Molalla's Other Railroad Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

GeoCrater: I am regretfully archiving this cache since there's been no word from the owner in the month or more since the last reviewer note was posted. If you want to re-activate the cache during the next couple of months, please contact GeoCrater to see if that's possible. If the cache meets current guidelines, consideration will given to the circumstances surrounding the original archival.

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Hidden : 12/8/2009
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

7.62 Ammo Can, log book, etc.

This is in the car park for RSG Forest Products, one of the few mills surviving around the Molalla area. Its also on Molalla Branch of the Oregon Pacific Railroad. The last bit of line that is still in use.

Show stealth when looking for this, you can park within yards! Stealth will be easier on weekends or after 'work hours'. Not recommended for night hunts as a flashlight might look out of place.

"Mr. Samuels purchased this branch line from the Southern Pacific in 1993. The track and equipment are owned by Mr. Samuels, but the land was leased under extremely long term lease by the Southern Pacific to Mr. Samuels.

Like many Oregon short lines during the 1980s and early 1990s, the Southern Pacific was eager to divest itself of the branch line either by selling it or abandoning it. Selling the line was far less complicated and time consuming and they were more than happy when Mr. Samuels offered to purchase it.

The Molalla Branch would originally be operated as a separate company under Mr. Samuels ownership and the name, Molalla Western, was selected for the branch line. The primary shipper on the line has always been RSG Forest Products, located in Liberal, towards the end of the line, but early on, there were shippers at the line's original terminus in Molalla.

In 1997, Mr. Samuels combined his East Portland operations with the Molalla operations and dropped both the East Portland Traction Company and Molalla Western names in favor of the new Oregon Pacific Railroad company name.

By 2003, there were no shippers left in Molalla, so it was decided to embargo the line from Liberal to Molalla. The line is not abandoned and could be reinstated at the expense of rebuilding it, if railroad service justifies it in the future. Approximately 3 miles of track were picked up between Liberal and Molalla, railroad crossing signs were removed and at least one major railroad crossing was paved over for safety reasons. Today, only a few years later, the abandoned section is heavily overgrown.
(Cache owners note. City of Molalla and some individuals have been cleaning up the track and its possible to walk almost from the center of Molalla, to the outskirts of Liberal (2 mile walk) due to cleanup)

The Oregon Pacific Railroad interchanges traffic from the Molalla Branch in Canby, to the Union Pacific Railroad, which merged with the Southern Pacific in 1996. Traffic is set out on a several mile long siding, along side the UP mainline and picked up or dropped off by the local UP switcher. The Oregon Pacific stores its Molalla Branch locomotives at Liberal under the watchful eye of the security of the RSG Forest Products as well as on American Steel property and occasionally at the Canby wye. When locomotives need to be switched out from the East Portland operation, which occasionally happens for maintenance, they deadlined and attached to UP trains as freight between the two operations.

The Molalla Branch is rather maintenance intensive. It differs from the East Portland branch in that it has multiple bridges and crossings that need to be maintained. Three major bridges along the line exist, including over Canby-Mulino Road, Milk Creek and the Molalla River. Also at least 7 separate road crossings need to be maintained, most of which have crossing guards.

This operation is typically run by Mr. Samuels's sons, Tim, Brian and Craig Samuels, who act as engineers, brakemen, conductors, switchmen and maintenance.

Recently, the OPR has added a new customer to the line that has dramatically increased traffic and service on the branch.
American Steel is located approximately 1 mile south of the Canby and takes in shipments of steel via flatbed and coil cars.
A new spur was constructed into the brand new American Steel complex in the summer of 2008. Today, the OPR crew typically switches out American Steel as often as twice a day, Monday through Friday, in addition to the switching at RSG and Willamette Egg as often as 3 days per week. This actually necessitates the use of two locomotives on the branch line, often operated at the same time, with one locomotive switching American Steel and the other taking loads to and from the south end of the branch.

The future of this branch appears very secure with the high level of traffic and the prospect of new customers being added near American Steel as the Canby Industrial Park becomes developed with new customers."
from (visit link)

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