Tom Murray

Kenneth Shattock wrote, October 2016:


 * Mr. Tom Murray (Murray Pacific Lumber Company) has donated his entire collection of TEN museum-class fully-operable 7 1/2 inch gauge Live Steam Logging Locomotives and 6000 feet of track to the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad at Mineral Washington. Also included are several dozen cars of all types, 28 switches and crossings (see photos below)! The total value of Murray's donation easily exceeds 1.5 million dollars!  The twenty plus year-old track is presently located on Mr. Murray's estate near Tacoma. That track must be removed and renovated before it can be re-installed at Mount Rainier's facility in Mineral.  Mount Rainier Scenic RR has set aside seven acres of fenced land and full financial support to this effort. Four volunteers (Average age 78) have already removed 600 feet of the track on one day last month. That leaves only 5400 feet left! We need a crew of volunteers to donate a couple of days labor to remove the rest.  The new Live Steam railroad at Mineral will be operated by volunteers who will form an independent tax-exempt organization which will be named The Mount Rainier Live Steamers.  The layout of the new railroad is already designed and surveyed.  It will initially have two loops of track extending over 4400 feet, with unlimited expansion planned as donations come in.  (Also, there is a site set aside for a future Garden Railroad within this location.)  The Live Steam railroad will provide free train rides the public similar to the Skykomish's Great Northern and Cascade Railway.  Note, most endeavors of this type usually have sufficient people but lack funding and equipment.  This is a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to create a fully-equipped and fully-funded new Live Steam railroad with virtually unlimited room for expansion at no cost except for your labor!  Also, all members and guests will be free to operate their own equipment (of both gauges) on these premises. Work times will be arranged depending on volunteer's schedules.  The track needs to be removed by the end of the year.


 * Once the track is removed from Mr. Murray's Estate in Tacoma, WA, it will be reconditioned in

Mr. Zingheim's shop using PLASTIC ties similar to the Los Angeles Live Steamers Museum.