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36-740: The Natron Cutoff is on the National Register of Historic Places , considered significant to the period 1905 to 1945. The eastern line is now the similarly named Oregon Eastern Railroad Starting in 1903, the Weed Lumber Company built a private railroad from the main line of the Southern Pacific Company (SP), formerly the Oregon and California Railroad , in Weed to Grass Lake, California . On July 6, 1905,

72-570: A 4-person room. Four passenger coaches, a combine , a buffet-observation car, a mail storage car, and a Pullman sleeper car are preserved at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington. Wood coaches 213 and 218 ( Barney & Smith 1912) were restored to running order between 2007 and 2019 on the museum's interpretive railway. Steel coaches 275 and 276 are also Barney & Smith products, built in 1915. Coach 275

108-488: A key west coast rail link. In 2011, no trains had used the Siskiyou Pass route in almost a decade. By 2015 however, that line was reopening to relieve I-5 of local truck traffic. On May 29, 2018, one of the tunnels, known as Tunnel 11, caved in during scheduled maintenance work, shutting down rail traffic for 3 weeks. Union Pacific rerouted their freight trains running between Northern California and Portland through

144-507: A length of 112 miles (180 km), on December 15, 1907. Operation was extended west to Lyle , 33 miles (53 km) further west, on January 15, 1908, as construction continued on the 221-mile (356 km) section from Pasco to Vancouver. In January 1908 "Spokane" was added to the railroad's name, making it the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway. A "golden spike" ceremony was held on March 11, 1908 at Sheridan's Point to commemorate

180-460: A lengthy detour, while Amtrak service did not operate between Eugene and Sacramento (initially between Eugene and Klamath Falls, with a bus bridge between the two points). Nonetheless, a major helper operation is demanded by the Pengra Pass route's 44 miles (71 km) of constant grade—the longest anywhere on the former Southern Pacific system, including Donner Pass . The right-of-way

216-718: A mountain pass on the Lane County – Klamath County boundary in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon , about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Willamette Pass . The line heads southeast from Eugene, up the Cascades and over Pengra Pass, then southward beside U.S. Route 97 to Klamath Falls, where it splits in two, each track continuing into California . The route has at least 22 tunnels, several snow sheds and multiple bridges across canyons. BNSF has trackage rights between Klamath Falls and Chemult. The Pengra Pass route

252-759: A rapid that was later named " Boxcar Rapids " after the incident. In March 1970, the SP&;S was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). The BN was the product of the merger of four major railroads: the Great Northern Railway (GN), the Northern Pacific Railway (NP), the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S) and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). The history of

288-850: Is at the Inland NW Rail Museum near Spokane. The Mt. Hood No. 600 is owned by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and is housed at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland. These cars had a full-length antenna on the car roof. Of special note in the lounge was the push-button Farnsworth AM radio. The cars contained six single-person roomettes and three large 2-person compartments, two of them can be opened to provide

324-471: Is in storage awaiting restoration, and 276 is in running order on the museum's interpretive railway. Combine 272 (Barney & Smith 1915) was built as a coach but later modified to include a baggage section. Wood observation car 556 (Barney & Smith 1912) and steel mail storage car 52 (Barney & Smith 1915) are both in storage awaiting restoration. Mail storage car 52 was originally mail and express car 40. Pullman sleeper Wapinitia Pass #701 (Pullman 1950)

360-464: Is surrounded by waterfalls and streams running through a Douglas fir forest. At many locations, the track runs atop the steep southern slopes of the Salt Creek canyon. Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway ( SP&S ; reporting mark SPS ) was a railroad in the northwest United States. Incorporated in 1905, it was a joint venture by

396-664: The California Northeastern Railway was incorporated to operate the line as a common carrier . The new company bought the line on July 29, and an SP-funded reconstruction was completed on September 1, 1906, when the line was opened to the public as a leased branch line of the SP. Extensions were completed to Bray on September 6, 1907, Dorris on May 1, 1908, the Oregon state line on August 25, 1908, Worden on November 25, 1908, Ady on January 1, 1909, and finally

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432-671: The Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the Columbia River . The railroad later built or acquired other routes in Oregon. The SP&S was merged into the Burlington Northern in March, 1970. Remnants of the line are currently operated by BNSF Railway and the Portland and Western Railroad . The railroad was chartered in 1905 by James J. Hill to connect

468-686: The Oregon Eastern Railroad . Pengra Pass rail route The Pengra Pass rail route , also known as the Natron Cutoff , the Cascade Subdivision , or the Cascade Line , is a Union Pacific Railroad line (originally a Southern Pacific Railroad line) connecting Eugene, Oregon , with Klamath Falls, Oregon . Construction of the line began in 1905 and was completed in the mid-1920s. Its name denotes

