| Portland Traction Company & |
| East Portland Traction Company & Mollala Western Railroad |
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| Check out my new Video of the Oregon Pacific, showing their daily switching operations in East Portland and Milwaukie. 69 Mb - 19 minutes - High speed connection recommended. |
| Last Update: May 13, 2005 |
| The Oregon Pacific Railroad is a family owned short line railroad with two major branch lines. The history of the lines that the OP run are vast and long, dating as much as 100 years old. In 1997, the Dick Samuels owned East Portland Traction Company and the Southern Pacific Molalla Branch, leased by Mr. Samuels and called the Molalla Western, were combined into a single railroad and called the Oregon Pacific. Mr. Dick Samuels is the owner, but he doesn't just sit behind a desk. He and his family can be found operating the locomotives and switching out cars themselves. I had the occasion to meet Mr. Samuels in January, 2005 as he was supervising the switching of cars in East Portland. I must say, he was very friendly and cordial and had no problem with a rail fan like myself taking pictures of his railroad. |
| The recent history of the Oregon Pacific under Dick Samuel's ownership goes back to the 1980s. Mr. Samuels of Samuels Pacific Industries got into the railroad business in 1987, when he had an opportunity to purchase part of the Southern Pacific owned Portland Traction Company line between Portland and Milwaulkie, also known as the Portland Railroad and Terminal Division of Portland Traction Company. He owned one of the businesses served by the line, Samuel Pacific Industries and was not particularly happy with the PTC service. Mr Samuels called his new line the "East Portland Traction Company" to distinguish it from the Portland Traction Company, which was still barely in operation on the Gresham, Boring and Gladstone branches. Mr. Samuels considered purchasing the Boring branch of the Portland Traction Company, from the SP/UP in 1990, but the light 52lb track did not seem feasible to the haul the required loads. That, in addition to needed expensive bridge repairs, doomed the line for rail service and it was later sold to the State of Oregon and turned in to a rails to trails park. Apparently many of the bridges between Sellwood and Lents, near Gresham, were rebuilt in the 1970s by Southern Pacific, so it's too bad the line couldn't have been saved. One source indicates that Mr. Samuels wanted to purchase the line and keep it open, but was outbid by the state who wanted it for the rails to trail use. When talking to Mr. Samuels, he indicated that the line just wouldn't have been economically feasible. In 1993, Mr. Samuels leased the Southern Pacific Molalla Branch, which at the time, ran from Canby, Oregon to Molalla, Oregon. He called that operation, the Molalla Western Railroad. In 1997, the two divisions of Mr. Samuels railroad were combined into one railroad, under one name, the Oregon Pacific. In 2003, Mr. Samuels determined that it was no longer feasible to operate the Molalla Branch all the way into Molalla. The approximate 10 line was cut back to Liberal. Approximately 3 miles of track between Liberal and Molalla was abandoned. Since the land is still owned by Union Pacific, Mr. Samuels purchased the track from the Union Pacific and pulled it up to use on other parts of his railroad as needed. The Oregon Pacific still operates the remaining 7 miles of track between Canby and Liberal, serving mostly lumber industries. They operate this branch approximately 3 times per week. Today, the Oregon Pacific is based out of an industrial area of Milwaulkie. There, it's main shops are located on Ochoco Rd and 17th St. The Oregon Pacific also operates 5 remaining miles of the vast Portland Traction network, between it's shops and north to a small yard, east of the I-5 bridge, that connects with the Union Pacific mainline. This yard used to be the base of operations of the original Portland Traction Company, but today, it's used to store cars and build trains for the UP. For a few years, Mr. Samuels operated a short passenger excursion line called SamTrak, using one of two smaller locomotives. A 40 tonner and much smaller 25 ton unit. They pulled a custom open car and a custom caboose up and down the Oregon Pacific, East Portland Traction branch. Unfortunately, by 2002, it was determined that ridership was too low to justify the operation and it was closed down. As of January, 2005, all of the SamTrak equipment remained on the Oregon Pacific property, but Mr. Samuels told me that he plans to donate the 25 tonner locomotive and the open coach to the Brooks Traction Museum. |
| This 1984 USGS map shows the route and specific points on the Oregon Pacific Railroad. At the time this map was made, the Portland Traction Company still operated the line, but it's essentially the same today, with a few minor changes. |
