Oregon Historic Rail Center - Portland, Oregon
Posted by: 
dkestrel
N 45° 30.438 W 122° 39.707
10T E 526420 N 5039363
The Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC) is a railway museum in Portland, Oregon. Along with other rolling stock, the museum houses three steam locomotives owned by the City of Portland.
Waymark Code: WMT6G4
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 10/03/2016
Views: 3
The centerpieces of ORHC's collection are the three steam locomotives: Southern Pacific 4449, Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700, and Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. 197. All were donated to the City of Portland in 1958 and were on static display at Oaks Amusement Park until the mid-1970s or later. No. 4449 was moved to the Burlington Northern Hoyt Street Roundhouse in 1974 for restoration and proceeded to become famous nationwide, when it hauled the American Freedom Train throughout the country during the United States Bicentennial celebrations of 1975–76. It was thereafter stored and maintained at the Brooklyn Roundhouse between excursions. SP&S 700 moved to the roundhouse from Oaks Park in 1986, and OR&N 197 followed in 1996. SP&S 700 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Several pieces of privately owned rolling stock also reside at the new center, including a diesel switcher, other locomotives and several vintage passenger and freight cars. One of the locomotives is Nickel Plate Road 190.
Public facilities at the new engine house are expected to be minimal initially, consisting of a few exhibits and an area where restoration work on the locomotives and other equipment can be observed, but ORHF plans to install a full interpretive center later, on the building's second floor.
The operational steam locomotives are occasionally used on excursion trips, including an annual Holiday Express, and the new engine house was sited and designed in such a way as to enable these trips to continue. Union Pacific Railroad's north–south main line runs past the building, and is connected to the Heritage Center's tracks, allowing the locomotives and other rail cars to be moved onto or off of the mainline tracks. The rail cars also have access to Oregon Pacific Railroad (OPR) tracks at the new location.
Museum Website: [Web Link]
Train ride provided?: no
Actual railroad cars or locomotives on display?: yes
Admission fee?: Free
Street Address: 2250 SE Water Ave
Gift shop?: yes
Café/restaurant?: no
Theater?: no
Other features?: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
1. Visit the museum. 2. Provide your thoughts/experience of this visit. 3. Provide a photograph of your visit to this museum. A GPSr photo is NOT required.