504-889: The Sherman Antitrust Act . (It had already broken up the SP-UP combination in 1913.) The Transportation Act of 1920 gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to approve combinations that would serve the public interest, and on February 10, 1923, the ICC approved the SP's continued control of the Central Pacific, which was backed by the Justice Department on June 11. Construction resumed in October, and on September 1, 1926

540-486: The 1920s, the SP&S used the North Bank Depot as its Portland Terminus. After the 1920s, it used Portland ( Union Station ) for their passenger station arrivals and departures. The only surviving SP&S Business car, the (second) No. 99 or " The Ruth M. " (as nicknamed by a later private owner) is in operating condition and being further restored. It was built in 1915 by Barney and Smith and reconfigured by

576-685: The Cascade Line remains in service as part of the Union Pacific Railroad 's I-5 corridor also served by Amtrak 's Coast Starlight . The Ontario–Burns Branch in eastern Oregon was sold on November 6, 1989 to shortline Wyoming Colorado Railroad , but the 120 mile majority of the line was abandoned eastward from Burns to Celatom in June 1992. The remainder is still operated by the Wyoming Colorado Railroad as

612-596: The Columbia River , the Oregon Slough , and the Willamette River . The northernmost of these was the first bridge of any kind to be built across the lower Columbia River . Despite legal challenges from Harriman, within a year the line had been built as far as Pasco along the Columbia River, where it connected with NP. The first section to open was from Pasco west to Cliffs (near Maryhill ),

648-575: The Great Northern had acquired two years before. Under the control of the SP&S (Ninth, Tenth, & Eleventh Subdivision) , the railroad was extended southward to Eugene by 1912. The line was extended from Albany into Lebanon, Oregon and Sweet Home, Oregon in 1931. The Dollar branch was completed from Sweet Home to Dollar, Oregon later that same year. SP&S also operated a second subsidiary railroad, which James J. Hill purchased in 1907 for 5 million dollars, in northwestern Oregon. This

684-649: The Natron Cutoff was completed. Finally, On April 17, 1927, a new line opened between Black Butte (south of Weed) and Grass Lake, replacing the cheaply built former logging line, and allowing the SP to inaugurate the all- Pullman Cascade between San Francisco and Portland over this route. As for the line into eastern Oregon, the Oregon Eastern sold its surveys and right-of-way to new UP subsidiary Oregon–Washington Railroad and Navigation Company (OWR&N) on December 23, 1910. Some of this property

720-507: The Oregon & Washington Railway & Navigation Company track, and both railroads used the route (an arrangement that still exists with BNSF owning the majority of the line and UP having trackage rights). Building this railroad included construction in 1912 of another railroad bridge across the Columbia River, the Oregon Trunk Rail Bridge , at Wishram, Washington. The 41 mile branch to Goldendale (Fourth Subdivision),

756-620: The Oregon Trunk Railway Company (Fifth Subdivision). Edward Harriman's Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company also was building a railroad south from the Columbia River to Bend resulting in a "railroad war" across opposite sides of the Deschutes River in which each railroad attempted to sabotage the other. In the end, the railroad opened using mostly the track of the Oregon Trunk, with a short portion of

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792-597: The UP near Ontario, Oregon . It also planned to build branches south to Klamath Falls and Lakeview , the former connecting with the California Northeastern. This company began construction in November 1909 on the line north from Klamath Falls, soon reaching Chiloquin under lease to the SP. The Oregon Eastern acquired the property of the California Northeastern on December 18, 1911, and on February 12, 1912,

828-589: The completion of the railroad along the Columbia. SP&S freight and passenger service (from Pasco) to Portland was inaugurated in November 1908. (First & Second Subdivisions) By 1909 the railroad had completed construction of its line up to Spokane along the Snake River (Third Subdivision). In 1910 the SP&S gained control of the Oregon Electric interurban railway, which James J. Hill and

864-574: The line turned west, eventually reaching the town of Keasey, and continued on to the county line between Clatsop and Columbia Counties. Several logging companies started operation in the area, and used the United Railways to some extent. However, Oregon American traffic continued to be the largest user of the line. In 1944, the United Railways was dissolved and taken over completely by the Spokane Portland & Seattle Railway. In 1953,

900-530: The line was sold to Long-Bell Lumber Company and in 1956 Long-Bell was sold to International Paper . International Paper had different plans for the region, and by September 1957 the rail traffic was gone. The line from Vernonia westward was abandoned in 1958. During World War II the SP&S carried war materials to the Pacific Theatre ; new industries located along the Columbia River, taking advantage of cheap electricity from hydroelectric dams on

