The daily Astorian., June 16, 2016, Page 8, Image 18

8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Climb on board as
the railriders roll
into Tillamook
Story & photos by
GRETCHEN AMMERMAN
FOR EO MEDIA GROUP
It was one of those invita-
tions I couldn’t refuse — the
chance to be one of the irst
people to ride a stretch of
disued train tracks in rail
cars built according to what
Oregon Coast Railriders
owner Kim Metlin described
as a “severely modiied
internet design.”
When I irst heard about
it, a grainy black and white
ilm starting playing in my
head of two men standing
on a handcar, pumping their
arms furiously as they tried
go faster than an oncom-
ing train. The railriders, by
contrast, are pedal powered
and because no trains share
the tracks, will never need
to be propelled at breakneck
speed.
“People ask if it’s safe,”
said Tillamook Coun-
ty Commissioner Mark
Labhart. “They have this
idea that a train is going to
come along unexpected-
A SLEEPER HIT
ly, but there are no trains
the coast,” Labhart said. “To
operating on these tracks,
get the Metlins on board, we
period.”
put together a ‘red carpet’
This particular chance
team consisting of people
to ride the rails was due to
from Tillamook County, the
Drew Carney of KGW’s
Port of Tillamook Bay, the
“Out & About,” coming to
Oregon Coast Scenic Rail-
do a live broadcast before
road, Visit Tillamook Coast,
the Railriders business
the chamber and the City
opened to the public on
of Bay City. Many people
Memorial Day weekend.
have worked to get this to
As it’s a morning program,
happen out here, but it took
we assembled at 4:30 a.m.
off in Joseph, and I know it
in Bay City, just north of Til- will take off here, especially
lamook. Though the sky was since we have this beautiful
still dark, the
coastline. We
mood was
did a test run
‘IT’S SUCH
light be-
earlier and
A GREAT
cause, other
were
WAY TO USE people
than the TV
honking,
DISCONTINUED waving and
people and
RAILROAD
me, all the
even pulling
TRACKS.’
day’s riders
over to ask
either owned,
how they
worked for or had a part in
could do it too.”
making the venture into a
Although there are simi-
reality. Among them, Com-
lar projects in other coun-
missioner Labhart, who had
tries, the Metlins run the
stumbled upon the Metlins’
only such rail riding oppor-
original rail riding business
tunities in the Western U.S.
in Joseph, a small town on
“I can’t igure out why,”
the eastern edge of Oregon.
Labhart said. “It’s such a
“I thought this would be a great way to use discontin-
tremendous opportunity for
ued railroad tracks.”
The coast route takes
riders from the Fish Peddler
Restaurant in Bay City into
north Tillamook near the
Blue Heron Cheese Factory,
and includes classic bridges
and the rare opportunity to
see the back of the Tilla-
mook Cheese Factory.
The route is 11 miles
roundtrip, and takes about
two hours. Because each car
holds four people, there are
opportunities to peddle a lot
or to simply sit back, enjoy
the ride and let your friends
and family do all the work.
There are no major hills on
the route, so different itness
levels and ages can get
involved.
You can even ride one
while ilming live television,
as Carney and his camera-
man discovered.
“We do lots of different
stories but rarely get to do
something this active and
fun,” Carney said after the
ride. “We loved this.”
I checked in with Metlin
after the opening weekend to
see how it went.
“It was super,” he said,
KGW’s Drew Carney (rear) is joined by Railriders guide Nate Bell
(left) and Susan Moreland of Visit Tillamook Coast for an early
morning jaunt along the track
“Maybe better than super.
We sold out both Saturday
and Sunday. So it’s a good
idea for people to call before
coming out to make sure we
have room.”
Oregon Coast Railriders
excursions run Thursdays
through Mondays and leave
at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for adults and
$10 for kids under 12. Riders
should arrive a half hour
before the take of time. For
reservations, call 541-519-
3891. For more information,
go to ocrailriders.com