Common Carrier Railroads of Oregon

Common Carrier Railroads.

Dayton, Sheridan & Grand Ronde Railway.
36in Gauge. Organized in 1877 by farmers from Bellevue, Dallas, Perrydale, Sheridan, and Willamina to build a railroad that would serve their towns. The railroad constructed twenty miles of tracks on the Yamhill and South Yamhill rivers between Sheridan in the west and Dayton to the east before entering recievership. The line and it's debt was purchased by a group of Scottish capitalists to become part of the Oregonian Railway. Dayton to Sheridan, Yamhill County. 1877 - 1879

Oregonian Railway.
36in Gauge. William Reid and a group of Scottish capitalists formed the Oregonian Railway Company Ltd. after purchasing the bankrupt Dayton, Sheridan & Grande Ronde railroad in 1879. Henry Villard of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Co. was granted a long-term lease to operate the line in 1881. In 1884 Villard left the OR&N and the company terminated the lease, forcing the Oregonian into receivership. The Southern Pacific Railroad gained control in 1890 and standard gauged the line by 1893. Ray's Landing to Coburg. Polk, Yahmill and Washington Counties. 1879 - 1893

Oregon Portage Railway.
36in Gauge. Originally constructed as a broad gauge railway. It later became part of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Co. in 1880. In 1891 the line was reconstructed by the Oregon Portage Commissioners to meet the demand of riverboat traffic halted at Cascade during the construction of Cascade Locks. 36" gauge was selected to match the Army Corps of Engineers construction railroad. Cascade Rapids, Hood River County. 1891 - 1896

Portland & Willamette Valley Railway.
36in Gauge.

Portland & Vancouver Railway.
36in Gauge. Incorporated by the Oregon Land & Investment Co. as a steam dummy line from East Portland to their ferry terminal on Hayden Island. The line became part of the Multnomah Street Railway in 1892 and converted to 42” gauge. In late 1892 the Multnomah Street Railway became part of Portland Consolidated Street Railways. Portland, OR to Vancouver, WA. 1888 - 1893

Sumpter Railway.
36in Gauge. Incorporated in 1890, the narrow gauge railway's initial purpose was to haul logs to a sawmill in South Baker City. By 1891, the line had reached McEwen, 22 miles west of Baker City, and the railroad began offering passenger and freight service. It reached Sumpter in 1896 and continued southwestward to Whitney, Tipton, Austin and Bates. By 1910, it arrived in Prairie City, a ranching and mining community along the John Day River in Grant County. Baker City to Prarie City, Baker, Grant Counties. 1890 - 1947