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WELCOME TO THE OPHIR MINES RAILWAY
"Route of the Cowlitz Creeper"
 Ophir Mines Railway 50 Ton Industrial Diesel Switcher #107A-B
With A Load Of Heavy Timbers For The Yellow Jacket #1 Mine
The Ophir Mines Railway is a private 1/8th scale miniature riding railway located in Southwest Washington. Our trains run on 7.5" gauge track, the minimum radius is 25 feet and the ruling grade is 2.5%. The railway is inspired by the many railways which were constructed in the late 1800's and early 1900's to serve mines in the Western US. In our case the railway serves the two miniature mining centers of "Mule Lip" and "Yellow Jacket."
I am often asked where the name "Ophir Mines" originated. "Ophir" (pronounced O-fer) was where King Solomon of the Bible had his gold mines ( 1 Kings 9:28 and 1 Chronicles 29:4 ) and was where much of his fabulous wealth came from. Consequently, many early hopeful mining companies in Colorado and Nevada also named their operations after Ophir for good luck.
Although the railway is primarily recreational in nature, it also does useful work. We frequently use it to move construction materials that are too heavy to move by hand, like heavy timbers, bags of concrete, rolls of chain link fencing, crushed rock, ties, rail and even to move yard debris to the burn pile. Each car is designed to carry at least 600 lbs with ease. The locomotive is capable of speeds up to 12 mph, but 2 or 3 mph is the norm on this rural short line.
The railway features miniature structures, figures and other interesting details. My wife and I often enjoy riding the railway in the late afternoon, when all the forest creatures come out to to feed. The train is very quiet and the animals allow the train to get very close to them as we enjoy watching them. Black tail deer, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, robins, woodpeckers, Rufus and Anna's hummingbirds, finches, bald eagles and red tail hawks are all common sights on the railway. Any day is a good day to go for a train ride. Climb aboard!
Visitors Are Welcome
E-mail us at: richeaton4@aol.com
Page Updated January 13th, 2012
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