Asbestos removal begins at historic Port Angeles train

PORT ANGELES — A tarp is up around the old Rayonier locomotive on display on Lauridsen Boulevard in Port Angeles in preparation for asbestos removal, what’s hoped to be the first stage in an effort to restore the historic train.

The City of Port Angeles has hired Bullseye Abatement Services, LLC of Puyallup for asbestos removal services costing $58,800 to be paid out of the city’s Real-Estate Excise Tax Funding and the Park Maintenance Operation Budget.

The Port Angeles City Council included $50,000 from the REET fund in the annual budget specifically for asbestos removal on the train. Bullseye was the only bidder, city documents said.

The city hopes the removal will be completed by the end of the year, said Corey Delikat, Director of Parks and Recreation. The city paid nearly $38,000 in 2019 for asbestos removal from the train when a winter storm caused several pieces of insulation to fall from the engine following winter storms.

Once the removal process is complete, work can begin on restoring the train, adding a log car and building a shelter to protect it from the weather.

“We’re going to focus now on scope of work and how much those actual dollar numbers are going be,” Delikat said.

In July, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with North Olympic Peninsula Railroaders, Rayonier Inc. and Scott Golding — a Rayonier employee acting as a private citizen — to restore the engine and create a display for the site.

Delikat said the parks department was recently awarded an additional $60,000 from the city’s Lodging Tax Fund for general restoration efforts and the Railroaders, a nonprofit group, have their own independent fundraising effort going on.

According to the Railroader’s website dedicated to the project, Restorethe4.org, the group has raised more than $20,000 for the restoration.

Rayonier #4 is a rare geared locomotive built in 1924 by Willamette Iron and Steel in Portland and has been on display in Port Angeles since 1960.

Rayonier has also committed $10,000 to the project, Delikat said.

Several community groups have also expressed interest in committing funds to the project in some way, Delikat said.

“It’s a great project and one that’s all about timing and partnerships,” Delikat said. “We’ve got some great individuals motivated about it.”

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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.