In 1965, Gary and Bonnie Remlinger opened their own roadside produce stand, and their clever idea of selling corn in gunny sacks for $1.00 per sack attracted customers from all over the Greater Seattle area. Today, Remlinger Farms has grown into a 350-acre tourist center that annually hosts over 200,000 visitors from all over the world.
At its heart, Remlinger Farms is still a family-owned and operated working farm with a produce stand, and Gary's love of the land and Bonnie's love of animals sets the stage for everything that goes on at the farm. Pumpkins, the first crop that Gary and Bonnie grew as a newly married couple, have continued to play a major role in farm activities. The farm annually holds the northwest's largest Harvest Festival every October, bringing families from far and wide to join in the family festivities. But Remlinger Farms is more than just a produce stand. We also offer a full-service restaurant, bakery, ice cream parlor, large picnic areas, U-Pick fields, Birthday Party Packages, fun and educational tours and Country Fair Fun Park. Plus, our pies and other products are sold commercially in over 200 Northwest grocery stores!
Visit us today to experience the magic of Remlinger Farms for yourself. Whether you're interested in learning about the history and future of farming or just want to enjoy some fresh produce, we've got you covered.
The Tolt River Railroad operates over mostly 20 pound rail, most of which came from Michigan and the railroad started in 1993.
My VisitI arrived at Remlinger Farms and was set up with Bonnie, who took me to find Engineer Bob, also the Park Manager.
24" gauge 4-4-0 1 "Hank" built by Crown Metal Works in 1964 and originally operated at Idle Wild Park in Maryland. The tunnel is also the storage shed for the train.
In the shop was 4-4-0 2, "Floyd" built by Crown Metal Works in 1966, in the process of being restored.
We then walked around the park looking for Bob and found him working at one of the rides, so I returned to the station and waited.
Bob then came and we walked to "Hank".
Hank's cab. Bob spent some time polishing up his pride and joy then invited me for a cab ride and had me operate the bell. We came out of the tunnel to the Tolt River Depot.
Passengers boarding at the Tolt River station.
Part of the farm.
We started our ride.
Passing the railroad's original passenger cars.
Running along the north part of Remlinger Farms.
A a boat in their lagoon with a definite pirate flavour.
Approaching the turn-back loop.
As the switch points were being greased, I stepped off for a picture.
Rounding the turn-back loop.
The former Milwaukee Road trestle along the west side of the farm property, now a bicycle and hiking trail.
Tolt River.
Running back towards the Tolt River station.
The Tolt River came into view and we paralleled it for a short while.
Approaching the station loop.
Almost to the tunnel.
About to exit the tunnel before arriving at the station.
Pulling into the station.
The train at rest.
Bob was then posed by his wonderful locomotive. I thanked him for an excellent ride before driving back to the Travelodge in Fife to relax for about forty minutes. On the way to Tacoma, I stopped by Tacoma Rail's yard.
Tacoma Rail GP16u 2000, ex. Tacoma Municipal Belt Line 2000, exx. CSX Transportation 1801, exxx. Seaboard System 4755, exxxx. Seaboard Coast Line 4755, exxxxx. Seaboard Coast Line 980, nee Seaboard Air Line 1800 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952.
Tacoma Rail SD40R 3001, ex. National Railway Equipment 6564, exx. Chicago and North Western SD45 6564, exxx. Conrail 6237, nee Penn Central 6237 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968.
I then made my way to the parking structure at Freighthouse Square and walked over to the Amtrak station to ride Amtrak Cascades 506 to Seattle. At least that was what I had planned. Walking into the station, I looked at the monitor which displayed this message: "Due to mechanical issues, all local train service is cancelled." I went and talked to the Amtrak agent and learnt that cracks were found on the brackets that hold the tilting device on the Talgo cars. He refunded my ticket and I sat down to think about it. Standardization of equipment is fantastic when it all works but to have no sort of backup equipment to continue to provide train service is ridiculous. Talk about losing revenue! I then walked over to ride Tacoma Link Light Rail.
The train arrived at Freighthouse station and after a relaxing trip over the line, I returned to the Travelodge and made a couple of phone calls then drove back to Tacoma and parked in the new lot across from my next train ride.