| A discussion about the East Portland Traction Division of the Oregon Pacific would not be complete, without showing some of the remains of the Portland Traction Company lines in downtown Portland, Oregon. Here you see miles of abandoned track embedded into the asphalt. Most of this track is just north of the where the Oregon Pacific now ends it's operations and thus these tracks are abandoned. You can see that they have not be used for many decades. These tracks date as far back as the 1890s. I believe they were mostly abandoned by the 1950s, when city electric trolley service mostly ended, but some may have been used through the 1960s as freight lines for the surrounding warehouses. Photo: Spring, 2004 and Jan. 2005. |
| At first, I wasn't sure what these were, but Thanks to Jeff Moore and Bob Bowman for explaining them to me. They are in fact switches of a unique type used on urban railroads. They're recessed into the ground to allow vehicle traffic (which shares the roads with the trains) to pass over them. The switch in the left and middle photo appears to be mostly intact, whereas the switch in the right photo has been partly removed. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| This is the south end of the East Portland Yards. The northern most point on the Oregon Pacific operation. Here trains are built and cars are stored. A connection is made with the Union Pacific here as well. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| This is locomotive number 802. Here switching cars in the East Portland Yards, building a train that they would later drop off on a siding between here and Milwaulkie. This is an EMD SW8, built in April, 1953. It last served with the Lewis & Clark RR until 1995 and still wears their old colors. Mr. Samuels purchased it and renumbered it # 802. The EPTC stencil letter is from Mr. Samuels and predates the organization of the Oregon Pacific Railroad. Some resources indicate that it was later renumered 803, but that's not the case. Number 803 is pictured below in my Liberal Division photos at the bottom of the page. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| More photos of #802 switching the East Portland Yard. Note the photo of Mr. Dick Samuels himself (far right) working the railroad. He may be the owner, but he works just like the rest of his crew. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| Oregon Pacific 4501 is GE 45 ton locomotive. I spotted on a siding just south of the East Portland Yards. It was built in 1943 and originally served in the U.S. Army at the Cornhusker Ordnance plant in Nebraska. It later served on the Alaska Railroad and then the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, before being purchased by Mr. Samuels in 1994 for use on his SamTrak passenger excursion line. Since SamTrak was discontinued in 2002, this locomotive has been used for Switching operations on the EPTC division of the OP. This diesel locomotive design uses two diesel engines, each making about 150 h.p. I saw 4501 parked on a siding in Portland. Photos: Spring, 2004 |
| Photos of the East Portland Traction branch, just north of Milwaulkie. These were taken between 9th and 17th streets. Note the old abandoned spur line in the photo on the left near 9th street in the two left photos. This spur circled around the block and then disappeared. It purpose is unknown. Today houses occupy all the surrounding blocks, but perhaps a mill used to be located in the area. This line dates as far back as the 1890s. Photos: Jan. 2005 ex. 2nd photo from left which is courtesy of Todd Kennedy. |
| This junction on the line has an interesting history. At this location is an abandoned substation dating to 1905 and the remains of the Portland Traction Company car barn. It's build date is unknown, but it was torn down in 2003. The front half was left in place, apparently to be incorporated into the new apartment building that will be built to replace it. This page sort of has a photo of the car barn taken in 1981. At some point of the building ceased being a car barn was used by the Molded Container Corp. before being abandoned. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| This electrical substation was built by the Oregon Water Power & Railway Company in 1905. It's original purpose was to provide power for the electrical railroads that ran through this area until the 1950s. Oregon Water Power & Railway company was one of several companies that built electrical railroads in the Portland area, but was later consolidated into the Portland Traction Company, owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Today, this substation appears to be completely abandoned, with much of the equipment striped from it. The line shown in the photos is part of EPTC division of the Oregon Pacific as it continues into Milwaulkie. