Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

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The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad in operation since 1981. Their main station is in Elbe, Washington. They run down seven miles of track, owned by Tacoma Rail, to a picnic area near Mineral Lake.

The railroad has three steam engines in regular service, as well as several diesel engines. They run steam engines whenever they have enough volunteers to man them. Steam engines require more volunteers to operate than a diesel engine. Almost everybody involved in the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is a volunteer.

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, and is dedicated to preserving the railroad legacy of the Pacific Northwest. Most of the engines are geared steam locomotives. These engines, including Heisler locomotives and Climax locomotives were used in the early 20th century for logging. Geared locomotives were better for steep grades and worked better on hastily-laid track than traditional, piston-powered locomotives, which is why they were used for logging.