Steam & Excursion > ORHF Complex and OPR Yard Construction Update

Got a few pics to share from last Friday.

The ORHF (Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation) new engine house is progressing well from what I could see. New siding and work continues pretty heavily. The track from the engine house to near the OPR interchange is nearing completion with final touches and ballast still needed. The new ORHF interchange with the OPR is being finished. ORHF will connect with the OPR as an industry before connecting with the UP main.

OPR new yard is progressing well also. Main yard has been graded down and new rock bed being laid. I'll describe more in the photos below.

Also, if anyone is interested, the OPR will be hosting an OPR open house on July 4th at the Oaks Station across from Oaks Amusement Park. On hand will be the OPR's business car Santa Rosa, Chris McLarney's restored UP caboose and the OPR's GMD-1, No. 1413 and EMD SW1, No.100. The Santa Rosa and caboose will be open for tours. Speeders will be giving rides north as far as OPR's yard. This will also give a close up view of the construction of the OPR yard and ORHF complex and I assume the steam engines will be on the property by then as well. It's not really a view you can get from the street. We'll also be giving cab rides with the OPR No. 100 heading south down to Golf Junction and back. Its basically just to show off some of the OPR equipement and have a little fun with the public on an otherwise very busy day at Oaks Amusement Park and also where fireworks will be held at 10pm. I have more info on this event on our web page here....

http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/July2012event.html

Photo 1: Looking north at the new ORHF interchange. Far right is the UP main. Middle track is the new ORHF track into their complex and the far left track is the OPR main that ORHF is connecting too.

Photo 2: Again looking north at the new ORHF interchange with the OPR.

Photo 3: Looking south from the interchange. OPR track on the right, ORHF track on the left. ORHF Holiday Express cars are currently stored on what was ORHF's original property and what is going to be the OPR's new yard, sitting on new OPR yard track. When everything is finished, these cars will move to the new ORHF property. Also note in the background I accidently caught the Portland Streetcar testing their car on the new streetcar overpass. I don't believe it will be in operation until this fall.

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/12 19:38 by Brian894x4.

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Photo 1: Looking south at the new ORHF complex and track from approximately under the Portland Street Car overpass. Most of the main track into the complex is now mostly finished with some touch up needed and ballast. Work was continuing on the storage track that runs around the east side of the building.

Photo 2: Close up view of the new building with a tamper in the foreground. Siding and roofing being installed.

Photo 3: Looking north from the west engine stall of the engine house. Track on the far left is the OPR yard and mainline.

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

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Photo 1: Looking south from the ORHF engine house (on left) at the south end of the new OPR yard reconstruction project. The black fabric fence is the property line between ORHF and the OPR. The green and tan passenger cars on the right are offices that were leasing space from the OPR. They will be moved north into the new OPR yard where the ORHF cars are sitting now and continue to lease the track space from the OPR.

Photo 2: Looking north in the OPR yard from directly under the Portland Streetcar overpass. Track on the far left is the OPR yard and mainline. Track on left and right is new track being constructed which will be eventually shifted into the correct position. Center track is the OPR's temporary run through track to allow us access to the UP interchange on weekends.

Photo 3: is looking south from near the OPR/UP interchange. This will be the main body of the new OPR yard and its been graded down with fresh rock beds now being laid in preparation for new track. OPR track on left is part of the original interchange and will all be redone as well. When completed the entire OPR yard will be all new rail, ties, switches and ballast, courtesy of Trimet's Milwaukie Light Rail Project and should be VERY NICE!

Thanks for viewing. All comments and/or questions or welcome!

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/12 13:11 by Brian894x4.

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Thanks for the update on the progress for both OPR and ORHF, Brian. It will really look great when you guys get through with the track laying, ballast, etc. Looking forward to the dedication of the new ORHF facility. Your operation on July 4 sounds like a fun outing and close up look at the work that has been done.

Good fortune has definitely helped the OPR rehab a great amount of track over the years. No doubt that will help it remain for a nice long time. Any idea what percentage of the overall track will have been rehabbed in the lat 20 years when the new yard is finished? It will really make all other short lines jealous.

Thanks for sharing the progress.

Thanks for the updates and great photos, Brian...much appreciated. It's coming along!
Phil B

Thanks much. To answer the question about how much of the line has been rehabbed, pretty most of it has been upgraded in one form or another over the last 20 years, with the exception of the section between 13th and 17th street, which still has most of the original welded rail from the 1950s. A few ties were replaced recently when a rail broke and more will be replaced soon, but the original rail will be kept for nolstalgia in that section, which does not see passenger traffic.

All crossings have been replaced and upgraded, numerous new ties in other places. A lot of extra work was put into the route of the ORHF Holiday Express to allow those trains to run safely.

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

Watch the lower half of the west building siding go up by viewing Wednesday's bridge cam daily time lapse for 06-13. Started about 9 a.m. and finished before lunch.

http://trimet.org/pm/construction/bridgecams.htm#



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/12 11:39 by Cumbresfan.

That was cool to see in time lapse photography. Thanks for the post.