Last Update:  June 16, 2012
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Webmaster
Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
Webmaster
WHAT'S HAPPENING

 The OPR will offering a special public open house event at "The Oaks" Station, near Oaks Amusement Park on
Wednesday July 4, 2012.    We wish to invite the public and friends of the OPR to come out and visit us at The Oaks
Station, which is located directly across from The Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon.

Because the 4th of July is one of Oaks Amusement Parks most popular days due to the fireworks special on the
Willamette River, the OPR will be offering speeder and locomotive cab rides from "The Oaks" Station as well as
showing the Southern Pacific business car Santa Rosa and Chris McLarney's restored Union Pacific Caboose and
the OPR's rare GMD-1 locomotive.

 PLANNED EVENTS

 Several speeders will be on hand, which will offer public rides north from The Oaks Station to the East Portland
Yards and back.  Ticket price is set at $5 per person with tickets being purchased at Oaks Station on the day of the
event.  Rides will be available from noon through approximately 9:30pm.

OPR's Portland Traction Company No. 100 locomotive will be on hand to give cab rides from The Oaks Station,
south to Golf Junction and back.   Ticket price is set at $10 per person for a cab ride.  Tickets purchased at Oaks
Station on the day of the event.   Rides should be available from noon till approximately 9:30pm.

The OPR's "Santa Rosa" business car, will be at The Oaks Station and will on display for the public to see.   An
open house inside the car will be available for special guests.  Public tours are planned to be available for at least
part of the day.  Most likely from noon - 5pm, no charge.

 Chris McLarney's fully restored Union Pacific Caboose will be on display at The Oaks Station for the public to see.
An open house of the caboose will available for special guests.  Public tours are planned to be available for at least
part of the day.  Most likely from noon - 5pm, no charge.

The OPR's newest locomotive, the No. 1413, a rare U.S. operated GMD-1, will also be on display at The Oaks
Station for the public to view with possible tours of the locomotive cab available.

 PARKING

 Parking may be available at Oaks Amusement Park, however, please be aware that this is one of Oaks Park's
busiest days and parking will be an issue as the day progresses.  We also ask that you patron Oaks Park as a
courtesy if you do use their parking lot.  Oaks Amusement Park will have a lot of special events going on that day
and has plenty of great food and refreshments.    The OPR's Oaks Station can also be accessed via the
Springwater Trail with public parking available on Spokane Street to the south and near the beginning of the
Springwater Trail in the East Portland industrial area to the north.

 DATE, TIME AND TICKET PRICING

 The event is scheduled to begin around noon on July 4th and last through 10pm on the same day.   Fireworks at
Oaks Park are scheduled to begin at 10pm.   The speeders and train will depart back to Milwaukie once the
fireworks are over, around 10:30pm.

Locomotive cab rides = $10 per person for tickets

Speeder rides = $5 person for tickets

Tour of the Santa Rosa and UP caboose = free of charge


 VIP GUEST, INVITATION ONLY, INFORMATION

 VIP Tours of the Santa Rosa and Caboose will begin around 5pm and last through the end of the fireworks show.
VIP guests include special friends of the OPR, family, railroad customers, railroad officials and local leaders.   VIP
guests will have special invitations and food will be served on the Santa Rosa.

Because parking will be extremely difficult at Oaks Amusement Park, the OPR is offering for VIP guests to park at
or near Golf Junction and will be transported to and from Oaks Station via the No. 100 locomotive.

Golf Junction is located at 8800 SE 13th Ave, Portland, Oregon, 97202.   Or at the Junction of SE 13th Ave and the
railroad tracks.

If parking becomes difficult to find at Golf Junction, guests can park anywhere near the right of way, south of
Spokane Street and will be picked up and dropped off at that location.

Once parked, guests can call 503-936-4199 or 503-936-2365 to be picked up.   
Sorry, this is for invitation guests only.

 More Information about this up coming event will be posted here as it becomes available.
The OPR's "Santa Rosa" business car is former Southern Pacific No. 128, a 1917 Pullman Heavy Weight car that was
originally built for the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad before being absorbed into the SP in the early 1920s.  It was used by
the Southern Pacific as an executive business car well into the 1960s.  It was then used by private owners, having been
restored and maintained in its 1930s configuration.   The car includes an observation room, secretary's room, two state
rooms, a bathroom, dining area, full kitchen and crew's quarters.   The Santa Rosa will be on display on July 4th.  For more
information on the history of the Santa Rosa, please visit our Santa Rose Roster Page.
Chris McLarney's Union Pacific Caboose No. 25198 was originally built in 1944 as a CA-4 class UP caboose.  It was retired in
1985 and has been in private hands since.  Chris fully restored the caboose into completely original configuration and
markings as it was in the 1970s.   The caboose is currently stored on the OPR and is often used for events like this one.   The
caboose will be on display.   It's not yet known if public tours can be accommodated inside the caboose.
For more information, please visit our McLarney Union Pacific Caboose Roster Page.
The OPR's No. 100 locomotive is former Portland Traction Company No. 100.   Its an EMD SW1 making 600 h.p. and was
originally made for and purchased by the Portland Traction Company in 1952.   The locomotive has spent nearly it's entire 60
year career on the same railroad.   It's in almost entirely original condition and has been maintained in its original 1950s style
markings and paint by the OPR.  It's currently in back up service on the OPR's East Portland branch.   Public cab rides in this
locomotive will be offered during our July 4th event.   For more information on the No. 100, please visit our
PRTD No. 100 Roster Page.
Speeders, also known as Motor Cars, are railroad cars powered by small engines, designed to efficiently transport crews and
inspectors along the railroad tracks.   They have been used since the early 1900s through today.   However, by the 1980s,
most railroads had switched to hyrailers, which are trucks or other road worthy vehicles with railroad wheels can drive both on
the highway and railroad tracks.    Consequently many speeders were surplussed and have been purchased by private
owners who tour various railroads with permission, all over the country.   The OPR has hosted a number of speeder events on
our railroad and public speeder rides are given every year at the Holiday Express event in December.  This year, public rides
will also be offered on the 4th of July.
                                                                                                                                                 Scott Lothes Photo, 7/4/11
* * * *****  OPR Special Event - JULY 4, 2012 - The Oaks Station  ***** * * *
The OPR's No. 1413 is a GMD, GMD-1, built in 1959 for the Canadian National Railway.  It makes 1200 h.p. and was a unique
locomotive designed by GMD to accommodate the light rails of the Canadian prairie branch lines by essentially stretching out
an SW1200 and installing 3 axle trucks.   In 1989, the 1413 underwent a complete rebuild which included major upgrade and
modernization of the GMD-1 for switching/road duties.   The 1413 is the most modern and powerful locomotive in the OPR,
however is very similar in design, power and operation to the OPR's No. 1202, also a former Canadian GMD SW1200.
For more information, please visit the No. 1413's Roster Page.