The Oregon Rail Heritage Center is home to three vintage steam engines owned by the City of Portland. We are a working facility where our skilled volunteers rebuild and maintain our historic guests.

OREGON RAILWAY & NAVIGATION 197

OR&N #197

SPOKANE, PORTLAND & SEATTLE 700

SP&S #700

SOUTHERN PACIFIC 4449

SP #4449

The 3 steam locomotives that call the Oregon Rail Heritage Center home were donated to the City of Portland by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1958. For decades the Southern Pacific 4449, the Spokane Portland and Seattle 700, and the Oregon Rail and Navigation 197 were static displays out in the weather at Oaks Amusement Park. Beginning with the 4449 in 1974, each locomotive was eventually moved to the Brooklyn Roundouse in SE Portland.

Since moving from Oaks Park, volunteers have spent thousands of hours restoring and caring for these beautiful locomotives. Two are now operational and one is continuing to be restored.

OREGON RAILWAY & NAVIGATION 197

Built in 1905 by Baldwin Locomotive Works as a 4-6-2 “Pacific” type locomotive for the E. H. Harriman rail empire that later merged into the Union Pacific, she’s 79′ long and, with 200 psi boiler pressure and 76″ diameter drivers, is capable of sustained speeds of 80 mph.

This treasure of the early 20th Century era of steam locomotives arrived in Portland just in time for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, just 17 months after the Wright Brothers first flew at 9.8 mph, when Teddy Roosevelt was President and 3 years before Henry Ford rolled out his first Model T. She then went on to serve Portland commerce for over 50 years before retirement in the 1950s. Residing as only a display piece in Oaks Park like her sisters since 1958, in 1996 she was moved to the Brooklyn Roundhouse where she is undergoing restoration today by the all-volunteer Friends of the OR&N 197.

  • Built 1905
  • Manufacturer Baldwin Locomotive Works
  • Length 79'
  • Weight 200 tons
  • Drive Wheel 77"
  • Tractive Effort 30,000 lbs.
  • Boiler Pressure 200 psi
  • Fuel Oil
  • Donated to PDX 1958
  • Stewards Friends of the OR&N 197

SPOKANE, PORTLAND & SEATTLE 700

Built in 1938 as a 4-8-4 Northern Pacific Class A design, she is close to 111′ long, 10′ wide and almost 17′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing almost 440 tons and a boiler pressure of 260 psi, her 77″ diameter drivers can apply 5,000 horsepower to the rails and exceed 80 mph. It’s oil fired, and features design specified roller bearings throughout which was quite advanced for the era.

This beautiful example of the latter years of steam locomotive development pulled the famous Empire Builder until that train was dieselized in 1947. She continued to faithfully provide passenger service from Portland up the Columbia River Gorge to Spokane until 1956, and in 1958 the 700 was ultimately placed on permanent display at Oaks Park in SE Portland. Returned to operation in 1990, she is lovingly operated and maintained by the all-volunteer Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.

  • Built 1938
  • Manufacturer Baldwin Locomotive Works
  • Length 111'
  • Weight 440 tons
  • Drive Wheel 77"
  • Horsepower 5,000
  • Boiler Pressure 260 psi
  • Fuel Oil
  • Donated to PDX 1958
  • Stewards Pacific Railroad Preservation Association

SOUTHERN PACIFIC 4449

Built in 1941 as a 4-8-4 GS-4 locomotive, she is 110′ long, 10′ wide and 16′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing 433 tons and a boiler pressure of 300 psi, her eight 80″ diameter drivers and unique firebox truck booster can apply 5,500 horsepower to the rails and exceed 100 mph. The only remaining operable “streamlined” steam locomotive of the Art Deco era, this grand Lady of the High Iron pulled Southern Pacific “Daylight” coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic Coast Route and then on to Portland until 1955.

Retired to Oaks Park in 1958 for display only, many thought 4449 would never run again. In 1974 she was completely restored specifically to pull the 1976 Bicentennial Freedom Train throughout the United States to the delight of over 30 million people. SP 4449 has also operated numerous excursions since. She is arguably one of the most beautiful locomotives ever built and kept that way by the all-volunteer Friends of SP 4449.

  • Built 1941
  • Manufacturer Lima Locomotive Works
  • Length 120'
  • Weight 433 tons
  • Drive Wheel 80"
  • Horsepower 6,500
  • Boiler Pressure 300 psi
  • Fuel Oil
  • Donated to PDX 1958
  • Stewards Friends of the SP 4449

WITH YOUR HELP, ORHF HAS DONE WONDERS.

Your generous donations help keep the Oregon Rail Heritage Center free to everyone. We thank you sincerely and so do all the kids of all ages that love trains.