tunnel, South Cle Elum, and Kittitas. We spent…

Limited Edition T-shirt Fundraiser!

For two weeks, through Sunday, June 28, we are selling this limited edition t-shirt to establish a fund for South Cle Elum Rail Yard improvements. This new fund would be used for projects too large for Cascade Rail Foundation to pursue with its normal income, but smaller than major capital…

Substation work parties – May 2 and May 9

Please join us the first two Saturdays in May (May 2 and 9) as we work to clean up the interior of the substation in South Cle Elum to prepare for public tours. These work parties will be an excellent opportunity to have full access to the substation interior. Future…