Chances are that even if you haven't seen a bobcat or other wildcat species, they've seen you! Most are reclusive and don't want anything to do with people. Much like with bears, making noise is the best way to make them aware of you so they'll keep their distance like you should also do for them.
The bobcat walks along the Train Shed Exhibit Hall sidewalk. It is a medium brown color but the back legs have a slight orange hue. Staff are looking down from the second story of the Railway Education Center.
The same bobcat has stopped to look behind for a moment, giving staff a look at its face. It looks a little like a large housecat with a short tail, but you don't want to give this cat a hug.
Local wildcat species are even more shy than the coyotes, unless they're the school's mascot. ;) Staff were lucky enough to spot this beautiful bobcat passing through the campus one quiet afternoon a few years back! #WildlifeWednesdays #NRM #TrainMuseum #bobcats #PNW #animals #cats
A distant photo of two coyotes running along Stone Quarry Road across the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad tracks. According to staff, they returned to the road and got frightened off by incoming cars at least three times that morning.
While rarely photographed, coyotes are a common sight on the train tracks in the morning at the Railway History Campus. They're shy and quick to scamper off into the woods, but this pair really wanted to walk on the street!
#WildlifeWednesdays #NRM #TrainMuseum #coyotes #PNW #animals
An engineer black bear teddy with a custom red bandana that has the Northwest Railway Museum logo on it. The bear is wearing Thomas the Tank Engine sunglasses.
You're cool, but are you THIS cool?
Day Out With Thomas 2026 tickets are selling fast! Get them while your preferred time is still available! More info here: trainmuseum.org/upcoming-eve...
#NRM #TrainMuseum #DOWT #DOWT2026 #PNW #Snoqualmie #Thomas&Friends #trainrides #museums
Trail Youth provides a third space for visitors, especially teenagers, as well as community resources for those in need. This thankfully wasn't targeted vandalism, but is still an unfortunate and unexpected expense.
The entrance to Trail Youth Coffee, a non-profit that provides a third space for teenagers as well as other kinds of support for local youth. The glass door is broken with pieces all over the entryway. They are currently fundraising to replace the broken glass.
If you're in the area for a train ride today, consider showing some support for our non-profit neighbors over at Trail Youth Coffee Home in North Bend to help them fund their glass door replacement!
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We do fondly refer to her as our Yellow Submarine, though. ;)
It would be great to operate WTC 1 again, but the funny thing about a locomotive powered by submarine engines is that those engines are designed to be run as a submarine would be run, not started and stopped like a locomotive would be.
Yep!
Snoqualmie Valley Railroad Locomotive 4012 on its trailer, still in its black and yellow paint scheme. Mount Si visible in the background.
Snoqualmie Valley Railroad Locomotive 4024 on its trailer on I-90, en-route to the Museum. It is painted identically to 4012 in the previous picture, all black with yellow striping and railings.
She was way more power than we needed and very expensive to fuel. Not to mention in 2001, the Museum acquired two new (used) locomotives....
You know them, you love them: Former US Army Transportation Corp. 4012 & 4024, matching Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton diesel-electric switching locomotives!
Why did we stop operating her? This was a logging locomotive: it's extremely heavy itself, uses a lot of diesel, and is designed for heavy duty cargo. The story varies depending on which volunteer or staff member you ask. It's in part a combination of all of the above reasons.
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company 1 on the newly rebuilt bridge up by Snoqualmie Falls. The river valley visible in the background to the right.
The front of Weyerhaeuser Timber Company Locomotive 1 through some maple leaves. There's a great view of the Lower Snoqualmie River Valley in front of the engine in the left half of the picture.
Since you all seemed to really enjoy seeing the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company Locomotive 1, here's a belated #ThursdayThrowback to when it was in operation in 2000!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #locomotives #railroads #museums #trains #diesels
Big fans of train-sized doors here on BlueSky, you love to see it. ;)
Mt. Rainier Scenic has purchased a 3.6-acre plot and a more than 10,000-square-foot building that will serve as its new restoration facility and office space railfan.com/mt-rainier-a...
If you're ever inside the Train Shed when we have to open those doors, we try to warn folks ahead of time to brace for the loud noise. Electric doors the size of trains need an equally impressive warning sound - which unfortunately sounds a lot like a fire alarm going off at one end of the building!
A small resolution behind the scenes photo from the Train Shed Exhibit Hall's construction. This is before any track was built. The bed of the track is just ballast with concrete next to it. It gives a very clear view of the three garage doors on the far end.
A 2023 photo of Great Northern steam locomotive 1246 and Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway #701 Wapinitia Pass Pullman Sleeper (Used on Great Northern Empire Builder.) in front of the Conservation and Restoration Workshop. One of the swinging barn doors is open, allowing a glimpse of 924 inside.
The Train Shed has a set of massive roll-up doors that allow us to move equipment in and out of the building, which we do frequently. The wooden coaches usually live indoors when not being used for passenger service.
In contrast, the workshop has swinging barn doors to allow equipment in and out.
An old photo of the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company White River Branch locomotive 1 on display inside the Train Shed Exhibit Hall. The picture does not do its massive scale justice.
