Sam. What can I say? In the world of preservation railroading, there are a few folks who just have "the look". Sumpter Valley Engineer Sam McCloskey is one of those guys. Pos... (more)

Blue hour in McEwen. As the blue hour fades to black, Sumpter Valley's two steam locomotives sit tied down at the McEwen Tank, all prepped and ready for an early morning departure to the we... (more)

Approaching Sumpter. The fall colors are shining brightly in the afternoon sun as Sumpter Valley's Mikado #19 hustles west toward nearby Sumpter, with a log train.

This stretch of track ... (more)

Gold country narrow gauge. One of the real gems in preservation railroading struts its stuff for the cameras as Sumpter Valley's Mikado #19 makes an eastbound run out of Sumpter, headed for... (more)

On the dark side with Sumpter's "Stump Dodger." Sumpter Valley Railway's 65-ton Alco Mikado #19 highballs east out of Sumpter Oregon, headed for Baker City with a fresh load of l... (more)

Fall color in the Powder River Valley. Sumpter Valley Railway Mikado #19 hauls a short log train east out of Sumpter on a colorful fall day, with an eventual destination of Baker City, som... (more)

Sunrise over McEwen. On the first day of the 2018 Sumpter Valley fall photo event, the trains faced east. The sunrise at McEwen Station is essentially aligned with the right-of-way, so f... (more)

The Volunteers of Sumpter Valley. The crews of our two 2018 Sumpter Valley Fall Photo Trains pose on the pilots before saddling up to ride. From left to right, they are as follows: Jim Gri... (more)

Meet me at Hawley. An Eccles Lumber Company work train holds the siding at Hawley Spur, as her crew watches the passage of a westbound Sumpter Valley Railway log train on the main line.

Eccles Lumber Work Train. A short work train serving the Eccles Lumber Company takes advantage of a break in the Sumpter Valley Railway schedule to shuttle a team of loggers and their tool... (more)

Westbound on the "Stump Dodger." A Sumpter Valley freight hustles westbound in the Powder River Valley, just a mile or so out of Sumpter. The manifest today is mainly logs, wit... (more)

Sumpter's "Stump Dodger" plies its trade. Sumpter Valley Mikado #19 demonstrates the line's "raison d'etre" as she hauls loads of logs out of the forests in Eastern Ore... (more)

Like father, like.....daughter? After firing Eccles Lumber Company #3 during most of the Saturday session of the Sumpter Valley Fall Photo Train, Fireman Jennifer Jenks watches as the last ... (more)

Heisler Hogger, Sam McCloskey. As I visit the various preserved steam operations around the US, each railroad seems to have at least one engineman or fireman who has really mastered the &q... (more)

Fall color along the Powder River Valley. By mid-October, the nights along Eastern Oregon's Powder River get pretty chilly and the change of season brings some interesting color to the lan... (more)