Northern Pacific steam locomotive 924 up just past Snoqualmie Falls during a training run in 2025. Viewed from the front, right at the end of the Museum's tracks. A light cloud of steam surrounds the front of the locomotive on either side. The trees are still mostly green overhead, but a little bit of yellow is starting to show.

We try not to share photos of 924 too much to avoid giving people the impression we run her more often than we do, but can you blame us? She's so photogenic!

#NRM #TrainMuseum #steam #NP924 #railroads #museums #PNW #Snoqualmie

Northern Pacific steam locomotive 924 at the start of the steel span of Bridge 35 over the Snoqualmie River. A stoker sits atop the tender. Late summer maple trees are still green all around.

A photo intended to be of the steam locomotive ends up out of focus as it instead focuses on the cedar tree branches above. The air pressure from the steam and the roof of the cab hitting the branches causes a massive shower of debris to rain down atop the steam locomotive and the photographer.

The immediate aftermath of the previous photo. 924's tender is covered in plant debris. The photographer is as well. The locomotive has come to a stop in front of the historic Snoqualmie Depot.

A photo of the front of 924, stopped in front of the Railway Education Center, which has the Northwest Railway Museum logo as a sign mounted on the front wall.

Maintenance of way means all kinds of maintenance, including trees! If trees aren't trimmed, their branches can scrape the sides of historic equipment... Or really mess up your nicely planned photo compositions.
#NRM #TrainMuseum #steamtrain #NP924 #railroads

Flowering currant just starting to bloom in focus in the foreground. In the background, Spokane, Portland & Seattle coach 272 rolls by during passenger service on the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad.

It's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend for a train ride! This is the last weekend of Saturday-only passenger service, next weekend we'll be resuming Sunday passenger service as well!

#NRM #TrainMuseum #trainrides #PNW #Snoqualmie

An example of a transition rail joint on the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. This is used on a siding that rarely sees equipment movement. The joint fits perfectly into the profile of the rails in a way that keeps both rails in alignment at the top. This particular joint connects 100 LB rail (100 RE) with what looks like 55 LB rail.

Did you know rail comes in different sizes? Railways use the same size rail everywhere when building new tracks, but when connecting to older track there may be a size difference. That's where a transition rail joint comes in!

#NRM #TrainMuseum #railroads #tracks #history

Thomas the Tank Engine with confetti streamers on either side. The Day Out With Thomas logo has music note decor and in swoopy bubble letters the tagline reads "Let's ROCK, Let's ROLL!". A red ticket-shape with white text reads "Tickets still available!" and the Museum's logo is in white beneath it.

What's that peep peeping in the distance? Why, it's Thomas the Tank Engine returning to Snoqualmie, WA for his 2026 Day Out With Thomas: Let's Rock, Let's Roll tour!

#thomas #DOWT #thomasthetankengine #NRM #TrainMuseum #PNW #Snoqualmie

TrainMuseum.org/Thomas

A mother black bear with two cubs, heading away from the train tracks into the brush. In the background, Snoqualmie Valley Railroad 4012 approaches, headlight bright and horn blaring. The photo is a bit fuzzy from being so zoomed in, but the photographer was keeping an understandably safe distance away.

The same three black bears, now on the other side of the greenery, crossing Stone Quarry Road into much safer forest area.

Large predators like to use roads, including railroads, as easy pathways. It's convenient and might feel safe... Right up until a car or train comes along! We gave this black bear family a real fright a couple years back! #WildlifeWednesdays #NRM #TrainMuseum #bears #PNW #animals

Steam locomotive Northern Pacific 924 on Bridge 35 at night, one of the shots seen in the Train Dreams trailer. The locomotive is enveloped in its own steam clouds and the Museum's wood coaches, Spokane, Portland & Seattle 213 and 218 glowing behind it. The trees are illuminated by the bright headlight.

