Many of the replacement parts on our engines need to be made in house. We have volunteers who are skilled craftspeople to make what is needed in our onsite machine shop.
The Rail Heritage Center is home to an amazing array of industrial machining equipment. Keeping these incredible historic steam locomotives and vintage railcars in optimal and safe working order often means fabricating or repairing parts that are no longer available anywhere else. Skilled volunteers work the lathes, presses, sandblasters, saws, and boring machines that were a part of everyday work in a roundhouse.
As this is a working museum, our visitors can often see the machine shop in action and our all-volunteer engine and car maintenance crews hard at work. They weld, grind, prime, and paint so that the rolling stock stays looking and working its best.
If you have welding or machining skills that you would like to share, please see the volunteer section of our website for information about connecting with one of these crews.
With your help, ORHF has done wonders.
Your generous support through donations, volunteering, and memberships helps keep Portland’s rail legacy alive. We extend our sincere thanks, along with the many train lovers of every age.