Oregon Railroading and Railfanning In "The Beaver State"

Perhaps more than anything else Oregon railroading is known for its beautiful scenery with the Cascades, Columbia River and of course, northern Pacific Coast all found within the state. Today the Beaver State is the realm of the Union Pacific although at one time the state was home to several Class I carriers such as the Southern Pacific, which once dominated the state and is famous for its rugged branch lines. Shortlines have also carved out a living in Oregon such as the famous little Port of Tillamook Bay, which operates one of SP’s legendary branch lines in the state, and is famous for its one-of-a-kind GP9 locomotive painted to resemble the ubiquitous Holstein cow!

Oregon railroading has its beginnings dating back to 1862 when a small 5-mile portage railroad took over for mules hauling goods between Tanner Creek to the head of the Cascade Rapids. The railroad’s first locomotive, the Oregon Pony was also the first steam locomotive to operate in the Pacific Northwest and today is preserved in Cascade Locks, Oregon. While later railroads like the venerable Southern Pacific would come to dominate rail operations in the state other well known carriers also operated lines in the Beaver State including the Union Pacific; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle (which was jointly owned by the GN and NP).

While the Union Pacific’s legendary Overland Route ran through the northern part of the state to reach Portland and Spokane (Washington), perhaps Oregon’s best-remembered railroad is the Southern Pacific, which had a myriad amount of branch lines running through the state.

The Southern Pacific would come about in the 1860s when was chartered to build from the San Joaquin Valley to the Southwest, and Arizona. By the late 1870s the railroad was sprawling out across Southern California and served the state’s largest markets including its line through the Southwest, which reached El Paso, Texas by the early 1880s. Throughout the rest of the 19th century the Espee continued to spread throughout the West and Southwest, reaching northern Oregon and serving most of that state’s largest cities by the late 1880s.

By the 20th century the railroad continued to expand and was by this time well entrenched into the Southeastern markets of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast (it also leased the CP in the 1920s, eventually merging the railroad into its system with its main line becoming the Overland Route). By mid-century it owned a stunning 15,000 miles of track, stretching from the warm and sunny beaches of Southern California and Gulf of Mexico to the deserts of Arizona and mountains of the Sierra Range.

Aside from its very popular and famous passenger trains its traffic base, as you might expect, was very diverse and included things such as chemicals, lumber and timber products, produce, autos and auto parts, other agricultural products, and almost any other product that could be hauled in a freight car. Through the 1970s the Southern Pacific was by far one of the most respected railroads, if not the industry standard, in terms of size and scope.

Today the Southern Pacific continues to live on in its main lines which remain as important arteries under UP as well as Amtrak operating its famous Sunset Limited. The Union Pacific also recently paid homage to several of its predecessors, including the Espee, by painting one of its new EMD SD70ACe locomotives into a version of the railroad’s famous Daylight passenger livery and numbered 1996 in honor of the year the railroad joined the UP system.

As for Oregon railroading today, what either the Southern Pacific or later Union Pacific did not shed continues to be operated by the latter. The rest (outside of principle lines) has either been abandoned or sold off to shortlines which makes up the rest of the state’s rail network. These shortlines include (aside from the Port of Tillamook Bay) the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad, Great Western Railway and the Portland & Western Railroad. For more information about these shortlines please click here.

In all these railroads operate nearly 2,500 miles of rails today although at one time the state was home to over 3,300 miles. For more information about Oregon railroading in terms or route mileage over the years please have a look at the chart below.

Although Union Pacific’s famous City of Portland passenger train no longer calls to Portland Union Station Amtrak still does with its Empire Builder and Coast Starlight services (and the building has also been completely restored). Aside from these services Amtrak operates the Cacades from Portland to Seattle four times a day with two trips daily to Eugene as well.

Aside from the passenger and freight trains, Oregon railroading is home to several museums and tourist railroads such as the Oregon Electric Railway Museum and very popular Moot Hood Railroad, which features spectacular views of Mount Hood (and even includes a dinner train).

In all, Oregon railroading features some of the most stunning scenery one can find anywhere in the country whether you are after main line railroading, local short line service or just a ride on a train to enjoy views of the Oregon countryside.