Chehalis-Centralia Railroad

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Locomotive No. 15 is a 1916 Baldwin, with a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement that once pulled log trains for the Cowlitz, Chehalis, & Cascade Railroad which operated in the Chehalis, Washington area until 1955. Today the locomotive runs on the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad.

The Chehalis-Centralia Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Chehalis, Washington.

The railroad operates No. 15, a 2-8-2 steam locomotive built by Baldwin in 1916, over a 9-mile section of former Milwaukee Road track. The route winds through scenic hills, farmland, and over several wooden trestles over the Chehalis River.

The railroad was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1986 by Chehalis citizens inspired by a visit to Chehalis by the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. The organization removed No. 15 from a city park where it had been on display for over 30 years, and brought it to the Mt. Rainier shops in Mineral, Washington for restoration. Work on the locomotive was completed in 1989 and the railroad started operations later that year over ex-Milwaukee Road, Weyerhaeuser Timber Company-owned track. In 1993, the Port of Chehalis purchased the route. In 2006, the railroad had 10,250 riders — a record for the railroad.^[1]

In December, 2007, the railroad sustained significant flood damage and is undertaking repairs in hopes of resuming operation in 2008.^[2]