Astoria memories Wrote:
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> I lived in Astoria for a year and a half, around
> '95-'96. these memories are from that time
> frame.
>
> In all that time I remember only once a BN GP7 or
> 9 came all the way into Astoria with a boxcar. I
> think the car actually went to a customer. Then a
> loco came back days later to pick it up. That was
> the only train action I saw the entire time.
>
> I also remember a BN B&B crew stationed in Astoria
> for a little while to replace wood planks on the
> trestled area near downtown. I chatted with one
> of the guys on that crew about what they were
> doing.
>
> I'm convinced the ILWU scared off a lot of
> potential marine traffic from the port. I think
> the Longshoremen required 4 hours pay just to tie
> up a barge or vessel. One shipper was building a
> barge landing near Warrenton just get away from
> the ILWU and the port. Heard about it from a
> friend whose dad was a longshoreman. Probably the
> longshoremen picketed that job as they did the
> Wauna mill.
>
> Back then Astoria dreamed about becoming a busy
> port the same way Humboldt Bay tries to. But it
> just never happened. If Port of Astoria could
> have run the ILWU off, then maybe it could have
> become something.
>
> Once I pulled off the highway in Knappa and a
> wigwag was swinging away on its own, no train in
> site. An electrical problem I guess?
>
> I remember a house at Clatskanie for the bridge
> tender. The house was demolished sometime after
> that.
>
> Oh yeah, the attitudes of loggers and mill guys
> back then is pretty well captured by Erik H above.
>
>
> The county fair was old fashioned fun. Astoria
> was run down and a little salty back then, but it
> was genuine and real. I liked it. Oh yeah, I
> remember a strip bar downtown called the Rec
> Tavern and the two women who worked there. When
> it closed I heard they put a coffin outside the
> door, and rest in peace or something on it. Maybe
> the soul of Astoria died then... haha.

There was a company in Astoria that worked on old Mechanical reefers. They would get 1-3 cars a year sent to them for repairs. Aside from that, the warehouse down by the Megler bridge used to receive raw materials (plastic wrap I believe) a couple times a year, but that was probably done by 95. I think there were also some gondolas of hardwood for export that occasionally got unloaded down at the far end of the line. The hardwood exporters tended to go in spurts, they also used Olympia and Coos Bay to ship from.