At the turn of the last Century, electric railroads traversed both sides of the Willamette River.
www.oregonencyclopedia.org/.../oregon_electric_railway/
OR Elec, Eugene depot, 1912. Oregon Electric train at Eugene depot, 1912. Courtesy Mark Moore
(That station in Eugene is completely restored and used by Amtrak today)
Quote:
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. Because it did not take all night to make the trip between Portland and Eugene, these cars were shunted onto side tracks so patrons could sleep until morning.
In the beginning, operating costs were reasonable, but reductions in service had to be made when passenger volume did not develop as expected. After a peak year in 1920, competition from automobiles, trucks, and buses steadily eroded revenue*. Passenger service to Corvallis was discontinued in 1931 and to Forest Grove in 1932. All passenger service ceased on May 13, 1933. The Oregon Electric survived as a freight railroad into the 1990s. Electric locomotives were used until July 10, 1945.
|
The West side:
Quote:
Oregon RailRoad History - PNWC-NRHS
https://www.pnwc-nrhs.org › oregon-rr-history.html
The Valley & Siletz Railroad operated from a point on the Willamette River near Independence to the city of Valsetz. The Willamette Valley Railroad operated a small part of the old V&S during the 1980's. The Willamina & Grande Ronde operated the line west from Willamina, before that was taken over by the Hampton Railroad.
The Valley and Siletz Railroad - Abandoned Rails
https://www.abandonedrails.com › valley-and-siletz-railroad
In 1930, an attempts was made by the Oregon Electric Railway to purchase the railroad and construct an extension over the Willamette River to their main line to Eugene. The Cobbs & Mitchell company, as well as other shippers, communities and other parties supported this proposal.
|
Valsetz no longer exists. When I was in high school we played against them in B Minor league.
*See the Great Streetcar Conspiracy. It was GM and Standard Oil.
Quote:
General Motors streetcar conspiracy
The General Motors streetcar conspiracy refers to convictions of General Motors and other companies that were involved in monopolizing the sale of buses and supplies to National City Lines and its subsidiaries, and to allegations that the defendants conspired to own or control transit systems, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.Wikipedia
|