When visitors first step into the Train Shed, they are awed by the size of the Weyerhaeuser locomotive and often wonder aloud, "How did they get those IN here?" It can be hard to see past the rolling stock, but the answer is quite simple: REALLY BIG DOORS!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #trains #museums #diesels
Actually, has anyone made a train-themed snake game where you collect rolling stock? That would be pretty fun.
We could go on about snakes for a while.
What is a train but a giant, segmented, metal snake on wheels? Just like the classic arcade game. Think about it. ;)
An outstretched hand trying to release a young garter snake into the brush. This baby snake was found on the sidewalk near the train tracks on a train operation day.
The same snake a moment later, it immediately turned around and tried to nestle back into the hand. It was a cool, wet day and it was clearly after someplace warm.
Overall, it's best to leave them alone unless they're in imminent danger. With heavy foot traffic and heavy machinery alike, willing staff members here at the Museum do sometimes relocate these little guys safely into the brush so they don't get hurt.
This one didn't want to leave the warm hand:
If they can't flee, garter snakes may flatten themselves to look larger, hiss, or try to strike. If you pick them up anyway, you may be in for a stinky surprise: they often release a foul smelling musk as a last ditch defense against predators.
There are no venomous snakes on this side of the Cascade Mountains, but the western rattlesnake can be found in eastern Washington. Either way, it's always a good idea to keep an eye out for snakes sunning themselves on sidewalks and trails. This species is usually shy and will flee if they see you.
A northwestern garter snake flattened against the ground in an attempt to look bigger. It is black with a distinct yellow stripe down its back and light green stripes down each side. It looks very intense and almost angry. Its tongue is out, black tipped and pink towards the mouth.
The same northwestern garter snake curled up in a defensive pose because flattening itself to look bigger did not scare the photographer off. It is black with a distinct yellow stripe down its back and light green stripes down each side. It looks very intense.
The same northwestern garter snake, now scooped up in the photographer's hand. It is black with a distinct yellow stripe down its back and light green stripes down each side. It isn't particularly happy to be scooped, but this was a cold November morning so it was not very fast and didn't mind the warmth provided by the hand.
A very common sight around the Railway History Campus are garter snakes. They love to warm themselves on the sidewalks. Good news for gardeners: these harmless reptiles eat mostly slugs and insects, but larger individuals can eat mice too! #WildlifeWednesdays #snakes #NRM #TrainMuseum #PNW #animals
Two ferrets with little harnesses, both on leash just outside the Snoqualmie Depot. The picture, taken through a window, has the "No Pets Allowed Except Service Animals" sign visible in the foreground.
A puppy crossing the tracks in North Bend. It is black and white like a cow and has cute little pink fairy wings on its back.
A slightly blurry photo of a visitor to the Snoqualmie Depot with a pet chicken wearing a harness on a leash.
A Bernese Mountain Dog sitting outside of the Snoqualmie Depot, looking up at his parent. There is a pink light behind him from his light-up collar.
That said, most of the Museum staff are animal appreciators, and do enjoy seeing visiting pets. When possible, we do love to pop outside to meet them!
Here are some of our favorite leashed, well-behaved visitors from over the years:
#NRM #TrainMuseum #pets #visitors
A brown dog with a black muzzle and black tipped ears squinting at the camera in the sunlight. Behind him is a sign that reads "NO PETS except trained service animals. The squint makes him look defiant, so the photo was captioned "this sign won't stop me because i can't read" in reference to the meme from Arthur.
And remember, they can't read, so you'll have to read for them: Only trained service animals are allowed inside Museum facilities!
A visiting black Shih Tzu in her own overalls with a bandana and NP Railway patch. She stands with her owner on the old Snoqualmie Depot boardwalk on a hot, sunny day.
As we head into spring and it warms up, please remember that we do not allow pets aboard the train nor inside Museum buildings. It can be deadly to leave your dogs in the car when it is warm out, so please plan your visits around leaving your fuzzy friends at home.
#NRM #TrainMuseum #dogs #pets
The same volunteer as earlier in this thread, now seated in front of the Snoqualmie Depot and wearing the shirt she inspired.
Historic artifact approved!
The train stopped in North Bend. Cherry trees arch over the sidewalk.
Rear brake on coach 272, wearing high vis and bunny ears
The conductor and a car attendant greet passengers waiting to board the train. Both are wearing bunny ears. :)
What a beautiful spring day! Shoutout to our volunteer train crew for humoring our request for them to wear bunny ears this weekend.
#NRM #TrainMuseum #trainrides #PNW #spring #cherryblossoms #railroads
A view from the middle of SE King St in Snoqualmie, Washington. Spokane, Portland & Seattle Coach 272 is currently crossing the road. A Museum volunteer with a red crossing flag waves as the train rolls by. The photo is framed by cherry blossom trees in bloom. Visitors take photos using the blooms as a backdrop.
This weekend is looking even better than the last: Sunny and 70F. Come celebrate your Easter Weekend or the start of Spring Break with a train ride!
The King St. cherry blossoms are still in bloom too!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #railways #trainrides #trains #springbreak #PNW #spring
The Northwest Railway Museum's logo in white with white text that reads Autism Awareness Day. The rainbow gradient infinity sign redrawn with a custom train track brush. The background is the Museum's shade of blue.
And of course we can't forget: Happy World Autism Awareness Day!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #Autism #AutismAwarenessMonth #AutismAcceptance