Western Railroad Discussion > .

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/21 13:59 by F40PHR231.

Nice photos and information. Wish those "Be Specific" cars were still part of trains as they were a good looking car.
Brian Stevens

Really nice photos. I really like your last photo.

Ronda Thomas

OSL route ???

OSL=Oregon Short Line.

Dick

OSL = Oregon Short Line.  A name from the distant past.  Don't know the specifics, maybe it was the name of some rr line acquired in the process of getting UP to the Pacific NW.    

Cumbresfan Wrote:
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> OSL route ???


The Oregon Short Line was organized in 1881 as a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railway. Union Pacific intended the line to be the shortest route "the short line" from Wyoming to Oregon.

Posted from Android

At Huntington it connected with another UP subsideriary the OWR&N as in Oregon, Washington Railway and Navigation building east from Portland.

At one time there were UP boxcars sublettered for both lines. Mileposts get larger to Huntington then smaller to Portland.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

GREAT pics!! Thanks for posting.

The OSL and OWR&N are one of those obscure historical factoids that had a pretty big effect on the shape of things today. I certainly would like to investigate a little bit more, but basically this is what became of the UPRR after the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Utah. A patched together semi-continental RR that kinda went somewhere after a lot more work. Part of the story is where Harriman made some sense of things and then went on to purchase the SP, but the RR's separated later after many court decisions.

It's also an interesting but obscure part of the country side that I would like to have a look at.

The precursors of the OWR&N were portage roads and railroads along both sides of the Columbia River to move freight from river boats around the falls in the river. Independently owned operations got gobbled up by larger operations. Control of the railroad sections built to increase capacity of the wagon roads sometimes shifted between UP and NP interests.

Before the NP completed their Stampede Pass line, NP freight was hauled to the Columbia River, transferred to the OWR&N haulage railroad where it was carried across the Columbia for furthurance to the Coast over OWR&N rails.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

Plenty here to read about OSL, OWRR&N, and the portage roads, along with UP itself and LA&SL. Lots and lots of history.

http://www.utahrails.net/up/up-corp-hist.php

It got started about 12 years ago when I had about six books laid out on my desk, trying to understand the story of UP and OWRR&N, while I was writing the UP caboose book. I kept adding to it, with every small bit I ran across from books, magazines and newspapers. All of UP's corporate history; all in one spot, including the factoid that what is now UP was renamed from SP in 1998.

Don Strack

Enjoyed all your NICE shots!

Larry