Oregon, Pacific & Eastern

A very brief history...

The Oregon, Pacific & Eastern Ry. Co. operated 16.6 miles from an interchange with the Southern Pacific at Cottage Grove, east to Culp Creek, OR.

The line opened in 1904 from Cottage Grove to Wildwood, 18 miles, as the Oregon & Southeastern RR. The OP&E was incorporated in 1912 and purchased the assets of the O&SE in 1914. The OP&E was reorganized in 1940 under the same name.

The OP&E was purchased by the Booth-Kelley Lumber Co. in 1947. It remained a B-K property until 1959, when Georgia-Pacific purchased Booth-Kelley, including the OP&E.

The railroad was purchased from Georgia-Pacific in 1970 by Row River Industries (itself jointly owned by Kyle Railways and Bohemia, Inc.). Passenger excursions were operated from 1972 until 1987. Bohemia, Inc., acquired Kyle Railway's shares of the line in 1987.

As of March, 1986, the line owned 3 locomotives (the 11, 21, and 602), 31 box cars, and 44 flat cars.

The line was abandoned in 1994.

Bibliography (including roster data)

• American Shortline Railway Guide, 3rd Edition. Edward A. Lewis, Kalmbach Books, 1986.
• Western Shortline Rosters' (web site) Oregon, Pacific & Eastern Railway page.
• "Oregon Rail Location Survey", The Short Line magazine #72, rosters by Kenneth M. Ardinger, with help from others.
• Additional info from Jeff Moore

Links:

• Brian McCamish's Abandoned Railroads Series - OP&E page has a bunch of photos, maps, and history. Be sure to check out his entire site!

Diesel Photos & Roster

#10

Acquired new (OP&E's first diesel)

[To Georgia-Pacific (Toledo, OR), same# ?]
Sold [resold?] M/78 to Modesto & Empire Traction, re# 607
In service on the M&ET

May 1978
Sheldon Perry collection

#11

Acquired in 1958 or 1959, ex-Monongahela Connecting RR (Pittsburgh, PA) #111

On roster (standby) in 1983
Disposition unknown

#12

Ex Port of Tacoma #702, nee McCloud Lumber Co. #1

Sold M/83 to Modesto & Empire Traction, re# 608
In service on the M&ET

#14

Acquired in M/75 from J. Simon & Sons (dealer), ex-Southern Pacific #5109

Sold L/78 to San Francisco Belt RR same# (both roads owned at the time by Kyle Railways)
Scrapped

#14½

Acquired as OP&E #9, ex-Garfield & Company (San Francisco), nee Feather River Pine Mills
Re# 14½

On roster (stored) in 1983
Dispostion unknown

June 1993
Sheldon Perry photo

#21

Acquired 3/76, ex San Francisco Belt RR #21 (both roads owned at the time by Kyle Railways)

In service in 1983 as shop switcher
Retired in 1994, sold in 1995 to Schnitzer Steel (Portland), re#960019

#101

Acquired in 1959, ex Georgia Pacific (location?) same#, nee Hammond Lumber Co. (Somoa, CA) same#

Sold in 1965(?) to Feather River Railway same#
Resold in 1967 to Fordyce & Princeton (AR), re# 1, then re# 662
Resold 6/84 to Cadiz RR, re# 10
Resold to "DR", re# 19

#602

Originally Bamberger RR (UT) #602
Sold in 1958 to Yreka Western (CA), same#
Transferred M/78 to OP&E, same# (both roads owned at the time by Kyle Railways)

Sold in 1994 to Mollala Western Ry. (OR), same#
Mollala Western merged into Oregon Pacific RR in 1997, same
In service on Oregon Pacific