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NW
TRACTION HISTORY:
Willamette Shore Trolley
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The right-of-way
of the Willamette Shore Trolley was first established in
1885-1887 as the Portland and Willamette Valley Railroad,
which began operation in July, 1887. It was later
purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad
The railroad
had a major impact on the development of southwest
Portland. Initially 14 trains operated between Portland
and "Oswego" (as it then was known) and became
the main transportation link for developing residential
communities along the route. The line was electrified in
1914 and passenger traffic hit it peak in 1920 with SP
running 64 "Red Electrics" to and from Portland
and Oswego daily. Passenger service ended on October 5,
1929, while freight service continued until 1983.
In August of
1984, the Interstate Commerce Commission granted Southern
Pacific permission to abandon the line. In November of
that year the Portland Friends of the Willamette River
Greenway, a non-profit corporation, was asked to assist
seven government entities in their efforts to acquire the
line, to guarantee the preservation of the right-of-way
for future mass transit.
From
September through December 1987, the Oregon Electric
Railway Historical Society operated a Trolley on the line
to determine the feasibility of such a service there.
Negotiations between Southern Pacific and the
governmental entities continued until the six-mile line
was purchased in the fall of 1988. Trolley Service began
on a long term basis in July 1990, with another operator.
Since then,
the line has been extended from its original southern
terminus, one half mile south to downtown Lake Oswego. In
1995 the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society again
became the operator of the Trolley Service, in
cooperation with the Cities of Lake Oswego and Portland,
Clackamas and Multnomah Counties and Metro (a tri-county
government agency).
(Above as printed in the
WST brochure dated 7/95)
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Since the OERHS one of the mission
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providing history of Traction operations in the Pacific
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Page last updated 02/06/05
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