Waterwood - Ride a Simpson Railroad Log Train

Simpson Railroad log train run to Mill 5 and return. Compiled clips from 2010 - 2011. This film represents what a typical 20 mile round-trip run to Mill 5 was like on the train and watching it go by in the woods west of Shelton, Washington. Situated near the southern edge of the Olympic Mountains, was one of the last, if not THE last private railroad within the United States which exclusively hauled logs and lumber for its parent company as its purpose. Simpson Railroad operated ten miles of mainline out of Shelton, Washington and is owned by Simpson Lumber Company. The railroad exists today only in the capacity of switching the plant downtown and unloading waterwood at Mill 3. The mainline has been embargoed Since January, 2014, the log trains to Mill 5 becoming a thing of the past. In April of 2015 the Simpson mills were sold to Sierra Pacific Industries. The mills were to be closed and the 270 people who worked in them, as well as the railroad division, would lose their jobs by June, 2015. The new owner planned to sell off the assests and build a new "state-of-the-art" facility, staffing it with non-union employees by 2017. The railroad was to remain as an asset of Simpson Lumber Company, LLC with an unclear purpose as to its future use or fate. Disclaimer: I was a ride along observer with permission and am not employed by Simpson Lumber, LLC. ©2015 Joel Hawthorn Shelton, Washington