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     One of a growing number of excursion trains and railroad museums, Oregon's Sumpter Valley Railroad offers rail fans a look at the only active wood-burning narrow-gage locomotive in America. Thanks to the tireless efforts of a dedicated corps of volunteers and the generosity of the Union Pacific Railroad and its crews, the rebirth of the Sumpter Valley Railroad was made a reality. The railway opened on July 4, 1976.
     Although the Sumpter Valley Railroad ceased operations just 25 years prior to the inception of the railroad revival, the original track had vanished and the railroad bed had quietly eroded away. Once the railway right-of-way was secured, members of the restoration project went scouting the states for Sumpter Valley Railroad stock and equipment. A vintage, two-truck Heisler engine was located in Cascade, Idaho. Used as a standby power plant for the Boise Cascade lumber mill, the old #3 Heisler offered a promising centerpiece for the excursion train. After four years of back-breaking labor, the Sumpter Valley Railroad had its McEwen Depot, a small stretch of freshly laid track, and a very proud #3 Heisler engine. The ribbon cutting ceremony topped July 4th festivities in Sumpter, and the railroad continues to grow since that inaugural day.

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