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Disappearing RR Blues: Bowers Jct. Traditional Cache

Hidden : 8/7/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This the #6 in my Disappearing RR Blues series of caches that highlight abandoned NW Oregon railroad right-of-ways or structures. This time in the Hillsboro-Helvetia area!

This area is called Bower's Junction. It is named after a Railroad junction that is just north of the cache location. The cache is by an old bridge abutment for a rail line that connected the United Railways line here at Bowers with the Oregon Electric Line near Orenco. You will notice that the actual RR bridge is gone.

This line was built by the Oregon Electric when after the SP&S (which owned the OE) gained control of the United Railways. URR was also an electric railway. The URR line still exists just north of here. The URR went from Portland to Wilkesboro/Banks and onto Vernonia, built around 1910/11.

This branch down to Orenco was electrified, but wire was removed probably some around the time that electric passenger service ended in the early 1930's. The connection to the old OE mainline (which ran from Portland to Forest Grove) was severed in the early 1990's with the building of westside MAX light Rail. There was still freight service on the line until the late 1990's. ODOT really wanted to get rid of the RR overpass over the Sunset Hwy (US26) as it was the lowest clearance overpass on the highway, plus it wanted to expand Cornelius Pass Road and its interchange with US26. It made a deal with Parr Lumber to move, which was the line's last customer. Track was ripped out sometime in the early 2000's, including the overpass where the cache is.

The cache is a small lock-n-lock. Be careful of traffic on this road, although it is very light. There is a $1 coin for the FtF.

Be sure to visit my other nearby RR caches: Holcomb Trestle View Remembered & Cornelius Pass RR Tunnel. BTW if anybody has photographs of this line, I would love them!!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gval pnpur nggnpurq gb ersyrpgbe cbfg.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)