Steam & Excursion > National Train Day at Oregon Rail Heritage Center

My wife and I walked along the Springwater path to National Train Day at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland today.  The first video is the 12:30pm train pulled by Poulson Logging Co. 2.  Portland Traction 100 brought up the rear.  The train went to Oaks Park and back.  The second video is the same train returning north to the ORHC.  They had UP 1616 on the turntable at the Heritage Center.

Joe
 

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How much trackage do they have - in miles ?
 

My understanding is that the Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC) does not own this line, yet.  It is currently the Oregon Pacific RR. Oregon Pacific runs from the interchange with the UP in SE Portland (next to the ORHC) to the industiral park in Milwaukie, approximately five miles.  It was recently announced that the Oregon Rail Heritage Center will purchase this line, to be finalized in 2026, I think.

Joe

Willsburg765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My understanding is that the Oregon Rail Heritage
> Center (ORHC) does not own this line, yet.  It is
> currently the Oregon Pacific RR. Oregon Pacific
> runs from the interchange with the UP in SE
> Portland (next to the ORHC) to the industiral park
> in Milwaukie, approximately five miles.  It was
> recently announced that the Oregon Rail 
> Center will purchase this lineJOHN, to be finalized in
> 2026, I think.
>
> Joe
 
The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation has completed negotiatons and will take ownershp of the line later this summer or early fall.  They are already technically a railroad and when they move passengers on the OP, it is a trackage right situation.  They will have more trackage, as well as another shop at the south end of the line close to Milwaukie, a suburb of Portland.  This is the way it has been explained to me.  I rode that line many times  in the '40s and '50s when it was an interurban line to Oregon City.

JOHN



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/25 18:12 by Jsporseen.

If I may add a view looking north, 4449 steams in front of admirers.  Behind the photographer the SP & S 700 does the same. Both the quality and layout of exhibits today was topnotch.  Is there another museum that can field two 4-8-4s under steam?

Congratulations to ORHF and volunteers.  

Nickatnight

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I'm being a pain, but in the video of the 2 being towed in reverse, it looked like the throttle was closed. I didn't see or hear any exhaust.
It is good practice when being towed (or going down grades) to crack the throttle enough to see a little wisp of steam exhaust at the cylinder cocks in order to carry some lubrication over to the cylinders. Also it will make the "snifter" valves close not and not suck dirt into the cylinders.
Not meaning to offend anyone, just offering some advice.
Wish I was there.
 

Jsporseen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Willsburg765 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My wife and I walked along the Springwater path
> to
> > National Train Day at the Oregon Rail Heritage
> > Center in Portland today.  The first video is
> the
> > 12:30pm train pulled by Poulson Logging Co.
> 2. 
> > Portland Traction 100 brought up the rear. 
> The
> > train went to Oaks Park and back.  The second
> > video is the same train returning north to the
> > ORHC.  They had UP 1616 on the turntable at
> the
> > Heritage Center.
> > 
> > Joe
> >  
>
> Bridge brake mechanism operating when it was first
> installed 2 or 3 months ago.  Please excuse the
> angle of the film clip.
>
> JOHN

John,

Very informative video, however that is not the "Bridge brake mechanism". That is the bridge locking mechanism, which locks the bridge rails with the track rails, one at each end of the turntable bridge.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm being a pain, but in the video of the 2 being
> towed in reverse, it looked like the throttle was
> closed. I didn't see or hear any exhaust.
> It is good practice when being towed (or going
> down grades) to crack the throttle enough to see a
> little wisp of steam exhaust at the cylinder cocks
> in order to carry some lubrication over to the
> cylinders. Also it will make the "snifter" valves
> close not and not suck dirt into the cylinders.
> Not meaning to offend anyone, just offering some
> advice.
> Wish I was there.
>  
Your advice is solid, Frisco1522. Wish Wes Camp was still around to give us his .02 cents, too!

I fired the 2 when she was at Mid-Continent Rwy in North Freedom, WI — long before the deal was made to bring her to Oregon.
Glad to see her operating, though!!