shortline sammie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steve...to answer your question...the only part of
> the AERC that is owned (rather than leased) is the
> former BN segment...so far as I know the OPR is
> the largest PRIVATELY OWNED (not leased, part of a
> "shortline family", publicly owned or a side
> operation in conjunction with an industrial
> operation) shortline in the state of Oregon.

Sam - I know this is really, REALLY nitpicking...but wasn't the ROW for the OPR (the East Portland-Milwaukie, ex-PTC) purchased by Metro, with a permanent easement given back to OPR?

This arrangement, of course, is no different than the P&W's Astoria, United Railways (Cornelius Pass), Forest Grove, or Oregon Electric (Tigard to Quinaby) where the underlying ROW is owned by ODOT but the railroad atop the right-of-way is owned by P&W. (And to keep things in order, the Tigard-Beaverton stretch of the former Tillamook District is now owned by TriMet, and P&W simply has rights over this track - it's not even a "lease" anymore.)

The P&W from Mahan to Banks is also owned by the POTB and leased by P&W.