936-592: The only branch line in Washington State, began at Lyle Washington. This railroad was originally completed in 1903 as the Columbia River & Northern Railway and was quickly acquired by the SP&S after the 1908 completion along the north bank of the Columbia River. This branch was shut down in 1992. United Railways later became a branch line of the SP&S (Eighth Subdivision). The finished United Railways line went north from Wilkesboro through Banks, Manning, Buxton and Vernonia, Oregon . At this location,

972-510: The property of the Oregon Eastern was sold to SP lessor Central Pacific Railway , which owned the main line through Weed. The Central Pacific completed two segments on which the Oregon Eastern had begun work: Natron to Oakridge and Chiloquin to Kirk , in May and September 1912 respectively. However, work was then placed on hold while the federal government decided whether the SP's lease of the CP violated

1008-570: The railroad in 1927, 1948, and lastly in 1959. It resides at the Chehalis–Centralia Railroad since 2017. The car will be used as "premier seating", and during dinner trains can host a private party of up to eight in its lounge and dining room. As of 2023, the car has been repainted, and is in need of further cosmetic and mechanical repairs. The SP&S Historical Society is assisting with the efforts. Two surviving SP&S Sleeper/Lounge cars are housed at museums, located at both ends of

1044-876: The railroad is chronicled and preserved by the SP&S Historical Society. The SP&S's passenger operations mostly involved hosting connections with parents' trains, such as the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited , which were combined to form the Streamliner (No. 1/No. 2). Oriental Limited , Mainstreeter , and Western Star connected with (No. 3/No. 4). However, some of these SP&S trains were named. The Inland Empire Express (daytime) and North Bank Limited (overnight) provided daily, through service between Portland and Spokane. The Columbia River Express (No. 5/No. 6) operated between Portland and Pasco, connecting at Pasco with Northern Pacific No. 5/No. 6 for service to/from Spokane. From 1908 until

1080-621: The reach of the railroad. These were built by the Pullman Standard Manufacturing Co. of Chicago and delivered to the railroad in 1950 at a cost of about $ 250,000. These cars ran in the Empire Builder service (Trains No. 1/No. 2) between Portland and Spokane. Weighing 131,000 pounds and seating up to 37 (with seating for 22 in the lounge), these lounge cars allowed passengers to buy food and drinks to enjoy with comfortable seating. The Mt. St. Helens No. 601

1116-525: The river, including the Bonneville Dam , The Dalles Dam , and the McNary Dam . New industries served by the SP&S included aluminum plants, sawmills, chemical factories and grain elevators. In 1954, a SP&S train derailed after hitting a rockslide on the route to Bend, Oregon, killing all crew members. Part of the train landed in the Deschutes River , including a boxcar, which landed in

Oregon Eastern Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-570: The two transcontinental railroads owned by him, the Northern Pacific (NP) and Great Northern (GN), to Portland, Oregon from Spokane, Washington , to gain a portion of the lumber trade in Oregon, a business then dominated by E. H. Harriman 's Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. Construction began in 1906 under the name Portland & Seattle Railway , proceeding to the east and south from Vancouver, Washington . The work included construction of three major bridges over

1188-543: The whole 86.15 miles (138.64 km) to Klamath Falls, Oregon on May 20, 1909. On August 21, 1905, the Oregon Eastern Railway was incorporated in the interest of the SP and Union Pacific Railroad (UP), then both controlled by E. H. Harriman . This company surveyed a route from a line of SP lessor Oregon and California Railroad at Natron , near Springfield , over the Cascades in the direction of

1224-592: Was acquired from the Boise and Western Railway , which had been incorporated on September 13, 1909 in the interest of Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway subsidiary Oregon Trunk Railway to build in the same area. The OWR&N subsequently built the Ontario–Burns Branch on this alignment, branching from the former Malheur Valley Railway at Vale and eventually reaching Burns , which it leased to UP subsidiary Oregon Short Line Railroad for operation. All of

1260-590: Was built to provide trains running between Eugene and California with a cheaper and otherwise more practical option than to follow the older Siskiyou Pass route, which runs south from Eugene and over Siskiyou Pass to California. The new route opened in February 1926. As a result, the Siskiyou Pass route was rendered nearly obsolete. In 2008, a landslide in the area shut down rail traffic for 105 days, which forced Union Pacific trains to make lengthy detours and Amtrak to halt services between Eugene and Sacramento, severing

1296-457: Was previously the Astoria and Columbia River Railroad, which created a route in 1898 along the south bank of the Columbia River, from Portland through to Astoria and Seaside . This portion of the SP&S (Sixth & Seventh Subdivision) was known as the "Astoria" or "A" line. A third route on which the SP&S operated extended southward from Wishram, Washington , to Bend, Oregon , was

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