Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum

This weekend we paid a visit to the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum, just south of Centralia in Lewis County. They've been operating a restored 1916 Baldwin 2-8-2 "Mikado" for almost 30 years along a section of track that was once a branch line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific and today owned locally by the Port of Chehalis. The route winds through a pastoral setting along the Chehalis river upstream from Centralia for about 10 miles.

Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade No. 15, a 2-8-2 "Mikado" built by Baldwin in 2016. It just turned 100 last year!

View of the Chehalis river, running low this time of year.

This was a former diamond crossing with a Northern Pacific branch line, which today is the Willapa Hills Trail. These two lines closely followed each other for about 20 miles from Centralia, then took separate routes to reach Willapa Bay.

A sampling of the bucolic views along the route.

When the train reaches Milburn, a siding and former junction with the Northern Pacific, the locomotive disconnects and does a run around of the train so it can lead the return trip.

Operations on the PE&A have been halted temporarily. I was out watering the train area last week and was attacked by two wasps. Apparently a nest has been established very close to the right-of-way. I haven't located its exact position but I have narrowed down its location so I hopefully will be able to eradicate the problem soon.

In the meantime, it's finally summer so enjoy some pictures of the current flora.

I have a few varieties of daylilies and this one is my favorite.

This laceleaf hydrangea is at peak bloom right now.

Another favorite blooming right now is this Lilium columbianum. 

A honeybee coming in for a landing on the hedge in front of the house which is in full bloom right now. This is a favorite of the honeybees this time of year and hundreds of them cover the hedge from sunrise to sunset.

And speaking of bees, this bee balm is more attractive to hummingbirds than it is to bees.