Oregon Pacific and Eastern hunt
- Thread starter frogpipe
- Start date
not sure how much help this is, but this site's a good resource: http://www.brian894x4.com/OPandErailroad.html (PS Backing up to the main "Active & Abandoned RRs of the Pacific Northwest" site produces a damn amazing site too, lotsa info to peruse).
Hi Ted,
Is this any help?
http://rumsey.mapranksearch.com/
I've seen and found some interesting stuff here.
John
Is this any help?
http://rumsey.mapranksearch.com/
I've seen and found some interesting stuff here.
John
I was going to suggest Sanborn, but it looks like that's not an option. I have seen spurs occasionally on USGS topo maps. Brian's 4x4 page links to another long gone site which is available on the wayback machine, but it didn't have track diagrams. You might also get lucky and there may be some old areal photos of Cottage Grove on Google or Bing maps. TerraServer used to offer historic imagery; with any luck one of the others has picked that up.
This map site might be helpful also.
http://www.historicmapworks.com/
I've noticed that the Sanborn maps seem to be missing all over lately. I wonder what's going on with those.
John
http://www.historicmapworks.com/
I've noticed that the Sanborn maps seem to be missing all over lately. I wonder what's going on with those.
John
50??!? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon,_Pacific_and_Eastern_Railway and other sources say 18 (ish) there was a short section at the end of the line that was abandoned in the 1950s as the mine it lead too, in Disston, was depleted.
There was a branch down Mosby Creek at one point, maybe it was counting that? I know that 18 figure does not.
They also had some GE XX-tonner locomotives later on, and coaches for the "Goose" excursion train they ran in the 1970s.
But in 1953 I think there were indeed all steam, and now that I think on it, the log flats would jibe with the Mosby Branch since it was timber only. The rest of the line was a variety of lumber mills and the mine that I mentioned that ran dry.
They also had some GE XX-tonner locomotives later on, and coaches for the "Goose" excursion train they ran in the 1970s.
But in 1953 I think there were indeed all steam, and now that I think on it, the log flats would jibe with the Mosby Branch since it was timber only. The rest of the line was a variety of lumber mills and the mine that I mentioned that ran dry.
The topo maps at the bottom of Brian's 4x4 page seem to show the track pretty good - I spotted individual yard tracks in Cottage Grove, and a passing siding about midway up the road.
I also just picked up an old book today - copyright 1950, so it doesn't have any of the more recent history. It does have a loco roster up to that point, though, and some interesting photos (including one of the home-made combine).
The bridges were originally Howe truss, and were covered sometime after June 1909 (after rot was discovered when a train fell through the Curin bridge.) In 1948, the Wildwood bridge was replaced by a steel girder bridge. The Currin and Walden bridges were replaced next, but it doesn't give a date.
There were no turning facilities in Disston, so the engine would run backwards toward Cottage Grove with the train behind.
Roster:
1(1st) 4-4-0 Baldwin blt 1881 ex-O&SE 1 - OR&N 32 - UP 361 - OR&N 32
1 (2nd) 2-6-2T Baldwin blt 1925 ex Anderson Middleton Lumber Co. No 1. In service (as of 1950-ish)
2 2-6-0 Baldwin blt 1870 ex O&SE 2 - OR&N 15 - UP 1378 - OR&N 41 - V&T No 10
3 2-6-0 Cooke blt 1873 ex O&SE 3 SFC&W 3 - OR&N 18 - UP 1381 - OR&N 40 - V&T 16. Acquired 1906 or 1909.
4 4-4-0 Cooke blt 1886 ex O&SE 4 - C&E 4 - OP 12. Wrecked 1941.
5 4-4-0 Baldwin blt 1881 ex Mt. Hood RR 1 - OR&N 58 - UP 529 - OR&N 44. Wrecked for movie 1926.
6 2-6-0 Baldwin blt 1882 ex O&SE 6 - SP 1602 - SP 1514 - O&C 30 - OR&N 50. Acquired 1902. Sold 1916. Scrapped 1917.
7 2-6-0 Baldwin blt 1880 ex SFC&W 7 - SP 1600 - SP 1512 - O&C 20 - Western Oregon 8. Acquired 1916; sold 1927 to Walden Lumber Co as a stationary boiler.
8 4-6-0 Rhode Isl. blt 1888 ex SP 2138 - SP 1739 - SP 338. Acquired 1924; sold 1941
9 (1st) 4-4-0 Cooke blt 1886 ex C&E 9 - OP 9. Acquired 1902
9 (2nd) Shay Lima blt unknown ex A&M 9. Sold 1941
9 (3rd) 2-6-2T Richmond blt 1909 Ex National Lumber Co 26 - Winston Lumber 26. In service (as of 1950-ish)
(from Railroads Down the Valleys by Randall V. Mills. 1950.)
I also just picked up an old book today - copyright 1950, so it doesn't have any of the more recent history. It does have a loco roster up to that point, though, and some interesting photos (including one of the home-made combine).
