Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad is a Class II railroad
operating between Northern California
and Eugene
, Oregon
, United States
. It was previously a mainline owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad
(SP) between Eugene and Weed, California
(north of Redding, California
) via Medford, Oregon
. SP sold the route on December 31, 1994, in favor of using its route to Eugene via Klamath Falls, Oregon
and Cascade Summit.
The total length of the CORP is 330 miles (531.1 km), consisting of 303 miles (487.6 km) mainline and the 136 miles (218.9 km) Coos Bay branch, another line once owned by the SP. Traffic, as of 2008, is estimated at 27,000 cars per year, consisting mainly of lumber products. CORP is a subsidiary
of RailAmerica
, which acquired the railroad in 2000.
On May 17, 2007, CORP was awarded a Silver E. H. Harriman Award in Group C for the railroad's safety record in 2006. This award marked the first time a RailAmerica-owned railroad has earned a Harriman award.
south of Ashland, Oregon
beginning January 15, 2008. Shipments from Ashland and areas north of Ashland would be re-routed north to Eugene before heading south via Klamath Falls. Reduced shipments would continue over the Siskiyou Pass until April 15, 2008 on a bi-weekly basis.
On March 20, 2008, CORP announced plans to keep its Siskiyou line open between Medford and Weed, and to spend nearly $5 million on improvements to the line.
, Noti
, Swisshome
, Mapleton
, Cushman
, Canary, Reedsport
, Lakeside
, Hauser
, North Bend
, Coos Bay
, Coquille
and Myrtle Point
. Trackage beyond Coquille was abandoned and subsequently removed in the 1980s.
On September 21, 2007, CORP elected to shut down most of the Coos Bay branch. The track is was closed between Vaughn
(west of Noti
) and Coquille
(south of Coos Bay). This action was taken after it was revealed that the nine aging tunnels on the line required repairs that were internally estimated to cost up to $7 million.
On October 23, 2007, the Port of Coos Bay
filed a $15 million lawsuit against CORP, in response to its closing of the Coos Bay Branch. The suit claims that CORP failed to provide the required 180 days' notice that it would shut down a leased spur to the bay's North Spit.
On November 21, 2008, the Surface Transportation Board
ordered CORP to sell part of the branch to the Port of Coos Bay for $16.6 million. The 111 miles (178.6 km) segment links Danebo and Cordes. The price was between what RailAmerica
, CORP's corporate parent, had desired ($25 million), and what the port had initially offered ($15 million). The Port completed the purchase of the line in 2009 and is currently repairing the tunnels that led to the line's closure. The Port expects to reopen the line late in 2010.
Class II railroad
A Class II railroad in the United States is a mid-sized freight-hauling railroad, in terms of its operating revenue. , a railroad with revenues greater than $20.5 million but less than $277.7 million for at least three consecutive years is considered a Class II railroad...
operating between Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
and Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was previously a mainline owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(SP) between Eugene and Weed, California
Weed, California
Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a total population of 2,967, down from 2,979 at the 2000 census. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho...
(north of Redding, California
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
) via Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
. SP sold the route on December 31, 1994, in favor of using its route to Eugene via Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
and Cascade Summit.
The total length of the CORP is 330 miles (531.1 km), consisting of 303 miles (487.6 km) mainline and the 136 miles (218.9 km) Coos Bay branch, another line once owned by the SP. Traffic, as of 2008, is estimated at 27,000 cars per year, consisting mainly of lumber products. CORP is a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
, which acquired the railroad in 2000.
On May 17, 2007, CORP was awarded a Silver E. H. Harriman Award in Group C for the railroad's safety record in 2006. This award marked the first time a RailAmerica-owned railroad has earned a Harriman award.
Siskiyou Pass
In December 2007, CORP announced it was cutting shipments over the Siskiyou PassSiskiyou Pass
Siskiyou Pass is the highest point on Oregon Route 273 also known as Old Highway 99 and is distinguished from Siskiyou Summit on Interstate 5....
south of Ashland, Oregon
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
beginning January 15, 2008. Shipments from Ashland and areas north of Ashland would be re-routed north to Eugene before heading south via Klamath Falls. Reduced shipments would continue over the Siskiyou Pass until April 15, 2008 on a bi-weekly basis.
