This month the Northwest Railway Museum was honored to receive visits from both Congressional candidates. Early in October candidate Suzan DelBene toured the Conservation and Restoration Center. Then on October 28 Congressman Dave Reichert toured the Museum.
Reichert was in town to tour downtown Snoqualmie’s infrastructure reconstruction. That project is replacing sidewalks, burying overhead utilities, replacing street furniture, and expanding parking. A federal grant is helping fund this downtown revitalization project situated across the street from the Snoqualmie Depot.
Congressman Dave Reichert toured the Snoqualmie Depot, the Museum’s 1890-built National Register train station. Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson proudly highlighted the depot’s new public restrooms, an innovative partnership between the City of Snoqualmie and the Northwest Railway Museum that benefits tourists, including 90,000 Museum visitors per year. The restrooms were completed earlier this year funded by Lodging Tax dollars collected at the Salish Lodge and Spa, and represent one of the many ways Snoqualmie is supporting the museum.
After the depot tour, the Congressman climbed aboard locomotive 4012 (a 1954-built Baldwin RS4-TC) for the short trip to the Railway History Center. On the final segment of the journey, Reichert had an opportunity to student engineer. He received some instruction and eased the locomotive to a stop outside the Conservation and Restoration Center. There, he received a tour of the Train Shed and Conservation and Restoration Center.