About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breathtaking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveler, but anyone else can go and find it, too. More Information can be found on the SideTracked Website.
This cache also qualifies for the Disappearing RR Blues bonus cache. This series highlights the railways of NW Oregon.
About Ruby Junction MAX Station and Rail Yards
Welcome to Ruby Junction—a name that predates the opening of MAX Light Rail by many decades.
In 1907, Portland Railway, Power & Light opened an electric interurban line to Troutdale, branching from their Gresham line at Linneman Junction. The line was built north from Linneman with the intention of connecting to a proposed ferry across the Columbia River, but the plan never materialized.
In 1911, the Mt. Hood Railroad (unrelated to today’s Mt. Hood Railroad out of Hood River) opened its own interurban line from Montavilla in East Portland to the hydroelectric plant at Bull Run. These two electric railways crossed at Ruby Junction—just east of the cache location. Eventually, both systems were merged. Passenger service to Troutdale ended in 1927, and service to Bull Run ended in 1930.
From 1944 to 1949, interurban trains were rerouted: Gresham trains from the old Cazadero Line operated to the former Mt. Hood Gresham depot via Linneman and Ruby Junction.
Ruby Junction found new life with the construction of MAX Light Rail in the 1980s. The former Mt. Hood Railway alignment along Burnside Street—from I‑205 to Gresham—became today’s Blue Line. TriMet also built its primary maintenance base and rail yard here at Ruby Junction.
The first Type 1 light rail vehicles were delivered to the facility by rail, using the old interurban right‑of‑way that now forms part of the Springwater Corridor Trail. Those tracks have since been removed, so all new MAX vehicles must be delivered by truck.
About the Cache Location
The cache is placed along 11 Mile Avenue.
- Just south of the hide is the entrance to TriMet’s Ruby Junction Operations and Maintenance Facility.
- Just north is the Ruby Junction/SW 197th Ave MAX Station on the Blue Line.
The container itself is nothing fancy—but the surrounding area is rich with electric railway history, making it a fitting stop for both SideTracked fans and local rail enthusiasts.