WashingtonPark and Zoo Railway
The hippest little railway in Portland.
about our railway |
our trains |
video |
history |
railway postal cancellation |
special trains
- Passengers must first pay zoo admission.
- A 20% discount is available for groups
of 20 or more when payment is made at one time.
- Inclement weather may cancel scheduled runs.
- Animals are not visible from the train.
- The Washington Park Train Station path is not ADA-accessible.
- For more info, call 503-226-1561.
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Zoo Loop
The Zoo Loop is a one-mile route around the perimeter of the zoo grounds.
The train operates weekends only from Feb. 18 through March 23 (first train at
11 a.m.), with daily runs beginning on March 24. From April 14 through May 25,
the train will make the Zoo Loop circuit on weekdays and the Washington Park
Run on weekends.
All train runs are weather dependent. Call 503-226-1561 to check the daily schedule.
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General Ticket Prices |
Group Prices |
| General Admission |
$3.50 |
$2.80 |
| Member |
$3 |
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| Infants | under age 3 |
Free |
Free |
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Washington Park Run
The Washington Park Run winds through the forests of
Washington Park
to a station above the International Rose Test Garden and back to the zoo.
Round trip is four miles long and takes 35 minutes. A reboarding stamp lets
passengers visit the Rose Gardens, Japanese Garden or children's play park and
return to the zoo on a later train at no charge. Please note: The path to these
attractions is a 44-step staircase and is not wheelchair-accessible.
The Washington Park loop operates weekends only from April 14 through May 25,
with daily runs beginning Memorial Day weekend and continuing through September
(first train at 10:30 a.m.). The steam train has a
special schedule.
Passengers can also enter the zoo by boarding the train at the Rose Gardens,
paying zoo admission with the train ride.
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General Ticket Prices |
Group Prices |
| General Admission |
$5 |
$4 |
| Member |
$4.50 |
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| Infants | under age 3 |
Free |
Free |
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About Our Trains
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The Zooliner
This diesel-powered streamliner was built in 1958. A replica of General Motors'
"Aerotrain," the engine's 175 horsepower is transmitted to eight
driving wheels through a hydraulic-type torque converter transmission and
axle-mounted gear boxes. Safety features include a "dead man control"
to ease the train to a halt in an emergency. A governor holds the train to a
12-mile-per-hour maximum. A conventional automatic air brake system provides
safe train handling.
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The "Oregon" Steam Locomotive
Built in 1959 for the Oregon Centennial, the "Oregon" steam locomotive
offers a trip back to yesteryear. Reminiscent of the 1800s, the locomotive is
painted in bright colors with polished brass trimmings. A glistening brass bell
is mounted on the gleaming boiler jacket between the sand dome and stack. The
locomotive is patterned after the Virginia & Truckee RR "Reno."
It is an oil-burning American 4-4-0 type with a diamond stack and big headlight
featuring hand-painted pictures of Crater Lake on one side and Mt. Hood on the
other. More photos and the history of the
"Oregon"
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The "Oregon" steam train is scheduled on the following dates:
- May 26-28 - Memorial Day Weekend
- June 16-17 - Zooliner and Steamer Birthday
- Sept. 1-3 - Labor Day Weekend
- Nov. 23-Jan. 1 - ZooLights
The steam train may also run on busy summer weekends.
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The Oregon Express
Rebuilt in 2007, the Oregon Express is powered with the same diesel
engine/transmission combination similar to the Zooliner, but power is
generated to the four driving wheels through a right-angle gear box and
chain drive. It has the same safety features as the other trains.
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about
our railway | our trains | video | history | railway postal cancellation | special
trains
About the Washington Park and Zoo Railway
 The
Washington Park and Zoo Railway
offers a scenic
excursion aboard diesel or steam powered trains over 30-inch gauge track
on grades up to 4%.
Travelers
view lush scenery on a trip through the forests of Washington
Park.
At the Washington Park terminal, during the summer, take in the commanding
view of downtown Portland, Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, or take a walk
through the world-famous International Rose Test Garden and the Japanese
Garden. The ride concludes with a trip around the Zoo Loop.
The
railway operates three trains which are approximately five-sixths the size of the old narrow-gauge trains. Two cars are equipped with
wheelchair lifts. All trains feature covered, open-air cars.
The railway
carries more than 350,000 passengers annually. It is the last railroad
in the United States that has continually offered U.S. mail service.
Letters deposited on the zoo railway receive a special hand-cancellation.
The
railway, located five minutes from downtown Portland, operates daily, weather permitting, spring, summer and fall. It also runs evenings for ZooLights the month
of December.
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History of the Washington Park and Zoo Railway
The Portland Zoo Railway grew out of a planned kiddie's train that
was to be part of Portland's new zoo. The zoo, being relocated
to the current site, was slated to open in the summer of 1959 during
all the festivities of Oregon's centennial celebration. When plans
were unveiled for the 30" gauge line, train fans from around the
region pitched in with suggestions, fundraising efforts and manual labor.
The planning group included members of the Pacific
Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the Columbia
Gorge Model Railroad Club, and the Pacific Northwest Live Steamers.
Schoolchildren
sold "stock" at $1.00 per share and a children's book
called Clickety Clack and the Bandits was sold to help pay
for the zoo line. The Portland Zoo Railway began operation June 9, 1958 with the Zooliner, our first train. The Zooliner is still the primary train used today.
The following
year found three passenger trains in the zoo railway's stable.
The Zooliner was transplanted to North Portland, site of the Oregon
Centennial Exposition and International Trade Fair. It was joined by
a brand new steam train, pulled by the "Oregon" steam locomotive. A Circus Train was
built to operate at the zoo during this time. Parts and equipment from the Circus Train are still in use as part of the Oregon Express train. Most of the train equipment was built in Portland by
local firms at cost or donated. Several parts were also donated.
In 1960
the 1 1/2 mile extension to Washington Park opened. The line was surveyed
by the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was constructed with the help of
the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (now part of the Burlington
Northern and Santa Fe Railway) and the Portland Terminal Railroad Co.
The Union Pacific hauled ballast donated by the school children in Prineville, Oregon at no
charge.
In 1978
the railroad was renamed Washington Park and Zoo Railway when the City
of Portland turned over operation of the zoo to Metro. This name better reflects the service provided by the zoo
railway.
Today all
three trains (the Zooliner, the Centennial Steam Train, and the Oregon Express) operate
simultaneously on busy days. The steam train runs on special
occasions. Additional rolling stock also includes a fire train built
in 1959 by Weyerhaeuser Corp., and a work train. They are all cared
for by both professional staff and volunteers.
See more photos and read the history of the "Oregon" steam locomotive.
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 Our Railway Postal
Cancellation
Until the
late 1970s, most mail in the United States was carried on trains. While
in transit, mail was canceled on these trains using rubber stamps denoting
the railroad.
In 1961,
the Washington Park and Zoo Railway became one of the first recreation
railroads to have its own cancellation stamp. With the demise of the
Railway Post Office, the zoo railway is the last operating United States
railroad with its own authorized railway postal cancellation to continuously
offer mail service.
Mail deposited
in mail boxes on the zoo grounds or on the locomotives is hand-canceled
with the Washington Park and Zoo Railway stamp. It has become quite
a collector's item. Mail comes in from and goes out to all parts
of the globe.
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 Special Holiday Train
Rides
ZooLights, December
Take a train ride through a winter wonderland on brightly decorated trains. Beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving and running through December, the zoo is transformed with one million lights and more than 200 sparkling animal silhouettes. Discounted packages include zoo admission and the ZooLights train.
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