Trolley season round-up
Becoming a volunteer with IHM's Issaquah Valley Trolley is no small undertaking. Crew members in particular—that is, the folks brave enough to drive our trolley and share its history onboard—take over five hours of classroom training, learn the history, and take on a significant number of hours in "driver's ed." It's not a commitment for the faint-of-heart, but the reward is an absurd amount of fun.
Volunteers navigate the trolley's Front Street crossing. Photo by Bri Bray of @farsidephoto. Newly certified operator Steve V. waves from the controls. Photo by Kirk Painter. An operator's view of the trolley's controls. Photo by Kirk Painter. Newly certified operator Tyler E. takes passengers through downtown Issaquah. Photo by Kirk Painter. Trolley program manager Yvette B. talks with volunteers Steve V. and Ben S. at the controls. The Issaquah Valley Trolley waits along the platform at the Issaquah Depot. Photo by Kirk Painter.
Congratulations and thank you to all our 2026 trolley season volunteers, including:
Instructors and advisors
Without the dedication of these talented, longtime volunteers, we would have never known how to begin bringing the Issaquah Valley Trolley back from its seven-year nap.
New trolley certified crew members (conductors and operators)
Combining five-plus hours of classroom training, history knowledge, an unbounded number of practice runs beside a certified instructor, we're proud to congratulate these newly certified crew members, who did it all in the span of a month and a half:
Tyler E.
Nick G.
Philip K.
Kirk P.
Bhavin S.
Ben S.
Steve V.
Ticketing and platform agents
These friendly and tireless faces demonstrated an ability to roll with change, bring their most welcoming spirits, and work as a team wherever needed:
Kelty A.
Jean C.
Liz F.
Chad G.
Cassidy H.
Colleen H.
Tyler K.
Kirk P.
Don R.
Michelle W.
Track maintenance
Walking the track, removing debris, repairing ties, pruning back bushes: This is the ongoing, labor-intensive work that keeps our trolley operating safely in Issaquah's downtown environment. Tremendous thanks to:
Eric M.
Robert B.
Mechanics
Few people know our 101-year old, #519 car the way our trolley mechanical team does. We owe a debt of gratitude to these quiet giants, who aren't often seen on the platform, but who play a critical role in keeping our trolley running:
Chuck C.
Nick H.
Damian M.
Ben S.
Ben S. (yep, there are two!)
Pete S.
Leo S.
Trolley trainees
Newer to our trolley crew roster but big on potential are the following trolley crew trainees. We look forward to seeing them continue on their path to certification during the 2027 season!
Kelty A.
Anthony H.
Antoine P.
Pascal P.
Stefan W.
Museum docents
Trolley season pushed many of our museum docents into new and unexpected situations—mostly fun ones! Special thanks to these docents for continuing to keep our museum running during a particularly busy season:
Marilyn B.
Lisa B.
Lalith G.
Chad G.
Michael I.
Tyler K.
Ramya M.
Mark P.
Steven P.
Usha P.
Don R.
Kinsley S.
Rohan S.
Dylan S.
Additional thanks
We'd also like to thank Darigold's staff, especially Rick Wiedemann, for their attention to the tracks behind their facility; the City of Issaquah, including mayor Mark Mullett, Dan Hintz, Matt Mechler, Emily Moon, Alexis Fitszsimmons, and Bennett Ashbaugh; Visit Issaquah; and the Issaquah Spotlight, especially Grace Reamer.
We also want to thank Wren M., Ben of the Issaquah Ice Cream Trike, and Mick Holsbeke of the Clown Garage for their joyful appearances on our platform.
And finally, thank you to volunteers Bri Bray and Kirk Painter for capturing beautiful photos and videos of our trolley in action this summer. Thank you for helping us to memorialize this season!
And finally: Special props to seasonal Trolley Program Manager Yvette Beaudoin and Executive Director Paul Winterstein, each of whom gave the Issaquah Valley Trolley virtually every weekend—on top of every weekday!—this season.
Comments