Welcome

Welcome to PNWR's Oregon Travelog!

Background

When I think of railroading in Oregon images of SP trains going through the Siskiyous from Eugene to Black Butte is the first thing to pop into my mind. I was lucky enough to railfan the northern part of the Siskiyous when it was still the Southern Pacific in 1991. In 1994 the line was spun off to the Central Oregon and Pacific. SP's Cascade Crossing between Eugene and Klamath Falls was another place I wish I had spent more time. In 1996 the SP was taken over by the Union Pacific and though trains still cross the Oregon Cascades, it isn't quite the same now as it was before 1996.

But Oregon is more than just what was once the SP. The UP main line from Portland, OR to the Oregon/Idaho border, much of it along the south bank of the Columbia River is certainly worth exploring. Echo Canyon between Hinkle and Pendleton and the crossing of the Blue Mountains between Pendleton and La Grande makes this line a must see.

Oregon is also the former SP&S Oregon Trunk from Wishram, WA to Klamath Falls with the UP and BNSF sharing the line from Bend north. I have never photographed this line, but hope to do so in the coming years. I understand the scenery is spectacular.

There are also numerous secondary and branch lines across Oregon as well. Mt Hood railway operates on a UP branch and the former SP's Tillamook branch has a dinner train out of Garibaldi, OR along the Oregon Coast that is an enjoyable ride.

Oregons west side of the state has forests, rivers and mountain crossings while the east side has high desert and plains. For some reason I have a desire to visit Lava, OR on the Oregon Trunk. The geology of the Bend area sounds fascinating.

Hopefully all of these interesting and historical lines will be visited in the coming years.