[freebeard]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

Too true. This article details the demise of electric trains in the Bay Area.

See wikipedia.org:General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy

Not just there. oregonencyclopedia.org:Oregon Electric Railway

The Oregon Electric’s 122-mile Willamette Valley route was Oregon’s longest electric interurban railway, and many of its trains served Portland suburbs. A dozen trains a day catered to commuters, students, and shoppers in Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Beaverton, Wilsonville, and Tualatin. On weekends, reduced-fare excursions operated between Portland and Salem. Four to five trains ran through to Eugene each day.

Somewhere I have a copy of Oregon Times that tells the story. The Oregon Eelctric line was operating in the black when a consortium bought it and stacked up and burnt the rolling stock.

To compete with major steam railroads, the Oregon Electric ordered the highest quality interurban cars available.... Rolling stock included combination baggage, smoking, and passenger motorcars; observation-buffet cars; and elegant passenger trailers. For a few years, there were also specially built interurban sleeping cars.