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Re: Historic Portland Traction Company Bridge Collapsing.
Author: Shortline Sammie
Date: 03-06-2014 - 20:42
Pactrail...think you're mistaken. So far as I know Geeps were never used on the Oregon City line as they were too heavy for the bridge @250,000 lbs and their 9-foot wheelbase would not negotiate the curve into 4th Street (the "short track" as we called it) in the paper mill. Standard power was one of the SW-1's #100 or #200 which weigh 198,000 lbs which was the maximum limit for that bridge as found in an engineering report in the bidding documents from 1952 which resulted in purchase of the SW-1 #100 that year. SP GE-70-tonner #5118 was used from February 4, 1963 thru February 9, 1963 after which time it was returned to SP as unsatisfactory.
UP furnished a couple of NW-2's from time to time when one of the SW-1's was in Albina for maintenance; however it was always used in the yard or the evening local freight to Boring, never on the Oregon City job.
The weight limit on the bridge and its deteriorating condition were the main reasons that the Oregon City line was abandoned in 1968 in favor of turning the switching of the paper mill over to co-owner SP who had a direct connection at Canemah.
Dick Samuels
Oregon Pacific Railroad
UP furnished a couple of NW-2's from time to time when one of the SW-1's was in Albina for maintenance; however it was always used in the yard or the evening local freight to Boring, never on the Oregon City job.
The weight limit on the bridge and its deteriorating condition were the main reasons that the Oregon City line was abandoned in 1968 in favor of turning the switching of the paper mill over to co-owner SP who had a direct connection at Canemah.
Dick Samuels
Oregon Pacific Railroad
