Pend Oreille Valley — Usk to Metaline Falls
WA · Usk → Metaline Falls
A river railroad to the Canadian border — quiet since 2016.
Heads up: The line is ACTIVE from Newport to Usk, and repairs are underway toward Cusick. Stay north of the active section.
The Idaho & Washington Northern built this line up the Pend Oreille River between 1907 and 1911, and the Milwaukee Road took it over in 1916. It served the cement plant at Metaline Falls and the lumber mill at Ione.
When the Milwaukee Road went bankrupt, the Port of Pend Oreille bought the 61-mile line in 1979 for $1.385 million to keep the valley's mills connected. The cement plant closed in 1990 and the Ione mill in 1995, leaving the north end with no customers.
Trains north of Usk stopped in 2016. The southern 23 miles from Newport to Usk are still active, and the port is repairing track between Usk and Cusick.
⚠️ Before you go: every railroad on this map is private property. A line that looks abandoned may still be owned by a railroad, used to store rail cars, or put back into service at any time — sometimes with no warning. Before going near any track, make sure it's truly abandoned (no recent use, rails not polished, no signals or cars stored on it) and that you're allowed to be there. Never assume a track is dead.
📷 Photos & stories from riders
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