For those who tuned in to the Oscars and saw Train Dreams' four nominations, did you see our cameo? The trailer includes glimpses of NP 924 and the Snoqualmie Falls Depot!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #NP924 #steamtrains #railway #railroad #trains #TrainDreams #Oscars #AcademyAwards

The view of the lower Snoqualmie River Valley from aboard the locomotive . The trees and foliage in the foreground is all that stands between the edge of the railroad grade and the sheer drop down to the valley below. There is low lying fog that seems to follow the river's meandering path. Snow dusted evergreen trees poke out from the fog, helping contain it.

Look at this river valley view Museum staff got up by the falls when clearing the railway line after last week's snow. Wow!
#SnoqualmieFalls #SnoqualmieRiverValley #NRM #TrainMuseum #landscapes #PNW #snow #fog

Rail Safety Poster issued by the Association of American Railroads in 1939 from the Museum’s Library & Archive collection. 2010.031.582 Features a steam train zooming forwards a crossing while a blue Volkswagen beetle is zooming towards the same crossing. A ghostly, almost comical depiction of the panicked locomotive engineer floats in the steam above the locomotive, hands raised and looking some degree of horrified and annoyed about the impending collision. In all caps the poster reads "WAIT! CROSS CROSSINGS CAUTIOUSLY"

This slightly goofy looking poster still has an important message. Always remember to Cross Crossings Cautiously! (NRM Library & Archive Collection 2010.031.582)
#NRM #TrainMuseum #safety #NRMarchives #railroads #trains #steam

The local elk herd stands on the train tracks just past the Northwest Railway Museum's Conservation & Restoration Workshop. The main cluster of them are all turned to face the camera, looking almost eerie. The track is covered in a blanket of snow.

The railway changed everything and has lasting effects that continue to this day. Wildlife is included under the umbrella of everything so how about a new #NRM tag theme for the critters that visit the Museum and its grounds?
#WildlifeWednesdays #TrainMuseum #elk #animals #PNW #snow #tracks #deer

A sports car with a spoiler parked on the train tracks intentionally. Its right rear tire is hanging off the edge of the road into the track bed. Out of frame, someone is taking photos of it using the track and the Snoqualmie Depot as a backdrop. Never do this. It is incredibly dangerous.

And yes, the locals do poke fun at people who stop too close to train tracks. To paraphrase one person, "Oh go easy on them, the railroad has ONLY been here for 130 years."
We do run the longest continuously-operating train depot in the state of Washington! ;)
#NRM #TrainMuseum #safety #trains

A line of cars parked by the end of the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad line, just past the end of the North Bend Depot platform. Several of them are within inches of and even OVER the rail.

Sometimes visitors to North Bend get annoyed with staff who park their cars parallel to the track and take up valuable space. There is a reason staff do this, it's to protect visitors from themselves as well as the train.
Can you guess how many cars would get hit?
#NRM #TrainMuseum #safety #PSA

A goofy photomanipulation of the Museum's Squishable 4024 plush as a stand-in for the real Snoqualmie Valley Railroad 4024. It's pictured at an odd angle, dramatically derailed by a comically oversized penny on the tracks. The smile on the plush and its hang tag have been swapped into a worried frown. The background photo is of the end of the Museum's line in North Bend, WA.

Conversation with family last night brought up the age-old myth that you can derail a train with a single penny.

Spoilers: You can't, but that penny can turn into a projectile! Plus, placing items on train tracks is dangerous!

trainmuseum.org/railway-rule...

#NRM #TrainMuseum #safety #railroads

View from the platform on Snoqualmie Valley Railroad 4012. A staff member is using an electric pole-saw to remove limbs from a fallen tree that is blocking the tracks.

A photo from ground level, most of the branches have been trimmed from the fallen tree now.

The wind and subsequent snow brought down plenty of trees and branches in the area, including a couple over our tracks. Museum staff stayed late on Friday to clear what we could before train operations today.
Check out this tree that fell!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #snow #trains #railways #trainrides

A very majestic-looking black and brown dog with an army green utility harness and red snow boots on. He is standing in the snow near the train tracks at the Railway History Campus. The trucks of some rail equipment are visible in the top right corner of the image. This dog SHOULD be on a leash, however. Never let your pets wander free around the Museum grounds, especially when we operate heavy equipment.

