Red Electric
Encyclopedia
The Red Electric was an interurban
passenger train service operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Willamette Valley
of the U.S. state
of Oregon
from 1914 to 1929. The service got its name from the bright red color of its cars. Despite its short history, among West Coast
interurbans it was unique, and it was considered the finest such system in the Pacific Northwest
. It was the only major electric interurban railroad converted from steam to electric passenger use. It was also one of few systems using all-steel equipment, and one of the largest 1500-volt systems in the country.
completed an interurban line from Portland
to Eugene
in 1912, as well as several branch lines to agricultural, business, and population centers in the Willamette Valley. The Southern Pacific (SP), feeling threatened by this competition, researched the feasibility of electrifying most of its Willamette Valley trackage. At the time, electric traction
was seen as the way of the future, and in 1912, SP began converting existing steam
routes to overhead electrification
. Via the Red Electric system, which SP established on rail lines it acquired from the Portland, Eugene and Eastern Railway (PE&E), the company planned to electrify all of its Oregon trackage except for its main line through the valley from Portland to California
. The projected growth of the rural areas outside the main population centers of Portland, Salem
, Corvallis
, Albany
and Eugene, however, did not materialize, despite the efforts of real estate promoters. The combination of this lack of growth, World War I
and the rise of the automobile meant that the Red Electric system was far smaller than originally intended. The final Red Electric run took place on October 5, 1929.
, who owned the streetcar system in Salem, the streetcar connecting Eugene with Springfield
, and the Corvallis and Alsea River Railway, a steam line that was being developed from Corvallis to Monroe
. Southern Pacific added its Westside and Yamhill branches between Portland and Corvallis to the PE&E, as well as acquiring and adding the Sheridan and Willamina Railroad and the Willamette Falls Railway. SP began electrifying the PE&E steam lines soon after acquiring them. Interurban
service began operation on January 17, 1914, under the Portland, Eugene and Eastern name, but SP replaced references to PE&E with "Southern Pacific Lines" in 1915. The service soon became known as the SP Red Electric. Initial service extended from Portland to Whiteson
(south of McMinnville
), but eventually reached Corvallis, in 1917.
Southern Pacific proposed several new lines or the electrification of existing lines within its system, but most of these were never built or converted. Instead, the company concentrated on upgrading and electrifying its existing steam lines between Portland and McMinnville
.
, Hillsboro
, Forest Grove
and Carlton
. The "Eastside" line served Oswego, Sherwood
, Newberg
and Lafayette
. The two routes connected in Saint Joseph
, just north of McMinnville, and continued to Corvallis as a single line. Service to Corvallis was inaugurated on June 17, 1917.
The main Portland–Corvallis line was 88 miles (141.6 km) long, and the entire Red Electric network encompassed 180 miles (289.7 km) of track, served by 64 trains per day. In 1920, the schedule had four daily trains through from Portland to Corvallis in each direction and two more that ran as far as Whiteson
. Closer to Portland, Red Electric service was much more frequent.
neighborhood) in 1920. Two trains collided head-on, killing the engineer of one train instantly. Two other employees and five passengers were also killed, and ten employees and 92 passengers were injured. One of the injured passengers later died. It was hard for rescuers to quickly reach what was at the time a remote location.
was later converted into apartments that are still in use today. The Forest Grove depot was purchased by a grass seed broker in 1948 and still exists today. The McMinnville Red Electric depot, similar in structure to the Forest Grove depot, is still in operation, as is the Hillsboro depot. They are the only two original depots that still exist on the old Red Electric route. As of 1994, the former substation in Dundee
was being used as a garage. The abandoned substation in McCoy
, built in 1916, still exists.
Between Portland and Oswego (now called Lake Oswego), most of the track of the Red Electric's "East Side" line remained in use by SP freight trains until 1983, and since 1987 has been used by the Willamette Shore Trolley
heritage streetcar
service. SP sold that approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) section of rail line in 1988 to a consortium of local governments who wanted to preserve it for possible future rail transit
use.
Parts of the former Red Electric alignment in southeast Portland are being studied for use as a trail connecting existing bike and pedestrian trails within Portland Parks & Recreation
's trail system.
