Thieves steal miniature locomotive used at Birch Bay attraction

A miniature steam locomotive used at Miniature World Family Fun Center in Birch Bay has been stolen from a Seattle building.

The train, which is 1/8th the size of a regular train and took six years to build, was stolen in late May from a garage in west Seattle where it was being serviced.

It was occasionally used to haul passengers on the train ride at Miniature World Family Fun Center, located at 4620 Birch Bay Lynden Road in Birch Bay. An exact replica of an old-fashioned steam locomotive, the miniature train is steam-powered and can pull about 20 passengers.

The theft was caught on surveillance video, which showed two hooded thieves breaking into the west Seattle building early in the morning on May 26.

The burglars headed straight for the corner of the garage, where the 1,300-pound locomotive was sitting on a cart. The train had been there for about a week and was having its valves “timed” – set in time with the piston – which is periodically required as a locomotive gets older.

The two thieves wheeled the train through a back door, loaded it into a pickup truck and drove away.

“It’s just like losing a family member,” said train owner Don Giffen, whose son Dale owns Miniature World Family Fun Center. “You’re used to it for 25 years and all of a sudden it’s gone. It glued the family together, and everybody loved it. It was a common conversation piece. Everyone had fun on it.”

The Seattle police have no leads at this time, said Giffen, who bought the locomotive 25 years ago for around $60,000. Giffen said he is currently dealing with his insurance company regarding the loss. “We hope that we can have something in replacement soon,” he said.

Miniature World Family Fun Center also features go-karts, miniature golf and an arcade. It is currently open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Later this month, it will open full-time for the summer season. Updates and more information about the family fun center can be found at miniatureworld.org.

Giffen urged anyone with knowledge of the train’s whereabouts to contact the police right away. “To me, it���s priceless,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to find another one like it.”