If bringing your leashed pets on a walk through Museum grounds this weekend, we recommend snow boots as deicer can be rough on your pup's paws.
Plus, it's always safest to wear closed-toe shoes around heavy equipment!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #PSA #safety #snow #dogs

Snoqualmie Valley Railroad 4024 on a snowy train day in 2025. There is a light dusting of snow on the locomotive but a few inches of snow on the surrounding ground.

Days like today are a great opportunity to talk about how the Northwest Railway Museum handles snowy conditions on the rails!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #railroading #trains #railway
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Photo taken from the second story of the Railway Education Center. A high angle view of Spokane, Portland, & Seattle Coaches 272 and 276 blanketed in fresh, still falling snow. Snoqualmie Valley Railroad 4012 is behind them. Everything is coated with snow, turning the Museum campus into a winter wonderland.

A beautiful morning that really puts the snow in SNOqualmie!
Trains will still be operating as planned this Saturday. If there's still snow, it will just make for an extra-scenic excursion!

#NRM #TrainMuseum #PNW #Snoqualmie #snow #trains #trainrides

Snoqualmie Valley Railroad's Locomotive 4012, a faded maroon locomotive with a bright yellow F on the side of the running board.

What's the F? The front of the locomotive, of course!
That one little letter is a huge safety feature on diesel locomotives.
#trains #NRM #TrainMuseum #history #locomotives #dieseltrains
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A wide view of Amtrak Cascades 7304, the bistro car. There are some paint scuffs from transit. On the right the end looks mostly clean. On the left the last few feet of the next car over is still attached to this one. The Talgo series cars were designed by Mexican-American artist, Cesar Vergara.

When visitors see the bistro car at the Museum the most common question we get is: "Was that Amtrak car part of the accident?"

Nope!
Our Amtrak Cascades Bistro car 7304, while part of the same series, was not part of the train that derailed.

#Amtrak #NRM #TrainMuseum #PNW #recenthistory #trains

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A cardboard box sits in the cab of one of the Museum's diesel-electric locomotives. Visitor Services staff will sometimes take advantage of the train already traveling between the Museum's three different stops along the railway line. This saves Museum staff from having to use their personal vehicles to shuttle product and supplies between locations as often. Usually it happens over the weekend when we run passenger service so we get to make proper use of SP&S combination baggage-coach 272! Today there happened to be standstill traffic on SR-202 and a switching operation going on; it was the perfect opportunity to deliver the order of new shirts to Snoqualmie Depot the old-fashioned way. :) As it turned out, Snoqualmie Depot had its own shipment of product to send back via rail for the Train Shed Exhibit Hall's gift shop!

Historically, the SLS&E railway ran both passenger and freight service. Today, the NRM runs passenger service.
Every so often we still do a little of our own "freight service" if there are already operations planned. More in alt text.
#NRM #TrainMuseum #trains #livinghistory #ImproviseAdaptOvercome

Volunteer Sue poses in her chair on the Snoqualmie Depot boardwalk, holding up a "Please Do Not Touch Historic Artifact" sign.

Part of the Museum's 30th anniversary celebration in 1987. The all-women steam crew standing in front of United States Plywood Corporation Steam Locomotive 11, which is now on static display at the Snoqualmie Depot. Sue herself is on the top right. Engineer Sue S., Fireman Mary S., Conductor Rose W., Brakeman Kathy H., and Car Attendant Jayne W.

This design was both inspired by and requested by some of our own historic artifacts! ;)
Sue is one of our long-time volunteers - she was even engineer on the Museum's first all-women steam crew in September 1987!
#TrainMuseum #localhistory #steamtrains #trainrides

A heather grey t-shirt hanging from the running board of Weyerhaueser Locomotive 1 inside the Train Shed Exhibit Hall. The shirt and the locomotive both have matching Do Not Touch signs on them. NP 924's steam dome lurks in the background.

The Northwest Railway Museum's two newest shirt designs, hanging in the Museum store inside the Train Shed Exhibit Hall. The heather gray historic artifact shirt hangs higher, while the navy blue glow-in-the-dark steam owl long sleeve shirt hangs lower.

