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When the Temple family purchased the Washington Central Railroad on
October 14, 1986, they were unaware of the responsibilities that followed.
Owning a railroad isn't like owning any other business; it is a part of American
history and culture. And no matter what the title or deed may say, they belong
to everyone with a little romance in their hearts. So after two years of banging
box cars around in Central Washington, the Temples attempted to bring back
to life one of the greatest of railroad's lost experiences, the dinner train.
During Labor Day weekend 1988, a set of antique cars was leased from the
Canadian Historical Society to be pulled along the Yakima River for a weekend as
part of the Ellensburg Rodeo celebration.
To everyone's disbelief all the tickets were snatched up in a matter of days,
so the cars were retained for another weekend. Two months later they were still
packed, and if it weren't for the fact that they had no heat, the excursions would
have continued.
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