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
passenger train service operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
from 1914 to 1929. The service got its name from the bright red color of its cars. Despite its short history, among West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
interurbans it was unique, and it was considered the finest such system in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. It was the only major electric interurban railroad converted from steam to electric passenger use. It was also one of few systems using all-steel equipment, and one of the largest 1500-volt systems in the country.
History
The Oregon Electric RailwayOregon Electric Railway
The Oregon Electric Railway was an interurban railroad line in the U.S. state of Oregon that linked Portland to Eugene. Service from Portland to Salem, Oregon, began in 1907. The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway purchased the system in 1910, and extended service to Eugene in 1912...
completed an interurban line from Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to 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...
in 1912, as well as several branch lines to agricultural, business, and population centers in the Willamette Valley. The Southern Pacific (SP), feeling threatened by this competition, researched the feasibility of electrifying most of its Willamette Valley trackage. At the time, electric traction
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
was seen as the way of the future, and in 1912, SP began converting existing steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
routes to overhead electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
. Via the Red Electric system, which SP established on rail lines it acquired from the Portland, Eugene and Eastern Railway (PE&E), the company planned to electrify all of its Oregon trackage except for its main line through the valley from Portland to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The projected growth of the rural areas outside the main population centers of Portland, Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
, Albany
Albany, Oregon
Albany is the eleventh largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the county seat of Linn County. It is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just east of Corvallis and south of Salem. It is...
and Eugene, however, did not materialize, despite the efforts of real estate promoters. The combination of this lack of growth, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the rise of the automobile meant that the Red Electric system was far smaller than originally intended. The final Red Electric run took place on October 5, 1929.
Construction
Southern Pacific acquired the Portland, Eugene and Eastern in 1912. The PE&E was developed by Alvadore WelchAlvadore, Oregon
Alvadore is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States, located nine miles northwest of downtown Eugene and one mile northeast of Fern Ridge Reservoir.-History:...
, who owned the streetcar system in Salem, the streetcar connecting Eugene with Springfield
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
, and the Corvallis and Alsea River Railway, a steam line that was being developed from Corvallis to Monroe
Monroe, Oregon
Monroe is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. The population was 607 at the 2000 census. It is part of the "Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area"...
. Southern Pacific added its Westside and Yamhill branches between Portland and Corvallis to the PE&E, as well as acquiring and adding the Sheridan and Willamina Railroad and the Willamette Falls Railway. SP began electrifying the PE&E steam lines soon after acquiring them. Interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
service began operation on January 17, 1914, under the Portland, Eugene and Eastern name, but SP replaced references to PE&E with "Southern Pacific Lines" in 1915. The service soon became known as the SP Red Electric. Initial service extended from Portland to Whiteson
Whiteson, Oregon
Whiteson is an unincorporated community in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Oregon Geographic Names states that Whiteson is named for either for Henry White, who laid out the town site and gave the railroad right-of-way, or for William White. It is possible they are members of the same family...
(south of McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
), but eventually reached Corvallis, in 1917.
Southern Pacific proposed several new lines or the electrification of existing lines within its system, but most of these were never built or converted. Instead, the company concentrated on upgrading and electrifying its existing steam lines between Portland and McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
.
Routes
Trains originated at Union Station in Portland. The "Westside" route connected BeavertonBeaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
and Carlton
Carlton, Oregon
Carlton is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to the 2000 United States Census, the municipality population was 1,514. The 2007 estimate is 1,755 residents.-History:...
. The "Eastside" line served Oswego, Sherwood
Sherwood, Oregon
Sherwood is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it is a residential community in the Tualatin Valley southwest of Portland. The population was 11,791 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 16,115 residents...
, Newberg
Newberg, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,064 people, 6,099 households, and 4,348 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,599.4 people per square mile . There were 6,435 housing units at an average density of 1,282.2 per square mile...
and Lafayette
Lafayette, Oregon
Lafayette is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States on the Yamhill River and Oregon Route 99W. It was founded in 1846 and incorporated in 1878...
