Preserving History, One Rail at a Time
Standing among towering locomotives and weathered railcars at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, it’s impossible not to feel the weight — and wonder — of history. This is not a museum you simply walk through. It’s one you climb, touch, and experience.
At the heart of it all is Greg Elems, President of the Feather River Rail Society, whose personal connection to the railroad runs as deep as the tracks themselves.
A Mission Born on the Rails
Greg’s story with the Western Pacific Railroad began in 1979, when he worked for the railroad for four years before Union Pacific took control. As locomotives, cabooses, and railcars were retired across the country, Greg and a devoted group of rail enthusiasts felt a growing urgency: if someone didn’t act, a vital piece of American railroad history could be lost forever.
So they did what passionate people do — they stepped up. Piece by piece, engine by engine, they worked tirelessly to bring historic equipment to Portola, determined to “preserve the memory of the historic Western Pacific.” That dedication laid the foundation for what is now one of the most immersive railroad museums in the country.
The Heart of the Museum
What Greg loves most about his work is storytelling — not just telling stories, but watching visitors create their own. Unlike many museums, the Western Pacific Railroad Museum is proudly hands-on.
As Greg puts it, “It isn’t antiseptic. You can climb and touch things here. If you didn’t go home with dirty hands, you didn’t enjoy your visit to the fullest.”
There’s a sense of family here, too — a generational family. You might meet someone whose father or son worked on the rails decades ago, instantly connected by shared experience and history.
One of Greg’s proudest moments captures that perfectly: a day when he was working as an engineer, one son served as conductor beside him, and another worked as a brakeman at the same time. “That was quite a proud moment for me,” he recalls.
Why People Keep Coming Back
Visitors come from near and far — railfans, families, photographers, and curious travelers alike. One of the biggest draws is the museum’s Run-A-Locomotive (RAL) program, which allows participants to step into the engineer’s seat and live out a childhood dream.
Many are surprised by just how accessible it is. Despite the sheer size and power of a 200-ton locomotive, it doesn’t take extraordinary strength or experience to operate — just guidance, curiosity, and respect for the machine.
Behind the Scenes on the Tracks
Running a museum of this scale is no small feat. Beyond collecting and curating equipment, there’s constant fundraising, maintenance, logistics, and collaboration with other museums and industries. Greg describes it as building metaphorical bridges — coordinating countless details to keep everything moving safely and smoothly.
His favorite moment of the day? After an event, when he can look back and say: no one got hurt, no trains derailed, the bills were paid, and everyone had a great time.
And yes — there are stories. One particularly memorable tale involves a volunteer who accidentally stirred up a hornet’s nest while changing a track switch. The hornets swarmed, the volunteer fled… and never returned. The switch was jokingly named after him. More than 25 years later, word spread that the man had passed away — until the museum received a call from him saying, “It’s too soon to have a memorial plate on the switch for me.”
Deeply Rooted in Community
The Western Pacific Railroad Museum isn’t just about preserving the past — it’s about serving the present. Greg and his team now see third generations walking through the gates, volunteering, and giving back.
Twice a year, museum visitors donate canned food for EPCAN, Portola’s food bank, with collections totaling 800–1,600 pounds each time. The museum also brings joy to the community through beloved seasonal events like the Pumpkin Express and the Santa Train, which families look forward to year after year.
Looking Down the Line
Looking ahead, Greg’s dream is ambitious and exciting: acquiring surrounding property to expand the museum’s caboose ride, opening up even more opportunities for visitors to experience rail history firsthand.
To anyone who’s never been, Greg offers this invitation:
“Here, you get to experience the sheer mass of a real railway — not a model train, not a toy. The real deal.”
And for him, Plumas County itself is part of the magic — a place rich with photographic beauty, from Lake Davis to wildlife and sweeping landscapes that draw visitors back again and again.
📍 Visit the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola
Climb aboard, get your hands dirty, and experience history in motion.
