Santa Maria Valley #205 pulls a revenue freight for the Albany and Eastern Railroad on the Mill City Branch.
On July 3rd, 2023, a steam whistle drifted through the Willamette Valley near Lebanon, Oregon, but this was not an excursion train full of passengers, or a photo special for rail enthusiasts. This was the Albany and Eastern's regular run up the Mill City Branch consisting of three box cars--only this time it was powered by a 1924 Baldwin steam locomotive nicknamed "Porky."
A freight train pulled by steam in 2023? Yes!