Historic, 100-year-old locomotive arrives at Oregon Rail Heritage Center

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The historic Mount Emily Shay, a 100-year-old steam engine that once carried logs to lumber mills in Washington and LaGrande, Ore., pulled into its new home at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center early Thursday morning.

The train was donated to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in 2022 by the Oregon Historical Society, but underwent extensive repairs prior to its arrival. Before coming to Portland, the Mount Emily Shay was on loan to the City of Prineville for 30 years, where it was used for school field trips, the Crooked River Dinner Train and annual Fourth of July rides.

Oregon Rail Heritage Center President Rick Franklin said that the locomotive will now serve the people of Portland. Click here to read more about the Mount Emily Shay’s rich history.

“We are grateful to OHS and thrilled to be the new operators of the Mount Emily Shay #1,” Franklin said. “We look forward to entertaining and educating Oregonians of all ages on excursions powered by this grand old lady of Oregon railroading history.”

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After falling into a state of disrepair, the City of Prineville returned the train to the historical society. With the transfer complete, the engine will now undergo a federally mandated inspection to determine if it’s operational.

If the Emily Shay is approved for use, the ORHC said that it hopes to offer rides on its new engine soon. ORHC spokesperson Carrie Belding told KOIN 6 News that the museum plans to take passengers from the center’s museum in Southeast Portland to Oaks Amusement Park and back. The engine is also expected to serve as the “Holiday Express” at Christmas time.

Of the 3,000 Shay engines that were originally manufactured, roughly 115 still exist today. Even fewer are considered operational.

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