Sumpter Valley Railway marks 50 years with McEwen celebrations
Two June weekends in McEwen will mark 50 years of the Sumpter Valley Railway, a volunteer-built line whose future still depends on riders, labor and support.
The Sumpter Valley Railway is marking 50 years with two celebration weekends in McEwen, and the milestone lands with a practical question attached: how long can Baker County keep one of its most visible heritage attractions running as a volunteer-built tourist line?
The anniversary events will run June 13-14 and June 20-21 at the McEwen depot, yards and Baker County Day Park, 23 miles southwest of Baker City on Highway 7. The railroad says the weekends will feature multiple steam train rides, live music, historical reenactors, shop tours, vendors, Behind the Throttle experiences, speeder excursions and a photo charter with Lerro Photography. On June 13 and 14, four trains are scheduled to leave McEwen each day at 11 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. The June 20 rides will include bandit-themed runs, and June 21 will bring Father’s Day trips.
The railroad’s anniversary is rooted in a long rebuild. Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration Inc. was incorporated on Jan. 4, 1971, after the original track had been scrapped in 1947 and nearly all of the roadbed had eroded away. Volunteers rebuilt more than 7 miles of track. The first passenger trip on the restored line rolled out on July 4, 1976, and 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of that effort.
The line remains unusual in Oregon. Sumpter Valley Railroad says it is the state’s only narrow-gauge, steam-powered railroad, and Travel Oregon notes that the all-volunteer operation runs weekends and major holidays from Memorial Day weekend through the last weekend in September. Round trips take just over two hours, giving visitors enough time to see the line as more than a quick stop and making it a steady draw for McEwen and nearby Sumpter during the summer season.
That tourism pull sits inside a deeper piece of Baker County history. The Sumpter Valley Railroad Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and the rail line’s story is tied to the county’s gold and timber era. Nearby, the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge, the last of three built in the valley, operated from 1935 to 1954 and is estimated to have recovered more than $4 million in gold. Together, the railroad and dredge keep that history visible, while also bringing visitors into a rural corridor where every season of operation depends on volunteers, maintenance and continued community backing.
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