Canby Depot Museum

The railroad depot in Canby, Oregon, was originally built in 1873 by the Oregon & California Railroad and was originally located at North First and Grant Streets. It is the oldest railroad depot in Oregon. The railroad was taken over by the Southern Pacific in 1887.

Additions were made to the depot in 1891 and 1907. The depot closed on August 4, 1976, and in 1978 the Southern Pacific Railroad offered the building to the people of Canby with the provision that it be moved off railroad property.

The building was moved to its current location on August 4, 1983, and the 1907 addition was removed so its materials could be used to restore the rest of the building.

The Canby Depot Museum opened on October 6, 1984. It is home to the Canby Historical Society.

Several other railroad artifacts are here as well including signals, a speeder shed and a caboose.

This caboose at the Canby Depot Museum was originally Union Pacific #25584.

This is one of 100 class CA-8 cabooses that were built for the Union Pacific by the International Car Company of Kenton, Ohio. 

Union Pacific caboose #25584 was built in November 1964. 

It was retired from service by Union Pacific on April 4, 1988.

 
The Canby Depot Museum acquired this caboose in August 1989.

Though it is a former Union Pacific caboose, it has been repainted in the colors worn by Southern Pacific cabooses, and wears the Southern Pacific's "Sunset" herald.

The interior of the caboose is largely intact, though much of the space is now occupied by display cases for museum artifacts.

The museum was not open when I stopped by late in the afternoon on May 11, 2007, so I wasn't able to go inside the caboose or get a good look at the museum displays.

I was only able to look in the windows from the platforms at each end.

While there are no traces of the caboose's original identity on the exterior, its original number can still be seen on the inside.

Southern Pacific adopted this standard design of concrete telephone booth in June 1922. These phone booths were built by the railroad and weighed about 3,000 pounds. They contained a telephone that connected directly to a railroad dispatcher, allowing train crews, track workers, and signal maintainers a way to communicate before radios became available and made these booths obsolete in the early 1980s.
 

Another railroad structure at the Canby Depot Museum is this shed, which was originally used to house a handcar or "speeder" motorcar for use by track maintenance of way personnel.

The "Magnetic Flagman "Wig-Wag" crossing signal was a common grade crossing signal before the modern crossbuck became a standard and flashing lights and gates were mandated. It takes its name from the movement it makes; the black and white banner with the red light in the middle swings, or "wig-wags" back and forth simulating that a human flagman would make with a flag or lantern to stop traffic. The signal also features a bell. 

This type of signal was manufactured by the Magnetic Signal Company of Los Angeles, California from 1910 to 1949. There were several versions of wig-wag made; this is a Model 3 lower-quadrant signal, which was the most common in Oregon and was widely used by the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

There were a number of these signals remaining in service into the 2000s, but in 2006, after receiving federal funding, the State of Oregon announced plans to replace the remaining wig-wags on freight lines, and by 2008 most if not all had been removed, leaving only two (now one) on the Willamette Shore Trolley line plus those on static display or in museums like this one.

Assorted museum artifacts were scattered on the platform of the depot.

Another railroad artifact at the Canby Depot Museum is this switch stand.

This lower-quadrant semaphore signal was built by The Union Switch & Signal Company of Swissvale, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Union Switch & Signal was founded by George Westinghouse in 1881 and survived under that name until being renamed Anasldo STS - USA in January 2009.

Trains on May 3, 2007

I took these train pictures on May 3, 2007. Union Pacific #5302 is a 4,400-horsepower General Electric ES44AC that was delivered to Union Pacific on March 24, 2006. I photographed it from my car on Highway 99E leading a southbound freight train through Canby, Oregon, in the morning. 

Kansas City Southern #4607 is a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in November 1999 as Kansas City Southern #2032. Following Kansas City Southern taking full control of Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana and renaming it Kansas City Southern de Mexico in 2005, this locomotive was renumbered to #4607 as part of a system renumbering to integrate the KCS and former TFM fleets. I photographed it in the afternoon as the trailing unit in a southbound Union Pacific freight train at Aurora, Oregon.

