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Originally this highway
running from Liberal to Salem was a county road. Prior to its current designation as Oregon State Highway 213, the "Cascade Highway South",
it was numbered as Oregon Route 215.
Other Local History Links
The Community of Liberal, Oregon
Wilhoit Mineral Springs History Page
Willamette Valley Southern Railway
Evangelical
Community Chapel
Victor Hugo Dunton House (1916)
and the
Dunton Family Farm
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History
The Oregon Pacific
Railroad is a shortline railroad that operates on an
old Union Pacific right-of-way. It was originally built in 1912
to compete with an electric interurban line called
the
Willamette Valley Southern Railway and eventually became
part of the
Southern Pacific
Railway system. It should be noted that
the
Southern Pacific
was taken over by the
Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.
 In 1993, Richard A. "Dick"
Samuels leased the
Southern Pacific Molalla Branch,
which ran from a connection with the main line at Canby, Oregon to the
southwestern corner of Molalla, Oregon (10 miles). He named
the operation, the Molalla Western Railroad. Mr. Samuels also owned
the East Portland Traction Company and in May 1998,
he combined the two operations forming the Oregon Pacific
Railroad. [Note: There was another railroad
called the
Oregon, Pacific & Eastern (1914-1994) but the
OPR has no
connection with that defunct company.]
The Molalla branch
of the Oregon Pacific Railroad originally provided
freight service into and through Molalla. However,
as of 2003, the last three miles of the track from
Liberal, Oregon to Molalla have been abandoned and the
tracks ripped up. The traffic now consists of
transporting lumber from RSG Forest Products
(sawmill) in
Liberal, Oregon to Canby and products used to make
chicken feed at
Satrum-Dybvad Milling, also in
Liberal. The train typically runs two
days per week depending on the operation of the
mills.
The Oregon
Pacific Railroad is headquartered out of an industrial area
in Milwaukie, Oregon on Ochoco Road and 17th Street.
Company Information
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Mailing Address |
P.O. Box 22548
Portland, OR 97222 |
|
Phone |
503-659-5452 |
| Fax |
503-659-6546 |
|
Contacts |
Dick Samuels,
General Manager |
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Interchange Points |
Canby and
East Portland, OR |
|
Agreement Type |
Handling
Carrier |
Photos of Locomotives and Yard
Scenes
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11/18/06 -
Number 801 is an
EMD SW8 diesel-electric
engine built in
August, 1951. It once served on the Mt.
Rainier Scenic Railroad as well as other larger
railroads. It was purchased by Samuels in 1993
for the Molalla Division. As of this date (8/30/08) it has not been run in several years. |
11/18/06 -
Engine #802, also an
EMD SW8, was built in April,
1953. It was purchased from the Lewis & Clark
Railroad in 1995 and to date, still wears their
markings.
The EPTC (East Portland Traction
Co.) markings stenciled on the side predate the organization of OPR.
Number 802 is the most recent engine to appear here
in the Liberal yard and is now the primary
work horse on the line. |
11/18/06 -
Engine #803 is yet another
EMD SW8 and was built in March, 1953. It was purchased in
1996 for the Molalla Western Railroad. |
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11/18/06 - Number 602,
also an
EMD SW8, was built in July, 1951. It
originally served on the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern Railroad
and was acquired from an auction sale when that line was
dissolved in 1994. The engine has not been
moved in years and looks like it is
cannibalized for
parts. |
11/18/06 - This is a view of the yard at
Liberal standing on the tracks and facing west
towards the RSG Sawmill. |
11/18/06 - Standing in the same point as the
picture to the left but in the opposite (SE)
direction towards the Satrum-Dybvad Feedmill. |
Map
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Map of the Liberal Branch of the Oregon
Pacific Railroad showing the current location
of the "end of the line" as well as the rail
yard in Liberal at the north of our farm and
east of RSG Lumber Mill. |
Sources
and Interesting
Links:
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