Tucked off the shores of Lake Whatcom is a little known gem. It is the Northern Pacific, a fully restored 100-year-old steam engine, with rustic passenger cars from the early 1900s. Every weekend it takes passengers on a two-hour ride around Lake Whatcom.
Once aboard, passengers enjoy a short 15-minute ride along the edge of Mirror Lake and through a tunnel before reaching a small park near a secluded waterfall. About 20 minutes after stopping, guests are shuttled to a waterfront park owned by the railway, where visitors can get a hands-on experience operating the railway’s 100-year-old handcar.
The train’s rustic history is written along its outside in the form of time-worn paint and rust patches. It runs every Saturday from June 18 to September 3. The train leaves the Lake Whatcom Railway terminal on N. P. Road and Valley Highway in Wickersham, Wash., at noon, said Peter Adams, a volunteer at the railway.
The passenger coaches were used on American railroads before the days of Amtrak, according to the Lake Whatcom Railway website.
From as early as 1918, the cars have been on passenger trains from coast to coast, but since 1940 they were used on the Northern Pacific Railway as passenger trains traveling east and south of Seattle, said the station’s owner, Frank Culp.
“They are almost the same as they were when used on the trains out of Seattle 50 years ago,” Culp said, while pointing out the sections of the train that have become worn over the years.
Ancient wooden freight cars from the Great Northern Railway are also on site and are open for guests to explore.
Along with the railway’s weekend trips, the Lake Whatcom Railway also puts on special trips throughout the year. Trips include the autumn train in October and the Christmas train in December.
Culp bought the railway from Burlington Northern in 1972. He developed an interest in trains when his parents took him to see trains as a child.
As an adult he has worked to preserve locomotive history by bringing old trains back to life.
Railway guests can walk around the grounds of the Wickersham Junction and view the wide range of locomotives and passenger cars that have accumulated over the years.
Adams has spent the last six years restoring a steam engine he hopes will one day start making trips of its own.
“I’m a steam freak,” he said, referring to his love of steam-powered locomotives.
Adams said the station is home to engines that are few and far between in the locomotive community. The only other engines like the ones at the Lake Whatcom Railway are in Minnesota, he said.
