Washington Park and Zoo Railway

Travel through our train section to learn all about the hippest little railway in Portland.

If youre a real train buff, well give you all the details about our three trains and learn about their colorful history.

Stamp collectors and letter writers will want to know more about our unique railway postal cancellation--a real collectors item.

The Washington Park and Zoo Railway offers a scenic excursion aboard diesel or steam powered trains over 30-inch gauge track on grades up to 4%.

Travelers view lush scenery on a trip through the forests of Washington Park. At the Washington Park terminal, riders can visit the gift shop, take in the commanding view of downtown Portland, Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, or take a walk through the world-famous International Rose Test Gardens and the Japanese Gardens. The ride concludes with a trip around the lower end of the Zoo.

The railway operates three trains, all of which were built to scale, five-sixths the size of the old narrow-gauge railways. Two cars have wheelchair lifts. All trains feature covered, open-air cars.

The railway carries more than more than 350,000 passengers annually. It is the last railroad in the United States that has continually offered US. mail service. Letters deposited on the zoo railway receive a special hand-cancellation.

The railway, located five minutes from downtown Portland, operates daily during spring and summer. It also runs evenings for ZooLights the month of December.

The Zoo opens at 9:00 a.m. every day except Christmas.
Operates daily through September on the Full Run to Washington Park Station.

Train riders must first pay Zoo admission.
A 20% discount is available for groups of 20 or more.
Inclement weather may cancel scheduled runs. Call Zoo reception for confirmation of days runs (503) 226-1561

Train riders must first pay Zoo admission.
A 20 % discount is available for groups of 20 or more.
Inclement weather may cancel scheduled runs. Call Zoo reception for confirmation of days runs (503) 226-1561

The Zooliner This diesel-powered streamliner was built in 1958. A replica of General Motors "Aerotrain," the engines 165 horsepower is transmitted to eight driving wheels through a hydraulic-type torque converter transmission and spiral gears. Safety features include a "dead man control" to ease the train to a halt in an emergency. A governor holds the train to a 12 mile per hour maximum. A conventional automatic air brake system provides safe train handling.
	The "Oregon" Steam Locomotive Built in 1959 for the Oregon Centennial, The 'Oregon" Steamer offers a trip back to yesteryear. Reminiscent of the 1800s, the locomotive is painted in bright colors with polished brass trimmings. A glistening brass bell is mounted on the gleaming boiler jacket between the sand dome and stack. The locomotive is patterned after the Virginia & Truckee RR "Reno." It is an oil-burning American 4-4-0 type with a diamond stack and big headlight featuring hand-painted pictures of Crater Lake on one side and Mt. Hood on the other.
The Oregon Express Rebuilt in 1991, the Oregon Express is powered with the same diesel engine/transmission combination as the Zooliner but power is generated to the four driving wheels through a right-angle gear box and chain drive. It has the same safety features as the other trains.

History of the Washington Park and Zoo Railway
The Zoo railway grew out of a planned kiddie train that was to be part of Portlands new zoo. The Zoo, being relocated to the current site, was slated to open in the summer of 1959 during all the festivities of Oregons centennial celebration. When plans were unveiled for the 30" gauge line, train fans from around the region pitched in with suggestions, fund-raising efforts and manual labor. Group included member of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Club, and the Pacific Northwest Live Steamers.

School children sold "stock" at $1.00 per share and a childrens book called Clickety Clack and the Bandits was sold to help pay for the zoo line. The Portland Zoo Railway began operation during the summer of 1958 with the Zooliner, our first train. The Zooliner is still in use.

The following year found three passenger trains in the zoo railways stable. The Zooliner was transplanted to North Portland, site of the Oregon Centennial Exhibition and International Trade Fair. It was joined by a brand new steam train, now called The Steamer. A circus train was built to operate at the zoo during this time. The circus train is now called The Oregon Express. All the trains were built in Portland by local firms at cost. Several parts were actually donated.

In 1960 the 1 1/2 mile extension to Washington Park opened. The line was surveyed by the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was constructed with the help of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (now part of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway) and the Portland Terminal Railroad Co. The Union Pacific hauled ballast over from Prineville, OR at no charge.

In 1978 the railroad was renamed Washington Park and Zoo Railway when the City of Portland turned over operation of the Zoo to the Metropolitan Service District. This name better reflects the service provided by the Zoo Railway.

Today all three trains (The Zooliner, The Steamer, and The Oregon Express) operate simultaneously on busy days. Additional rolling stock also includes a Fire Train built in 1959 by Weyerhaeuser Corp., and a work train. They are all cared for by both professional staff and volunteers from the Washington Park Zooguides. The Zoo Railway is a member of Train.

Until the late 1970s, most mail in the United States was carried on trains. While in transit, mail was canceled on these trains using rubber stamps denoting the railroad.

In 1961, the Washington Park and Zoo Railway became one of the first recreation railroads to have its own cancellation stamp. With the demise of the Railway Post Office, the Zoo Railway is the last operating United States railroad with its own authorized Railway Postal Cancellation, to continuously offer mail service.

Mail deposited in mail boxes on the Zoo grounds or on the locomotives is hand-canceled with the Washington Park and Zoo Railway stamp. It has become quite a collectors item. Mail comes in from and goes out to all parts of the globe.

ZooLights Festival Dec. 1 - 31, 2000
Take a train ride through a winter wonderland. During December, the zoo is transformed with a half-million lights and more than 200 sparkling animals.