Media Release: Wednesday, September 12, 2007

For Information: Donovan Gray (360) 402-6851

$800,000 to fund South Cle Elum Electric Substation Project

The South Cle Elum Railyard National Historic District will move into its next major phase of development with $800,000 in funds from the Washington State Legislature. The funds were included in the state capital budget passed this year to fund projects in the 2007-09 biennium.

The funding will allow design to preserve the electric substation and develop it into an interpretive center. Work to repair the building’s exterior is expected to begin next spring.

The appropriation also preserves the momentum of preserving the South Cle Elum Railyard, where Washington State Parks and Recreation, and the Cascade Rail Foundation (CRF) completed in 2006 a seven-year $1 million rehabilitation of the 1909 railroad depot, where the CRF now operates the Depot Cafe.

"These funds will allow us to start rehabilitation of the electric substation," said Lake Easton State Park Manager Tim Schmidt. "It represents a substantial investment by Washington State Parks and Recreation in helping preserve this irreplaceable historic building." Schmidt has been one of the primary drivers within State Parks to initially save the Milwaukee railyard and see it turned into a regional heritage tourism attraction.

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The substation was built in 1918 when the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad was extending its electrified operations from Othello through to Tacoma. The substation went into service in March, 1920, and shut down in November, 1972, when the Milwaukee Road ended its electrified operations over this 220-mile stretch of track. It converted 110,000 volt AC electricity into 3,000 volt DC to feed the overhead wires that powered the electric locomotives. The substations were located about every 30 miles along the railroad. Nearby substations were at Hyak to the west, and Kittitas to the east. Both are now gone, with only foundation outlines remaining.

The substation lay vacant until it was purchased by Seattle-area electrical engineer and businessman John Fluke Sr., who had the vision to develop it into a museum. Fluke passed away before he could realize his goal, but his family sold the building to Washington State Parks to help ensure its preservation. Other electric substations in both Washington and Montana were dismantled with the closure of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1980. The South Cle Elum substation is the only one remaining with its associated employee houses and depot, and represents the most complete set of Milwaukee Road in one place in the western United States.

"The Cascade Rail Foundation is very excited about this progress with our funding," said Donovan Gray, President of the Foundation. "It is very hard to raise funds in eastern Washington for large projects such as this. The state's investment is a major milestone in our campaign. Now we can approach private funders, as well as our federal delegation, to raise additional money to develop the museum Mr. Fluke originally set out to accomplish. It's very gratifying to be working with State Parks to help realize this goal. We also hope to partner with the Washington State Historical Society to realize a first-class exhibit dedicated to the history of railroading in Washington state, and of the Milwaukee Road in particular."

After the exterior rehabilitation work over the next two years, interior development of a regional rail museum will be undertaken, with the goal of opening the facility in 2013, in time for the Centennial of Washington State Parks and Recreation. State Parks is the largest single owner of historic properties in Washington, with more than 700 historic buildings under its protection.

The development and operation of the South Cle Elum Railyard National Historic District is a joint project of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and the Cascade Rail Foundation. More information can be found at http://www.milwelectric.org.

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