A north Clark County nonprofit dedicated to preserving the area’s railway heritage will break ground on a new building Saturday that will allow it to better maintain its locomotives and coaches, some of which are nearly a century old.
Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Association, also known as the BYCX, offers excursions on a 7-mile stretch of railway between Yacolt and Heisson on trains built in the 1920s. While the equipment provides a link to the past, the locomotives and cars also require significant upkeep and repair.
State Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, helped secure a $500,000 state capital improvement grant for the new building. It will be constructed on land leased from the county near the BYCX depot in Yacolt.
Matthew Barton, the association’s vice president, said the new building will allow volunteers to more easily replace worn-out parts, make repairs and continue restorations on trains while also keeping the equipment out of the rain in the winter.
Kerry Barton, the group’s director of publicity, said the new building will be completed in about a year and there are plans to eventually open a museum inside.