. The two routes connected in Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Oregon
Saint Joseph is an unincorporated community in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. It is located about two miles west of Lafayette near Oregon Route 99W. The area is sometimes known as "St...
, just north of McMinnville, and continued to Corvallis as a single line. Service to Corvallis was inaugurated on June 17, 1917.
The main Portland–Corvallis line was 88 miles (141.6 km) long, and the entire Red Electric network encompassed 180 miles (289.7 km) of track, served by 64 trains per day. In 1920, the schedule had four daily trains through from Portland to Corvallis in each direction and two more that ran as far as Whiteson
Whiteson, Oregon
Whiteson is an unincorporated community in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Oregon Geographic Names states that Whiteson is named for either for Henry White, who laid out the town site and gave the railroad right-of-way, or for William White. It is possible they are members of the same family...
. Closer to Portland, Red Electric service was much more frequent.
Wreck
The worst train accident in the history of Oregon interurban railways occurred east of the depot at Bertha (now within the HillsdaleHillsdale, Portland, Oregon
The Hillsdale district is a neighborhood in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is centered around the Hillsdale retail and business area, a series of strip malls on SW Capitol Highway between SW Sunset Boulevard and SW Bertha Boulevard...
neighborhood) in 1920. Two trains collided head-on, killing the engineer of one train instantly. Two other employees and five passengers were also killed, and ten employees and 92 passengers were injured. One of the injured passengers later died. It was hard for rescuers to quickly reach what was at the time a remote location.
Remnants
The Red Electric substation in Lake OswegoLake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego is a city located primarily in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Small portions of the city are also located in neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located south of Portland surrounding the Oswego Lake, the town was founded in 1847 and incorporated as Oswego in...
was later converted into apartments that are still in use today. The Forest Grove depot was purchased by a grass seed broker in 1948 and still exists today. The McMinnville Red Electric depot, similar in structure to the Forest Grove depot, is still in operation, as is the Hillsboro depot. They are the only two original depots that still exist on the old Red Electric route. As of 1994, the former substation in Dundee
Dundee, Oregon
Dundee is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,598 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 3,040 residents.-History:...
was being used as a garage. The abandoned substation in McCoy
McCoy, Oregon
McCoy is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It was named after the landowner Isaac McCoy. Its post office was established in 1879 with James A. Sears postmaster, and closed in 1968....
, built in 1916, still exists.
Between Portland and Oswego (now called Lake Oswego), most of the track of the Red Electric's "East Side" line remained in use by SP freight trains until 1983, and since 1987 has been used by the Willamette Shore Trolley
Willamette Shore Trolley
The Willamette Shore Trolley is a heritage railroad or heritage streetcar which operates along the west bank of the Willamette River between Portland and Lake Oswego in Oregon. The right-of-way is owned by group of local-area governments who purchased it in 1988 in order to preserve it intact for...
heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
service. SP sold that approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) section of rail line in 1988 to a consortium of local governments who wanted to preserve it for possible future rail transit
Urban rail transit
Urban rail transit is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems providing passenger service within and around urban or suburban areas...
use.
Parts of the former Red Electric alignment in southeast Portland are being studied for use as a trail connecting existing bike and pedestrian trails within Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation is the bureau of the City of Portland which protects the parks, natural areas, recreational facilities, gardens, and trails of the city of Portland, Oregon....
's trail system.
See also
- Pacific Electric RailwayPacific Electric RailwayThe Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
(in southern California) – widely known as the "Red Car" system
External links
- Northwest Traction History: Southern Pacific "Red Electric" from the Oregon Electric Railway Historical SocietyOregon Electric Railway Historical SocietyThe Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society operates a railroad museum and a heritage railroad for electric streetcar and railway enthusiasts.-History:...
- Image of Red Electric train from the City of Lake Oswego
- Images of former Red Electric railway post office car from the Orange Empire Railway MuseumOrange Empire Railway MuseumThe Orange Empire Railway Museum , 2201 South "A" Street, Perris, California, is a railroad museum founded in 1956 at the Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum." The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds.-Background:The collection focuses on Southern...
