Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad

[KSmitty]

does anyone know if the Port of Tillamook bay is in operation. the railroad suffered damage in floods in 2007. and that came just 2 years after severe damage from floods in 05. did the county/state rebuild the line and is the railroad still in operation?

[wigwagfan]

No.

Some repair work is being undertaken; one tunnel has been reopened, but the Port is still waiting for money.

The State essentially has little-to-no interest in the line; right now the focus is on the Coos Bay line (and the state is very pessimistic about that line as well).

Go to www.potb.org and there is a PowerPoint presentation on the home page that is downloadable. Basically, the Port is considering (as one option) eliminating through freight service, leaving the coastal portion as a tourist railroad, the eastern portion for service to a rock quarry and potential logging-by-rail service, and abandoning the Salmonberry Canyon -- if the money to repair the line can't be found. But they are still hopeful.

BTW, no businesses have shut down after the loss of the railroad, but one shipper (Hampton Lumber) kept their Tillamook mill open (despite lack of rail service) while shutting down their Willamina mill (which has railroad service on a branchline that was recently upgraded to 132 lb. CWR in the last two years, and they are essentially the only shipper on that branchline).

[KSmitty]

Thanks, i was wondering how the line was doing, its been an interest of mine since i read trains article on it. I hope the line can come up with the money

[wigwagfan]

The Oregon Coast Steam Railroad program is expected to start up again in May between Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach. They had some issues with the steam engine near the end of their season last year and ran service with Doyle McCormack's restored Great Northern F9 (which is stranded on the coast) but expect to have it repaired before Memorial Day.

[Otto Vondrak]

Railroad won't go to Portland - Port's freight service from Tillamook ends
by Amber Nobe

TILLAMOOK - The Port of Tillamook Bay won't rebuild a critical section of its railroad damaged by the December 2007 storm. And the port has ended freight car service out of its industrial park. That was decided during a special meeting of the port's commissioners Monday. The board's unanimous decision was reached a little more than two weeks after a public forum was held by the port, during which support for repairing the railroad was overwhelming. But port officials insisted serious questions linger about its ability to cover the more than $50-million price tag for repairs.

http://tillamookheadlightherald.com/mai ... leID=11270

[KSmitty]

well thats to bad thanks for the update

[wigwagfan]

Sad, but inevitable.

In all the years I lived here, I never once managed to ride one of the POTB excursions up and over the hill...just one more of my life's "list of things I can no longer do"...

The POTB used to open up its ROW to hikers and I wonder if parts of the embargoed line will possibly be reopened for hike-in access. It was a unique arrangement but possible given the three-times-weekly train traffic, and that in the canyon you could hear the train at least a half hour before you see it (and the trains move very slowly...)

[AgentSkelly]

I'm amazed it would cost only $50 million to repair; I was thinking like $100 million.

[wigwagfan]

I'm amazed it would cost only $50 million to repair

I don't believe any tunnels or bridges were impacted...but the POTB has quite a few very tall, long trestles that would be very costly to repair and would easily be $10 million a pop if not more.

I was out in Tillamook last weekend and the coastal stretch is growing weeds. OCSR operations should be starting up in a month on Memorial Day weekend and I believe my son is wanting to ride (since his birthday falls on Memorial Day this year).

[KSmitty]

I found a roster of Tillamook locomotives, and was wondering, there is no snow fighting equipment on the list, what do they have?

Also after being done for a year and a half waht remains of the Loco fleet?

[wigwagfan]

No, there is no snowfighting equipment, the elevation isn't high enough to where anything more than the snowplow pilot is needed to clear the snow. I don't think I recall SP ever needing snow fighting equipment, as none was stationed in Brooklyn.

I have heard a few of the locomotives have been scrapped...the locos were in relatively poor condition to begin with (in part being parked outside, no enginehouse, salt air exposure, and they are simply old and worn out). I last last in Tillamook in August but didn't jot down the remaining units...they're all (save for one) in Tillamook - the one SD9 is in Cochran along with the 45-ton GE switcher.

[KSmitty]

Thanks, Too bad to hear, but I figured it was the only logical option, scrapping them, their not making any money and for the foreseeable future they won't. Anyway Thanks again.

[AgentSkelly]

Digging up this thread...but one of my friends told me the POTB is coming back on line in 2017???

[wigwagfan]

Digging up this thread...but one of my friends told me the POTB is coming back on line in 2017???

Nope. In fact POTB has filed for abandonment. While the coastal track used by OCSR will remain and still be used by tourist trains, the common carrier authority and obligation will go away, along with any potential to restore service over the hill.

https://www.stb.gov/Filings/all.nsf/d6e ... 241161.pdf