Good Evening,
I wish to inform my partners in preservation on this forum about a need for input and support that is quite easy to do. The purpose is not less than the meaningful existence of the Yakima Valley Trolleys operation of the City of Yakima, WA, route to Selah, WA, which is in fact the last remaining interurban line in the West (Please scroll down).
A Brief Background
The Yakima Valley Transportation Co., a division of the Union Pacific, was in operation until folding doors and handing the controller handles to the City of Yakima in 1985. At this time, a group who had brought two Oporto single truck cars had been running over the Yakima interurban lines for about 8 years. In the years that followed, over 80% of the tracks were removed, wire was pulled, and land was sold or incorporated into city streets, while the heritage operation continued on with the core parts that made sense. This includes a short line on Pine Street out of the historic car house, and a branch up North 6th Street which crossed to the short but scenic Selah line. On the south end is a powerhouse and multi-purpose carbarn that date to the earliest days. Belt driven machinery, wooden shop floors, and a various purpose-oriented spaces are all present. An incredibly high percentage of surviving original equipment still call this rail line their home.
Into the 2000's the issues became increasingly hard to manage on the line, with a loss of trolley wire and feeders over the north end track to vandals, loss of wire to garbage trucks, rough track conditions, a bridge that needed repair, and more. If a trolley could make it to Selah today (although a railroad crossing was recently removed), it would only be with the generator in tow. Gladly, the City of Yakima has made a commitment to repair tracks and facilities which are most critical. The Yakima Valley Trolleys group is dedicated to preserving this artifact and is in the process of gaining national register of historic places status. Together the historic collection and facility can survive as an occasionally operating demonstration of history.
It is an expensive undertaking, and currently the City and its consultant are looking at options on how to address poor roadway conditions and restore 6th street to a good use for the community. Three alternatives have been presented, two of which feature tracks. Perhaps other alternatives are possible, and perhaps the vision of what it is to be, can have some adjustment. Regardless, preserving the Selah interurban line, the last in in the the West, is an important goal I hope that lasts through the process.
And to be clear, the Yakima area is one of the most economically challenged in the State of Washington. The side effects are present, and hope and vision and funding and dedication to improvement are critical to making the center of a generally depressed apple economy become something else. There are many wonderful things about Yakima as well.
A Call for Action
Here is where I am connecting with you to help make a change. You may not know much about the town or community or rail equipment, but you may know about similar situations and how they turned out well. Preserving and adapting and converting what is the present to another situation when the going is rough... has been done in many city lines and many heritage tourist lines with a scenic view. Please think of some of these changes which may seem to adapt to this situation. If you see options for the future, different than what was proposed by the consultant, please bring those to the table! If one of the consultant's visions really works for you, please support it! If you simply want to say how valuable the preservation of YVT, one of the last surviving North American interurbans and probably the best remaining example, is in the field of railroad preservation, please say so! There are many ways to contribute ideas and concerns from the national community of railroad heritage experts.
The links to the project and call for feedback are found below. Thank you.
10 minute survey and other information:
https://www.yakimawa.gov/media/points-of-interest/6th-ave-rebuild-rail-renovation-survey/
Project overall description and points of interest:
https://www.yakimawa.gov/media/points-of-interest/6th-ave-rebuild-and-rail-renovation/
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