Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad

The Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad is an American railway company in the state of Oregon. It connects the city of Tillamook on the Pacific over a 152 km long stretch with the Portland and Western Railroad in Shefflin (for Banks). From there you by route Licenses connections to BNSF in North Plains and the Union Pacific Railroad in Hillsboro. The company Port of Tillamook Bay operates the railroad. In 2004, she had 13 locomotives, of which a steam locomotive of the type Heisler.

History

The company was founded in 1952 to establish a route to the former U.S. Navy base for airships. On the basis of an airfield and an industrial site had arisen. In 1986 the company track usage rights on the Southern Pacific Railroad route to Hillsboro. The route was the Pacific Railway & Navigation Company built in 1906 to 1911. In 1915 she took over the Southern Pacific. Transport volume had declined by the mid-1970s of 7,000 truckloads to 454 carloads in 1986. The operation took place on the track from 1986 by the company " Rail -West" by the Brothers Root.

On February 1, 1990, the State of Oregon and the Port of Tillamook Railroad acquired the line from Tillamook to Shefflin for a price of $ 2.8 million including three locomotives. The operation of the route was henceforth carried out independently. 1996 flushed long lasting rainfall over 26 km of track away. Your route reconstruction cost $ 12 million. Overall, the operating company has invested more than $ 30 million in the rail line. After another severe flooding and landslides in December 2007, which continues washed large parts of the track in the Salmonberry River Canyon, the operation had to be set again. The repair costs are estimated at 57 million U.S. dollars. For the reconstruction of the route 44.6 million U.S. dollars were provided by FEMA are available, however, port company is not able to apply the remaining funds. By the railway company only ensures operation on the section between Banks and Cochran for now.

As a tourist trains the Spirit of Oregon and the Oregon Coastline drive. Since the region around Tillmook is primarily known for the cheese produced there, the operators of the railway company came up with the idea of ​​the locomotive # 101 for advertising purposes to be painted like a Holstein cow.