Council Bluffs, Iowa, where I was born and raised, is the Eastern terminus of the transcontinental railroad. Executive Order of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, fixed the point of commencement of the Pacific Railroad at Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 7, 1864. The Union Pacific RR built 1,085 miles from Council Bluffs to Promontory Summit in Utah. The Central Pacific Railroad of Claifornia built 690 miles east from Sacramento to Promontory Summit. On May 10, 1869, the final spike, later called the Golden Spike, was driven to join the two railroads to complete the work. In Council Bluffs, a 56-foot golden concrete spike was erected in 1939 with the premiere of the film "Union Pacific." The spike pays tribute to the completion of the nation's first transcontinental railroad. The railroad significantly helped the growth of the West.
Oregon Rail Heritage Center
Did you know Portland is the only U.S. city to own two operating steam locomotives? Explore and get up close to these giant marvels of the past.
ORHF operates the Oregon Rail Heritage Center – a working museum, open to the public, free of charge. The Center includes visual and hands-on exhibits and displays, houses vintage railcars, and operates short excursions behind diesel and steam locomotives.
The 3 steam locomotives that call the Oregon Rail Heritage Center home were donated to the City of Portland by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1958. For decades the Southern Pacific 4449, the Spokane Portland and Seattle 700, and the Oregon Rail and Navigation 197 were static displays out in the weather at Oaks Amusement Park. Beginning with the 4449 in 1974, each locomotive was eventually moved to the Brooklyn Roundhouse in SE Portland.
Bordered by several modern rail lines — the Portland Streetcar, MAX Light Rail, Union Pacific, and Oregon Pacific — the Oregon Rail Heritage Center celebrates trains of the past.
The center opened to the public on September 22, 2012. The project to establish the center was led by the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF), a non-profit organization established in 2002. The museum site is in Southeast Portland.
Admission is always free, and your donations keep it that way!
References:
How the RR changed history: 10 Ways the Transcontinental Railroad Changed America - HISTORY
Wikipedia: https://www.history.com/news/transcontinental-railroad-changed-americahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_transcontinental_railroad#:~:text=North%20America%27s%20first%20transcontinental%20railroad%20%28known%20originally%20as,the%20Oakland%20Long%20Wharf%20on%20San%20Francisco%20Bay.
5 facts about the Transcontinental railroad: 5 Facts About the Transcontinental Railroad (thoughtco.com)
Oregon Rail Heritage Center: Home | Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (orhf.org)
Wikipedia: Oregon Rail Heritage Center - Wikipedia
Visit of Abraham Lincoln to Council Bluffs: https://pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/annals-of-iowa/article/6223/galley/115022/view/
"Nothing Like It In The World" a book by Steven E. Ambrose in 2000 tells of the men who built the Transcontinental Railroad. It is a great story of this major accomplishment.
Visit the Oregon Rail Heritage Center at
2250 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
The Center is open Thursday through Sunday 1PM to 5PM
Admission is free.
To claim this virtual go to the posted coordinates which are outside the gate to the museum. At the coordinates, face the South and read the information on the sign about light rail on the railing between you and the street.
To claim the right to log this virtual:
- Send a message to me telling what the current number of light rail cars in the fleet. The number is near the lower right corner of the sign.
- Take a picture of yourself, part of yourself, and/or your GPS with the museum or an exhibit in the background. You deserve extra credit if you visit when the museum is open. Doing so gives you an opportunity to learn from the exhibits and to take a great selfie with an exhibit to include with your log.
- Share what you found most interesting in your log.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.