The Oregon Short Line Railroad (reporting markOSL) was a railroad in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon in the United States. The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway. The Union Pacific intended the line to be the shortest route ("the short line") from Wyoming to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Construction was begun in 1881 at Granger, Wyoming, and completed in 1884 at Huntington, Oregon. In 1889 the line merged with the Utah & Northern Railway and a handful of smaller railroads to become the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway. Following the bankruptcy of Union Pacific in 1897, the line was taken into receivership and reorganized as the Oregon Short Line Railroad (“OSL”). The OSL became a part of the Union Pacific System in the Harriman reorganization of 1898.[1]
Oregon Short Line bridge over American Falls, from Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 1.
The Oregon Short Line Railway was organized on April 14, 1881. The line started from the Union Pacific main line in Granger, Wyoming, and reached Montpelier, Idaho, on August 5, 1882, and then to McCammon, Idaho, in the Fall of 1882. Between McCammon and Pocatello, Idaho, the line was shared with fellow Union Pacific subsidiary Utah & Northern's grade by adding a third rail to the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge track to accommodate the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge cars. The line from Pocatello to Huntington, Oregon, was completed in late 1884.[2] Access to Portland, Oregon, was on track leased from the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.[3]
The line was essential because the Union Pacific main line ended in Utah where it met the Central Pacific Railroad, which by that time was part of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Southern Pacific had built tracks as far east as El Paso, Texas, and would, in 1883, become a transcontinental railroad in its own right. The Southern Pacific then started routing traffic to the southern line, cutting off the Union Pacific, which needed other access to the Pacific coast. The Oregon Short Line also was meant to halt the OR&N's continued eastward expansion at the Idaho-Oregon border.[citation needed]
Cover of To Geyserland, an Oregon Short Line Railroad brochure.Oregon Short Line Yellowstone Park ad in Goodwin's Weekly of Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 23, 1911
In 1889, the Oregon Short Line Railway merged with Utah & Northern Railway and 6 other smaller railroads to form the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway. In 1890 the company finished converting the original Utah & Northern line from 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge to 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, a process that U&N had started as early as 1885. On October 13, 1893, the OSL&UN went into receivership with the rest of the Union Pacific holdings. The Oregon Short Line Railroad was incorporated in February 1897 and purchased the property of the OSL&UN later that month. On March 15, the OSL took possession of the line and started operating.
The OSL was independent for a short period of time until October 1898 when the newly reformed Union Pacific Railroad took control of a majority of the board of directors. During the early part of the 20th century the railroad publicized tours of Yellowstone National Park by way of a spur constructed from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to West Yellowstone, Montana.
In 1938, Union Pacific began consolidating operations and leased for operation a number of its subsidiaries including the Oregon Short Line. The railroad operated under the lease until December 30, 1987, when the OSL was fully merged into the Union Pacific Railroad.
oregon, short, line, railroad, reporting, mark, railroad, wyoming, idaho, utah, montana, oregon, united, states, line, organized, oregon, short, line, railway, 1881, subsidiary, union, pacific, railway, union, pacific, intended, line, shortest, route, short, l. The Oregon Short Line Railroad reporting mark OSL was a railroad in Wyoming Idaho Utah Montana and Oregon in the United States The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway The Union Pacific intended the line to be the shortest route the short line from Wyoming to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest Construction was begun in 1881 at Granger Wyoming and completed in 1884 at Huntington Oregon In 1889 the line merged with the Utah amp Northern Railway and a handful of smaller railroads to become the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway Following the bankruptcy of Union Pacific in 1897 the line was taken into receivership and reorganized as the Oregon Short Line Railroad OSL The OSL became a part of the Union Pacific System in the Harriman reorganization of 1898 1 Oregon Short Line RailroadOverviewReporting markOSLLocaleIdaho Montana Oregon Utah amp WyomingDates of operationApril 14 1881 1987TechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeOregon Short Line locomotive amp tender 877 c 1906 Contents 1 Oregon Short Line Railway 2 Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksOregon Short Line Railway Edit nbsp Oregon Short Line bridge over American Falls from Oregon Historical Quarterly vol 1 The Oregon Short Line Railway was organized on April 14 1881 The line started from the Union Pacific main line in Granger Wyoming and reached Montpelier Idaho on August 5 1882 and then to McCammon Idaho in the Fall of 1882 Between McCammon and Pocatello Idaho the line was shared with fellow Union Pacific subsidiary Utah amp Northern s grade by adding a third rail to the 3 ft 914 mm narrow gauge track to accommodate the 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gauge cars The line from Pocatello to Huntington Oregon was completed in late 1884 2 Access to Portland Oregon was on track leased from the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company 3 The line was essential because the Union Pacific main line ended in Utah where it met the Central Pacific Railroad which by that time was part of the Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific had built tracks as far east as El Paso Texas and would in 1883 become a transcontinental railroad in its own right The Southern Pacific then started routing traffic to the southern line cutting off the Union Pacific which needed other access to the Pacific coast The Oregon Short Line also was meant to halt the OR amp N s continued eastward expansion at the Idaho Oregon border citation needed Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Cover of To Geyserland an Oregon Short Line Railroad brochure nbsp Oregon Short Line Yellowstone Park ad in Goodwin s Weekly of Salt Lake City Utah on September 23 1911In 1889 the Oregon Short Line Railway merged with Utah amp Northern Railway and 6 other smaller railroads to form the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern Railway In 1890 the company finished converting the original Utah amp Northern line from 3 ft 914 mm narrow gauge to 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gauge a process that U amp N had started as early as 1885 On October 13 1893 the OSL amp UN went into receivership with the rest of the Union Pacific holdings The Oregon Short Line Railroad was incorporated in February 1897 and purchased the property of the OSL amp UN later that month On March 15 the OSL took possession of the line and started operating The OSL was independent for a short period of time until October 1898 when the newly reformed Union Pacific Railroad took control of a majority of the board of directors During the early part of the 20th century the railroad publicized tours of Yellowstone National Park by way of a spur constructed from Idaho Falls Idaho to West Yellowstone Montana In 1938 Union Pacific began consolidating operations and leased for operation a number of its subsidiaries including the Oregon Short Line The railroad operated under the lease until December 30 1987 when the OSL was fully merged into the Union Pacific Railroad See also Edit nbsp Railways portal Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot in Ontario Oregon listed on the National Register of Historic Places Layton Oregon Short Line Railroad Station in Layton Utah listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesReferences Edit Strack Don Utah Rails Strack Don 2005 Ogden Rails Union Pacific Historical Society ISBN 1 932704 04 3 RRT Pg57 Further reading EditFerrel Hauck Myers 1981 Colorado Rail Annual No 15 The Colorado Railroad Museum US 0 918654 15 7 Oregon Shortline Railroad 1910 To geyserland Oregon Shortline Oregon Shortline Railroad 1910 Weiser Idaho Description and Travel Salt Lake City The Railroad External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oregon Short Line Railroad http imnh isu edu digitalatlas main idovrntr htm http imnh isu edu digitalatlas geog rrt part3 chp7 58 htm http www yellowstonehistoriccenter org trains php Archived 2014 03 14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oregon Short Line Railroad amp oldid 1176631698, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
