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For those who believe . . .
The annual Halloween Storytelling Train is arriving at Snoqualmie and North Bend on Saturday and Sunday October 27 & 28, 2018. This two hour train excursion includes family-friendly Storytelling in the Train Shed, warm apple cider, cider press demonstrations - even try one yourself, and a free prize for kids in costume. And while in Snoqualmie or North Bend, check out the marvelous lunches available at local restaurants!
The Halloween Storytelling Train is an annual event at the Northwest Railway Museum. Departure stations include Snoqualmie at 11:00, 1:00, & 3:00 and North Bend at 11:30 and 1:30. Advance tickets are available here, and are recommended as the event usually sells out.
Last week Spike's blog post highlighted the completed pews being installed in chapel car 5 Messenger of Peace. This project included the process of thoroughly documenting the original railroad car pew design and making 10 replicas for exhibit in the Messenger of Peace. This week we are illustrating a little more detail about what was involved in finishing the pews.
First of all, OB Williams did an awesome job of fabricating the pews. They arrived sanded and all ready to accept finish. There was some minor sanding involved to catch a few imperfections, and then a thorough vacuuming and wiping to remove wood dust and any other contaminates. The first of seven to nine coats of shellac was applied using a bristle brush. (The Museum has experimented with air application of shellac, and the results have not been consistent. So most finish work is done with a brush.)
One of the most obvious changes that occurred in making the replicas was the color and apparent texture transformation from unfinished wood to finished wood. Just one coat of shellac deepens the color of the wood and begins the process of sealing. Initially, the surface feels rough. Light sanding with 400 grit sandpaper - and more sanding with 220 grit if flaws are found - renders the surface smooth. However, a unique characteristic of shellac is that is can be redissolved in alcohol. So any subsequent coats are bonded to the earlier coats. And subsequent coats can benefit from presanding, but it is not required.
Each pew component was finished separately. When 7 coats had been applied, the finish was evaluated for consistency. If any flaws were detected, they were corrected with sandpaper - or, sometimes even 0000 steel wool - and another coat of shellac was applied. The process was repeated again if necessary.
A beneficial characteristic of shellac is that it dries very quickly. However, particularly after several coats have been applied, it must sit for a day or more to fully harden. If subsequent coats are applied too soon, the surface will wrinkle and it is difficult to correct. Notwithstanding, the pew project is now nearly complete and the results can be viewed through the chapel car's sanctuary door during regular hours of the Train Shed.
The odor of the day was . . . ethanol, which was used to dissolve shellac flake. Specifically, a 2.5 pound cut, which is 2.5 pounds gossamer shellac flake per gallon of ethanol. This was the finish that historically was applied to the white oak surfaces in chapel car 5 Messenger of Peace, and this year was mixed and applied to new pews for the sanctuary.
Shellac is an ancient technology that has been used for hundreds of years, and was widely used until the 1930s when it was replaced by nitrocellulose lacquers. Today, even the lacquers have been supplanted by newer and more forgiving finishes. However, shellac is easy to mix, straight-forward to apply, and it dries very quickly. To mix workable amounts of shellac, Spike began with 22 ounces of thin flake shellac. The flake was place in a jar and mixed with 99% ethanol to bring the total volume to 64 fluid ounces. The resulting solution was filtered to remove contaminants and was applied to the pews with a premium bristle brush. A total of seven coats were applied to the new pews.
Chapel car 5 Messenger of Peace is a rare surviving example of a 19th Century Barney and Smith all-wood passenger car, and a fine example of a mobile church built for the American Baptist Publication Society. It was donated to the Northwest Railway Museum by the Hodgins Family in 2007, and by 2009 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Nationally-significant property. Much of the rehabilitation was conducted between 2011 and 2013 by a team of shipwrights and other artisans, but a selection of accurate replica pews could not be fully completed until now.
Before
the chapel car was adaptively reused as a road side diner, and then a cottage, the
Messenger of Peace had special Barney and Smith-built railroad car
pews. Unfortunately, they were removed and disposed of back in 1948, but an identical pew from a sister car made it into the collections of the American Baptist Historical Society. The fine staff of their archives allowed Spike to take measurements, make drawings, and create templates, which were used by a mill work firm to make accurate replicas. In June, Spike gave you a glimpse of the pew components as they were completed in the shops of architectural mill work specialist OB Williams in Seattle. Next week Spike will publish an inside look at the finishing project.
The project was made possible with the generous support of many partners including the Nysether Family Foundation, the American Baptist Home Missions Societies, the American Baptist Historical Society, The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Washington, and contributions from dozens of individuals. The Northwest Railway Museum and its Volunteers, Trustees and Staff are exceptionally grateful for this support.