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| These photos show the junction that once headed towards Gladstone. The tracks end just a few feet beyond the switch, but they used to travel to Gladstone, over 7 miles to the south. It also crossed the Clackamas River at Gladstone and ran to Oregon City. The line to Oregon City was abandoned in 1968. In 2002, the entire right of way was donated by Union Pacific (who acquired the Southern Pacific and PTC in 1995) for use as yet another bike trail. The car in these photos are parked in the last few feet of the Gladstone branch and appear to contain some salvaged bridge remains. These could possibly be from Dick Samual's Oregon Pacific Liberal (Molalla) branch where he converted some short bridges into easier to maintain culverts. Otherwise, they could be remains of the torn up Gladstone/Oregon City PTC branch. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| Photo on the left was taken at 17th street, looking north towards the area of the abandoned substation pictured above. Photo in the center was taken south of 17th street, where the line makes a fairly surprisingly steep drop in grade before reaching Mr. Samuels shops on Ochoco Street. Here the line used to continue to Gresham and then on to Boring, but that line was abandoned and removed in the early 1990s. (see below) At Ochoco Street, the line turns south and runs next to Ochoco Street about 1/2 mile where Mr. Samuels stores much of his equipment. There is also a short mill spur that runs parallel to the Ochoco Street Spur, on the east side of Johnson Creek. Photo on the right shows a short trestle that is used to cross Johnson Creek to access the mill spur. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| By the late 1980s, the Boring branch of the Portland Traction Company was seeing little service and abandonment was planned by the owners Southern Pacific & Union Pacific. Customers along the line hoped that Mr. Samuels might be able to purchase the line, but it was not feasable, due to needed repairs on the two bridges pictured above. The Boring branch was abandoned in 1989. Tracks were pulled up by 1991 and turned into a rails to trails park by the mid 1990s. The above photos show where the east bank of the bridge that used to cross Highway 99E in Milwaulkie (left and center) and the Union Pacific tracks (right). Today both bridges are completely gone and the rails to trails officially begins just east of the Union Pacific RR tracks (right picture). A third significant bridge over Johnson Creek, west of here was also abandoned and removed. One ironic note: The City of Portland actually plans to build entirely new bike path bridges at these locations to extend their little rails to trail project! One definately has to wonder about the wisdom of tearing out the original historical railroad bridges. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| These two photos are courtesy of Matt Wolford. They show scrappers tearing up the last tracks of the Boring branch in February, 1999. This was a spur line that ran into Portland, from Lents. |
| Photos of the Oregon Pacific shops in Milwaulkie, Oregon. They're located on Ochoco and 17th Streets. Here, a modern locomotive shop and a small yard was built to service the locomotives and equipment. Below are photos and descriptions of the locomotives that were stored at Mr. Samuel's shops and along the spur on Ochoco Street. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| The most famous locomotive on the Oregon Pacific roster is the former Portland Traction Company number 100. This is an EMD SW1 that makes 600 h.p. and was built in February, 1952. What makes this locomotive so historical and famous is that is was purchased brand new by the Portland Traction Company and used on this line almost it's entire working life. One of two SW1s that were purchased to replace the electric trains and provide freight service. One source indicate that It and it's sister locomotive were sold off in the 1970s to an unknown operator and replaced with Southern Pacific SW1500 power. However this website clearly shows that it and it's sister, the # 200, were in operation on the PTC as of at least 1981. It was acquired by Dick Samuels in 1987. The lettering on the cab stands for Portland Railroad and Terminal Division of Portland Traction Company, which was the official name of the line when this locomotive operated it. Mr Samuels told me that he has plans repaint and restore the number 100 and it will retain it's historical orange & black paint scheme. