The Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (POVA) operates several miles of track in N.E. Washington and northern Idaho. Their original line is a former Milwaukee Road branch that extends from Newport, WA. to Metaline Falls. They also operate between Newport and Sandpoint, ID. on track leased from the BNSF. This section was the Former Great Northern mainline before the the BN merger in 1970. The POVA operates through some of the most rugged and scenic forests in the world along the Pend Oreille river. They haul lumber, poles, paper, wood chips, and cement to their connections in Sandpoint with the BNSF, and UP lines. Propane gas and other commodities are also brought into the region by the railroad.
   The north end of the Railroad is especially rugged as the track snakes along the cliffs that shadow the river far below. There are several tunnels and bridges along this stretch of track, ranging from low wooden trestles to the huge Box Canyon bridge. No road offer the splendid views and awesome vistas that are afforded by a ride on the train. It's a good thing then that the local Lions Club and the POVA get together to operate several weekend excursions in spring, summer, and fall. Using 3 classic railroad coaches borrowed from Inland Empire Railroad Historical Society, 4 open-air cars converted from various rolling stock, and one caboose. This trip is very affordable for the whole family, as the two-hour, 20 mile round trip only costs a mere $7 per person. The trips begin in Ione and run north thru the canyon 10 miles to Metaline Falls (where an occasional train robbery has been known to happen (acted out by the local drama club)). The locomotive then runs around it's train and returns to Ione. The leisurely and comfortable trip a nice way to spend a day. Ione is only two hours north of Spokane on highways 2 and 20, which takes you thru the forests and valleys of N.E. Washington.
   The movie, "The Postman" starring Kevin Costner was filmed at several locations in the Valley. Several Landmarks, including the Box Canyon Dam and the Cement Silos at Metaline Falls are featured prominently into the movie.

The Trip
At the end of main street in Ione lies a recently built depot. This is the where you pick up your tickets (It's a good Idea to get a reservation a month in advance, because the trips often sell out early) and can a enjoy a snack and something to drink while waiting to board the train. About 15 minutes prior to your departure the train will arrive and spot the cars in the appropriate place. You can board any of the cars and find a seat four your trip .  After a couple minutes when everyone is safely seated,  the conductor calls out, "All Aboard"!  The engineer notches out the throttle and the locomotive revs up in step. The loco starts moving forward as the slack is slowly taken up. With a short creak, the train starts to roll.
  You are quickly out of the small town of Ione and rolling thru the country side. Soon, you cross the highway just outside the town and enter the river canyon. The train winds along the cliffs and through the cuts more than a 100 feet above the river. The train offers views of the river not seen from the highway, which is buried in the trees up the mountain from the tracks. If you watch closely enough, you might catch glimpses of a eagle snatching trout from the river, or a elk on the far bank.
  Before too long the ground drops away into the river and you feel though that the train is floating on air. To your right is sheer walls of solid rock that reach from the water to near the tops of the mountains far above you, to your left is a quaint little dam strung between a series of rock islands that rise out of the river. To the north-east is the river valley with distant hills and mountains. The train slows to a stop on the middle of the majestic bridge pictured at the top of this page. Passengers bring out their cameras and help Kodak stay in business. After a couple of minutes of taking in the vista, the train whistles off, and continues it's journey north. After crossing the river the tracks start to climb higher up the mountain, and locomotive pounds away at the grade.
Rocking along on the twisting trackage, the train plunges into the first of a two tunnels. The tunnel takes you thru a spur of the mountain that juts out into the valley.

   The forest grows dense around the train and wildlife abounds. Deer stand aside the tracks awaiting the train's passing. The railroad has been here for several decades, and the train fits into the surroundings without a second thought. Soon the train crests the grade and begins it's decent to Metaline Falls. The track descends quickly and plunges thru a bore burrowed through a rocky knoll.
On the far side of knoll, the mountainside grows steep, and a number of wooden trestles span the numerous gulches and gullies in the mountains.
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Soon you are above the river and coasting into the town of Metaline Falls. The large cement holding silos are the reason the tracks have never left this remote region of Washington state. The town itself is quiet little city tucked away in the mountains just south of the Canadian border.

   But wait, the trip is only half over. As soon as the train is eased to a halt, the locomotive cuts away and runs around to the other end of the train. After it couples back up, the train starts it's journey back to Ione.