Do you like special deals and last-minute opportunities? Or perhaps you do your own research and already know about Museum Day? Either way, Saturday, September 22, 2018 offers "the deal of the year" at the Northwest Railway Museum. You can register and download a ticket from the Smithsonian Magazine web site good for free admission to the Train Shed at 9320 Stone Quarry Road! Saturday hours are 11 AM - 4 PM.
What can you do in the Train Shed? You can see the Chapel Car Messenger of Peace. Browse Wellington Remembered. Check out The Railroad Changed Everything. See Weyerhaeuser Timber locomotive 1. Play a few minutes with a Thomas train table . . . or not. You decide how you use your free ticket, but please remember it is valid only on September 22!
Wine trains are a great new way to experience the excitement of a working railroad, and see the scenic beauty of the upper Snoqualmie Valley. Three more wine trains are scheduled for 2018: September 15, October 6 & October 13. The three hour event features wine and food from several of the valley's premier venues, including:
Sigillo Cellars
Convergence Zone Cellars
Mount Si Winery
William Grassie Wine Estates
Pearl & Stone Wine Co.
Carnation Farms
The Snoqualmie Valley Wine Train experience includes breathtaking scenery, tasting stops at the Train Shed exhibit building and Puget Sound Energy's Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Museum, live music performed by local artists, food from local producers, and of course wine from local wineries. During the experience you will have an opportunity to view exhibits in the Train Shed.
The Wine Train begins with a check in at 2:30 PM in the Snoqualmie Depot where you will experience your first tasting with your complimentary Northwest Railway Museum wine glass. You will travel by train to the Train Shed and Hydroelectric Museum for two more tasting opportunities, and will see the lower Snoqualmie Valley from high atop bridge 31.3, more than 300 feet above the Snoqualmie River. The event will conclude at 5:30 PM when the train returns to the Snoqualmie Depot. What a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Tickets for the Wine Train are $45 and can be purchased in the Snoqualmie Depot daily from 10 AM - 5 PM or on the Museum's new online ticketing website. Sorry, the Snoqualmie WIne Train is for patrons 21 years and older only.
August 17-19, 2018 in historic downtown Snoqualmie, just 30 minutes from Seattle!
Snoqualmie Railroad Days is a community festival celebrating Trains, Timber, & Tradition. It is hosted by the Northwest Railway Museum and supported by the community. Founded in 1939, this year represents the 79th annual festival.
Railroad Days features a wide variety of entertainment and activities, and is well known for its visual and performing arts performances and exhibits. Artists in Action, live music, living history, the Plein Air Paint Out, a community drum circle and the Art Stage are all included in this year's action-packed festival. There are some unique performances in the annual Grand Parade, too, and don't forget about the Legend's Car Show on Sunday!
And speaking of the Grand Parade, this year's Grand Marshall is City Clerk Jodi Warren, who has served the City of Snoqualmie for more than 22 years.
Have you ever wanted to be in a parade? This year's Grand Parade also features a Kiddie Bike Parade. Why not bring your whole family out with decorated bikes, wagons and animals? You can meet in Riverview Park by 11 AM; preregistration is NOT required.
Of course there are trains, too! Excursions on the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad will depart Snoqualmie on Saturday and Sunday at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM, and will include a stop at the Train Shed exhibit building. Gas motor car rides on the Kalamazoo will be available from Snoqualmie, too!
Snoqualmie Railroad Days has much more to offer! Check out the Schedule of Events to find something of interest for you and your family.
The Northwest Railway Museum is delighted to announce the arrival of a new and more comprehensive online ticketing system. This month, advance ticketing was launched for the Santa Train, Grand Tour, and the Snoqualmie Valley Wine Train events. The new system is built on the Museum's TAM Retail Point of Sale System and - when fully implemented - will allow advance ticketing for all regular trains too.
The
new system has been designed to provide flexibility so it can be expanded as
the Museum continues to grow, but also to improve security. For instance, the new
ticket system requires users to create a user account. This process is
intended to reduce attempts to illegally or inappropriately use the
ticket system. However, the user account will speed any user's subsequent ticket purchase because it will eliminate the need to re-enter contact information.
Ticket are now on sale for the September 1 Grand Tour, Snoqualmie Valley Wine Trains in September and October, and the annual Santa Train. Visit https://shop.TrainMuseum.org/Events.aspx to select and purchase your tickets today.
The Halloween Storytelling Train is an annual event at the Northwest Railway Museum. Departure stations include Snoqualmie at 11:00, 1:00, & 3:00 and North Bend at 11:30 and 1:30. Advance tickets are available here, and are recommended as the event usually sells out.
