ELGIN – The Eagle Cap Excursion Train will begin the 2012 season with the popular Mothers’ Day Brunch on May 13.

This annual excursion provides a rare opportunity to enjoy the canyon scenery draped in spring greens. The trip departs from the Elgin boarding site at 10 a.m. for a 3.5-hour train ride down the Grande Ronde River to Rondowa, then up the Wallowa River to Kimmel.

At Kimmel, passengers have the chance to get off the train for a few minutes and enjoy the fresh piney mountain air before the return trip to Elgin.

The meal is prepared and served by Ten Depot Street Restaurant of

La Grande and includes a gourmet selection of breakfast and lunch items and beverages.

Prices for this train trip are youths, $40, and adults and seniors, $75. Reservations are required and are available through Alegre Travel, 800-323-7330 or travel@alegretravel.com.

Proceeds from the Mothers’ Day Brunch benefit projects of the Friends of the Joseph Branch, a non-profit organization that preserves and presents the history and enjoyment of the century-old rail line in Wallowa and Union counties.

Members serve as volunteer hosts on the excursions and assist with equipment restoration and other

railroad projects. Go to the website,

www.eaglecaptrain.com, for information about membership.

The regular excursion season begins Saturday, June 23. Rumor has it train robbers plan to hit this trip. Be prepared for laughs and photo opportunities. The robbery features the antics of the Elgin Stampeders and the Gold Rush Bandits.

The full 2012 season schedule will be released soon, with trips departing from Elgin and Joseph, and the introduction of the Blue Goose Steam engine later in the summer.

For additional information and photos, go to www.eaglecaptrain.com. The Eagle Cap Excursion Train is part of the Wallowa Union Scenic Railway, operated by Sierra Nevada and Pacific Rail on a stretch of the historic “Joseph

Branch.”

The 63-mile railroad is owned by Wallowa Union Railroad, a partnership of the two neighbor counties.