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| The red/while locomotive is a GP7 that makes 1500 h.p. and was built in August, 1951 for the U.S. Army. It later went to the Alaska Railroad who converted it to a low hood model. It also served a few years on the McCloud River RR. In 1993 it was used for the filming of "Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory". In 1999, Dick Samuels purchased it for use on the Molalla (now Liberal) Division. But it appears to have sat here at the shops for the most part while 801 & 803 perform the Liberal duties. Jeff Moore has some older photos of this loco on his McCloud Rails website. Jeff also noted that it was one of several GP-7s built with EMD switcher trucks (like the ones under the various Oregon Pacific EMD switchers) instead of the standard EMD "flexcoil" road truck found under almost every other four axle road switcher built by EMD. At some point Alaska replaced the EMD switcher trucks with Alco road switcher trucks, possibly off of some old Alco RS-1s they were scrapping. By 1988 the #1810 (along with fellow Alaska #1804) were in a scrap yard in Klamath Falls, OR, where the McCloud River picked the pair up. Both of these units were off of the McCloud by late 1993. Both passed through the hands of Nevada Industrial Switch...NIS sold the #1810 to Dick Samuels while the #1804 went to Pacific Harbor Lines in Los Angeles. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| Number 5100 is a very intresting locomotive. It was one of two diesels that served on the Weyerhauser Mohawk Division. I cover that abandoned railroad on my Southern Pacific & Weyerhauser Mohawk Division Page. It's a GE 70 tonner, built in 1949. The Weyerhauser Mohawk Division was abandoned in 1986. Where it went from 1986 to 1989 is unknown, but Dick Samuels purchased it in 1989. It was later painted in it's current Southern Pacific colors in 2001, for the SP Historical Society convention. Today it's stored out of service. Photo on the right shows it in Mohawk, Oregon on the Weyerhauser line in approximately 1986. (The 2nd locomotive in the consist) Courtesy of Grant James. Photos: (left) Jan. 2005 (right) 1986, courtesy of Grant James. |
| Number 187 is an EMD NW5, built in December, 1946 for the Great Northern RR. It makes 1000 h.p. It was transfered to the Burlington Northern during the 1970 merger. It was purchased by Mr. Samuels in the early 1990s to run the Molalla Division, but today is stored out of service on the Ochoco Street spur. Behind the 187 is an ex-Southern Pacific # 1010 slug that used to be used by the SP in Eugene. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| I couldn't find any roster information on this locomotive, but it's numbered 45 and was probably aquired by Dick Samuels in the 1980s. It appears to be a GE 45 ton locomotive with the front engine removed to make room for the crane. I'm not sure what it's used for, except possibly for track removal? It also is missing it's fuel tank, which leads me to believe it doesn't operate under it's own power anymore. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| Number 2501 is GE 25 tonner built in 1942 for the U.S. Army during World War Two. It's history after that is a little unclear. It was purchased by Dick Samuels in 1993 to be used on his SamTrak passenger excursion railroad. Since SamTrak ceased operation in 2002, it's been stored out of service along with the SamTrak coach car and caboose. It should be noted that SamTrak was also commonly pulled by the 4501, GE 45 tonner pictured above. Dick Samuels told me, that he plans to donate this little engine and the open air coach to the Brooks Trolley Museum. He will retain ownership of the caboose, however. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| Number 101, last served with the Pacific Lumber Company, Scotia, California. . It's a GE 80 tonner built in 1956, possibly purchased new by the PLC. Mr. Samuels apparently purchased it in 1996 and it's stored on the Ochoco Street spur, totally unservicable. The traction trucks are missing along with other parts. You can check out some photos of this locomotive in service at the PLC mill in 1974 on this Pacific Lumber Company Page. Here's a direct link to a photo of number 101 in operation in 1974. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| This photos is courtesy of Jeff Moore and was taken at North Coast Railroad’s Eureka yard around 1996. Shortly after this picture was taken, Mr. Samuals purchased this and the 101 loco shown above. This locomotive was resold by Mr. Samuals shortly after he took possession of it. Photo courtesy of Jeff Moore. |
| Number 500 is a GE 80 tonner origonally built for the U.S. Army. At first I thought this might be the Pacific Lumber Company number 102, the sister loco to the above 101, but Jeff Moore pointed out that Mr. Samuels sold the #102 in 1994, right after he got it, to the Columbia Business Park in Vancouver, WA. So, it's exact history is still a bit of a mystery. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| These photos show number 802, switching cars at the Oregon Pacific shops in Milwaulkie. Most of the pictures show the train operating on Ochoco Street, just south of the Oregon Pacific shops. One technique I watched was them pushing the cars around the steep grade and then letting them roll down the Ochoco spur on their own, with no locomotive attached. A brakeman would ride the cars, the short distance and turn the hand brake. In the below right photo, you can see Dick Samuels himself, performing this very task. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| These two old box cars mark the south end of the Ochoco Street Spur. Photos: Jan. 2005 |
