Golden shovels and a ceremonial shifting of soil signal the beginning of a new breath of life for a century old locomotive at the groundbreaking for the Restore the 4! project in Port Angeles, Washington on Sunday October 26. The Rayonier No. 4 train engine rolled off the assembly line on August 3, 1924, at Willamette Iron and Steel Works in Portland, Oregon. It was used until 1960 to shuttle lumber from the Olympic forests to paper mills, such as the former mill that Rayonier representative Scott Golding started his career at in Port Angeles. “I grew up chasing trains as a kid, then worked at the Rayonier mill,” said Mr. Golding, who held an umbrella for Sequim Museum Director Judy Stipe as she gave her speech on Sunday accompanied by Rotarian Steve Zenovic. “Now I’m grateful to be a part of preserving this piece of local history.” The ceremony, also attended by Mayor Kate Dexter, City Council Member Drew Schwab, and Parks Director Corey Delikat, heralds the restoration of this rusting piece of history and its preservation for future generations through the construction of a new pavilion to shelter it from the elements, made possible by the $186,092 raised so far by the community towards the project’s $250,000 goal.
Courtesy of Gavin Truckenmiller & The Buccaneer 2025
