Northern Pacific Railway Museum

Northern Pacific Railway Museum
Toppenish Depot, 1911
LocaleToppenish, Washington
Commercial operations
Built byNorthern Pacific Railway
Preserved operations
Operated byYakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum Association
Stations1
Length7 miles (11 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened1911
Closed to passengers1961
Closed1981
Preserved era1992 – present
Preservation history
July 4, 1992Opened
2000Re-named Northern Pacific Railway Museum
HeadquartersToppenish, Washington
Website
Official website

The Northern Pacific Railway Museum is a railroad museum in Toppenish, Washington. It is located on 10 Asotin Av. and opens between May and December.[1]

History

The depot was originally built and opened in 1911 by the Northern Pacific Railway, it served fifty years transporting passengers until passenger operations officially ended in 1961.[2][3] The depot officially closed in 1981 and was boarded up.[2]

In 1989, a group of railfans approached the city and asked about leasing the depot to operate tourist trains.[2] The Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum Association was formed and in 1990, the ex-Northern Pacific Railway depot in Toppenish, WA, was leased and restoration on the depot officially began.[2] The museum officially opened to the public on July 4, 1992.[2]

In 1993, the depot and freight house was subsequently purchased from the Burlington Northern Railroad.[2]

In 2000, the museum was renamed the North Pacific Railway Museum.[2][3]

In 1993, the 1902 Northern Pacific steam locomotive No. 1364 was purchased by the museum, it arrived on property in 1994 and restoration work officially began to return it to operating condition for tourist service.[4][5] The locomotive was hydro-tested and passed at 200 psi, it was fully steamed and certified under the FRA.[5] On January 1, 2026, No. 1364 was fired for the first time in 73 years.[4] On February 21, No. 1364 moved under its own power for the first time.[6]

Locomotives

Locomotive details[5]
NumberImageTypeModelBuiltBuilderStatus
1364Steam4-6-01902Baldwin Locomotive WorksOperational

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". Northern Pacific Railway Museum. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Depot". Northern Pacific Railway Museum. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Museum Guide News". Health Care Times. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Justin Franz (February 24, 2026). "Northern Pacific 4-6-0 Fired up in Washington". Railfan & Railroad. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Locomotive steams into Toppenish depot after decades of work". Yakima Herald. March 17, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Northern Pacific 4-6-0 Runs Again in Washington". Railfan & Railroad. February 24, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.

46°22′34″N 120°18′28″W / 46.376187°N 120.307878°W / 46.376187; -120.307878

Preceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following station
Wapato
toward Seattle or Tacoma
 Main Line Alfalfa
toward St. Paul


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