Western Railroad Discussion > Past and Present Entry #3 - Hoyt Street Yard

Here is entry number 3. It is a sequence of 3 photos showing the changes at Hoyt Street Yard in Portland, Oregon over the last 34 years. Hoyt Street Yard was the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway's yard in NW Portland.

Photo 1 was taken in July 1975. It shows the 30 yard, Middle Yard and Coach Yard. On the far left is the Hoyt Street Roundhouse (actually on 9th Ave). Photo was taken from the deck of the yet to be compketed fremont Bridge. A member of our Model RR club managed to get a tour of the bridge.

Photo 2 was taken November 17, 2002 It shows the construction activity in the old yard. The back hoes on the left of the picture are at the location of the old roundhouse.

Photo 3 taken on July 25, 2009 shows the new condo tower and other buildings that have replaced the yard. This is the area knownas the Pearl District. This is the new hot property in Portland.

Nomosantafe
Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West Begins"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/09 20:05 by nomosantafe.

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I guess the roster shots I got there in 1988 are collector items now.


Adam

Amazing when time passes and alot of the old infrastructure has changed or disappears.

Of all the yards I was in and out of Hoyt Street was the worst.

Tracks were close together and it was uphill from the lead into the track. When switching you had ride the side of the car to pull or hold up the pin. Switchman had a couple thousand board feet of lumber laying along side the tracks to block the wheels on cars that didn't make a joint and would roll back out of the tracks.

If you had a train to yard there were only certain tracks that opened on both ends everything else were stub tracks.

You had the coach yard,30 yard and the middle yard. What a mess.

I worked for the G.N. and being a SP&S yard the people were not very helpful if you were not SP&S. I would guess it was the same way for the NP people.

Sorry its gone,but glad its gone, I'm retired so I guess I don't have to worry about it now

DHF

Was in Portland in May for the first time in about 25 years and could not believe the changes.

Very interesting. Second past / present entry for this yard (see Nostalgia section for another fantastic time travel).

At least I can say I kick a few cars up into that yard.... And got to go to work at the Roundhouse working the old PBF....

Photo #1 is a great photo and really explains the area. The turntable was a great place for photos, nice afternoon light with the roundhouse in the background. Seemed to be a lot of interesting locomotives left on the turntable for...a while. The yard looks like a bear to work.