On November 6 and 7, Mount Rainier National Park and the adjacent area received almost 18 inches of rainfall in 36 hours. Rivers and streams overwhelmed their channels, with floods that exceeded anything the area has experienced in over 100 years.
The Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad's bridge structure over the Nisqually River received significant damage during this flooding. Actually, the steel bridge itself was relatively unharmed, it withstood the force of the raging river without washing away. It appears to have suffered little damage, however a structural evaluation will be needed to determine the actual extent of damage.
The rock and earth fill approach spans that connect to the bridge weren't so fortunate. The channel under the bridge wasn't wide enough for the huge flow of water, so the river washed away the banks on both sides, leaving the track connecting to the bridge hanging in mid-air. The Elbe to Mineral line was cut in two.
The picture above shows the Mineral end of the bridge. The concrete abutment shown used to sit on a solid foundation of rock and earth. Now it's in the air, supported only by pilings driven to distribute the weight of the bridge. The other side suffered similar damage.
Current Status
The City of Tacoma and Tacoma Rail are evaluating the situation and considering options for repair. It is likely that they were request Federal Aid for help with the repairs.
There is no definite date for the repair work. We are confident that in one way or another the route between Mineral and Elbe will eventually be re-established. However, we have been planning future operations with the assumption that this will not occur until after this operating season and possibly the 2008 operating season as well. This could all change quickly with the route being restored in a matter of months – we just don’t know at this time.
Since we do not have any definite date for when the bridge repairs will be completed, we are going to operate out of our restoration facility in Mineral Washington for the 2007 season. Please see the location page for more details on our new departure site.
Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad,
PO Box 250, Mineral, WA 98355
Reservations: (888) STEAM11 - Telephone: (360) 492-5588
Schedule and fares subject to change without notice. While we make every reasonable effort to operate trains as listed, Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad reserves the right to substitute routes, motive power and/or equipment as required
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