The Oregon Pacific Railroad is owned by Dick Samuels and is operated by him and his family. It consists of two separate branches in the Portland area. The first is the East Portland Branch, which is the last remaining section of the once extensive Portland Traction Company streetcar and interurban line. The interurban lines were known as the Portland Railroad and Terminal Division of the Portland Traction Company. The electric interurbans stopped running in January of 1958. Replaced by two EMD SW1 diesel locomotives which were purchased in the early 1950s. In 1962, the Portland Traction Company was purchased jointly by the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. Portions of the line would be abandoned over the next 30 years, until 1991, when all that remained was the four miles from East Portland to Milwaukie, which were sold to Dick Samuels to become the East Portland Traction Company. In 1993, Samuels purchased the Southern Pacific Railroad's branch line from Canby to Molalla, naming it the Molalla Western Railroad. In 1997, Samuels combined the East Portland Traction Company and the Molalla Western into the Oregon Pacific Railroad. See The Rise and Fall of the Portland Traction Company by Craig Bass for more history, and Brian McCamish's Oregon Pacific for more information. This page also includes links to historical photographs from The Friends of SP 4449, Fallen Flag Railroad Photos, rrpicturearchives.net, Rob Jacox's Western Rails, Espee Modelers Home Page, Wikipedia, Western Shortline Rosters, Don's Depot, www.cprdieselroster.com, CNRphotos.com, Yard Limit, McCloud Rails and alaskarails.org.
The Oregon Pacific has a large roster for a railroad of its size, due to the collection of eclectic locomotives acquired by owner Dick Samuels over the years. It is this collection of equipment that gives the Oregon Pacific much of its charm.
In July 2007, the Oregon Pacific Railroad and the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association hosted a weekend of excursions from Oaks Park to East Portland using SP&S #700 and some of the diesels of the Oregon Pacific Railroad. This was the same route as on the Farewell to Steam 50th Anniversary weekend. SP&S #700 and the diesels ran public trips on July 13-14 to raise money for the PRPA. On the 15th, the diesels pulled private excursions for the PRPA members. There were speeders there as well.
Here is SP&S #700 at Oaks Park between runs on the afternoon of July 13.
SP&S #700 at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
SP&S #700 at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
SP&S #700 at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
SP&S #700 at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Here are some of the railroad speeders at Oaks Park. These speeders gave rides from Oaks Park to the Milwaukie shops, or to East Portland Junction.
Speeder at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Speeder at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Speeder at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Speeder at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Here are SW1 #100 and 70-tonner #5100 pulling the excursion train at Oaks Park and Portland on the afternoon of July 13.
Portland Traction Co. SW1 #100 & Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100 with excursion train at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Portland Traction Co. SW1 #100 & Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100 with excursion train at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Portland Traction Co. SW1 #100 & Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100 with excursion train at Oaks Park on July 13, 2007
Portland Traction Co. SW1 #100 & Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100 with excursion train at East Portland on July 13, 2007
Portland Traction Co. SW1 #100 & Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100 with excursion train at East Portland on July 13, 2007
Portland Traction Co. SW1 #100 & Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100 with excursion train at East Portland on July 13, 2007
On July 15, I got photos of SW1200RSu #1202 and GP7U #1810 at Oaks Park.
Oregon Pacific GP7u #1810 & SW1200RSu #1202 at Oaks Park on July 15, 2007
Oregon Pacific GP7u #1810 & SW1200RSu #1202 at Oaks Park on July 15, 2007
Dick Samuels was at the controls of #1810.
Dick Samuels at the controls of Oregon Pacific GP7u #1810 at Oaks Park on July 15, 2007
SW8s #801, #802, #803 & #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
SW8s #801, #802, #803 & #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
After the trip to Liberal I had photographs of all the active locomotives, but there was one more I still wanted...the diminutive 25-tonner that was donated to the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society in Brooks, Oregon in 2005. In August I went to the Great Oregon Steam-Up at Antique Powerland in Brooks and got that picture as well. That gave me all the pictures I needed...until September when I discovered that the Oregon Pacific had purchased a new locomotive. I photographed it as it had arrived, but it wasn't until Thanksgiving that I found the new locomotive in shiny Oregon Pacific red and white, finally completing my photo collection.
Now, I present the Diesels of the Oregon Pacific Railroad. Each locomotive will be featured in its own post, in numerical order.
Samuels Pacific Industries 45-Tonner #45
Portland Traction Company SW1 #100
Former Pacific Lumber Company 80-Tonner #101
East Portland Traction Company NW5 #187
East Portland Traction Company 80-Tonner #500
Ex-Oregon Pacific & Eastern SW8 #602
Oregon Pacific SW8 #801
East Portland Traction Company SW8 #802
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803
Oregon Pacific SW900 #901
Former Southern Pacific SL-4B Slug #1010
Oregon Pacific SW1200RSu #1202
Oregon Pacific GMD-1 #1413
Oregon Pacific GP7u #1810
SamTrak 25-Tonner #2501
SamTrak 45-Tonner #4501
Southern Pacific 70-Tonner #5100
East Portland Traction Company Caboose #11
SamTrak Caboose #900
Ex-GN Business Car A-26, aka NCBX #826
Continue to Samuels Pacific Industries 45-Tonner #45…
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