The Old Cannery railroad (OCRR) is the largest multi train suspended railroad west of the Mississippi. The "G" gauge railroad consists of four separate loops and totals 1,500 feet of stainless-steel track that winds around 2 showrooms and even makes a trip into the warehouse.

People come from all over the area and beyond to enjoy all of the unique features of The Old Cannery like the animatronics, fudge bar and giant crab but the highlight for most people is the OCRR.

When Sherry Grout along with her dad Tony made the decision to build the OCRR it was after seeing a large shelf style layout built by Dave Crossman in his cabin near Roslyn, WA. Tony was known for his unique ability to add character to any of the projects he undertook and so it was with the 100-year-old cannery building. He once said, "If we make it fun for our customers then our customers will want to come back". So, after a lot of planning and talking to Dave, they hired him to build the original quarter mile of track around the second showroom.

Construction began in 2003 with the "G" scale ceiling tracks and continued for over 9 months. It was quite an engineering marvel in a miniature way and while the structure was being assembled, Dave was busy finding and purchasing the locomotives, rolling stock and many of the structures that can be seen today.

Dave retired in 2009 and in 2010 George Bono, a long-time train enthusiast, was persuaded to join the ranks of The Old Cannery as the new engineer and animation technician. For him it was a labor of love to see that all the trains and animatronics were running smoothly and after running them for 10 to 12 hours a day for many years, they were all showing a lot of wear and tear.

One of the first things George did was organize a rotation schedule to see them maintained and lovingly taken care of so they will be enjoyed for many years to come. George also added new trains to the main lines that can be seen like the Emmett Kelly Special circus train, the Military Convoy with a mix of WWII & modern equipment and a work train that was helped by a customer who donated a locomotive, caboose and crane to get the train started. The flagship passenger train, "the Super Chief," that ran for many years still makes regular appearances.

George was eventually assisted by another long-time train guy, Dennis Reeve, who is also skilled with an eye for detail where his touches can be seen on the Kids Place HO scale layout that was totally revamped. Together they made the HO layout a marvel to behold with three different scene settings that thrill children and adults alike. This 14x21 foot looped layout underwent a year and a half total face change making it more accessible for the maintenance and care of the trains and the inclusion of a logging area and a fairground exhibit with working rides and a host of other details that have to be seen to be appreciated.

Trains also circle our front counter and pass by a painted mural by Sam Chung, a longtime employee and all-around great artist. Back-and-forth trolley tracks are located throughout the store and feature fun and unique motorized gadgets. Look up for them as you weave your way through our huge showroom!

In 2015, JT was hired and trained by George and Dennis. A few years later, George and Dennis retired, and JT took over as the full-time train and animation engineer. JT’s creative talent can be seen everywhere in the store, as he experiments with spray foam to make clouds, inventing what he calls “whimsical whatchamacallits” like snake trains and dinosaurs, and a whole host of other creative train cars! JT added a lot of the special lighting and details to the HO layout. Bob started as an assistant in 2021, adding his talents with electronics and model railroading to the mix of all the other fun and exciting things related to the trains. We’ve also added a lot of railroad memorabilia throughout the store, including a “flipboard” train departure board and actual vintage railroad lanterns.

Every holiday and many special events now have their own theme trains, especially Christmas! As many as 22 trains have been running at one time during the Christmas season, with special winter scenes and backdrops only seen this time of the year! You don’t want to miss these special setups and all the other unique trains throughout the year. New trains are being added all the time, and are rotated about every 2-3 weeks.

The best way to view the Old Cannery Railroad is up close and personal on our viewing platform. It is designed for young and old "kids" and offers a great view of the layout.

Stop by the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse and enjoy the trains as well as our great furniture bargains, and above all Have Fun!

Every engineer regardless of age can find something to enjoy at The Old Cannery.