Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society in Toledo, Oregon
Railroad museumFreeTuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm
The Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society preserves Lincoln County's railroad history in Toledo, where the first and last engines of the town's old lumber mill sit beside a rare 1923 Railway Post Office car.
- Free admission
- Dog friendly on leash
- 1922 Baldwin "One Spot"
- 1923 Railway Post Office car
- 1907 Southern Pacific caboose
Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society at a glance
- Hours
- Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm
- Admission
- Free
- Seasonal events
- Christmas Model Train Show
- Plan for
- About 1 hour
- Best for
- Families, coast road-trippers and logging history fans
- Best ages
- All ages
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address100 NW A St, Toledo, OR 97391(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(541) 336-5256
- Emailyprhs@peak.org
- Websiteyaquinapacificrr.org(opens in a new tab)
Follow Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Toledo.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
The mill engines of Toledo, kept at home
The Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society is an Oregon 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed to preserve and interpret Lincoln County's railroad history and to make its artifacts and stories open to the public for learning.
Its collection centers on the lumber mill that shaped Toledo. From the 1920s to the 1950s the mill was owned by a series of C. D. Johnson companies, and the society holds both the first and the last engines those companies bought: the Baldwin steam engine locals call One Spot, which worked Lincoln County logging from 1922 to 1959, and a 45-ton switcher that mill workers nicknamed Lokey, bought in 1951. Georgia-Pacific donated Lokey, and the society held a dedication ceremony in 2016. Volunteers keep the museum open five days a week.
Heritage Square and the cars outside
The museum sits at 100 NW A St, with an outdoor railroad and logging display often called Heritage Square. Look for the Baldwin One Spot and the Lokey switcher, a 1907 Southern Pacific wood-sided caboose, and a 1923 Southern Pacific Railway Post Office car that visitors can step inside. Railroad artifacts and a gift shop with railroad books round out the stop.
Don’t miss
- The 1923 Railway Post Office carThe society calls it its most unique artifact; it is one of roughly 25 restored RPO cars, where clerks once sorted mail on the move.
- One SpotThe Baldwin steam engine that hauled logs in Lincoln County from 1922 to 1959, the first engine the mill's owners bought.
- Lokey, the 45-tonnerThe last engine the mill's owners bought, in 1951, donated by Georgia-Pacific and dedicated in 2016.
- The 1907 Southern Pacific cabooseThis wood-sided caboose sat abandoned in Toledo for years before a retired SP conductor helped arrange its donation.
A mail car to explore and a dog-friendly visit
Kids can step inside the Railway Post Office car and imagine sorting letters on a moving train, then look over a real steam engine and caboose. The museum is free and dog friendly, so the whole family, leashed pup included, can come along. It is a short, easy stop that works well for younger children; confirm current access to the cars with the museum.
Plan your visit: tips for Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society
- Dogs are welcome on a leash.
- The museum posts occasional closure days on its website, so check before driving over.
- The gift shop sells railroad books, including retired conductor John L. Keefer's memoir.
- Closed Sunday and Monday.
The society hosts a Christmas Model Train Show, and it posts the dates on its website's news page. For more holiday ideas on and off the coast, see our list of Christmas train rides in Oregon.
Docents and volunteers in Toledo
The society is a volunteer-supported nonprofit, and it actively recruits docents: outgoing, enthusiastic people who enjoy sharing the collection with visitors. You can help by volunteering, joining the email list, shopping the gift shop or donating. The museum also supports Operation Lifesaver and its railroad safety message.
Inland rail stops from Toledo
Heading toward the Willamette Valley, the Albany Historic Carousel and Museum is about 41 miles away and Santiam Excursion Trains about 51 miles. Powerland Heritage Park in Brooks is about 56 miles out. See train museums across Oregon for more.
- Albany Historic Carousel & Museum railroad-related collectionAlbany, OR · about 41 mi
- Santiam Excursion TrainsLebanon, OR · about 51 mi
- Oregon Electric Railway MuseumBrooks, OR · about 56 mi
- Powerland Heritage Park railway collectionsBrooks, OR · about 56 mi
- Willow Creek Railroad MuseumBrooks, OR · about 56 mi
- Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad historic collectionOregon, OR · about 58 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
A Railway Post Office car was a rolling place full of letters and parcels heading to people who were waiting for them. Rally's own bag in our book is a lot smaller: his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball, packed for a visit to his grand-paw-rents. My kids are learning to read now, and the train books for toddlers list is where we started.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in Oregon: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Oregon
- Halloween train rides in Oregon
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Sources
- Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society official website(opens in a new tab)
- Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society on Tripadvisor(opens in a new tab)
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society: 20 visitor questions
What is the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society?
The Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society is an Oregon 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Toledo that preserves and interprets Lincoln County's railroad history. It runs a free museum with locomotives, a caboose, a Railway Post Office car and railroad artifacts, and makes them accessible for education.
Where is the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society museum?
The museum is at 100 NW A St, Toledo, Oregon 97391, in Lincoln County near the Oregon coast. The outdoor railroad and logging displays are sometimes called Heritage Square. Call (541) 336-5256 if you need directions or want to confirm the museum is open that day.
What are the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society hours?
As of October 2026, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. It occasionally closes on specific days and posts those closures on its website's home page, so check yaquinapacificrr.org or call (541) 336-5256 before you go.
How much does it cost to visit the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum?
Admission is free for everyone, as of October 2026. Donations and gift shop purchases help the nonprofit care for its engines and cars, so consider picking up a railroad book or leaving a gift on your way out.
Is the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum dog friendly?
Yes. The museum says it is dog friendly and asks that all dogs stay on a leash. That makes it an easy stop on a coast road trip with the family dog along for the ride.
Where can I see photos of the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society?
The society's website has photos of its rolling stock and a promotional video, and its Facebook page posts regular pictures and news. Tripadvisor also has visitor photos. Those are the best places to preview the One Spot engine, the caboose and the mail car before you go.
What is the One Spot locomotive in Toledo?
One Spot is a Baldwin steam engine that worked in Lincoln County logging from 1922 to 1959. It was the first engine bought by the C. D. Johnson companies that owned Toledo's lumber mill, and it is now a centerpiece of the museum's outdoor display.
What is Lokey at the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum?
Lokey is a 45-ton switcher engine that mill workers nicknamed when it was purchased in 1951, the last engine the mill's owners bought. Georgia-Pacific donated it to the society, which held a dedication ceremony in 2016.
Can you go inside the Railway Post Office car in Toledo?
Visitor guides describe going inside the Southern Pacific Railroad Post Office car as part of a visit. The 1923 car is the society's most unique artifact and one of about 25 restored RPO cars. Ask a docent when you arrive to confirm it is open that day.
What is a Railway Post Office car?
A Railway Post Office, or RPO, car was a rolling mail room where clerks sorted letters while the train moved. The museum's 1923 Southern Pacific RPO is one of roughly 25 restored examples, which is why the society calls it its most unique artifact.
Where did the Yaquina Pacific Railroad caboose come from?
The 1907 Southern Pacific wood-sided caboose sat abandoned in Toledo for years. Retired SP conductor John L. Keefer helped arrange its donation to the society. His book about his 44-year railroad career is sold in the museum gift shop.
Does the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum have a gift shop?
Yes. The gift shop sells railroad books, including retired conductor John L. Keefer's memoir of 44 years working a railroad job. Gift shop sales support the nonprofit's work, and the shop is open during museum hours.
Is the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum good for kids?
Yes, for a short visit. Kids can see a real steam locomotive, a switcher and a caboose up close and learn how mail moved by train. It is free, so there is no pressure to stay long with little ones. Plan on about an hour.
Can you ride a train at the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum?
No train rides are listed. The museum is a static display of locomotives, cars and artifacts. For a ride, families often pair a coast trip with an excursion railroad, such as Santiam Excursion Trains about 51 miles away in Lebanon.
Does the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society have a Christmas event?
Yes. The society hosts a Christmas Model Train Show, announced on its website's news page. Check yaquinapacificrr.org or the society's Facebook page for this year's dates and location, or call (541) 336-5256. It is a cozy way to add model trains to a winter coast trip.
How long does a visit to the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum take?
Most visitors need about an hour to see the outdoor engines and cars, step into the mail car and browse the gift shop. Rail fans who want to talk with docents about the mill railroads may want a bit longer.
How can I volunteer with the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society?
The society posts open volunteer roles on its website, including docents, a role for outgoing, enthusiastic people who enjoy talking with visitors. Contact the museum at (541) 336-5256 or yprhs@peak.org to ask about current openings.
How do I contact the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society?
Call (541) 336-5256 or email yprhs@peak.org. The museum is at 100 NW A St in Toledo, and the society also answers messages through its Facebook page. You can join its email list on the website for news and event dates.
What railroad history does the Toledo museum cover?
It focuses on Lincoln County's railroads, especially the logging and mill railroading tied to Toledo's lumber mill, owned by C. D. Johnson companies from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Southern Pacific caboose and mail car add the mainline side of the story.
What train museums are near the Yaquina Pacific Railroad museum?
Inland, the Albany Historic Carousel and Museum is about 41 miles away, Santiam Excursion Trains in Lebanon about 51 miles, and Powerland Heritage Park with the Oregon Electric Railway Museum about 56 miles. Up the coast, the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is about 65 miles.
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