The bridges were originally Howe truss, and were covered sometime after June 1909 (after rot was discovered when a train fell through the Curin bridge.) In 1948, the Wildwood bridge was replaced by a steel girder bridge. The Currin and Walden bridges were replaced next, but it doesn't give a date.
There were no turning facilities in Disston, so the engine would run backwards toward Cottage Grove with the train behind.
Roster:
1(1st) 4-4-0 Baldwin blt 1881 ex-O&SE 1 - OR&N 32 - UP 361 - OR&N 32
1 (2nd) 2-6-2T Baldwin blt 1925 ex Anderson Middleton Lumber Co. No 1. In service (as of 1950-ish)
2 2-6-0 Baldwin blt 1870 ex O&SE 2 - OR&N 15 - UP 1378 - OR&N 41 - V&T No 10
3 2-6-0 Cooke blt 1873 ex O&SE 3 SFC&W 3 - OR&N 18 - UP 1381 - OR&N 40 - V&T 16. Acquired 1906 or 1909.
4 4-4-0 Cooke blt 1886 ex O&SE 4 - C&E 4 - OP 12. Wrecked 1941.
5 4-4-0 Baldwin blt 1881 ex Mt. Hood RR 1 - OR&N 58 - UP 529 - OR&N 44. Wrecked for movie 1926.
6 2-6-0 Baldwin blt 1882 ex O&SE 6 - SP 1602 - SP 1514 - O&C 30 - OR&N 50. Acquired 1902. Sold 1916. Scrapped 1917.
7 2-6-0 Baldwin blt 1880 ex SFC&W 7 - SP 1600 - SP 1512 - O&C 20 - Western Oregon 8. Acquired 1916; sold 1927 to Walden Lumber Co as a stationary boiler.
8 4-6-0 Rhode Isl. blt 1888 ex SP 2138 - SP 1739 - SP 338. Acquired 1924; sold 1941
9 (1st) 4-4-0 Cooke blt 1886 ex C&E 9 - OP 9. Acquired 1902
9 (2nd) Shay Lima blt unknown ex A&M 9. Sold 1941
9 (3rd) 2-6-2T Richmond blt 1909 Ex National Lumber Co 26 - Winston Lumber 26. In service (as of 1950-ish)
(from Railroads Down the Valleys by Randall V. Mills. 1950.)
The "Old, Slow, and Easy" takes 20 pages of written content and three pages of black and white photos (7 photos in total, including a couple taken during the filming of 'The General'). Most of the text is anecdotal stories as opposed to hard facts, but it give a good 'feel' for the road.
As for the roster, I'm not sure if #2 was an ex V&T loco - the information I have for that loco says it went somewhere else. At the least, there's a discrepancy between two published sources. Not that it really matters, or even that it would be very easy to prove one way or the other any more (I certainly wasn't there at the time ;-) ).
Are you interested in a particular era?
Curtis
As for the roster, I'm not sure if #2 was an ex V&T loco - the information I have for that loco says it went somewhere else. At the least, there's a discrepancy between two published sources. Not that it really matters, or even that it would be very easy to prove one way or the other any more (I certainly wasn't there at the time ;-) ).
Are you interested in a particular era?
Curtis
Actually, right about 1950 - which is my era of preference. 20 pages makes it a hard sell to get my own copy.
Are there any good pics of the yard in Cottage Grove? That's the place I trust the topo maps the least.
On the other hand, I have it on good authority that the LA Public Library has access to the Digital Sanborn Maps, so I think I'd have a go at that research route first.
Are there any good pics of the yard in Cottage Grove? That's the place I trust the topo maps the least.
On the other hand, I have it on good authority that the LA Public Library has access to the Digital Sanborn Maps, so I think I'd have a go at that research route first.
The pictures are:
Loco #3 with a train full of logs. Location and date unknown, although she is still burning wood.
Loco #4 painted up to look like the General
A picture of the depot? at Wildwood during filming of 'The General'
Loco #5 dropping into the river during filming of 'The General'.
A shot of the homemade combine
A side shot of No 1 (2nd)
A view of loco No 8.
Nothing of Cottage Grove.
Curtis
edit: I was poking around on the Cottage Grove Historical Society's site, and found this photo of 2nd No 9, probably before she joined the OP&E. http://cottagegrovehistoricalsociety.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=68&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
Loco #3 with a train full of logs. Location and date unknown, although she is still burning wood.
Loco #4 painted up to look like the General
A picture of the depot? at Wildwood during filming of 'The General'
Loco #5 dropping into the river during filming of 'The General'.
A shot of the homemade combine
A side shot of No 1 (2nd)
A view of loco No 8.
Nothing of Cottage Grove.
Curtis
edit: I was poking around on the Cottage Grove Historical Society's site, and found this photo of 2nd No 9, probably before she joined the OP&E. http://cottagegrovehistoricalsociety.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=68&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
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#19 came to OP&E from Yreka Western Railroad sometime after 1953 (the year Yreka obtained her), and returned in 1987...
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