Issaquah Downtown Trolley to Resume Service Aug. 10

The historic Issaquah Depot will be decked out in bunting when the Issaquah Valley Trolley (IVT) starts its 2013 season Saturday, August 10. The day’s celebration will start with a program and rides for invited guests at 11 a.m. Rides for the public will start at 1 p.m. The Depot is located at 150 First Ave. NE, Issaquah.

Over the course of a half mile of track from the Depot to the East Fork of Issaquah Creek and back, riders will get an inkling of what it was like to travel from Issaquah by rail in the early days. Conductors will entertain guests with stories about Issaquah, which began to grow after the Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway came to town in 1888.

The trolley fare will be by open donation. Riders will receive a ticket entitling them to the ride, plus admission to the Depot Museum and the Gilman Town Hall Museum and old jail. Members of the Issaquah History Museums may ride free.

Starting on August 11, the car will depart from the Depot on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., through the summer and fall season, weather permitting.

IVT’s car #519 was built in 1925 and originally ran in Lisbon, Portugal. After a sojourn in Aspen, CO, it was acquired by IVT in 2003. A year ago the car was rebuilt and refitted to run on standard gauge track by the GOMACO Trolley Company of Ida Grove, Iowa.

An all-volunteer project of the Issaquah History Museums, IVT’s mission is to help interpret Issaquah’s history while attracting visitors to the museums and the historic downtown area.

For more information the opening event or to learn about volunteer opportunities, email trolley@issaquahhistory.org or call 425-391-8186.