Founded 1979 | ||
The Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (reporting mark POVA) is a shortline railroad located in Usk, in northeast Washington.
Contents
Route
Operating between Metaline Falls, WA, Newport, WA and Dover, ID: a distance of 87.6 miles (141.0 km), the line junctions with the BNSF Railway (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in Dover.
History
The line was built by the Idaho and Washington Northern Railroad between 1907 and 1910. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (MILW) acquired the line in 1916.
The MILW entered financial difficulty in the 1970s and the Newport - Metaline Falls section was sold to Port of Pend Oreille following the company's downsizing. The Port of Pend Oreille established the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad and contracted railroad holding company Kyle Railways to manage the POVA. Freight service began on October 1, 1979, and the Port of Pend Oreille took over the POVA's management from Kyle Railways in 1984. The Newport - Dover section was acquired from BNSF on March 3, 1998.
Heritage railroad
Since 1981, the North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club has worked with the POVA to operate a seasonal excursion train service on several weekends in the summer and fall.
The 20-mile (32 km) round trip runs from Ione to Metaline Falls along the spectacular Box Canyon, passing through several tunnels and crossing several bridges and wooden trestles. The passenger cars consist of 3 standard coaches as well as 3 open-air cars and a caboose with some equipment borrowed from the Inland Empire Railroad Historical Society.
Financial issues hurt the excursion train service, as upkeep and inspections became cost prohibitive. In October 2016, the railroad operated its last excursion.