Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicle #309 Passenger service on the Coos Bay Branch

Passenger service on the Coos Bay Branch - 1969/1970.  

I believe that regularly scheduled passenger service on the Coos Bay Branch ended in the 1950s.  I used to know the train numbers and the date regular service ended.  However I can't find my file. (Perhaps one of you know or have access to 1950 era Official Guides). In 1969 other than the crew only supervisors or transients/kids/or knights of the road rode the trains on the Coos Bay branch.

There is a little pixie that lives in some Switchmen. It also has been known to take over the minds of occasional Carmen.  Hobos are a frequent recipient of this "humor". Why would a hobo want to ride the trains to Powers, Oregon.  Because it is south of Eugene and that was the way that train was headed said the switchman when asked in Eugene yard: which train is going toward the South, or toward California.  Three days and three train rides later,754 or 756 from Eugene to Coos Bay, the Coquile turn from Coos Bay to Coqille and the Powers local all the way to Powers, Oregon   that poor hobo arrives in Powers, if the Switchmen in Coos Bay and the breakman on the Coqueil turn play the game.  The end of the line, quite literally.  Also end of the paved road.  Only logging or forest service roads continue south toward California.  I once drove in to Powers on the Forrest service roads, not an easy trip, from Grants Pass.  Now a three day trip by rail on the locals gets our hobo back to Eugene and no hundred dollars when you pass go.

When I was switching box cars in San Francisco I occasionally met travelers heading South hoping to reach LA as they arrived in Mission Bay yard on a TBX or on the deck of a piggyback car on the UPSFT after a ride from Oakland and across the Dumbartion bridge. Litterally 7 highway miles from West Oakland yard.  At least they could catch a train to LA from Bayshore.  Unless some smartass pointed them to a Roseville train.

mdo 



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/16 16:39 by mdo.

Back in SP days, the carmen (those pixies!) at Eugene Yard would, at times, put northbound transients on the WPRR train.  They transinets would get to Albany and ask if they were in Portland.  And then ask how to get there. We'd point towards the freeway...

Those train numbers are:  Portland - Coos Bay - #329-334, and 333 -330 for the return trip, as seen in a 1948 OG, in my 1954 OG, this trip was served by bus out of Eugene.  329 and 330 were the Rouge River, Portland to Ashland, via the Siskiyou line.  Coos Bay rated coach and Pulman service at the time.  Good to see you back in the TO saddle.  AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

And more than a few riders caught an eastbound (north) out of Eugene thinking they were heading for Portland- only to make a left at Albany and end up in Toledo on train #706!

Good to see a Chronicle Mike!  I was beginning to think you'd found
a warm Pacific island with no internet service, but lots of cool bar drinks!

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

WestinAshahr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And more than a few riders caught an eastbound
> (north) out of Eugene thinking they were heading
> for Portland- only to make a left at Albany and
> end up in Toledo on train #706!

And then 706 picked up more riders in Corvallis, especially on nice Spring Fridays...

roustabout Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WestinAshahr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And more than a few riders caught an eastbound
> > (north) out of Eugene thinking they were
> heading
> > for Portland- only to make a left at Albany and
> > end up in Toledo on train #706!
>
> And then 706 picked up more riders in Corvallis,
> especially on nice Spring Fridays...

Louie: Been there.  Done that!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Good to have you back, always enjoyed reading the Mad Dog Chronicles and hope that one day they might be compiled into a book.