A toy steam locomotive "rides the rails" at the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe, Washington.
Canon EOS-10D, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L.

In the little town of Elbe near the foothills of Mount Rainier you can board the Mount Rainier Scenic Railway (MRSR). The MRSR offers steam train excursions through the lush landscape of Washington State. The train station is located on Highway 7 approximately 70 miles south of Seattle, on the main route to Mt. Rainier National Park. A visit to the railway makes a fun day trip with the kids.

One of our family hobbies is model railroading, and during a recent trip there my kids really enjoyed the experience of going on a "real" steam train.

The MRSR operates several working steam locomotives of the type used on Western logging railroads as recently as the 1960's. On the day we visited, our train was pulled by a 3-truck Climax locomotive built in 1928 for the Hillcrest Lumber Company in British Columbia. The Climax differs from conventional steam locomotives in that it is driven by a crankshaft that powers the trucks with a network of gears. Like all geared locomotives, the Climax excelled at pulling heavy loads at low speeds over steep mountain grades, and could stay on track that routinely derailed many conventional locomotives.

Enjoy!

Canon EOS-10D, EF 135 f/2.0L

Canon EOS-10D, EF 135 f/2.0L + EF Extender 2X

Canon EOS-10D, EF 50mm f/1.4

Canon EOS-10D, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L

Canon EOS-10D, EF 50mm f/1.4

Canon EOS-10D, EF 50mm f/1.4

Canon EOS-10D, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L

Canon EOS-10D, EF 135 f/2.0L + EF Extender 2X