klamath & western railroad

For the train enthusiast of any age. 1-1/2 miles of 7-1/2" gauge railroad to ride on. I like it so much I spend my summer Saturdays volunteering.

First of all, the Klamath and Western is an outstanding experience, however some clarification is probably best. There are *TWO* scale railroads on *one* piece of property. Train Mountain is a members only club which has several "Meets" a year which the public can attend. Train Mountain is ***NOT*** intended as the primary riding railroad for the public, except at their scheduled "Meets".(http://www.trainmountain.org/) for info on that railroad). The *Klamath and Western* (same piece of property) *IS* the primary public riding railroad, and as it has been said is open Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Again, based on what the negative reviewer has said, he was trying to get into Train Mountain and not the Klamath and Western. (http://www.knwrr.orgfor information on that railroad). Please go and have a great ride on the K & W. Signage clearly indicates which railroad is which.

In the rating of terrible and the lead in of getting their act together I think the reviewer is a little confused. Their website knwrr.org clearly states open Saturdays. If you are at their front gate there are three signs that clearly state open Saturdays. On the only printed brochure ever printed for the Klamath and Western Railroad it also clearly states on the very front of the brochure that they are open on Saturdays from Memorial day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend 10 am to 3 pm. Klamath and Western is adjacent to Train Mountain Railroad and their experience might have been associated with that group. Train Mountain is a membership group and as such is not open to the general public except Monday thru Friday from 10 to 3 if there are any volunteers available. There are NO scheduled train rides there only members equipment. The only train rides that are scheduled are at Klamath and Western. So that might be the confusion.

A great experience and amazing group of people. The train ride is very fun I only wish it was a longer ride. The visit takes about an hour with the ride and it is worth the drive.

I write this not having experienced the Klamath/Western Railroad because of their screwup. I initially was interested because I saw it on the RFD channel, who I am thinking about contacting because maybe they shouldn't run their show about this place anymore if this place is going to treat people this poorly. I had called the railroad 4 weeks ago and asked the volunteer specifically if they were going to be open this Sunday since it is the 4th of July weekend and they also are open all weekend Memorial and Labor Day. The woman I talked to had a hard time focusing and giving me straight answers but I got it out of her that they would be open this Sunday, and I specifically repeated "you will be open SUNDAY?" "Yes sunday" "OK"Fast forward to this morning. First of all, their brochure/map is terrible, because not only didn't they draw S. Chiloquin Rd quite correctly on the map, they omitted Chiloquin Highway that is a short distance north of S. Chiloquin Rd and roughly parallels it, and both serve to connect Highways 62 and 97. The highway is the major east west road that people take, and we drove back and forth on it twice thinking we'd passed the place. We stopped for directions at Melitas restaurant (that place was a dive but had good breakfast food) and found out that the railroad was south a short distance on the OTHER road that had Chiloquin as its name, and the people there said they thought this place would be open this Sunday for the holiday. I make maps as part of my job, and for these people to have left a major highway off their map is a major screwup. They need to redo the map, and also get the shape of the roads correct. So then we find this place. It is closed, but we were about a half hour before 10 when they would open. We pull into the entrance drive and wait. Another truck pulls in and we talk to them. They TOO had been told by a railroad volunteer that this place would be open Sunday. So we both wait. Then this huge white semi pulling a 5th wheel pulls in. He passes me on the driveway, then pulls up behind the other truck and sticks his hand out the window flipping off the truck which was very strange. He gets out of his semi truck in a huff (he was about 65 years old wearing military pants), words are exchanged between the guy in the semi-truck 5th wheel and the tourist, and then the military pants guy gets back in his semi and opens the gate and pulls through, and then the gate closes. The other tourist comes back and says the volunteer was INCREDIBLY rude and abrupt to him, chastising him that today was "Just for volunteers to play around on the trains, not the public, and that we should leave." He was left with the succinct impression that visitors are not wanted around here. So we both left. I am just disgusted. I stayed in a dump of a hotel in Ft. Klamath the night prior which had one channel on the tv, no air conditioning (it was 96 yesterday), and basically dialup internet just to see this place rather than go to Klamath Falls to a decent hotel...but then to get that nasty surprise from a grumpy old jerk...it almost ruined my day. We will never be back.

For an all volunteer organization this was a well run, first class experience. The train ride is fast enough to be fun yet slow enough to really take in the surroundings. The silly little model scenes they have set up along the route are really quite funny. They ask for donations instead of a set fee. For two of us we gave them $5. A nice way to spend an afternoon.

a great little train ride on miniature trains given on Saturday's from Memorial Day to Labor day! food and souvineers available at their beanery. A little train ride that lasts about 15 minutes. a great break from being stuck in a car just off of Hwy 97.