Nostalgia & History > Abandoned Oregon bridge Where is it.

Anyone recognize this bridge in the middle of a field?

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Somewhere on the old Woodburn-Springfeild branch? - Tony J.

Orfan,
It's nice that one bridge was left on that line!

Roustabout out

Boy, that was too easy, maybe it's because that
is about the ONLY thing left on that line other than
the bridge at Armitage.

If it's the bridge I'm thinking of, it's just south of Tallman Jct, on what was the line to Springfield. I saw it back in 2002. I was living in Corvalllis, OR and was out doing a little "Industrial Archaeology". The grade is all but non-existant in this area, and the bridge is out in a farm field.

I also "found" (with the help of the maps in Austin & Dill's "SP in Oregon") most of the ROW between Albany & Shelburn, abandoned in 1930. This line ran NE out of Albany, south of Knox Butte,to Shelburn (where it connected with the Woodburn - Springfield line) and then on to Mill City. At one time it went through Detroit and ended at Idanha.

Nomosantafe
Fort Worth, TX
Where the West Begins

Ok guys-- I got a question that's been bugging me since you're in that area. My Mom used to live over in the town of Lebanon, Oregon.. When we would drive up to visit her, going NORTH on I-5, we would swing EAST near Corvallis on State Highway # 34 and head straight over to Lebanon.. Enroute, we would cross directly over a railroad right-of-way that was protected by flashing lights.. In later years, this r-o-w completely disappeared into the farm belt.

WHAT LINE WAS THIS, PLEASE ???

Thanks.

KRK

KeyRouteKen Wrote:
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> Ok guys-- I got a question that's been bugging me
> since you're in that area. My Mom used to live
> over in the town of Lebanon, Oregon.. When we
> would drive up to visit her, going NORTH on I-5,
> we would swing EAST near Corvallis on State
> Highway # 34 and head straight over to Lebanon..
> Enroute, we would cross directly over a railroad
> right-of-way that was protected by flashing
> lights.. In later years, this r-o-w completely
> disappeared into the farm belt.
>
> WHAT LINE WAS THIS, PLEASE ???
>
> Thanks.
>
> KRK

Thats the line above from Woodburn to Springfield. At the time you saw it, it would have been severed by the loss of the Santiam River bridge south of Stayton.

You can still spot a number of pieces. The grade for the "Y" in Springfield is still there. You can follow it north through downtown Springfield. The curb at the north Motel 6 is the edge of the ROW. The bridge next (west) to I-5 over the McKenzie. You crossed over the same line on I-5 at about mile 201. That I-5 bridge over the track is now filled in but you can follow the fence line. The line is still in use north of Stayton and some (I think) original rail dating to the 1890s.

To ORFAN: I didn't know there was still a bridge out in that part of the world. Just where is it?

This line went south of Springfield and ended at Natron. Later it was extended over the Cascades and replaced the Siskiyou line. Now known as the Natron Cut-off. Jasper was the first station south of Natron and my mom grew up a couple hundred feet from the depot. She used to ride the train into Springfield and transfer to the streetcar to go to Eugene. I grew up closer to the tracks than she did. She had a pic (now mine) of the Jasper depot and I took pics of cab forwards, PAs, 2-10-2s etc.

jb

PS: One of the AMTRAK Cascades conductors used to work that line shortly after he hired on with the SP. Some neat stories.

KeyRouteKen,
As jdb said part of the Woodburn-Springfield branch. I'm not
sure what years you visited Lebanon but I'm guessing it would
technically have been the SP Wilkins branch when you saw it.
It's junction was about halfway between Albany and Lebanon
at a spot called Tallman. It was about 25 miles long and only
operated a couple of times a week or so.
jdb, the bridge is located in the middle of a farmers field
and is basically right at Tallman Junction. It's easier to see
in the winter months when the grass isn't so tall but should
be visible anytime. This photo was taken with about 600mm of
lens so it isn't as close to the road as it might look.
Geoff