Oregon Electric Railway

Oregon Electric express, mail and baggage car, circa 1913

The Oregon Electric Railway (OER) was an interurban railroad line in the U.S. state of Oregon that linked Portland to Eugene. Service from Portland to Salem began in January 1908.[1] The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway purchased the system in 1910, and extended service to Eugene in 1912. Regular passenger service in the Willamette Valley ended in May 1933. Freight operations continued and the railway survived into the 1990s, ultimately as a Burlington Northern feeder. Operation as an electric railroad ended July 10, 1945.

The tracks run parallel to the main modern Union Pacific line between Portland and Eugene, used for freight and passenger service. The OER line is to the west, closely following the Willamette River.[2] In the 2000s, the line has been under consideration as an alternative for Amtrak's Cascades and Coast Starlight passenger lines. Removing passenger service from the clogged Union Pacific track would improve the timeliness of the trains, permit higher capacity, and allow higher-speed travel, peaking at 110 MPH.[2]

Burlington Northern operated the last freight train on the Portland-Beaverton segment of this mainline on December 31, 1994, in preparation for the construction of Westside MAX, part of the TriMet light rail system.

The right-of-way between Portland and Tigard has since been abandoned. From the north bank depot, it followed 10th Avenue, Salmon Street, and West Bank of the Willamette River. Portions of the right-of-way between the Southwest Waterfront and Multnomah Boulevard are currently under Interstate 5.

Stations

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Main line

In order from north to south

United Railways line

In order from west to east

Forest Grove line

In order from west to east

Remnants

City workers uncover a section of railway ties beneath Fifth Avenue in Eugene, about two blocks from the Oregon Electric Railway Station. This view looks west between High and Pearl Streets.

See also

References

  1. "New Track Construction in 1907". Electric Railway Review. XIX (1): 4. January 4, 1908.
  2. 1 2 Esteve, Harry (July 25, 2009). "Oregon bids big for faster trains". The Oregonian.
  3. John, Finn J. D. (March 25, 2009). "Oregon Electric line -- state's past and future?". Offbeat Oregon History. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  4. Marco's Café: About
  5. "Electric Line Changes: Trains Stop Operating on Salmon and Tenth (subheadlines: Oregon Electric Service Now Terminates at Jefferson Street; Ticket Office Moves)". (June 20, 1931). The Morning Oregonian, p. 4.

Further reading

External links

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