During my stay in Salem, I've been spending my spare time chasing down & capturing shortline motive power on digital. One "sunny" Saturday afternoon I headed out northeast of Salem along SH99E towards Woodburn, in hopes of finding motive power for the Willamette Valley. The WVR operates an ex-SP branch from Woodburn to Stayton, and normally keeps its motive power at Woodburn when not in use. When I arrived, I was able to capture 100% of its roster, sitting on one leg of the wye track between the UP (ex-SP) main and the WVR. Both are GP35Es, originally built by EMD for the SP. As you can tell, they're kept up pretty well. The AERC and WVR are owned by the Root brothers, who have been operating shortlines in northwestern Oregon for some time.
Where I got the info Info on the WVR, plus the Albany & Eastern and many other shortlines in Oregon and Washington (plus some abandoned lines) can be found at this very informative website: http://www.brian894x4.com/AbandonedRRmainpage.html I use the info from this site to assist me in my shortline hunting. I'd recommend it to anybody.
Thanks for all the great Oregon stuff! My last trip up that way was a bust as far as the WVR and Albany & Eastern went. Got plenty of W&P stuff though. Got another possible trip planned for late August so hope to get these myself. Can't wait! Oregon shortlines are very interesting and colorful to boot. In my opinion, they don't receive enough coverage either.
Looks to me like the owner names . . . on the second pic I can make out the word "root" so maybe the named the engines after the owners?
The Root Brothers apparently had some sort of a falling out several years ago. Dave runs the Willamette Valley, while brother Mike runs the Albany & Eastern a bit to the south. I have heard that there is very little (if any) contact between the two of them anymore...but you know how rumors can be... Jeff Moore Elko, NV
It's a small world, friscobob. I was just across I-5 from you that same day chasing a rock track back down to Salem from where I intercepted it near Beaverton. Afterwards I swung up over towards McMinnville and Newark to try to catch the Westsider, but it was nowhere to be had. Did catch a kickass lunch at the Hotel Oregon in McMinnville, though. Ended up that night enjoying a slide show and watching P&W from a back porch in Lake Oswego. Small world, indeed.
Indeed............I'm now living a stone's throw from the ex-Oregon Electric line (Portland-Eugene), south of Minto siding. I see at least one NB and one SB freight daily. Most times I've seen a quartet of GP40s as power, but lately one of the GP39-2s has been seen. Also, an SD45/SDP40F pairing (one of the G&W SDs and NRX 664, an ex-Santa Fe (nee Amtrak) SDP40F rebuilt to an SF40C and painted for Maersk) has been seen. As for the names you see on the WVR diesels, the 2502 has the name Bernard Root (the owner), while the 2503 is inscribed with "Uncle Bud" Palmer (not sure who that is). I wasn't aware why the Roots are no longer in partnership, but I was aware that they operated several lines in the area. And you must admit the locomotives used on the present operations look really nice.
TechRangerBrad, welcome to Trainboard! Good to see more Oregonians here. Bob, you have done great covering all these short lines. I had forgotten about McComie's website, thanks for triggering the memory. At my age it needs it often. :teeth:
Hmmm. Now you have me very, very curious- Your mission, is to find out who is "Uncle Bud." This tape will self destruct in.... Boxcab E50
Bob, you've got to move on soon. You're making me jealous and nostalgic for my bucolic life in Oregon. Which is pretty funny since more then half of that time I was unemployed.
Oh yes, one interesting item- north of Stayton there is a small horseshoe curve. It may be due to the nearby stream , I haven't made any field trips. There's a pic of this curve and a topo map on McCamish's site referring to this. This railroad, as well as the AERC and both of OP's lines, would make great little lines to model.
mg: You haven't? Better drop everything, and get out there! Your status as official roving reporter depends upon it! Boxcab E50
Whatever you do, you better be doing it with a beer, or a wine in your hand. Possibly both. That's the Oregon way weather it's chasing trains or growing 100 different types of Blackberry.