Whether you want to match with your favorite artifact, woke up at the age of 30 feeling like a historic artifact yourself, know another historic artifact who would get a kick out of it, or are simply a fan of historic preservation: This shirt is for you!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #merchandise #museums

Snoqualmie Valley Railroad's locomotive 4012, a maroon/purple switcher diesel-electric locomotive. It is running light-engine rather than pushing or pulling the Museum's coaches; rolling through the newly installed Bendigo Way road crossing during signal testing.

It's a wonderful weekend for a train ride! Tickets are still available for our Saturday train excursions and you can pre-purchase online!
shop.trainmuseum.org/Events.aspx

#trains #NRM #TrainMuseum #trainrides #museums

A wooden heart illustrated with acrylic paint pens. It depicts the 4024 Squishable plush on a pastel background with the words "I CHOO-CHOOSE YOU!"

Visit the Train Shed Exhibit Hall today for a railway-themed Valentines Day scavenger hunt! Find 5 or more of the staff-illustrated valentines and win a small treat!
#valentinesday #TrainMuseum #NRM #railway #Snoqualmie #PNW

A navy blue long-sleeve tee. A billowing steam cloud surrounds a line art illustration of steam locomotive Northern Pacific 924 in the negative space. The swirling steam forms the shape of an owl with its wings spread wide. On the bottom left is the Northwest Railway Museum logo.

The same artwork as described previously, now glowing a bright green in the dark. The design is slightly warped as the shirt is being worn by the artist who drew it. These shirts glow in the dark! They're also all in adult sizes. Fun glow in the dark apparel is no longer just for the kiddos!

An exciting new arrival to the gift shop designed and illustrated by NRM staff, just in time for The Real Twin Peaks! This navy long-sleeve tee features an owl formed out of steam billowing from the Museum's own locomotive NP 924. Now available in-store!
#TwinPeaks #owls #NRM #TrainMuseum #PNW

Speaker Series: Feliks Banel | IHM "All Over The Map: Stories Behind the Names of Washington Places and Things"

The NRM has partnered with the Issaquah History Museums for a co-sponsored Humanities Washington speaker event on Weds Feb 25!

www.issaquahhistorymuseums.com/event-detail...

#museums #washingtonstate #washington #pnw #localhistory #TrainMuseum #issaquahhistorymuseums #NRM

Three popup banners inside a booth from the NRM's 2025 space at the Puyallup Train Show. Boxes of models line the foreground.

The front of the NRM's 2025 booth space at the train show. The tables are full of models and form a U-shape. Inside the booth are a couple of visitors perusing the models.

The Northwest Railway Museum will have space at the Great America Train Show in Puyallup, WA this weekend! Come say hi, learn about the Museum's plans for this year, and perhaps support our efforts by buying a model or signing up to volunteer!
#NRM #trainshow #Museums #TrainMuseum #PNW

A photo of Santa sitting and snoozing in a green chair. A cartoon Christmas tree is photoshopped in behind him and a large cartoon present is in the foreground. Floating around his head are chocolate chip cookies and a mug of hot chocolate.

Santa Train has wrapped up for the year and Santa himself is resting up for the big day. Happy holidays from all of the Northwest Railway Museum directors, staff, and volunteers!
#museum #NRM #TrainMuseum #holidays #santa #seasonsgreetings

On The Job With Conductor Bill at the NRM - filmed and edited by one of our own volunteers!
www.youtube.com/shorts/uSjci...
#TrainMuseum #NRM #PNW #trainrides #volunteers #history #trains #railway #railroad #conductors

Looking out at SR-202 from Stone Quarry Road SE. The water retention ditch that runs along 202 has overtopped its bank. Water flows in a steady stream across Stone Quarry Road into the wetland on the other side, which is also full. Highway 202 is a bit higher and is above the water level. On the other side of 202 is Snoqualmie Middle School, the football field and drop-off roundabout still underwater.

Despite some impact from downed power lines and flooded tracks, on Thursday we completed our inspection of the track and bridges and made sure everything was functional and safe to operate our trains this weekend. Photo from Thursday, roads are now clear!
#NRM #TrainMuseum #Snoqualmie #floods #PNW