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Toppenish,
Simcoe & Western Railroad, Inc.
Inactive
The Toppenish, Simcoe & Western Railroad (reporting mark TSWR) was a short line freight carrier providing service to the western end of the lower Yakima Valley. When the Washington Central Railroad put the old Northern Pacific Simcoe Branch (White Swan Branch) up for abandonment, the Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum Association (YVR&S) took on the task of keeping the line open. With the cooperation of the Washington State Department of Transportation and Yakima County, the YVR&S was able to assume operation of the branch. With its small amount of freight and limited passenger excursions, the line was preserved. It was run with all volunteer labor until November of 2000 when freight operations expanded. In March of 2002 the railroad was reorganized into a fully owned for profit subsidiary of the Yakima Valley Rail & Steam Museum Association. Operations built up to require five full time employees and many hours of volunteer labor. Burlington Northern Santa Fe named the TSWR the regional shortline of the year in 2004 as the car count reached 2599 cars. Unfortunately with success came a desire for profits from others. In return for its years of effort and nearly $100,000 investment, the Yakima County Commissioners put the line up for bid. Unfortunately the TSWR was placed in an unfair bidding competition and lost the bid to the Columbia Basin Railroad (successor to the original abandoning Washington Central Railroad). Its equipment has been sold and the TSWR is now only a paper company. The Yakima Valley Rail & Steam Museum/Northern Pacific Railway Museum retains rights to operate passenger excursions on the line. |
The
TSWR operated freight trains serving Yakama Forest Products,
Yakima County dust abatement program (lignin), Husch & Husch Fertilizer
Company, and others. 
The
TSWR and the Northern Pacific Railway Museum cooperated to run school
charters. Most were run during April, May and June. Regular passenger runs
began
in August and ended with the Santa Claus runs in December. Cab rides were offered on the
daily freight runs. Go to