Union Pacific Train at Oregon City, Oregon, on April 23, 2007

 I photographed this Union Pacific freight train in Oregon City, Oregon, on April 23, 2007.

Leading the train, Union Pacific #5398 is a 4,400-horsepower ES44AC that was built by General Electric in February 2005. 

It was delivered to Union Pacific on March 16, 2005. 

Union Pacific #5414 is another 4,400-horsepower ES44AC that was built by General Electric in March 2005. 

It was delivered to Union Pacific on March 29, 2005. 

Union Pacific gives its ES44AC locomotives the designation C45ACCTE.

Amtrak's Coast Starlight at Salem, Oregon, on April 22, 2007

I took these pictures of Amtrak’s southbound Coast Starlight at the Amtrak depot in Salem, Oregon, on April 22, 2007. Leading the train, Amtrak #119 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

The trailing unit, Amtrak #118 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

The baggage car, Amtrak #1135, was built by Pullman-Standard in 1957 as Northern Pacific #409. 

After Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971, it became Amtrak #1206. 

It was renumbered to Amtrak #1116 in January 1977 and was rebuilt for head-end power in February 1982, becoming Amtrak #1135. 

Amtrak Pacific Parlour Lounge Car #39975 was built by the Budd Company in 1956 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Hi-Level Lounge Car #580. After Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971, it became Amtrak #9975. 

In August 1981 it was rebuilt for head-end power. In 1995 it was rebuilt as a Pacific Parlour first-class lounge car for the Coast Starlight.

Trains at Salem, Oregon, on April 21, 2007

I took these train pictures in Salem, Oregon, on April 21, 2007. Leading the southbound Coast Starlight at the Amtrak depot, Amtrak #112 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in August 1997. 

The trailing unit, Amtrak #117 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

Here is the Coast Starlight stopped at the Salem depot.

The dining car and Sightseer lounge car in the middle of the train are in front of the depot.

This was a bit of a rainy day for the passengers that got on and off the train.

Here's one last view of the train at the depot.

Amtrak #34105 is a Superliner II Coach that was built by Bombardier in 1995. It wears Amtrak's current Phase VI lettering scheme, which was introduced in 2003, but shadows of its original Phase IV scheme can still be seen.

Amtrak #34510 is a Superliner II Family Coach that was built by Bombardier in 1995 as Amtrak #34110, a standard Superliner II Coach. In 1997 it was converted to a Family Coach with a play area on the lower level and renumbered to #34510. It still wears its original Phase IV lettering, which was introduced in 1992.

Further south in the Salem yard, Union Pacific #1836 was built by General Electric in September 1987 as Southern Pacific #8036, a 3,900-horsepower B39-8. After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 25, 1996, it was upgraded to a 4,000-horsepower B40-8 on January 29, 1999, and became Union Pacific #5645 on August 31, 1999. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #1836 on April 15, 2004.

Trains at Salem, Oregon, on April 20, 2007

I took these pictures in Salem, Oregon, on April 20, 2007. First, heading south near the depot, Union Pacific #300 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1972 as Missouri Pacific #658 under a 15-year lease. As part of a 1974 system renumbering it became Missouri Pacific #2009. It was returned to the lessor at the end of the 15-year lease in 1987 and was sold to Helm Financial to become Helm Leasing #2009. It was leased by Union Pacific in February 1989 and became Union Pacific #1800 on October 2, 1989. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #300 on April 1, 2001. 

Moving south to the Union Pacific yard, we find Union Pacific #1836, a General Electric B40-8.

It was built by General Electric in September 1987 as Southern Pacific #8036, a 3,900-horsepower B39-8. 

After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 25, 1996, it was upgraded to a 4,000-horsepower B40-8 on January 29, 1999.

It became Union Pacific #5645 on August 31, 1999, and was renumbered to Union Pacific #1836 on April 15, 2004. 

Union Pacific #549 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1975 as Union Pacific #2049. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #549 on July 22, 2003.