On March 20, 2008, CORP announced plans to keep its Siskiyou line open between Medford and Weed, and to spend nearly $5 million on improvements to the line.
Coos Bay Line
The Coos Bay Line was opened for traffic in 1916 between Eugene and Powers via the communities of VenetaVeneta, Oregon
Veneta is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,561.-History:Veneta was established in 1912 by Edmund Eugene Hunter, who named the settlement after his five-year-old daughter. Veneta post office was established in 1914. Veneta Orilla Hunter...
, Noti
Noti, Oregon
Noti is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States, located in the foothills of the Central Oregon Coast Range between Eugene and Florence. Per the 2000 census, Noti had a total population of 699.-History:...
, Swisshome
Swisshome, Oregon
Swisshome is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the Siuslaw River northeast of Mapleton, on Oregon Route 36....
, Mapleton
Mapleton, Oregon
Mapleton is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 126 and the Siuslaw River, 45 miles west of Eugene and 15 miles east of Florence. It is also the western terminus of Oregon Route 36...
, Cushman
Cushman, Oregon
Cushman is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the north bank of the Siuslaw River on Oregon Route 126, between Tiernan and Florence....
, Canary, Reedsport
Reedsport, Oregon
Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.- History :Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912...
, Lakeside
Lakeside, Oregon
Lakeside is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,371 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.-Demographics:...
, Hauser
Hauser, Oregon
Hauser is an unincorporated community in Coos County, Oregon, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 101, about seven miles south of Lakeside and six miles north of North Bend. Hauser is on the edge of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area near North Slough, a tributary of Coos Bay once...
, North Bend
North Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
, Coos Bay
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
, Coquille
Coquille, Oregon
Coquille is a city that is the county seat of Coos County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 4,215 residents. The primary economic base is the timber industry...
and Myrtle Point
Myrtle Point, Oregon
-2000 Census data:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,451 people, 988 households, and 674 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,529.5 people per square mile . There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of 692.7 per square mile...
. Trackage beyond Coquille was abandoned and subsequently removed in the 1980s.
On September 21, 2007, CORP elected to shut down most of the Coos Bay branch. The track is was closed between Vaughn
Vaughn, Oregon
Vaughn is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located about a four miles south of Noti in the foothills of the Central Oregon Coast Range near Noti Creek. Author Ralph Friedman described Vaughn as "a mill in the meadows"....
(west of Noti
Noti, Oregon
Noti is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States, located in the foothills of the Central Oregon Coast Range between Eugene and Florence. Per the 2000 census, Noti had a total population of 699.-History:...
) and Coquille
Coquille, Oregon
Coquille is a city that is the county seat of Coos County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 4,215 residents. The primary economic base is the timber industry...
(south of Coos Bay). This action was taken after it was revealed that the nine aging tunnels on the line required repairs that were internally estimated to cost up to $7 million.
On October 23, 2007, the Port of Coos Bay
Port of Coos Bay
The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is a port of the Pacific coast of the United States, located in Coos Bay near the city of Coos Bay, Oregon...
filed a $15 million lawsuit against CORP, in response to its closing of the Coos Bay Branch. The suit claims that CORP failed to provide the required 180 days' notice that it would shut down a leased spur to the bay's North Spit.
On November 21, 2008, the Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
ordered CORP to sell part of the branch to the Port of Coos Bay for $16.6 million. The 111 miles (178.6 km) segment links Danebo and Cordes. The price was between what RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
, CORP's corporate parent, had desired ($25 million), and what the port had initially offered ($15 million). The Port completed the purchase of the line in 2009 and is currently repairing the tunnels that led to the line's closure. The Port expects to reopen the line late in 2010.
External links
- Unofficial CORP website
- Official CORP System Map
- Active Short Lines of the Pacific Northwest: Central Oregon and Pacific from Abandoned & Active Historical Railroads of the Pacific Northwest