Samtrak
Samtrak was a heritage railroad that operated in Oregon from 1993 to 2001.[1][2]
The company was a subsidiary of the Oregon Pacific Railroad and operated passenger excursion trains from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) to SE Spokane Street in Sellwood with a stop at Oaks Amusement Park near the Sellwood Bridge. The route was six miles long and it took one hour to make a round trip. Upon request, on weekday afternoons or Friday evenings, the train would also carry passengers farther south down the line to the Anchorage Restaurant on the Willamette River.
The original cost to ride Samtrak was $3. In 1995, the cost was increased to $4.[3]
Samtrak ran Tuesday through Sunday during the summer and for special events and holidays, such as Memorial Day and Holiday Junction at OMSI.[4]
The passenger excursion train consisted of a 45-ton diesel locomotive and an open-air passenger car. In June 1994, the railway purchased an antique 1926 caboose from the Northern Pacific Railway and added it to the train. Riding in the cupola of the caboose cost an extra dollar.[5]
After Samtrak stopped running, the diesel locomotive and the open passenger car were stored by the Oregon Pacific Railroad until donated to the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society in May 2005.[6] Although the SamTrak trains no longer run, the Oregon Pacific Railroad has hosted excursions using the Southern Pacific 4449 and Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 steam locomotives, notably during the "Holiday Express" excursions for two weekends each December (beginning in 2004), and a weekend of excursions with the SP&S 700 steam locomotive in June. The Oregon Pacific has been a proud sponsor and participant of these public excursion trains and has made significant improvements to its track to accommodate these heavy steam engines.
Gallery
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Samtrak engine -
Samtrak caboose
References
- ^ Nelson Pickett (1993-05-25). "Traveling between Oaks Park and OMSI? GO SAMTRAK". The Oregonian. p. B02.
- ^ Jonathan Nicholas (2001-10-26). "PDXtra". The Oregonian. p. E01.
- ^ Paul Duchene (1995-05-05). "Cab or caboose, Diesel knows it can". The Oregonian. p. 40.
- ^ Joe Fitzgibbon (1997-12-11). "Holiday Junction will steam into OMSI with celebration". The Oregonian. p. 3.
- ^ Kim Bradford (1994-06-22). "The l'il caboose". The Oregonian. p. C02.
- ^ "Museum acquires former SAMTRAK equipment".
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