Passengers in Santa hats get ready for a ride on the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad during the Winter Steam Train run Dec. 15. Jeff Cook, left, from Vancouver, rode the train with 19 members of his family December 15.
The annual Chelatchie Prairie Christmas trains returned over the weekend following a one-week closure spurred by ongoing issues with a lease between Clark County and the railroad operator.
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Association, a volunteer group using the railroad abbreviation BYCX, announced Dec. 12 that what would normally be their final week of Christmas train rides would go on as planned on Dec. 15 and 16. The group had to cancel its Dec. 8 and 9 train rides following a railroad restriction placed by Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (PVJR), the operators of the 33-mile short-line railroad.
PVJR decided to restrict use of the railroad due to a dispute between its lease with Clark County, the owner of the rail. In a news release Dec. 7, the rail operator mentioned recent reporting where county officials suggested the lease may be void.
PVJR had spent a week trying to reinstate an ostensibly valid lease, with the county not moving on the issue, leading to the decision. BYCX has a sublease with PVJR which meant they were affected by the restriction.
In their own news release announcing the development, Clark County asserted their position on the legal issue, “that PVJR and BYCX can continue operation of the railroad until a legal authority determines otherwise.”
BYCX has been putting on Christmas-themed train excursions for more than 16 years. Group treasurer Doug Auburg said the loss of one weekend resulted in about a $12,000 loss from ticket refunds — he estimated between 900 and 1,000 people would have ridden that week.
On Dec. 13 he and other volunteers for the group were gearing up for the weekend, filling the steam train’s boiler from a 6,000-gallon tanker to begin warming up for the rides.
Auburg said it felt great to be back on the tracks. He said it was disheartening to have to cancel, especially for people who showed up to the station ready to ride only to be told the bad news.
“People were very understanding,” Auburg added, noting that BYCX offered full and partial refunds, the latter allowing ticket holders to still enjoy events at the station. Other options included exchanging tickets for a future ride or making a donation.
The solution to getting back in operation was a matter of putting PVJR’s name on an insurance policy BYCX had, according to a news release. PVJR’s announcement noted the need for language that would hold them harmless for BYCX’s operations on the line should accident or injury happen.
BYCX was able to get the fix on their end by amending their insurance policy, something Auburg said took a quick 24-hour turnaround to do once they were aware of the solution.
With the ability to be back in operation, BYCX decided to add another weekend to their holiday schedule, Dec. 22 and 23, with train rides going at noon and 2:30 p.m. both days. Apart from recouping losses from the lost weekend, Auburg said the group tried to give priority to those who had tickets for those rides, allowing them another chance at a 2018 Christmas excursion.
Though the Christmas trains can run, the overarching dispute over PVJR’s lease with Clark County continues. Clark County Council Jeanne Stewart said resolving the lease issues was ongoing, declining to go into details given the legal nature.
On Dec. 12 council had approved a resolution that would instate a 90-day interim agreement honoring the terms in the current disputed lease and calling for mediation between PVJR and the county during that time.
Though the resolution bore Clark County Manager Shawn Henessee’s signature, PVJR President Eric Temple’s name wasn’t likely to be signed on the document.
“We have no intention of signing the interim agreement,” Temple said in an email to The Reflector. He maintained that the current 30-year lease agreement was valid, adding he felt the interim agreement was in bad faith as it would open up the possibility for concessions he would be pressured into making during the mediation process.
“If the County truly believes the current agreement has some 14 year old clerical error, they could simply fix it rather than trying to misappropriate my investment,” Temple wrote.
