Farewell is not Forever - Pt. 20: The Other End of the Line

Here is the north trailhead of the Springwater Trail. It is at the south end of SE 4th Avenue near the intersection with SE Ivon Street.

Stepping back from the trailhead, the top of a rail from a long-abandoned industrial spur peeks through the pavement.

An old crossbuck still stands guard, even though SE Ivon Street ends just about 100 yards beyond it. There is no crossbuck on the other side, just a stop sign. Ross Island Sand & Gravel in in the background.

A better look at the old crossbuck, probably nearly forgotten here, but still doing its job.

The stray rail poking through the pavement. It is street rail; the edge that was originally intended to keep the pavement away from the flangeway can just barely be seen.

(UPDATE: The rails in the pavement have since disappeared and the old crossbuck has been replaced, with the addition of a new one on the other side of the tracks.)

Pretty much the entire length of SE 4th Avenue can be seen in this picture. The only part of SE 4th Avenue that actually bears that name is this disconnected two-block section. The rest of the street that would be SE 4th Avenue in the rest of the city is actually named SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Before being named in honor of Dr. King, the street was named SE Union Avenue.

The warehouse that the stray rail once served.

A now-irrelevant sign remains in place to proclaim its warning.

From where the train came to a stop, at the intersection of SE 4th Street and SE Caruthers Avenue, the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry is in plain view, with the rest of the city behind it.

The line ends at the Oregon Pacific’s East Portland Yard, where it interchanges with the Union Pacific.

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