Oregon Rail Heritage Center

Stand in the shadow of giant steam locomotives at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

With wheels over six feet high, three giant locomotives from the age of steam amaze visitors at this free museum. These vintage machines include the internationally famous Southern Pacific 4449 and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700, which take turns pulling the rail museum’s annual Holiday Express runs. A third engine, the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. 197, is undergoing restoration.

The steam locomotives are owned by the City of Portland and lovingly maintained by the volunteers in the airy working museum. On display are rail history exhibits, classic rail cars, and vintage railroad equipment. There’s a well-stocked gift shop and space for birthday parties.

Oregon Rail Heritage Center is conveniently located in Central Eastside Portland next MAX and Portland Streetcar stations.

A fun time at the ORHF

It was a great trip and tickets are reasonable they added to new cars and open air car and a modified caboose. Then in the museum you will see the SP&S 700 (Spokane,Portland and Seattle) which was built in 1938 and is a E-1 4-8-4 Northern and the only surviving original SP&S 700 built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1938 for Northern Pacific Railway it burns oil instead of Coal. Then there's the Southern Pacific 4449 known as the daylight 4-8-4 Northern GS-4 Which you can get up and personal with all the engines.Great plae to bring the kids.

Oregon Rail Heritage Center delights visitors

The Oregon Rail Heritage Center is a very special place for train-lovers - or future train-lovers. The Easter steam train trip was a wonderful experience for my grandchildren, who loved the scavenger hunt and the visit from a costumed Easter bunny who passed out squishable eggs. The museum itself is a delight, with several locomotives, some of which are undergoing repairs for future use, as well as numerous other features (e.g., a bell which visitors can try tor themselves) with appeal to all ages. I heartily recommend this for anyone with a love for or interest in trains.

A must for rail fans everywhere!

Such a wonderful collection of railroad locomotives, passenger cars, and other memorabilia. Admission is free, the Docents are very friendly and knowledgeable, and you can see 4 kinds of working rail transportation from one spot: Passenger Trains (AMTRAK), Freight Trains (Union Pacific), Light Rail (Trimet's MAX) and Private Excursion trains (Oregon Pacific Railroad). With special displays for the kids,it is easy to spend all day there!

Experienced racism

Experienced racism right and centered at this place. I get it this place is run by volunteers but doesn't mean that we get treated however they want. The white people with their kids ahead of us were allowed up the viewing platform but me and my kids who looked Asian were signaled not to as the previous kids came down from the platform. I thought the volunteer was following covid practice but found out that she allowed more white people up who were lining up after us then I realized what just happened. I went up there to asked the volunteer why did she not allow my kids up. She's like, oh I didnt know you speak English, make sure your kids don't climb in the train. I answered sure I will make sure that I watch them so they dont. Then she went on and said "No, I, will be watching them so they don't". This is outrageous, she totally didn't stop the white kids ahead of us who were a lot less well behaved from touching all over the place. I was thinking on the way in I should donate to this place as we love trains and probably will come back often. On the way out, I don't think they deserve it.

A fun time at the ORHF