| The Liberal Division (Formerly Molalla Western) of the Oregon Pacific Canby to Liberal (formerly to Molalla) |
| This wonderful photo was taken by Joyce Peters as the 801 makes it's way under an overpass in Canby in April, 2005. You'll recognize this as the header photo. |
| Map showing the entire Oregon Pacific Mololla Branch, now called the Liberal Branch, since the section to Molalla was abandoned in 2003. |
| Map showing the Oregon Pacific line between Liberal and Molalla, Oregon that is abandoned. Also showing the current rail yard just southeast of Liberal where the OPR locomotives reside. |
| Oregon Pacific Number 803 is an EMD SW8 built in March, 1953. It makes 800 h.p. It was purchased by Mr. Samuels in 1996 for use on the Molalla Division. Today the Molalla Division is cut back to Liberal, but this and number 801, along number 602 are currently stored at Liberal and used for the operation approximately 3 times per week. Photos: May, 2002 |
| Oregon Pacific Number 801 is also an EMD SW8 diesel-electric, but it's a bit older, being built in August, 1951. This locomotive once served on the Mt. Rainier Scenic RR among other larger RRs in it's career. It was purchased by Mr. Samuels in 1993 for the Molalla Division. Photos: May, 2002 |
| The locomotive in the background is # 602, also an EMD SW8, this one built in July, 1951. #602 used to serve on the Oregon Pacific and Eastern RR. If you visit my OP&E page you can see past pictures of it serving there. Mr. Samuels told me that number 602 was acquired from the auction sale of OP&E parts and equipment when that line was dissolved in 1994. However, today it's mainly only used for parts. Photo on the left is courtesy of Matt Wolford, taken in 2000 in Liberal. Photo on the right was taken by me in May, 2002 and shows # 602 at Liberal, in the background. |
| # 801 in 1993, when the railroad was known as the Mololla Western. In 1997, the name would be changed to the Oregon Pacific Photo by John Bauer, Rob Jacox collection, Courtesy of Western Rails |
| This picture taken near Canby, Oregon in 1930 shows Southern Pacific steam engine No 2833 getting ready to hook up to a load in the days when Southern Pacific owned this branch. This particular engine would later have a fatal encounter with the Baldwin trestle on the Tillamook branch. It would fall a hundred feet or so through the trestle to it's death and the death of the engineer and fireman. |
| This is the covered bridge where the line crossed the Molalla river. Built in 1912, it was torn down in the late 1940s and replaced with a steel bridge that is still in use today. This picture was taken in the mid 1940s just before the bridge was torn down. |
| Relevant Links to the OPRR http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/OPR.html http://www.uprr.com/customers/shortline/lines/op.shtml http://www.pnwc-nrhs.org/rr-history/rr-history-OPs.html Links to the History of the former Portland Traction Company http://www.cbassweb.com/railroads/ptc/index.htm This interesting detailed article discusses the Portland Traction Co. lines as they existed in 1981. http://www.cbassweb.com/railroads/ptc/plans.htm From the same article are these extremely detailed hand drawings of specific part of the line as of 1981 |
| http://www.pnwc-nrhs.org/rr-history/rr-history-PTC.html This website describes the bike trail that used our tax dollars to destroy the historical Boring/Gresham Branch of this railroad. http://www.parks.ci.portland.or.us/Trails/Springwater.htm |
| OREGON PACIFIC RAILROAD P. O. Box 22548 Portland, OR 97269 Phone: 503-659-5452 Fax: 503-659-6546 |
| If anyone has any further information, photos or corrections on this Oregon Pacific article, that you'd like to share, you can Email me anytime. Thanks. |
| Copyright © 2004, 2005 Brian McCamish, All Rights Reserved Note about the photos on this site: Most photos were taken by me, except for those that are otherwise indicated. I usually allow people to use my photos for personal use or websites. Simply Email me. I may not have authority to grant permission regarding some photos that were only loaned to me by others specifically for this website. Every effort has been made not to include other's photos without the proper permission and credits, however, if you see any photos which belong to you and that I don't have permission to use, I apologize. If you send me an Email, I will remove the photos immediately or give proper credit, which ever you wish. |
| The East Portland Traction Division of the Oregon Pacific Portland to Milwaulkie, Oregon |
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| Including the remains of the |