About

Our Mission is to provide for the preservation and public enjoyment of Portland's historic locomotives, railroad equipment, and artifacts, and to educate about Oregon’s rich and diverse rail history. We are home to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, a working museum that opened on September 12th, 2012.

Located at the hub of rail activity – the Oregon Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, the Eastside Streetcar and Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail stations, the Center is surrounded by over a hundred years of rail activity. It is home to the City of Portland's three operating steam locomotives, a working industrial machine shop, and a variety of vintage rail cars. The Center is located one block from OMSI, the Portland Spirit, and the Portland Opera.

The ORHF is made up of 7 organizations: Friends of OR&N 197, Pacific Railroad Preservation Association, Friends of SP 4449, Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Northwest Rail Museum, City of Portland – Parks & Recreation, and Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development.

ORHF's 300+ volunteers operate the museum and gift shop, maintain the locomotives and rolling stock, educate more than 20,000 visitors each year, and provide 72 round-trip Holiday Express excursions from Oaks Park in late Fall, to the delight of nearly 10,000 children and their parents. The Center hosts birthday parties, as well as corporate events.